for, THE BLOG

so sorry, been a while since my last update. life gets going really fast. 
so the past few weeks have been a blur. I'm trying to think of some of the highlights....
okay maybe first I'll share a few funny things about our latest "faith finding" (proselyting) experience. we don't go knocking too much, there are a few other ways that have proven to be more effective than just knocking and reciting a little spiel, but on occassion we still do. which was what happened the other day. it was a HOT day, as the days lately have been record highs for how hot it is. so it was hot, we had been going for....2 hours I think? 2 hours going on a day and a half. and thus far there had essentially been no success. but we had told God we would do knocking until a certain time, and it wasn't that time yet. so we carried on. but this time, decided to throw a little game in like rhodesy and I quite enjoy doing. so when knocking usually you switch off doors. so one door I'll knock and take lead, the next door she will do. the game is as follows: as the person is knocking the door, the other person says a word, any word, and the person talking has to incorporate the said word into her contact. hehe. so I'm up first, and rhodes says "pickle". great. so this little 15 year old fat chinese kid in his undies opens the door. thus it was already funny enough to break into a fit of giggles. adding the heat, the exhaustion, and the impending doom of the word pickle. so I'm talking to him, best I can, and he is just, so, chinese. so I finally go "okay, sometimes in life, you get into a PICKLE" intending to talk about how the gospel can get us out of a pickle. but you know me. couldn't hold it in. so I broke down in giggles. face bright red and head in my hands. poor rhodesy had to do damage control because of her choice of word:) it was funny. it was very funny. so then rhodesy was up next. determined to get her back for her crappy word, she knocks and I say "elephant." she immediately puts her head down with a sigh. how was she gonna use that one? so this chinese college age boy answers the door. and in front of the door, I might add, are like shades...so you literally can only see his outline. so she's talking to an outline. and shes rambling, rambling, when she says "you know? sometimes theres just an elephant in the room." to which he replies, instantaneously, "WHAT?!" and she goes "uh, anyway when we repent then we.......blah blah blah." nothing was gonna bring it back from that. points go out to her though, she didn't even laugh. I think she panicked, if anything. another slightly comical experience from the same day involved a mainland chinese atheist. rhodesy goes, "have you ever wondered where you came from?" to which she responds, "yes. china." and a swift slam to the face. we hardly got around the corner before we had to laugh it off. 
we have been getting along quite well though. we've got a fair share of really excellent people we are teaching. some coming out of nowhere, prepared and ready. a fulfillment of the promises in the scriptures that angels are preparing hearts. one of which being an adorable chinese girl from sabah named esther. I immediately loved her because of her name. she's a model and she loves jesus. the first time she came to church the entire congregation turned and stared gapingly at her. she is beautiful, of course. but beauty is not something that is lacking in malaysia. whats different about her is the light that she exudes. 
something that was devastating to me this morning was that I finished reading Jesus the Christ. to say obsessed would perhaps do an understatement for my experience reading it. I took it, five pounds and all, everywhere with me so if I ever sat on the train by a muslim I could pour over it. it would be impossible to say just everything that stuck out to me about it, or perhaps I should say, the life of Jesus, but something that particularly touched me was the way that he died. I have heard before that he died of a broken heart, but I never really understood everything that went into that. According to Talmage most people who were crucified died a very long, exhausting, death, as they suffer from awkward positioning of their limbs, lack of water and food, and their organs explode or something like that. not to mention that the rain and the wind and the sun beats on them, birds come and gnaw on their skin, meanwhile passerbys watch as if its something more of a curious thing instead of the slow and public death of a person. anyway. so Christ was different. in proof that He really is the Son of God, he had surprising vitality and energy as he was on the cross. He said various statements, every one of which said with power and conviction. including the last line, and then He "gave up the ghost." but in the back in the note section of the chapter, it says that christ literally did die of a broken heart. something about how when the stupid man came and stabbed him he hit his heart and out came blood and water. or coagulated blood and plasma, as cases in medical history have been the same. people with broken hearts and then as a result the blood is pooled and separated like that. something or other. now I'm forgetting exactly. better you go and read it yourself. 
it will change your life.
I knew before, but I think less naively now, that Jesus is the Christ. the Son of God. the Saviour of the world. 
and on that note, perhaps one more funny story. unfortunately, this is again a rhodesy-ism. so we are out and about, and this boy our age is standing on his balcony, we are walking underneath, and he yells at us. we chat a bit when he yells, "DO YOU RENT HERE?" and rhodesy, bless her heart, instantly ecstatic replies, "YES!!!!!!!!!! I DO HAVE RED HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I had no words for her. 
needless to say, we laugh a lot, have a lot of fun, work really hard. we're quite happy. if I might speak for the both of us. if not, I at least am quite happy. 
and thus it is.
I love you all!

