selamat pagi

what a week.
let me start out with last wednesday, right after I emailed. how do you feel about mayo? as in the nasty substance that people put in food that doesn't need it. my feelings are utter repulsion. I still remember this one time before my mission, I saw this girl do a dare and she ate a whole huge spoonful of mayo, and when she put it in her mouth I turned around and puked. looking at it makes me shake I hate it so much. it's not a normal feeling I realize, but I hate it. haha. so anyway. the other day at a lesson, this woman tried to make us "american" food instead of malaysian food. the dish was noodles, mayo, and raisens. just like that. it was dripping with mayo. straight mayo. I looked at it and tears welled up in my eyes because I knew I had to eat it. I legitimately said a prayer that I would be able to eat it fast enough and not puke in her house. I ate about five big bites and then stealthily without anyone noticing threw it out the window. and I got away with it. and I came home, thought about the whole experience, and puked. hahaha. what a gross story, right? sorry. way too much information. I always tell too much information. but it was nasty!!! geeze. that's not american food, right? noodles and mayo? if it is I'm scared to come home!!!! give me sardines and fried bananas any day!
there is a member here whose alcoholic and abusive dad just passed away. it's actually very sad, but also very good at the same time. she suffered so much every day because of his actions. and he's gone now. but anyway, that brought up the topic of "malaysian after death rituals" much like lent. I think. anyway. for 100 days, their family can't do anything fun. they can't go to parties, if there is a birthday, can't celebrate. if it's a holiday, (even Christmas!) they can't do anything. they can't go on trips, nothing. for 100 days. and the first week, they couldn't sleep at night. they have to stay awake all night. something about the dead person's spirit walking around and...something something something. that part was a bit confusing. they also keep the body for a week. haha. it's intense! they asked about what we do after people die in the united states, and I couldn't even think of anything. people get drunk? are really sad for a while? some people try to party and do fun things to distract themselves? regardless...I'm grateful we don't have to sit and do nothing fun for 100 days. 
so we are teaching this family, well, a mom and her little kids. one is nine. I think I mentioned? they are a miracle. the mom is melissa's age, and she has a nine year old son. she's so grown up! I was shocked when I found out how old she is. and it's so sad, all her family lives in a kampung like 8 hours away, and she has no siblings. so she's so alone here! so she calls us her little sisters and she asked us to call her "kakak" which just means older sister. but only at her house, she said to call her "sister" at church so we don't get in trouble:) haha. she's incredible. she made us this thing called "ubi" the other day, it's like this steamed potato thing that's like chewy, and they put crushed nuts in the middle and wrap banana leaves around it and steam it again. something like that. it looks just like a tamale, basically same idea just different ingredients. they were sooooooooo good. we're going over there during our lunch in a few days so she can teach us how to cook them. and every time after our lesson we play with her kids for a few minutes while we wait for the bus. lately I've been playing badmitton with Larry, the five year old. and it is hysterical. we both suck so bad and these old wrinkly chinese men come out from their wood houses and smoke cigs and watch us and laugh. occasionally yell at us in chinese, and larry tells me that they are just trying to give us tips. haha. life is good. our last lesson, this last monday, we were teaching the plan of salvation. and we were trying to make it interesting and suspenseful so the kids would listen, and we were talking about how Heavenly Father wants us to come back to heaven, but nothing that has sin is allowed to live there. so Hendrry, he's nine and is going to be baptized in a few weeks, with this look of complete desperation yells, "jadi, macam mana!!!!!!!!!??????" (so, how can we!?) it was SO adorable. I like was beaming. so then we explained about Jesus Christ, and the Atonement and how that lets us go back. and after, we were asking him about how he felt and if there was anything confusing and he just had this serious look on his face and said that he was grateful for Jesus Christ. he was so sincere. that whole family is. sooo sincere. so humble. so innocent and pure. they are the most incredible people. I get teary eyed just thinking about them. 
so I had a really rough few days, a couple of bad things happen I won't mention, followed by my first experience of someone yelling at me in my face for 30 minutes about how I'm wrong and the church is wrong and all of these other ridiculous things. it's a hard situation, I couldn't leave because hite was talking to someone else, and I also couldn't say anything. so I just stood there and took it until she had to catch a breath and we were able to escape. all part of the learning process. but anyway, it was a hard few days. by sunday, we went to sister josie's house to eat lunch and teach angel, and I was sitting at her table and she just looked at me and goes, "I can see on your face something is wrong." and I looked at josie, and I just started sobbing. like sobbing! very embarrassing! I'm still a little mortified but I'm saying this so you can understand how amazing josie is. so there I am, just sobbing. she keeps asking me questions and I try to answer in between my sobs. angel is sitting right next to me and she just was staring at me with these devastated eyes. and I'm a nerd and bawling. so josie walks over, and gives me this huge embrace. huge hug. and I cried on her shoulder for probably ten minutes. and she just sat there and let me. and then when I finally let her go she sat me down and told me so many encouraging things. like seriously, I haven't heard anything like that the whole time I've been on my mission. she said so many things that sunk so deep. and the part that killed me most was when she said even though sometimes I can't understand people and people can't understand me, she said they still can feel my love. she said people can feel the love and that is more than enough. she is going to get one of the biggest houses in heaven I know it. while she was talking I was crying even more because I was so grateful for her and her support. and then, to make it even more unbareable! angel hands me this paper, a "surprise". so I open it up and she had drawn a picture and wrote me a note, and this is exactly what it said: "sister jensen if you cry don give up. one day, you will know, you love Jesus Christ, so we can help you. I tell you a secret, all people are the best. I love you, so don give up. love angel" after I read it, I lost it again!!! hahaha. like a baby. but angel is like a little sister/my own child. I love her more than I can say. and same goes for sister josie. I've said it a thousand times but they are my family here and I hope you guys can meet them. 
so much happened this week I could keep typing but my times on it's way out. so I'll leave with one cool scripture that I loved. it's in 2 Timothy 2: 3. "endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." that was Paul trying to cheer up Timothy. apparently it was a bit rough. I loved it because I have never heard being a disciple of Christ referred to as being a soldier. but it's true! you dodge bullets all day. and most days, you feel like you're fighting with everything you have just to keep standing. but, it's for Christ. everything for Him. for Him I can do it. 
I hope you all have a good and safe and happy week. I love you all:)