When the Drought is Over

Thanks for the insights

Hi All!

Well, apparently the last couple months in Malaysia have been the worst drought the country has seen in years.  I didn't know that.  I thought it was just hot like always.  I was about to get to murmuring, but then I read emails from Sister Edwards, Sister Broadbent, Elder Nieman, Elder Fronk and others who have been snowed-in or iced-in recently, and I changed my mind pretty quick.  I'm praying for all you missionaries in the eastern States, Europe, and Korea that you'll be safe and that opportunities to hasten the work will still come of recent events.  I don't know if anyone else's family prints/forwards these letters to you in the mission field, but if so, I want you to know that your own letters and insights about missionary work, and your strong faith have been a great strength to me, and given me occasion to laugh out loud, for which I'm very thankful.  Keep up the amazing work! (or, if you're Chinese, 加油!)

Finally, the drought here has ended! Following the wild brush fire that started outside our apartment building yesterday (it erupted at 8:00 AM, and when the fire department didn't come all day, it was finally put out by our tireless security guards at about 9:30 PM), rain started to fall this morning.  And boy, did it fall!  I'm surprised they let us enter the internet kedai (that's "shop," one word of my growing vocabulary in Bahasa Malay) in our sopping clothes.  I'm sure they'll clean up the puddles/lakes under our chairs after we leave...

Well, this week has been marked by a lot of personal improvement in contacting.  I have been practicing in role plays (...woo...) every day, and we have spend long hours at the malls near the immigration checkpoint.  I don't really know how "tabling" feels, because that's illegal here, and I don't know what having doors slammed on me feels like, because people just talk to us through already closed gates, but I do know what all-day rejection feels like.  I'm really glad that there's more to missionary work than just contacting, but that's what we focus on, in our district.  I've found it so helpful to find small miracles to increase my faith every day, and to find small things to laugh about when nothing else is going my way.  It's true that little things matter, for the Lord works by small means to bring to pass great things.  It's amazing how much my day will brighten just by finding someone on the bus who speaks Chinese and simply being able to talk to them about their life, or by reading a bad translation on the instructions to our rice cooker.  I'm so glad that I've been able to see that the Lord is in the details, and His hand is in every day of my life.  I know the work we missionaries do is true, and I'm excited to be a part of the hastening of it in this time!  Love to all the Elders and Sisters around the world whose letters I've received, and even those I haven't heard from.  You're all in my prayers!

Love,

Elder Baer

Service With a Smile

Cheerfully Practicing Patience

Hi All,

Thanks for the emails last week, it was great to hear from you all again!  I always love getting your letters and pictures and little peeks into what life is like for all of you.  (Sorry I don't have any pictures today - I've been working too hard to stop and take pictures!) :)

Thanks for your prayers for me this week, and also for Stan.  He came to church in Johor again this week, and he seems to be feeling pretty well again.  I know it's still hard for him, but I'm so glad to see such a strong manifestation of his faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and in the plan of salvation, prepared for him, for his father, and for everyone.

This week, I have had many opportunities to practice Christlike attributes that Elder Fabiano and I have been studying.  I got to exercise my patience, especially.  Only one of our appointments for the whole week actually happened.  Everyone else cancelled, or was not willing to accompany us to visit less actives or investigators.  So, we spent almost all of our proselyting time contacting.  Because President Mains has raised the standard of excellence from 1 new investigator every week to 2 new investigators every week, we have been working extra hard.  I was a little surprised, because I count it a miracle week if we find a single new investigator. However, the missionaries in my district have counseled together, and we have adjusted our goals and plans to meet the new standards.  I sense a great excitement from all four of us about talking to everyone, working smart, using our time well, and prayerfully seeking those who are prepared to receive us.  I'm afraid I'm lacking in faith.  I have to constantly remind myself that although I don't know how it will happen, I know that the Lord can provide a way for us to do as he has commanded.  I met many, many people who are not prepared to receive the Gospel this week, but I have never felt a greater sense of purpose and determination. 

Although I could easily view last week as one of little success, I feel very happy that the Lord has helped me see a strength of mine.  As Elder Fabiano and I spent hours trying to find new investigators, I felt hot, sweaty, hungry and tired, but I never became irritated or angry that people were not accepting us, and I was not bothered by anything people said to me.  I feel very blessed with patience these last several days.  I don't know how to describe what I was thinking or what I felt except that I just didn't let anything weigh me down.  I felt perfectly happy all the day long, even when things weren't going my way.

