1. Singapore is a very vibrant area. People are constantly moving and going somewhere. You

 will meet many people that are sinagporean and you will also meet many people from lots of different countries (sometimes it will feel like you are serving in Europe instead of Asia). Pretty much everyone is dressed well so as a missionary wear things that will make people take you seriously (dress nice).

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2. Anywhere you go in Singapore has great food. I loved to go to the food court at the Orchard MRT stop. They have a great thai place that has a good basil chicken stir fry. A lot of missionaries also love the indonesian BBQ at the Orchard stop. For dessert you have to stop by the churro stand at the somerset stop or llao llaos.

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3. New missionaries should definitely go to the Hawker centers. There is one near the Newton MRT stop that has some great cultural food.

 

4. You should be confident in yourself! People will take you more seriously if you are more confident. Also be bold.

Something that you should not do is don’t let the amount on your MRT get below 2 sing dollars! Then if you are running late you will have to take more time to get money on your card and then you will be stressed.

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5. The building is amazing! There are 3 church buildings in Singapore. The Stake center has 4 levels in it. Singapore has a stake with a wonderful stake presidency. The church runs really well and they love missionary work!

 

6. My best missionary experience in Singapore happened on the MRT. The MRT can be rather intimidating. People are always running here and there and I often felt slightly scared to open my mouth. One day we were struggling to find potentials and we were going one stop only on the MRT. I found a seat (which was a miracle because my feet we in a lot of pain that day) and felt the specific prompting to talk to the woman next to me. It was the quickest contact of my life. We briefly mentioned music and the she gave us her number after I talked a little about the hymns. We got her to commit to coming to general conference but on the day of she texted and said she couldn’t came. We called her later and she said we could stop by. When we reached her house she was in tears because of a hard time she was going through and we ended up teaching her how to pray and she prayed for the first time and her countenance changed. She started coming regularly to church and found so much peace. It was an amazing experience that really reminded me why I was serving a mission.

 

7. I loved Singapore but Miri 1 has a special spot in my heart because I  served there twice and saw so many lives change.

 

8. The culture is very 1st world. In the 2 wards that I as serving in were all expats. So I still got a lot of the american culture. There are so many high building and most of the people there are they best at their jobs and it can be hard to help them see that they need something more. You will occasionally get a few distain full looks because there are some preconceived ideas about missionaries in Singapore. Most people will know a little about the church before you talk to them (some facts are very wrong). Just be prepared to have people recognize you as missionaries and they have some ideas of what you are doing before you talk to them.

 

9. You are not allowed to knock at all! You also have to be cautious on the MRT. The MRT people do not want people selling things and we can’t come off looking like that. We cannot bring up things about the gospel or what we do unless the person we are talking to asks us about those things. (Its easier than you think, they ask you what you are doing in Singapore and that is your queue!). The best luck you will have is through member referrals. A lot of people will be a little hesitant to have random people on the train talk to them about God but if their dear friend introduces them to the gospel. Always ask for referrals!!!

 

10. In the expat wards we met a lot of really strong members. Most people had been members their whole lives and came from strong LDS families. It can be hard to find time for the husbands to follow but the wives were home during the day and would allow investigators to come to their house.

 

11. In Singapore a lot of my mission experiences taught me one great truth, to just trust God. I had some of experiences where I would be prompted to talk to someone and I would be too scared to act. I let my fear outride my faith. I would feel terrible after. On the other hand I would sometimes be prompted to talk to someone and I would act! But then the person was totally not interested. Even though the person didn’t want I felt this empowerment from the spirit and I knew that because I had chosen to trust God he was starting to trust me more. That brings me to the experiences of when I had a prompting to talk to someone and I acted, then that person was totally prepared for our message. That is an amazing feeling when you just trust and then find someone who is ready to listen. Most of the time when you get a prompting from the spirit you will not know what the outcome is going to be. All you can count on is that God knows and that you just need to trust him and put aside fear. I wish it was as easily said as done. It took me a while to learn this principle but serving in the Singapore zone truly helped me understand this principle. The experience I shared earlier in number 6 proves it. Trust God. Man will try to confuse you and make you doubt yourself but I promise that God’s advice is better. You will have the sweetest mission experience if you let go of yourself and your fears and just trust him. Especially in the Singapore zone.

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Nathan Brown (Elder Brown)

2014-2016

Puchong, Ipoh, Sitiawan, Kuching.

 

 

Puchong: A suburb of KL, and a very fun city. When I served there, it was separated from the rest of KL because the train was not completed. Now that it's finished, missionaries are free to travel between the various parts of KL with ease. Puchong is a walking area, and you really do A LOT of walking! But its fun, its modern, and it's full of people.

