Apa Kabar? from beautiful Borneo. This whole week we have been in terrible hazy air. The farmers in Indonesia are burning their fields right now to get ready for the next planting season. It is supposed to be against the law to burn like they do, but no one enforces it. As a result Sinagpore and Malaysia are really in a haze right now. The air is really smoky and bad and makes it difficult to breath.
This is a picture from our windows. Normally you would be able to see clear across this area and see the big mountains that are behind the little hills in front. It is especially bad in the mornings.
You can see the sun in this picture. It is about 11 in the morning. It is in so much haze that you can look at the sun, although you shouldn't and we don't. One good thing though, because there is so much haze, the sun isn't beating down on you. It is still very hot, of course, but the sun isn't shining. They say the haze could last for another 2 - 3 weeks. I remember we had the same thing last year at this time, but it wasn't this bad. Singapore is really upset and has called in the UN.
We had to have our car, the coke can on wheels, serviced this week. Just a routine changing of the oil, rotating the tires and checking on the AC which decided to go out. The place where we take the car is about a 20 minute walk away, so we can just walk there to take it and then walk back when it is finished. On our way to pick the car back up, we had to walk through this herd (herd? Is herd the right word? What is a group of monkeys called? A monkett? An abbott of monks? I don't know) of monkeys. There were close to two dozen monkeys out. Big ones, small ones, old ones, young ones. Thought you might enjoy seeing some of the monkeys that literally live right outside our door.
They are very naughty monkeys and are always going through the garbage at the next apartment complex below ours. They will get in the garbage and pull out the whole plastic garbage sack, rip it open, and go through it item by item to see if there is anything there they want. They just throw what they don't want all over the place. It is horrible. However, the cats really love the monkeys. The cats wait below for the discarded garbage the monkeys don't want. The cats and the monkeys make quite a symbiotic relationship and make quite a team. Between the two of them, the garbage disposal area is always in chaos.
AHH. Isn't that a cute little monkey. It is amazing how quickly they can run across this wire over the road.
This is an older monkey. We tried to get a picture of the wounds he has on his right front leg, but he wasn't cooperating. These monkeys are called Long-Tailed Macaws. And boy are their tails ever long. Longer than their bodies. Sometimes they will be sitting beside the road with their long tails lying in the road and they won't move, but we don't want to run over their tail either. Usually a quick toot of the horn will get them moving.
A few blogs ago I told you about Simon who was recently baptized after having to wait a year. If you remember, Simon is deaf and only has vision in one eye. Last Saturday the Starkey Foundation from the USA came to KK and held a free hearing clinic. They tested your hearing and would give you a free hearing aid if one was needed. There were thousands of people who showed up. For many, this was their only chance to get a free hearing aid and to possibly hear something. We took Simon to visit with them. They tested his hearing and he his profoundly deaf in both ears but his right ear is not so profound as his left.
They fitted Simon with a free hearing aid and he was elated. He could pick up some sounds but the problem is he has no idea what he is hearing. We need to take him to the deaf society now so they can work with him and teach him to recognize what sound it is he is hearing. The Starkey Foundation is a wonderful NGO. So many people were helped. When Elder Read walked in one US worker said, "Oh, You are Mormons. Let me get your picture and do an interview with you on our cameras. One of the major sponsors of this hearing clinic is Justin Osmond ( a cousin to Donny) and he would love to see and hear from you." So Elder Read gave them an interview. We have know idea where it will ever be shown or if it will be shown or if only Justin Osmond will see it, but they wanted to have an interview with a Mormon.
We had the YSA over to our house on Monday for their FHE. We had quite a big group. I asked them if they wanted rice and mee (noodles) or American sloppy Joes. They all voted for sloppy joes. They were really confused when I put out fresh brocolli, cauliflower, carrots and celery with ranch dip. They said "How are you supposed to eat this? It's raw. You can't eat raw vegetables." Those who tried it really enjoyed it and kept coming back for more. Simon had about four big platefuls and he was one who was quite skeptical about eating raw veggies.
We went over to Sis. Sarjet's, a recent convert, home on Friday afternoon. She has 11 total kids, but some of them are in KL and are older. I think she adopted some of them. We took the game "Don't Eat Pete!" Once they figured out how the game was played, they loved it. I should have taken more candy but the store I usually buy M&M's at was out of M&M's "Gone already". This is Sister Rhodes, Sis. Noorda, Brenda, Hans and Esther. Brenda is Sis. Sarjet's granddaughter. Brenda's mother is Malin who was recently baptized. Sis. Malin was the one that was baptized after just getting out of the hospital for dialysis and had the bandage around her neck.
This is Brenda, Sis. Sarjet, me and elder Read. Making rabbit ears on Sarjet is Esther and making rabbit ears on elder Read is Hans. We enjoyed being in their home and Sis. Sarjet makes the best mee! Sedap!
We really enjoy working with the members. They are all so loving and kind. Great people.
Please try to remember us every now and then with an email. We so look forward to hearing from everyone. We enjoy knowing what is happening in your lives. Keep us informed. Love to All E/S Read
Miss you lots! Love you more!
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