Building and Burning Bridges

It is a new transfer out here in the field, I can't believe it, I feel like they are speeding up. I am staying in Kuching branch and i am stoked. I think I am going to be distraught when I have to leave these people and my bike. 

I realize I haven' sent a big e-mail around for 2 weeks, Sorry... So on to the highlights! First is the Gawai party which I may have already told you about, but I was obsessed with! To enter said party all the missionaries had to line up outside and take shots of zapple to get in, which is highly inappropriate, but as they say, "Malaysia Boleh." The party was packed full of food and Iban dancing, I couldn't understand anything anyone said but i could feel the love the all had for each other and the love heavenly father has for them. Another fond memory was hiking Bako, where Sister Hansen hit the jungle a little too hard and got dehydration but made it out alive and got to see some amazing scenes and monkeys along the wa. The last is Zone Conference! AHH, so amazing the leaders here are out of this world, so amazing and it came at the perfect time. The main message they focused on was Repentance and changing NOW! We are all often too casual about it all and I know I needed that push towards developing and progressing now. 

Now that you have the all the catch up information I can tell you all about the amazing things and not so amazing things that happened this week. 

So on Tuesday after district meeting our appointment got cancelled and we decided to take that opportunity to get Sister Hales a bike box for moving to her new area. No big deal right? We thought it would only take like 15 minutes tops...WE WERE SO WRONG. let me put in a little disclaimer: I am a horrible trainer. Anyways so we get the bike box and realize how HUGE it is and we both said, "wow that's pretty big, we probably shouldn't bike it home." Then I went real irresponsible and decided I could carry the box (that was larger than my bike) and ride it to our apartment 10 minutes away. So I pick up the box and start out, I make it 10 feet then crash. Nothing too bad mostly embarrassing. This sweet, kind of nosy, malay man comes up to us and tells us not to ride the bike box home that we need to break the box down and get a ride. We listened to him and walked around the corner until he couldn't see us anymore and devised a way for me to take the box from sister hales while I was riding, you know use the momentum. Well, I got the box, I got it good, however I grabbed the box on the side of the brakes. Bad news bears. I got pretty far, I was really proud. I was so close then I just had to turn around. Worst mistake of my life. When I turned around the box got stuck in the back wheel and sister hansen took flight for a good minute. Haha. the back tire fell off, I destroyed my wrist and Kuching started to flood, Noah's ark style. After laying on the street for awhile this nice 200 year old man asked if I was ok and helped me up. I carried my bike to shelter and put the chain and bike tire back on the bike. At this point my wrist was the size of Texas and I had given myself a grease unibrow and soul patch. I swallowed my pride and called the senior couple to pick us up and take us home. We made it and my wrist is fine now. Moral of this story is to follow promptings, or to put the big box on the side of the bike without the brakes. Either can. 

Wednesday was sad, Sister Hales packed and we had a lesson and got a new investigator and put her on date. The Plan of Salvation is so powerful. Regardless of how it is taught you can't help but to feel the love God and the savior have for you. 

Thursday my new companion came, Sister Leavitt, she is SO COOL. we were in the MTC together and I am legitimately stoked to work with her and learn from her. The day was mostly waiting for her plane to come in and take her grocery shopping. 

Friday was Mr. Lim day. Mr. Lim is my kindred spirit, he has been an investigator for a year or so and still doesn't believe in God. We had a killer lesson with him about prayer and God's love for him and then that night we went to Cat's Pyjamas his burger stall. The best burgers ever. We were able to do some major BTR and I feel like he really connected with us and trusts us, which means the next step is progression! :)

Saturday and sunday were good, I accidentally broke the word of wisdom at a potential investigator appointment and I had to repent, but don't worry it all worked out.

This week has been one of miracles and adventures, laughs and cries. This mission is changing me I realized and I can' wait to see what the Lord wants me to do next!

Sister Emma Lou Hansen

P.S. 

so I realized I didn't put the title story in. So missionaries are infamous for burning bridges with members in this branch I have been killing myself to build them. I had finally built one with the relief society president and got an appointment for Tuesday. The day I almost died. We missed the appointment and a bridge was definitely burned. It's under construction currently but I have great faith it will be the next golden gate!