The Merry Christmas men

Left to Right
Elders Johnson (Klang), Wall (PJ2), Grant (KL Zone Leader), Raju (investigator from Nepal, John Chin (member PJ2), Karchner (Klang).
Front Elder Shaw (PJ2), Bair (PJ1), Ogden KL Zone Leader) and Ip (PJ1).

Elder Bair

Elder Bair and the "Full Monty Christmas day breakfast" Dr Seuss hat dance.

Christmas day Nirvana

Elder Bair with Elder Shaw, John Chin and Raju doing his illegal 'yoga thing' post "The Full Monty Breakfast" at PJ House with inspiration from 'Santa's Dr Seuss style hat'.

Elder Bair

Elder bair is a unique individual, studying to be an engineer who mad 'root beer' for the December Zone Conference. I likened it to MacBeaths story of the witches or the 'ADAMS FAMILY', "bubble, bubble toil and rootbeer"!!!!!

Black fella gut revenge

Elder Duron at the December Zone Conference after spending all day on our bed suffering from food poisoning. Not a 'happy camper', a unique form of revenge after the food he made his companion Elder Foster eat, hence the title "Elder Black fella guts".

The baptism dance

Elder Houston, AP to President Skelton at PJ House after the December Zone Conference doing his 'baptism dance'. Brilliant.

Farewell at PJ House to Sister and Elder Missionaries

Sister Svenson returning home to the states, Sister Alford to get a new companion and return to KL, Elder Mattox to Singapore, Elder Bair to return home to the states, Elder Richards (ZL) to Singapore and Elder Richards as ZL awaiting a new companion.
Taken at PJ House Sunday 14th December 2008.

DARTH SHAW

ELDER SHAW in the kitchen at PJ House on Monday 27th October, he was using his new nebuliser machine bought to help him with his chest infection. He sound like Darth Vader when he's using it from the loungeroom, I offered to paint it black but so far have been ignored, I don't know why!!!!

ladies at leisure

sam and I in our tri - shaw with the drivers at Malacca historical square, surrounded by museums. A very hot day, our Malay tri - shaw peddlers were fasting for Ramadan so refused our offer of drinks and ice cream.

Aloysious the Great

Aloysious Anthony Vincent Cosmos Paul in Malacca taking over from the Malay tri - shaw peddler to show of his prowess in peddling.
Elder Shaw closest to Anthony. The MP3 player Anthony is plugged into is one we bought him, downloaded with Church training instructions and the Book of Mormon. Listening does not keep him quiet!!!!.

last Zone Conference

Elder Shaw, Sister Shaw, Elder Hector and Sister Hector at the Hector's last Zone Conference at PJ House on Tuesday 9th September 2008.

Malay style accommodation huts

The side back view from under the coconut trees at Shah's Beach Resort Malacca. Our 'hut' was the end one closest to the water. We woke up to the sound of waves and went to sleep with the sound of waves - just lovely and restful.

Role plays

Daniel, mark, Marcus and Jazzlyn at play

SA Convention Malacca

Single Adult games at Malacca

The Single Adults Convention 30 Aug to 1st Sept 2008 at Shah's Beach Resort, Malacca.

They were role playing scriptures to a modern context.

Our second 'Mission son', Elder Maynes leaving us to travel to Singapore for his next area of Bintulu in East Malaysia.
Taken 2nd September 2008 outside PJ House at 3 Jalan Bukit Menteri Utara 7/4, Petaling Jaya 46050, Selangor, West Malaysia.

Dragons at rest!!!!

We have had a variety of people sleep on our lounge at the PJ House missionary couple's flat since we arrived but this is the best yet.

Anthony Paul after a hard day driving Elder and Sister Palmer to Templer Park then onto Batu Caves then on a tour of the LDS Branch churches here in KL.
I positioned Elders Shaw's dragon from IKEA on top to make a funnier picture. We had applied some 'Voltaren' anti inflammatory gel to Anthony's right knee before hand and maybe this is what caused a deep 'sleeping beauty sleep' to come over him.

KO'ed by Voltaren.

Bronze Copper gang

This is the group of missionary Elders living in PJ House when we arrived on Thursday 21st February,
Elder Clarke, Elder Foster, Elder Duron, Elder Shaw and Elder Maynes.
They were given the nicknames below after they left bronze/copper Malaysian sen coins all through our bed.

'Slippery Clarke', 'Shifty Foster', 'the Alabama Undertaker' & 'Pull through Maynes'.
The night we arrived home late at 11.15pm from talking to Elder & Sister Hector the 4 Elders had switched off all the outside lights so we couldn't see to fit the key in the door lock. I rang the front door bell and we were rewarded with the sound of pounding feet coming down the stairs. Elder Clarke opened the door and 4 faces looked out at us, Elder Clarke said "where have you been"?, Elder Foster said "we thought you were in bed", Elder Clarke said "Do you know it's after curfew time, 11pm"? I replied with a smile "we've been bad", without a blink Elder Duron said "that's alright just tell the Mission President, he's a very understanding man". Not bad for two adult missionaries at 55 and 66 years of age. That will teach the young ones to think the oldies are tucked up in bed safe and well.

PJ 2 Branch Presidency

Brother Augustine, President Perumal, Elder Shaw, Anthony and Brother Tamil. PJ2 is the Church Branch Elder Shaw and I serve in as elder couple mssionaries. 11th July 2008.
Singapore Mission, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, West Malaysia.

The men!!!

Elders Maynes, Shaw, Anthony and Williams at PJ Chapel.
Anthony met the two younger Elders outside their flat and asked them to get in his taxi and come for a soft drink 8 weeks ago, it all started from there. They are excellent young men of God.

