Our Last Week in Malaysia, Humanitarian Recognition, Sapeh - Instrument from Borneo, and Buddhist Vesak Celebration

The picture above is of Elder Johnson of the Asia Area Presidency presenting a Humanitarian Service Appreciation Plaque to a representative of the Sarawak Breast Cancer Support Group. President Tolman, mission president, is standing next to him. The event came off very well. We honored 14 different groups in Sarawak for humanitarian service and afterward held a reception. The messages from the speakers and the choir were uplifting and encouraging and there was a spirit of brotherhood and unity throughout the event. The reception (high tea) in the cultural hall was a time for socializing and getting to know each other. Our area communication director, Annie Wong will produce a video and newsroom article which I will link when it is finished. 
Sister Ernie was on our planning committee and designed this banner and the program. So many great members worked together to make this event a success.
We had twelve round tables and three rectangular tables set up in the cultural hall for the reception where guests were able to mix and mingle. 
This is Yang Berhormat Lo Khere Chiang from the Sarawak house of representatives speaking to the group about community service. Two local government officials attended the event along with three different press organizations and five articles were published in local new media outlets.
President Teo served as Master of Ceremonies. He is a member of the mission presidency and a lives in Kuching. You can also see our beautiful youth chior behind him. They sang, Because I Have Been Given Much and Elder Johnson also referenced thy lyrics of that hymn in his remarks. The porcelain statues in the foreground were presented to our speakers as momentos of the event.
Group photo in front of the Church building. Sister Lambson and I are not in the picture because, as missionaries, we helped to organize the event, but we tried to stay in the background.
I purchased this local instrument called a sapeh (or boat lute) from this young man. His name is Hayree Hassim and he has been making sapehs since he was 18 years old. I ordered it from him two months ago. It is hand carved from a single block of wood and hand painted with designs from the uban tribe of Borneo. As far as I know these instruments are not made anywhere else except here in Eastern Malaysia although there are older versions of it in Indonesia as well. I thought it would be a splendid token of our time serving here in Malaysia.
The Buddhist festival of Wesak commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha. We were invited to attend a community event just outside of KL at a Buddhist facility. There were speakers, dancing, musical entertainment and of course food. I have a particular afinity for buddhism because of its teachings about peace, especially inner peace and the ideology of setting aside selfish desires in favor of desires to do good. 
On the left is President Tan and Sister Letty who are members of our church on the right are Vincent who is the Buddhist representative in our interfaith group and Sister Loh of the Buddhist Missionary Society. Sister Loh is one of the main figures who organized and hosted this event.

I will end with a few pictures from Kuching. After our event we went to the river that runs through the city of Kuching. At night the temperature cools down and many people gather to watch the light show, eat Malaysian delicacies and walk across the lighted pedestrian bridge that spans the river.
Poh Peng, Letty and Annie, our Area director on the bridge with us in Kuching.
Poh Peng and Letty
The pedestrian bridge with a government building in the background.
These booths selling food and drinks are set up all along the river front at night. By morning they are all gone without a trace.



























 

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