This next week, my focus for Christlike attributes is Charity and Love.  As explained in Preach My Gospel, I want to strengthen my ability to demonstrate Charity by viewing others as they have the potential to become, not as they appear to me as they try to wave me away from their gates or avoid me in the malls.  I began yesterday night, and it really helped me and Elder Fabiano to be friendly to people even as they all rejected us.  One thing I noticed that Elder Fabiano did especially well as we both practiced Charity - he was able to turn someone's dismissing frown into a smile by the time we finished a short conversation with them.  I hope I can be inspired enough to do the same this week.

I know that as other people can feel Heavenly Father's love for them through us, they will naturally want to come closer to Him, and we will find a new friend.  I hope that this is something I will never forget, even after the mission, and something that we can all keep in mind as we meet other people each day.  After all, we're all children of God.

Love,
Brennan

Daylight Savings Strikes Again!

Doing well in Johor Bahru

Dear everybody,

Things are going well for me here in Johor Bahru.  By that, I mean that I still have a lot of hours that are not filled with lessons or any kind of appointments, but that I have been able to count a lot of blessings this week.  Elder Fabiano is teaching me some really great contacting skills, and I'm actually excited to re-learn how to begin talking to people and extending invitations to come to church and learn with the missionaries.  I am trying to be especially sensitive to what people's real needs are, not just what sentences I can take from the manual and apply triumphantly to what they just said.  While I am getting better at drawing connections to many things I have read in Preach My Gospel, I feel like I need to constantly adjust my focus, realigning it with what people really need and how I can fill that kind of need.  I hope I am doing a good job.  I really can't tell to what extent my influence has been helping anyone,  but I pray every day to be guided by the Holy Ghost and directed to know where to go, what to do and what to say.

I am having a lot of fun as Elder Fabiano's companion.  He can joke and laugh about anything, even when things are not going his way.  He is also a great example to me of Faith as a Christlike attribute.  I think there are many Christlike attributes he demonstrates, and I am excited to have his help in developing them in myself.

Elder Harr and Elder McCarthy are the two new (English-speaking) Elders in my district, after Elders Loke and Wadsworth went to East Malaysia.  Elder Harr, it turns out, was in the MTC at the same time as me, and we remember a lot of the same events there!  He also started his mission when he was 18, and he's from St. George.  He's really resourceful, athletic, and soft-spoken - a real pleasure to be around.  His trainee, Elder McCarthy is from New Zealand, was triple-culture-shocked with 9 days in the Philippines MTC, one day in Singapore, then going straight to JB.  He has the best accent ever, and he is ready to get straight to work.  He's a great positive thinker and a ton of fun to be with.  He towers over all the Chinese and Malaysians and even the missionaries.

Most of this week was taken up with moving house.  I love the new apartment - I'm sure it's one of the nicest ones in the mission.  I'm still trying to help the other Elders catch the vision of establishing a house of order by putting away all the boxes and finding places for items we use, instead of just stepping over them or stubbing our toes on them, but it's becoming more organized day by day as I take a few minutes out of my journal-writing time to put things away.  I really didn't take many pictures this week because my hands were always full.

Thank you for your thoughts about Our Refined Heavenly Home.  I have been trying to refine our home here in the mission as much as I can, and it was really interesting to read about it.  There's a lot more I'd like to say and discuss, but that will have to wait.  I am also really happy to hear the small and simple details about life at home, like Dad's shiny tux and choir fails and rain and trimester ends and ACT and Irish dance and Wolf Badge and forest project and Lacrosse games.  Keep them coming!

I love you all so much!  I hope you can feel it.  I can feel your love!

Love,

Brennan

Steamboat (hot pot) dinner for elder Loke's farewell

  Fixing our chairs so they don't scratch the wood floor.  aka "ghetto-smurfing the chairs."

P.S. I'd appreciate your prayers on behalf of Stan.  His father passed away unexpectedly in a car accident this week.  He's in his hometown for the funeral now, and I hope he's still doing alright.  I've had limited contact with him, but the missionaries where he is say that he found the church there, attended sacrament meeting with his wife, and bore powerful testimony, thanking Heavenly Father for giving him the knowledge that he's gained about the gospel so that he could endure this trial.  He's amazing!  I know he's still having a hard time, so just keep him in your prayers.  Thank you so much!

Love,
Brennan

The Elders Attempt to Catch Their Bus

This week's news

Dear Family,

Transfer news came in yesterday.  Elders Loke and Wadsworth are transferred to East Malaysia. I'm staying in Johor Bahru with Elder Fabiano!  This is going to be a great chance to become his best friend and to keep serving with Stan, President Schollenberger, and the rest of the branch!  Also, we're moving over to the other tower of apartments, into a fancy one on the 5th floor.  I know it's not a penthouse, but it's going to be such an improvement over the one we've been living in!

