Hello Again Errbody from Beautiful Downtown Miri! :)

Whew! This past week has FLOWN by! Today I write to you a wee bit later than usual, because guess what!? This morning we went on a jungle adventure! All of our district (but a set of sisters) came on the greatest adventure evs--we journeyed forth on a bumpy, 45-minute ride on a Malaysian highway (for those of you that know what that means, you're smiling right now; for those of you who've never experienced a Malaysian highway, think roller coaster, but less fancy :) ). We went to a national park deep in the heart of the jungle and hiked around. It was super kool! I felt like I was in the Lord of the Rings, or maybe in a forest that could've been full of dinosaurs :) It was awesome! We roved around these ancient trees and hiked up through the jungle to little waterfalls. Pretty awesome, if I say so meself (which I does :) ).

This past week has been one full of ups and downs, but for the most part has been really good. Me and my companion have been focusing more and more on trying to help out the less actives in our little Chinese group here in Miri (which, in all reality, is pretty much everyone). It's an uphill climb, but we're hoping that progress is slowly but surely being made :) One thing that our mission president is pushing for, and something that we in Miri are also especially pushing for, is COMMITMENT. Not just being baptized, but that whole 'enduring to the end' part that follows it. Not just having a testimony, but actually be CONVERTED to the Gospel. That's something that seems to be the biggest problem here in Miri (well, that, and all the mangy Malaysian mutts that like to have dogfights in front of our house at 3 a.m....yeah, it's about as 'fun' as it sounds). As we've gone about doing work this week, I've been studying to learn more and more about our Heavenly Father, as well as charity. As I've studied these, my eyes have been opened to the love of the Father for His mortal children. He loves certain people SO MUCH to place them in very awful situations--these past two weeks have seen me going to Iban kampungs and places where filth and un-hygiene and everything farthest from Christianity or its practices abide. He loves people SO MUCH to allow them, His beloved haizi, to come to a place where misery is abundant, where you have to wonder where your next meal is coming from, etc. etc. I don't comprehend nor do I pretend to comprehend the works and the mysteries of God--but, like Nephi in the 11th chapter of his first book, I soundly proclaim: "I know that he loveth his children."

I hope that this week you have the greatest days of yo' life! Never forget that the Lord loves you! He is aware of each and every circumstance you are in! Every nice act you do, every nice act that is done to you, every hard or seemingly unbearable oppression you face--He knows, He loves, and He invites us to abide in Him, to wait out the storm and to wait on the Rock of Salvation.

God be with you till we meet again!

Wo feichang ai nimen! :)

Mai Zhanglao :)