 

P Day: On Pday, we really didn’t do too much.. But now that the train is there, I recommend taking the train to Kuala Lumpur and visiting places like Pasir Seni. It's a great place to get souvenirs and if you're good at bargaining, a cheap watch.

 

Food: If you serve in Puchong, take advantage of the bakeries. There are some great places to try different breads and even doughnuts!

 

Do’s and Don’ts: When I served in Puchong, I was a new missionary and didn’t really know what was going on. I could have had lots of success, but I wasted my days going to IOI mall every day and walking around. We should have gone out and walked around the streets, talked to people at bus stops, talked to everyone.

 

The Church: Sorry I don’t have a picture for this one. The church is amazing! So many strong members! They really work hard to put together activities that investigators can come to. When I was there, many were supportive of the missionaries and would often come teaching with us.

 

Best Missionary Experience: Those days when Sister Saffron would take us out to meet all of her friends.

 

Culture: Puchong is a very busy city. People are always working. During the holidays, people are always returning to their home towns (which means leaving Kuala Lumpur.) People are generally very friendly and are more open.

 

Contacting Methods: Neighborhoods are usually blocked by guards, I was always too scared to try and sneak in to knock. Street contacting is the best method of contacting in this area.

 

Strongest Member: Sister Saffron. She really did so much to support us. She was always there for us when we needed help.

 

Best Missionary Experience: Since puchong was my first area, I’m going to say the best missionary experiences were those were I had courage. Courage to speak in a new language, and courage to speak to strangers. It was in Puchong where I learned how to teach, and in general, how to be a missionary.

  

Ipoh: An amazing city with amazing people. Incredible limestone mountains surround the city.

 

Best P-Day adventures: Badminton. Almost every monday we played badminton with Sister Chris and the other missionaries. If you like hiking, check out Kledang Hill for a view of the entire city. If you ever get the chance, visit Kelly’s castle, a historic and supposedly haunted location.

 

Ipoh Foods: Everyone who travels through Ipoh says their chicken rice is the best. Although, I always preferred the char siew rice. There are a lot of places to find cendol, which is a must try. Oh, and you can’t forget about the Salted Chicken and the Ipoh bean sprouts.

 

Do’s and Don’ts: I spent half my time knocking doors in Ipoh, but I could have been much more productive if I would have just gone up and talked to people directly. Ipoh people are very friendly, but I feel like the gate adds some kind of mental block. I won’t say there is anything you shouldn’t do… the Lord can direct you to anyone through any method. One for sure do is to use the members! Don’t ignore them.

 

The Branch:

 

When I was there, the branch was very strong. You have many members who work together to get the work done. Many members are always willing to assist the missionaries.

Best Missionary Experience: I think the best experiences I had in Ipoh were just the opportunities I had to make so many friends. I might not have baptized everyone, but I met a lot of people that I will stay in contact with for the rest of my life, both in and out of the church.

 

Ipoh Culture: A more laid back type of town. It is said to be the best place in the world to retire. I would come here. I find it very relaxing.

 

Contacting Method: I spent a lot of time talking to people on the street. We tried knocking, but it didn’t really get us anywhere.

 

Strongest members: Sister Christ, President Yap, Sister Loh, Nicole, too many to list them all!

 

Missionary experience: Ipoh was my second area. After I left Puchong, and boarded a bus to Ipoh, there was a family that sat a few seats in front of me that I kept having the prompting to talk to. The family turned out to be really nice. They came to our English class a few times. They referred me to her daughter, Michelle. We met with her several times, and she was a great investigator. Michelle got to know many missionaries and really enjoyed the church!

 

 

Sitiawan

 

General Info: Sitiawan is a smaller town. So small, there were really only two main roads in the city. Almost everyone in the city has seen you before, and I wouldn’t be surprised if over half of the people in the city have spoken to the missionaries at least once. I loved Sitiwan because of the sounds. At night, I would fall asleep to the sound of insects.

 

P Day: If you ever get the chance, bike up to Lumut, and take the ferry to Pangkor Island. There is a pretty good beach there, and it's a good place to just relax. Just be prepared to do a lot of biking.  

 

Food: Go to Restoran Happy and try their curry pork rice. It's amazing!

 

Do’s and Don’ts: I would say to try and strengthen the members. Build up the foundation of the branch, then the Lord will help you find others. Focus on finding those who can build the branch. FInd people who have things to contribute.

 

The Church: While I served there, the branch was struggling. Members were going inactive, some were fighting with each other. It was a little chaotic. They are really trying their hardest, but it's hard to run a branch with so few members. The branch needs priesthood holders, which it is lacking.