Elder Shaw and Anthony Paul

This picture is in the Chapel at Petaling Jaya before Anthony's baptism by Elder Grenville Weston Shaw on Friday 1th July 2008.
We taught the gospel to Anthony with Elders Maynes and Williams, he was a joy to teach, always asking questions. His common phrase is "Just one more question"?, we quickly came to answer him "Only one Anthony"? after a few sessions of this he would answer with a frin, "just one for this minute, more later".

Prophet of God

We are so grateful to Thomas S. Monson for the years of service he has given to the church, his entertaining and uplifting stories and now his calling as a Prophet of God. Yes we sustain you as Prophet, Seer and Revelator of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Elder Foster, Brother Augustine, Anthony Paul and Elders Bair at the District Conference 8th June 2008 in Kuala Lumpur

Anthony, Elder and Sister Shaw at the District Conference in Kuala Lumpur on the 8th May 2008. Anthony was very taken with Sister Dass' comment that when we meet the Savior he will ask us where our family is. A ggod day rich with spiritual experiences. Anthony drove us and the Hectors home and had a good converstion with Elder Hector about the 'Jehovas' Witnesses' which the hector's had nearly joined and Anthony was a member of for 12 years.

Dedication Day

The PJ 2 Chapel Dedication Day on the 22nd May 2008, we are a happy crew, the usual clowns in front!!!
We ate so well after this photo was taken, even Anthony our investigator got his wife to make chicken briani for lunch, as I paid for it I took some in a pot and hide it in our fridge - we ate very well for the next few days.

Stampin Up

Rosie and I are deep into staming cards for Visiting Teaching, Home Teaching cards and Father's Day, my ink pads may have ben ruined by the Primary and Young Men and Young Women as they made their cards BUT it was fun and fulfilling.

Elder and Sister Shaw

This picture was taken on Sunday 22nd May 2008 as part of the Dedication of PJ 2 Chapel by the Singapore Mission President, Bryan Skelton, we were very happy that the dedication had come about, allowing the Chapel a special blessing for the gathering and protecting of the Saints here in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, West Malaysia.
So many people commented about me wearing lipstick, I only wear it for special occasions and this was one such occasion.
Now I have to get serious about losing this extra weight I have put on and keeping it off, more exercise christine dear and less eating!!!

Baptism and Funeral day

This morning we attended the funeral of Alan Isaac Tay the 32 year old son of Josephine and Edward Tay at their home in KL then at the Chinese cemetary about one hour from KL. It was very hard to comprehend this young man's untimely death leaving behind a grieving wife, six month old son and 24 year old brother. Josephine said that the burial plot was one she had bought for herself, now her lovely son resides in it. I am so glad for the Gospel Plan of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that allows me to uderstand that this life is just a journey to mortality to gain a physical body and knowledge then to return to the Spirit world where we are taught again about our Savior Jesus Christ and meet our loved ones who have preceeded us. To rest from our earthly labours.
We travelled to their house Wednesday night and sang hymns for the assembled family and morners, again we sang hymns during the service then at the grave side. How this familiar music comforts us, I am so glad to have this in my life.

Fathers Day

After an interesting day in which the airconditioner over my desk poured water over my computer, phone and internet connections and electrical power points we supported the Branch Young Men, Young Women and Primary organisations 'Fathers Day' activity by holding card making classes then partaking of the meal the youth cooked and activities. The card making was participated in by everyone, the phrase "like to wolf on the fold" describes the eagerness and unwillingness to finish of all youth and mothers involved, not bad for 2 1/2 hours non stop card making. After dinner the youth dressed up their fathers/closest male in a mixture of leaves, sticks, paper, string and whatever was at hand. The 'fathers' then sat in a circle and performed a dance action while I was the judge. When I can I will upload some pictures to show how interesting the men looked, but truly it was their dances that had the entire audience screaming with laughter. In the end Brothers Tony Tey and Michael Tamil won by their outrageous behaviour as, well as????? the pictures will have to speak for themselves. I laughed so hard my throat still hurts.
Oh and by the way the lights in our bathroom stopped working early tonight. Just another interesting day in the life of a mission couple in Malaysia.

Answer to prayer

We were both feeling down, in particular I felt we were serving a mission to PJ House/Chapel and not interacting with people. We knelt down to say a prayer for help and Anthony our cab driver and investigator rang us to say he was on the way, before we had finished the prayer he had driven up. He sat down in our loungeroom bedroom and asked questions about who exactly is God?
I nearly leapt out of my chair and taught The Plan of Salvation backing it up with stick men drawings on a small whiteboard. I'm a teacher so drawing stick drawings to explain something is second nature, I don't know if I can teach without drawing. Elder Shaw backed up everything with scriptures, it was wonderful, we so needed this for ourselves. Anthony is extrodinary, his desire to learn is intense and all consuming. He drove us to an Indain Restaurant where we had dinner of fish, rice, roti, lentils etc sitting under the stars with a light breeze blowing - perfect.
We told Elder Palfreyman of our experience when he rang later that night and he said 2 things that impressed me, "The Plan of Salvation is my favourite to teach" and "wow the missionary effort came to you not you to it".
It was an instantaneous answer to prayer, for all of us. We need the Gospel as much as Anthony does, and thankfully our Heavenly Father knows that and acts accordingly.

Missionary work

After a 10 days of minding PJ House Chapel we are feeling housebound, we were praying for help and deciding whether we would go out into KL when Anthony, our taxi driver and investigator rang to say he was here, he arrived before we had finished our prayer. What joy, a wonderful person to talk to about the gospel and the funny life we live in.
Yes missionary work, what joy.

Our first blog on our mission

Hello family and friends, this is my first attempt at 'blogging', I must admit I'm a little scared by it all but intend perservering.
Your comments and thoughts will be welcomed.

May this find you all happy and joyful.

Christine and Grenville (George) Shaw