Salemat Pagi

hai! 
another week another week! and here are the updates:
we had a baptism this past saturday. veronica. :) it was so amazing. she is 17, and in our branch we have a really really big young women group, and basically every single girl came for her baptism. it was a party! the fellowship was amazing and it made her life I think. I sat with her and walked with her through everything, she made me practice baptizing her like five more times, I had to talk her down about the water thing (she's scared of water and can't swim haha), she practiced bearing her testimony to me in the bathroom twice before she walked in after the baptism to give it. she wouldn't let go of my hand (which she was clenching so hard I didn't have any circulation!) she's adorable and it was such an amazing amazing experience. she was glowing. hite made fun of me because she said I looked like a little kid I was beaming so much. haha. I was. it was a golden day. 
I found out at about ten that night, the night before sunday, that I needed to give a talk in church. adoi! I was so nervous. I had no idea what to speak on, plus it was late, our church starts at nine in the morning, I was a bit worried. however, I was surprisingly calm at the same time. I've changed a lot. at home I think I would have died about that. but on a mission, you get used to teaching with absolutely no notice. I spoke about prayers, and how we receive answers to our prayers. I shared a few parts of one of my favorite general conference talks, uchtdorf's, about waiting on the road to damascus. he said something about how our prayers aren't answered while we're kneeling, they're usually answered while we are on our feet serving. I think that's very true, and also something I think is easy to forget. I have gotten into the mindset sometimes where I subconsciously just sit and wait. which is ridiculous and fruitless. I also used one of my favorite scriptures, ether 12:6. talks about faith and how sometimes, we don't receive a witness until after the trial of our faith. trials are necessary, and they don't come because we did something wrong and we're punished. God loves us, and He wants us and needs us to grow. it's as simple as that sometimes. when we have trials, we grow. our faith grows. and after, we can look back and see and gain a stronger witness and testimony that God does love us and does answer our prayers. every one. and that even in the moments we think we're lost and alone, the Lord really is carrying us. I have thought about that image a lot, about the Lord carrying me in his arms, walking with me through darkness. I can see it very vividly in my mind, almost like I've really seen it in real life. I think it's beautiful. and I know it's true. the Lord carries us if we call on Him. 
so I probably talk about angel and josie a lot, sorry. I always have stories about them. but josie has been on this kick lately that I am a "budak kecil" (little kid). she says I'm just a little kid. like my mannerisms, my smile, apparently everything about me makes her laugh and think I'm like a kid. at first I was really hurt, I'm supposed to be a grown up missionary! not a little kid! but she yelled at me the other day because I said I was trying to be quiet and more grown up. haha. she yeeelllllllllllleeddd! she told me not to change. so I guess it's not too bad. I guess I always knew I was secretly still a little kid. but the other day at church angel had this big huge bar of chocolate that she was eating, and I was starving, plus it was chocolate, so of course I went up to go eat some. haha. so there we were at church, in the foyer while everyone was chatting and such, just minding our own, talking and eating chocolate, when I hear josie just laaaaauuuugggghhhhhhing. laughing so hard! so we look over and she goes, "see! she's a little kid! her and angel are the same age!! just eating chocolate!!!" honestly, it was not even that absurd or childish I thought, all we were doing was eating chocolate! but it makes me happy because sister josie gets such a kick out of it. I told angel the other day that my grandma has called me angel my whole life and she loved that. ironic a bit. they are my family here. 
I am turning in to a malaysian!!!!!!! no joke. when I'm hungry, I don't want to eat a sandwich anymore. if we go eat, I get rice or noodles. and fish and vegetables. lots of curry. when josie makes rice porridge, I feel like I'm eating comfort food I've eaten my whole life. it's weird! the other day we had fried rice with little dried sardines in it and I was in heaven it was so delicious. yesterday I stayed at the larson's because hite had to get her visa stamped, and they cooked like normal food, normal american food. potatoes, meat, the works. and I didn't even want it! it was like gross actually. I didn't have a taste for it, and all I kept thinking of was that I wished it was a nice bowl of noodles with eggs and sardines. however, I don't like ALL malaysian food. which leads me to my next story.
so pig is hard to find here, since the muslims can't eat it. so you really only get it in chinese restaurants because they don't care. so we went to a members restaurant to get some lunch, get to know her, and talk about a referral she might have. we sit down, we order our food, and it comes out and it's so delicious!! so good. so we're eating, so happy, and the sister was SO nice so she kept talking and kept yelling at people to bring us out more food. basically she brought out a plate of everything they make at the kedai. lots of fish balls (little hot jelly ball things with smooshed up fish guts inside), all kinds of chicken, fish, beef, pork. everything was pretty good, although I was happy just with my noodles. but if malaysians love you, they bring you food. and we were really touched she was feeding us so much. so we kept eating. when at last she brings out this plate that looked kindof like meat. she said it was pig. but it was black. since when is pig black? so we eat, and it's disgusting. but she's watching, so we keep eating. it had the weirdest texture ever. turns out, it's pig intestine. I wanted to hurl. hahaha. plus I was soooo full already. hite didn't particularly like it, and the sister was watching us eat it, and I wanted to cry because I didn't know how we were gonna finish it, so I took my fork and speared like five pieces, drenched them in this burning hot chili sauce, ate them all in one bite, and chased it down with my milo. although I prayed I had something a little stronger to get it down!! haha. it was funny. moral of the story, avoid pig intestines if you can. 
the work right now is keeping us so so so busy. it's incredible. it was slow for so long but now we've got a lot going on. a miracle. we've also starting teaching a few families, which has been a dream of hite and mines for a while. theres nothing like teaching a family. every day my testimony of this work, and the influence of the Lord in this work, is rejuvenated. I had a thought the other morning, "what would I be doing right now if I wouldn't have come on a mission?" and I seriously almost had a full fledged anxiety attack. words can't adequately describe how grateful I am that I came. and for all of the people who got me here. thank you all. 
my time is out now unfortunately, but I love you all so much!! be safe and be strong. 
I love you I love you.