 

A missionary experience, and the best one: One monday evening, my companion and I had planned to go contacting near “The store.” As we were biking over there, my companion was talking to all the Malay people he could… I don’t know why because we aren’t allowed to teach them. As he was talking to this malay guy, I looked down the street and I had this strong impression that we had to go over there (near some burger stand on the street). I told my companion, but he didn’t believe me. He said “you just want to go over there because you are hungry!” So we didn’t go over there. We biked over to the store, but there were only more Malay people. I think my companion felt the prompting this time because we biked back to that burger stand. That was when I found them. They were getting into their car, but I stopped them. At first their daughter told me they weren’t interested. But the mom who was in the driver's seat said to us “Oh you are from the church!” My husband just had a heart attack, I need you to come pray for him.” The very next day, we visited the hospital and blessed her husband. He was released a day or two later. We were able to reach out to this family and help them in a time of need. The husband said to us “Yes, we will all baptize.” I know that someday, they will.

 

Culture: Sitiawan is a very old town with lots of old people. Lots of the young people move away for work or school, which can make it hard at times. But during holidays when people return to their hometowns, plan on passing lots of your contacts to other areas.

 

Contacting Method: I spent most of my time street contacting, with some occasional knocking.

 

Strongest Members: The Chong Family, the Lee family, Bijun, and the other Youth (If they haven’t moved away already.)

 

 

Kuching

 

Basic Info: Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak. A very nice city with lots of things to see and do. Lots of people, lots of different races. You could be in this city for a year and not get bored of it.

 

P day activities: Damai Beach Resort, Fairy Caves is a must, and even just touring around the historic downtown of kuching is a great thing to do on a monday.

 

Unique Foods: Cheese and Tea is a missionary classic, but if you want to try something really good go and try Sarawak Laksa. One of the members makes it. Find Brother Danny.

 

Do’s and Don’ts: If it's raining, go inside a mall or a shopping area to contact, or call through your potential investigator list.  Don’t try and bike through the rain. People don’t like to talk to you when you are soaking wet.

 

The Church:

 

Kuching Branch is amazing. All the Branches are great. I felt like I was attending a real ward at times. Strong members who get a lot of things done. Although, it was a little difficult for us to get members to attend our lessons at times.

 

Best Missionary Experience: My best missionary experience was learning how to turn a slow area into a successful area. It all started with talking to everyone, finding investigators, and teaching lessons. Through being bold and faithful, and courageous, we were able to find many people to teach.

 

Out of all my areas, I’m going to have to say Kuching was my favorite. I really can’t explain why, but the feeling I had in Kuching was amazing. I felt confident and each day was an adventure. I had many friends, the missionaries were my friends, it was my first time having a senior couple serving with us, everything was great in Kuching.

 

Culture: Culturally, Kuching is very diverse. The city has its own culture though, and i can’t explain it. To me, Kuching felt like a disney land. I’d say it's the happiest place in Malaysia.

 

Contacting Method: All street contacting and mall contacting. I don’t think I knocked a single gate in this area.

 

Strongest Members: This is hard, I feel like all the members were very strong. They all had a role in maintaining the branch and doing their part.

Missionary Experience: There was one day when I was on exchanges with a zone leader. I saw how personable Elder Stratton was. I saw how he found ways to really relate with people when he spoke to them. That day, we contacted nearly 30 people. It beat my past record of 17.

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Name : Jacob Edward Tessers (Elder Tessers)

2015-2017

 

Melaka: 

G.I.: There are three prominent races in Melaka; Malay, Indian/Hindi, and Chinese. This area is also highly English speaking with a fair amount of Chinese, and some Malay, hence Malay elders are generally not sent to this specific assignment. Melaka is a college city, meaning a large population will be between ages 18-25.

P-Days: P-days are always going to be a hit and miss here, though there are places to go bowling, ride emus/ostriches, among other things. Melaka is a very historical city, so take advantage of the historic sites at bandar. 

Foods: Seminanjung or the Peninsula has some of the best Nasi Bilis as well as some Indian classics like naan or Briyani.. 

Do's & Don'ts: The Peninsula is high Islam. Don't push as far as tracting, because that could cause problems. Asking for a number is enough. Don't approach the Muslim Imams. Just be smart. That being said, Melaka is fairly safe, being a tourist attraction. Don't be afraid to tract with foreigners.

The Church: The church in Melaka is fairly strong, despite being a small branch of around 40-50 attending per week. President Lee has had a lot of experience leading branches in other areas, including Sandakan. There will be (at least when I was there) weekly meetings with the Ward Missionary Leader. Keep that up. The Church is a bungalow, small, but pretty. 2 stories. 