I'm glad you got to spend some time with cousins!  I don't know how you fit the time in, between science fair prep, band, baptisms, lacrosse, wrestling, composing, and meditating.  I actually just began reading chapter 4 [of Preach My Gospel] today for my personal study.  I have been asking questions about prayers lately, too.  I wasn't exactly sure how to ask questions about my questions to Heavenly Father, but I've just been letting Him know how I feel, and asking for the ability to recognize and cheerfully follow the promptings I receive.

Thanks for telling me about others serving missions now.  I'm really glad to hear about the news from Sister Fronk, Sister Moon, and Mina.  I can keep them in my prayers.  When I hear about the things they're experiencing, I consider myself pretty fortunate.  I know that the Lord is always watching over me and that President and Sister Mains are really taking good care of the missionaries here.

Thanks also for reporting to me on your morning scripture reading, Mom.  I'm glad you find a peaceful time to read.  I know how nice it is to get up early and read - it really does bring a lot of strength into your day by inviting the guidance of the Holy Ghost right from the beginning.

I'm really sad I don't have any more time to write - Transfers are always hard on email time.  I hope I will be more prepared next week to tell you more things.

One other piece of news - I finally need to buy a bicycle, so I'll be taking 550 ringgit out of my personal funds today.  For the quality and newness of the bicycle I'm getting (Elder Wadsworth's, which is only 6 weeks old, well maintained, and ridden only a handful of times) I'm really happy for that price!

This message was pretty scattered, but know that I still love you and think of you all very often.  Thanks for all the help and support you give me, even the kinds that I will never know about and can't see as emails or letters!
Love,
Brennan

Nasi Lemak!  Finally, there are pictures!  

I'm eating the one that's still wrapped in the newspaper.  I couldn't wait long enough to open it!  ( just kidding, it tastes so much better when you don't eat the newspaper wrapping with it.)

The icon of JB - "the car"

It sits just down the street from the church, so we pass it often.  I finally got a picture with it.

Oh, you may choose if you want the pot in there or not.  Elder Fabiano threw it to me just as Elder Wadsworth was about to take the picture.  One pic with, one without.

The Elders Encounter Elder Rex's Distant Relatives

 

 (Taking care of the flock)

Great week!

Hi Everyone,

I have been doing really well this week!  It's funny that I say that, because I still have all my daily insecurities and things that I don't understand, but when I email home I just can't seem to remember all the little injustices and disheartening things that during the week I wish I could tell you all.  Lets see, this week was pretty slow, as usual, but I think most things were overshadowed by the overarching excitement for Stan's baptism.  Thank you for all your prayers on his behalf.  I'm sure many missionaries feel this way about their new converts, but I really believe that his conversion, as well as his wife's, is a lifelong conversion.  The only thing I fear for him now is that we, the missionaries and the members of the branch, are so excited for him that we will overload him, and put heavy demands on his already full work schedule.  I believe he is completely willing to do everything in his power to "give back to the church and to Heavenly Father," and I know that he will be a great strength to the small branch here in Johor Bahru.

The baptismal meeting was practically perfect!  More people came than we expected, a lot more pictures were taken than I expected, the talks were short and sweet, our song, "If the Savior Stood Beside Me," was beautiful, there were no problems with the rather old baptismal font, and Elder Loke performed the ordinance flawlessly.  Yesterday, I felt very honored to confirm him a member of the Church, and although I was a little nervous about giving him that priesthood blessing, everything flowed very smoothly.

Stan's mother came all the way from Kuala Lumpur to support him in his baptism.  She was touched by the Spirit, and afterwards she asked us if she could transfer her records from her Lutheran congregation to our church!  It is a testimony to me of the converting power displayed by Stan's righteous and consistent example in living the Gospel, and of the power of the Holy Ghost to bear witness of truth.

I pray every day for help to recognize and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.  Recently, "Let the Holy Spirit Guide" has become my favorite hymn.  I realize that there are so many things that I cannot do on my own, and many circumstances that I have no control over, but I pray that by being in tune with the Spirit I will know how to do what Jesus would do in every situation.  I hope that every one of us can do the same, because I know the Lord wants to guide us, and He will if we listen and follow with real intent.

I love you all, and thank you for your letters and prayers!

Love,

Brennan

Oh, a really cool part of this week that I forgot to mention in my letter: I got to see a lion dance, right in the lobby of our complex!  Two lions came out and danced to a ridiculous beat, and dared people to come take lucky mandarin oranges from their mouths!

Here they are fighting over a head of lettuce, and giving gifts to bystanders of all ages.  Tons of fun to see!

A bird's eye view (almost) of my area, from one of the other missionary apartments across town.  Can you see all the cranes in the hazy distance?

The crazy distance is what really gets me.  Johor Bahru, in Chinese is called Xin Shan, "New Mountain," but there aren't any mountains!  The sky stretches out forever, and the clouds here are amazing!