Relief Society's 166th Birthday Party on Chap Goh Mei

Thursday, 21 February 2008

I was looking forward to Relief Society Birthday celebration this year because this was my first experience in Yuma and US. Relief Society will be 166 years old on the 17 March 2008 and I am proud to be a member of it!



Every party is unique. I thought the purple invitation card was cute. We had fun playing games. And instead of cutting a big birthday cake, we received a birthday cake each in the form of a cupcake and a candle!

For me, tonight party compensated my traditional Chap Goh Mei celebration.

Chap Goh Mei means the 15th night in the Hokkien dialect. It is the 15th day of the Chinese New Year (which started on the 7 February 2008 - the year of the Earth Rat) and marks the end of the 15 days festival. Families would have dinner together, like they did on Chinese New Year's eve. In some places there would be cultural performances, lanterns procession, lion dances, etc.

Chap Goh Mei is also the Chinese Valentine's Day!

Visting Teaching

Sunday, 16 December 2007

For the first time in Yuma, we did our visiting teaching! Sister Ruth & I visited Sister Lynna and Sister Elizabeth. It was great! I loved it!

Saw a great dane during the visit. I have never seen such a big dog before, except in pictures!




Friday, 14 December 2007

For the first time, my visiting teachers came and taught me. Sister Lourdes is from Uruguay & Sister Suphattra is from Thailand. And I am from Malaysia! Isn't that interesting? And we lived a few houses from each other. We come from different countries and different backgrounds but we believe in the same gospel principles. And joining us, was Sister Patricia from the 7th Ward. We had fun eating rice and chicken curry for lunch.

I looked forward to next month's visiting teaching because I am going to cook a different Malaysian dish - Beef Rendang - for them to try.

A Night in Bethlehem

Saturday, 8 December 2007

Thanks, Sister Rebecca, for allowing me to post the pictures that you took, in this blog.

Visit and buy something from the Gift Shop


Fruits from the Fruits Shop


Eggs & cheese from the Dairy Shop


There were also a Bread (Pita Shop), a Cookies & Pastries (Bakery Shop) and a Cider (Wine Shop).

To maintain peace, Roman Soldiers watched.


Travellers not dressed in the biblical attire could rent clothes (sheets, etc) from the tailor shop. Mike & I were called to run this booth.


Most of the clothes were rented to provide additional cover from the cold! Quilts, were rented also, to rest from their journey, and to watch the nativity play.




An interesting Christmas party, organised by our 5th Ward! It was held on the field outside the Stake building. I think I would have enjoyed more if it wasn't outside. I don't like the cold! I think there would be more people also if it was held inside the building but then it wouldn't be like 'Bethlehem'.

Primary 2007 Theme

Friday, 2 November 2007

Being called to the Primary, I thought I better give my support to the activity tonight. I also thought the children were going to give some kind of presentation or something, with respect to the 2007 Theme: I'll Follow Him in Faith" or the October Theme: I show my faith in Jesus Christ when I share the gospel with others. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

Well, it turned out to be a presentation for the children instead. I am not 'children' but I enjoyed it very much.

Room 1 saw Jesus as a baby with his parents Joseph (Harold) & Mary (Andrea). The baby was real, not a toy. This +- 2 months old baby belongs to this beautiful couple.



Next saw the 3 disciples of Jesus Christ: James (Brother Lemmon), Peter (Bishop Snow) and John (Brother Cook). Isn't that wonderful that the ward's presidency acted as the 1st presidency of the church in the former days.




We then moved to Room 2 where we saw the prophet Nephi (Brother Chris) of the promised land.



Then Mary Magdalene (Sister Camilla).



Then the "Nephites" (Mark, Janis & their daughter Whitney) from the land Bountiful.



Lastly we moved to Room 3 where the prophet Joseph Smith (Brother Blair) bore his testimony to the restoration of the gospel and the Book of Mormon.



I am impressed with the children's reverence during the whole presentation. I am impressed with the cast. I am glad I came. It has been a wonderful and spiritual experience.

New Calling - Primary Worker

Sunday, 14 October 2007

As requested, I have been released as the Ward's Visiting Teaching Coordinator this morning. I wrote to the Bishop that I was not up to any callings for the time being but................

The Lord has a different job for me this time. Guess what? A Primary worker. Well! Maybe I need to be exposed to a different environment for a change.

4 months ago, I was called (3 June) and set apart (10 June) as the 5th Ward's Visiting Teaching Coordinator.

Visiting teaching is my favourite calling in Malaysia. I love to visit with the Sisters and because of that there was a special bond between us. I learnt first-hand knowledge of them and their circumstances. I understand them and the trials they faced. I forgot myself and it taught me to be more sensitive and loving to others.