pictures of us when we went to the wedding

so a quick post this week. 1. we got invited by a member to go to an authentic Indian wedding. which, of course, we went to. and got all dressed up for the occassion. I have never seen anything like it! I won't lie, makes me want my day to be all big and over the top just like theirs! I was thinking "my big fat greek wedding" the whole night. but I guess my big fat indian wedding also can. the actual ceremony was a hindu ceremony, which was interesting. very hot, very complicated, lots of incense and flowers and fruit and praying. the bride was wearing this red sari dress with henna and tons of make up and jewelry and flower necklaces. it smelled incredible. the rest of us just sat and watched all of the things being done. the actual reception was beautiful as well. bollywood music was BLARING in this huge hall covered with christmas lights and beautiful tables and a stage and a cake and so much cuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyy. everything sparkled, especially the bride. we got our photo with her, and we actually even made it in to the wedding DVD from our presence at the actual ceremony. there you go! immortalized in malaysia. yeah. it was really a beautiful night though and I felt so spoiled to be there. I'll send a few photographs for you to check it out. too bad I can't figure out how to send video clips. 2. so basically, I could write an entire post on Lya, the girl that just got baptized. she is the identical mixture of me and sister rhodes, in this more than beautiful and incredible form. but she is so strong, so faithful, so sassy. ah! I just love her. we had an activity after church on sunday and we had to help cook and she was tearing it up in there. all the members were calling her, asking for her to help, and she was so happy. happy as a clam. she was glowing. so then on monday we teach her about the temple. of which she was sooooooo excited about. it was a great lesson. but then after we went to grab some dinner, and we were just chatting, and she goes "OH!!!!!!!!! JENSEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need to ask a question." I immediately knew what her question was. and, of course, she asks, "did joseph smith really have 36 wives???" aiyo. we explained to her as best we could about the history of polygamy in the old testament days until now, and said that when God feels it's necessary, people are told to practice. when it's done, He says the word, and its done. something like that. and she just sat there thinking. and then she said something like, "okay. I don't like it. but I think I understand it. my husband better not try anything on me!" hahaha. we laughed together and I was just really touched that she finds some anti, and instead of immediately freaking out and running away, she confronts it, thinks about it, and is okay. basically, she is the greatest human in malaysia. who is from indonesia, and moving to australia. phew. 3. there is this man, he is an older chinese man, his name is richard. he is going to get baptized next weekend. basically, he is the epitome of a crazy sweet chinese uncle. when we teach him, I have to bite the inside of my lip quite frequently because of the hysterical things he says. he has memorized the bible. which is incredible, actually. he learns very fast and he loves everything. and he's humble. but because he has memorized the bible, when we teach, instead of speaking his own words, he uses direct quotes from the bible. he often does it to try to stump us up. just for giggles. but the greatest thing is, I have read the bible! and God gives me my words!!! so basically, what he wants, is someone to speak scripture to him. so when he quotes the bible, I quote it and the book of mormon right back. usually this is done in a very loud voice (he speaks VERY loud) and passerby's always stare. the member we bring, he is the one that gave us the referral. he comes and just shakes his head. or he joins in and starts yelling scripture at me or at richard. and beautiful rhodesy smiles sweetly and offers very good interjections whenever she can get a word in. they are the most exciting lessons ever. 4. is something that I read in my studies a few days ago, and it has stuck with me a lot. I don't have a ton of time to explain it in a beautiful way, but you can do your own study and figure it out even better. so its in luke, chapter 7. verses....I think 36 start until the end. but its about Jesus getting an invite to go to a pharisee's house to eat. he's sitting down, and the pharisee obviously didn't give him the royal treatment because he didn't do the typical wash your feet, oil your head, kiss you type of a deal when a guest comes. which is typically expected. but nonetheless, they eat. then this girl comes in, who there are speculations about who she really is, but doesn't matter. this girl who has "many sins" comes in and washes his feet with her tears and her hair, kisses his feet, and anoints them with oil. the pharisee thinks something smart about this girl, and Christ steps in to stick up for the girl. or to stick up for the right, I guess. he says the pharisee didn't do anything to serve him, and the girl "who has many sins" does. he gives the short parable about the people with the debt for 50 and 5000 or something, and that the person with the bigger debt will have more love than the one for 50, if their debts were forgiven. then he goes on to say that the girl, who has many sins, has been forgiven, for she loved much. and I had never really thought much about that story before, but I think it's incredibly beautiful. yes its important to do what God has asked us to do. but it's also about the heart. where your heart is. who you really love. what you will do to show that love. about being humble, full of love, etc etc. anyway. I am out of time but I wanted to share that. I love you all:) have a good week!