Impactful Missionary Experience: This area was one of the most humbling areas, definitely one of the hardest, 2nd only to Sandakan. And I'll explain that later. Nanthasri was my only "convert" in this area that I was able to see a baptism. I absolutely love his family. They taught me a lot. But his baptism was my first to perform, which was amazing for me to feel. 

Culture: The culture, being highly Chinese will follow Chinese culture. Chinese New Year is big. Noodles, other Chinese Food, lion dances. Chinese people are more career oriented, rather than family oriented. Kids are therefore educationally oriented. 

Missionary Work: I would say it is a 60%-40% ratio with contacting and door knocking. Again, be careful knocking on Muslim doors, but many areas are separated, into the prominent race in each area. Some are entirely Chinese, some Islam, some Indian.

Strongest Members: President Lee and Fam, The Bro Angelo and Fam, Sister Lee (she has two missionaries out), Darren Chngh (currently serving). 

 

JB:

G.I.: JB was definitely one of my favorite areas. It is also one of the most difficult areas for missionaries. This area is a mini Sarawak. Many Chinese and Sarawakian, as well as a high percentage of Malay and some Indian. One of the most dangerous cities in Asia. Members here have struggled for a long time, they need constant support. Hardest area for bikes. 

P-Day: P-Days here can include bowling, the Zoo, as well as activities with the youth. Just an FYI, emailing here, the best computers will be in the Chinese Elders area, about a 20 minute bus ride away. Otherwise, an acceptable internet cafe will be in Megah Ria.

Foods: Member food is always the best, more specifically, Sister Alan, the Previous branch president's wife. Be aware, you will become addicted to her food.

Do's and Don'ts: This area is a highly contacting area. Get out of your shell and talk to everyone, otherwise the church will continue to struggle. Rely on the senior couples as much as opportunity allow. Do not travel in backroads at night. This area is the most dangerous in all of Malaysia, several missionaries have been mugged, including myself. If you are met with thieves, the Spirit will be with you. Follow the white handbook and the Spirit. Main Roads only during the nights, and some areas are off limits at night. Be careful and smart. 

The Church: This particular branch is one of the most struggling branches in all of Malaysia. There are many members who have left because of the low numbers that come to church. The Sultan of Johor changed the weekend, or rather days of work and school, so that the Muslims could celebrate more fully their Sabbath. Children will go to school on Sunday and Parents will be working. That is something you will have to work around. Missionaries will generally give at least one talk per month. The church is in a shop lot.

Impactful Missionary Experience: This area can make or break you, but as you raise your voice, people will begin to listen. As my companions and I began to prepare activities for this branch, many more people began to come back to church. It isn't just about making the branch fun, it is all about bringing the members together.

Culture: This area is quite unique. The culture here is influenced by both the Sarawakians and Chinese. This means eat until you're about to pop.

Missionary Work: Contact until you drop, and if that fails, then door knock. There aren't many member referrals, but when they do come, they are pretty solid. This area is also a reactivation focused area.

Strongest Members: Brother John Bahak and Sister Alan, Brother Taha and Fam (Just went to the temple June 2017), Agennis Ridan, Sister Malia and Fam (work On her husband).

 

TJK:

G.I.: TJK is one of two branches in the Tanjung Kidurong are of Bintulu. Something to be wary of is members gossiping about the other branch. Don't get caught in it. TJK is the larger area of the two branches. The other Elders will only have a small lot of apartment buildings. More exploring opportunity as well as tracting. Elder Sasser and I went through the branch list and found most people south of TJK had moved. 

P-Day: To email, generally you will have to go to bandar, so activities are generally there as well. Walking around the mall as well as the beach are great activities. There is also a zoo, and a beautiful hiking trail.

Food: KFC, honestly. All day everyday. Plus members cooking for you.

Do's and Don'ts: Use the young men and women as much as you can in missionary work, especially those who are planning on missions. (Azim, Christina, Beca, Liliana). They have the potential, they just need a helping hand. Don't be afraid to kick dogs in this area. They are the most ganas in all of Malaysia. Carry a stick with you if you have to, or use your bike lock.

The Church: The church has a lot of potential. We got up to as many as 80 attending. There are some members who live quite far, but others live fairly close by. There is a great need for support in the branch as far as leadership. Meetings were held in the first floor of a shoplot.