Visiting Teaching coordinating is different. You collect visiting reports and submit the overall findings. I didn't get to fellowship with the Sisters and until to date I don't feel connected to any of the Sisters in the Ward, except for one. I have only submited one report.

Maybe I am not friendly enough. Maybe I wasn't open and talkative enough in the Relief Society Meetings. Maybe I didn't understand the American culture, the Sisters here and the way things are done here. I do know one thing. I was not as independent as I was in Malaysia - transport-wise. I had the blessing of my own transport to drive myself to visit any Sister there.

Father's Day

Sunday, 17 June 2007

I am glad that the Fathers were given a present this day. This is what Michael received at church today - a KitKat. He loves chocolate.

Callings

Sunday, 10 June 2007

New callings for new members! Michael and me were set apart as the Ward Missionary and the Visiting Teaching Coordinator, respectively, today.

It was about 7:50 am last Sunday when Brother Harrison called and asked if Michael & me would come and see Bishop Snow at 8:40 am. We were not told why but we felt why. We were right - callings!

When Bishop Snow asked me how I felt about it. I said expressionlessly that I would try. I love visiting teaching. It has been my favorite calling but ............... to be called as a Visiting Teaching Coordinator, where I could only associate faces with some names so far, it was a frightening feeling of inadequacy. I can't even get used to sitting as a right side passenger in the front seat of the car and moving on the right side of the road! Bishop Snow didn't know that deep inside me, I was crying "no, Bishop Snow, not this calling".

I didn't feel too worried after talking to the Relief Society President. We will be working on it together :)

Our Ward's Missionaries

Wednesday, 23 May 2007

After 3 weeks in Yuma, we finally got to meet and visit with our ward's missionaries, Elder Henrichsen (from Idaho) and Elder Furlong (from Texas) at our home.

We didn't see them at Sunday meetings as they served other wards as well.

Noticed they carry the small white-coloured appointment note book that the missionaries carry in Malaysia as well.

They got to taste a little of Malaysian-Chinese cooking for the very first time! Next time I will cook curry chicken for Elder Henrichsen because he said he likes that!

HFPE Combined Activity

Thursday, 17 May 2007

Last Thursday night, it was photography and using auto settings at Sister Buller's place, at 7:30 pm. This is the 2nd time I missed the chance to learn more about photography. The Kota Kinabalu had a young freelance photographer to teach about photography in an enrichment meeting and I had missed that as well.

Tonight, it is HFPE (Home, Family and Personal Enrichment) Combined Activity at 6:30 pm at the church cultural hall. I am grateful that Sister Sue, who lived only a few doors from me, agreed to go, if not I don't think I would go because she is the only 'friend' that I have presently.

Light supper and drinks were provided. Nothing we need to do but sit at the 3 round tables and listen to 4 different talks/demonstrations. A brother spoke on good communication skills and another spoke about gardening. Sister Hall shared her gift of floral arrangement and Sister Moss showed what could be done on scrapbooking.

Mother's Day

Sunday, 13 May 2007

Last year, my sister and me were visiting the Penang Branch and we got a pot of live 'Japanese Rose' plants to take home. It was a marvellous idea.

This morning, I was curious what the Yuma 5th Ward was going to surprise the 'mothers'. A young lady and a young grandmother gave talks on mother and so did a Bishop. There was a song presentation by the Young Women.

The congregation was told to remain seated after the sacrament meeting is over. The Young Men came around giving present to the mothers. A chocolate bar - isn't that sweet?

First Sunday at Ward

Sunday, 6 May 2007

I don't want to miss church. This is where Heavenly Father wants me to be. This is where I should be on Sundays and this is where I want to be.

I like the church building. Mike and me went to the 5th ward. The 3rd and 9th ward are sharing this building as well.

Block meetings was from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Same time as the Miri branch. Instead of individual chairs joined together, there are 2 rows of long soft benches. Mike and me arrived about 8:40 am. We were probably the earliest birds. I didn't see anyone else apart from the Bishop, the counselors. Members started coming in after 8:50 am.

The first person who greeted us was the 2nd counselor in the ward presidency. It feels good to be back in my Heavenly Father's house. It doesn't matter whether it is in Miri, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Penang or in Yuma, it is the Lord's house. To be able to take the sacrament, to sing the hymns, to feel the spirit of God and to know that He loves me.

Seeing that there are many people in the congregation, I assumed that people would be lining up to bear their testimonies. It wasn't so. I didn't go up because I was shy. People are the same everywhere. Here, they are shy too and sometimes it took quite a few minutes before the next person walk up to the pulpit.

The gospel doctrine teacher impressed me with her knowledge and so is the Relief Society 3rd counselor who gave us the lesson on scriptures. Being fast and testimony Sunday, I took the invitation to the class, in the last 10 minutes, and bore my testimony that I know that the scriptures are true and a blessing to me.