20 Jan 2019 - It's been a tasteful week

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From: Braydon Carter <braydon.carter@myldsmail.net>
Date: Sun, Jan 20, 2019 at 6:57 PM
Subject: It's been a tasteful week 01/20/2019

大家好! 你好吗?

Hello Everyone!

I hope that everyone is seriously doing so, so good. I know for me this week, I have seriously felt the spirit so, so strong, and feel the power of the Gospel.

At the beginning of the week, I was able to travel all the way to IPoh [ IPoh ]. As I am a district leader, one of my responsibilities is have exchanges with the missionaries in my district. We learn with each other, and help each other grow as missionaries. Because my district is spread apart, it means taking a 2 hour bus ride and a train and be with those missionaries. It's seriously such an adventure, but also a really spiritual growing experience.

My favorite part about being there wasn't the adventure, or being in a different spot for a little bit, but to be with my district. Because of our situation, we are all really spread apart. Every time we do councils together, or talk with each other, it's through a phone call or video call. It was the coolest thing in the world to not only see them but to feel their spirit for the work. I know that as I was training them and learning from them, it was really cool to see how there are 7 of us, all in a completely foreign land, that just want to give God our best. Here's some photos of us : 

Also this week, I was able to face something that all missionaries with have to face regardless of where you go, or where you serve. It is the food. I'm not sure what happened this week, but I had the opportunity to eat the strangest and weirdest foods. Here are all sorts of pictures. I'll describe what they are...

The first thing that I was able to eat was Durian. It is the nastiest smelling thing. Seriously, it is the grossest smell in the whole world, and you kind of just want to throw up when you smell it, but it's actually kind of good. At first, it's the weirdest thing in the world. It's indescribable, the texture is weird, and flavor is unlike anything you've ever tasted. I don't have a picture of myself, but here's what durian looks like. 

The second thing, as we were riding in the streets, passing the jungle, and talking with people along the way, we came across a man that had this little stand on the side of the road and was blending something. We asked what it was, and he was literally blending sugar cane and made it into this good drink. It was sooo goood. 

The third thing I was able to eat was a mangostine. And holy cow, is that fruit just a living testament that you can't judge a book by it's cover. On the outside it looks like a rotten onion, but on the inside it is a beautiful white fruit, that is just soo good. 

And, finally, as we were riding our bikes around last night, we received a phone call from a member saying that they wanted us to come over to their house. They had something they wanted to feed us. We had no idea was it was. All I know is the member, who is super funny, came into his living room with a hammer and what looked like rocks. I thought I was about to eat some kind of sugar crystal. I was wrong! It was sea clam. And to be honest I thought I was going to hate it. But it was so good. It had a nice salty flavor to it. 

SO, although this week was just full of adventure and weird food, I learned some amazing things. Like first, we all completely control the attitude and happiness we have towards what's in front of us. I mean yes obviously there are people that are in harder situations than others. Sure we can't control our surroundings but we can control the happiness and attitude. For example, my companion and I were talking and we have seen that the best missionaries are the ones who say they can't think about home or their situation, but it's the ones that know what's up ahead, know what they left, and decide to move past it and take control of what they have control over. For me, in Sitiawan, I am able to see a lot of sunsets. They are gorgeous, and it just reminds me that we may go through hard times in our life, but as we focus on what we can control, and on what's important there is a light up ahead. 

I love you all so so much. I miss you all, but I have to say I'm just so so happy and loving my mission.

Love,

Elder Carter

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