Best Missionary Experience: Giving blessings to members is one of the best experiences that I've had. There was a member who had a stroke. Basically can't move on her own. Her husband was dirt poor, but they had one of the most intelligent little boys. I gave the wife a blessing and she brightened every time we came back. She slowly gained enough mobility to move just enough to sit and eat on her own. They've both passed away now, but they helped change my heart.

Culture: Culture in this area is very much the same as in all of Sarawak. Eat all of the food, whether you like it or not. But generally speaking the food is wonderful. Especially Sister Martha's.

Missionary Work: Member reactivation and support, as well as contacting and door knocking. Reactivating is more focused, though remember to treat less actives like investigators. 

Strongest Members: Sister Martha, Beca and fam, Mazura and Janet, Brother Watt, Brother Nyaring (recently left for work in New Guinea).

 

Sandakan:

G.I.: Sandakan is probably 70 Islam, but there are great influences from the other Churches. Sandakan has a great potential, though there are many less active members, which was brought about by gossip. (Don't get into gossip, especially gossip told by former RM's living there.) Sandakan has different races and languages than that of Sarawak. The Islam cultures are also different. There are many who come from the Philippines as well. Learn their cultures and even a bit of their language. Sandakan is a two elder area, a flight away from the nearest Elders.

P-Day: In my opinion, P-day is best spent with the youth, though there are things that you can do if you are creative enough. Going to Islands, bandar, the mall are among the things that you can do. Sandakan is fairly small. 

Foods: Bakso, biawak.

Do's & Don'ts: Use the youth to teach, but don't allow them to play on their phones. Don't take them to eat often. Don't travel around bandar after dark. Sabahans are extremely nice people. Talk to everyone.

The Church: This was my biggest difficulty in this area. Sandakan was arguably the most struggling area in Malaysia because of the gossip that was there. A former RM had been trying to convince missionaries for a long time that the current branch president was not worthy, yet he was the one not going to church while the BP was always at church early. Trust was a major issue between members, making member missionary work difficult. Rise above it and prove to the members that you are there to work.

Impactful Missionary Experience: Kimberly Joy Humoc, who is my greatest convert, was baptized after learning for nearly 2 years. She had to wait for this long because her mother was a traditional Catholic woman, and didn't want Kim to be baptized. After fasting and praying with Kim, her mother allowed her to be baptized and signed the baptismal form on Kim's birthday. The Lord knows when the time is right for these people to be baptized.

Missionary Work: Member Reactivation, contacting, and door knocking in some areas. 

Strongest Members: Brother Lee, President Chin, Alexson, Sujirah, Sister Jaime and family, Gerly.

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Matt Harmon (Elder Harmon)

October 2014- October 2016Bintulu Chinese, Ipoh, Kuching, Sitiawan

 

Bintulu - a small town, wide spread, lots of biking

 

The beach was one of the better places to go for p-day. Try to plan to go to the Caves

The place is safe. Lock you bike. When people look like they’re waving, they are probably telling you go away.

 

Durian, fried ant, Snake, baiwak (Monitar Lizard ), jelly fish, shark, jack fruit, rambutan, lychee, longyan, langsat, Roti canai, bao zi (I heard there was a place to get bats), tim tam slam

 

We meet in the shoplot (When I was there, only five members were in chinese group)

 

One of the best missionary experiences was meeting a family on the last floor of a building at the last door.

 

Ipoh - fairly large city, segregation within city based on income, biking moderate because there are more members

 

Try to go to Cameron Highlands.

 

Ipoh bean sprouts, dim sum, duck

 

Be wary of Buntong (Don’t remember how to spell).

 

The branch super strong, and we have our own building, though it is a converted bungalow.

 

I don’t have any super missionary experiences in Ipoh

 

Kuching - Very large city, lots of biking.

 

Fairy Caves, Sarawak Cultural Village, Orangutan parl, arrow tag, pool (Not swimming), rugby at padang merdeka.

 

Dragon fruit, curry, Chicken tandori.

 

We have a District Center there.

 

We helped keep a less active family alive when they are making next to nothing and played secret santa

 

Sitiawan - very small town only two main roads.

 

Monkey park, pangkor Island, beach, marina island

 

Banana cake! Fried chicken skin, ba bao, vegetarian noodle, curry noodle.

 

Visit every member weekly, prepare well for english class

 

The active members are very active, though they are few. We meet in a shoplot. I met a very good investigator that lived in Sitiawasn while I was in Ipoh.

 

My two most favorite areas were Bintulu and Sitiawan .

 

Chere are preety much same everywhere you serve, except that they are more Menthodist in Sitiawan and more mixed elsewhere.

 

In Bintulu, all we did was knock really, but it kuching and Sitiawasn, we only did street contacting.

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