BUDOK BUI !!!!

It has been 2 weeks since I wrote on the blog.  There's a good reason for this.  The first week nothing much happened.  We had Kate and the sister missionaries over on Wednesday night after our meeting at church.  They had not eaten, so we fed them and laughed until 10pm.  It was good for us all.  Kate has been having a difficult time.  She and her husband have separated.  It's been a long time coming, but is nevertheless sad when it happens.  We try to be supportive and help any way that we can.
After church on Sunday 2 weeks ago, we were picked up by our Rotary Club friends, Patrick and Ann Pannai.  They then drove us to the town of Lawas.  They are a delightful retired couple.  They have been married for 42 years.  Ann is Chinese and Patrick is a native of the Interior here in East Malaysia.  He comes from the villlage of Budok Bui.  They were school teachers most of their adult lives.  His Rotary Club is our partner for a major fresh water project.  This project involves 3 major areas--Sandakan(Eastern Borneo), Tawau(central Borneo), and Bakelalan(area in the interior where Patrick was reared).
We had to drive to Lawas because there was no flights from KK to Lawas where we had to get a plane into Bakelalan.  The trip to Lawas is a 3 hour trip--took us 7!!!  We had to stop so many times to eat or buy supplies for the Pannais to take to the village.  Our driver for the trip was Lee Wei--he stopped so many times to buy from the roadside stands.

This is Dad, Patrick, Lee Wei, and Ann.  Ann wanted some chinese dumplings--really yummy!  Next we stopped for supplies--bread, toilet paper, honey, etc.

This is the sun setting in the beautiful little village of Sipitang along the coast where we ate dinner.  It was so beautiful!

Patrick and Ann's friend, Evelyn, and her family joined us for dinner in this outdoor eatery on the waterfront in Sipitang.  We ate beef and chicken satay,vegetables, noodles, and fried bananas( to die for!).  After dinner, we were on our way again.  We finally reached Lawas to spend the night after 7 hours on the road We were so tired.  We stayed in a new hotel--the last time I washed my hair for 3 days!!

This is us checking in at the airport in Lawas.  They weigh people and their luggage at the same time!  Most people just have boxes as luggage.  There is no scanning--they really don't care what you carry on the plane.

This is the airport in Bakelalan.

This is the luggage handler bringing the luggage from the plane.  Yep--that's right-a wheelbarrow!!

This is the toilet at the airport.  I'm not kidding!!!  It's a squatter-open to all!!

This is  our transport from Bakelalan to Budok Bui.  Our driver's name was Martin and there was only room for him and Ann up front. Patrick, Dad, and I rode in the back for the 1-hr ride to the village.  We held onto the roll bar in the back.  They are bringing a bench for ann to get in the cab of the truck.   It was tyhe scariest ride I've ever had.  It beats anything that I ever rode in as a teenager in Brunswick County.  Wiley Hewett was never this scary!!!

Getting in the truck to go.  If I only had known what was ahead!

We made it!!!  We arrived in Budok Bui.  Martin is awesome!!  This is where we stayed for 3 days.  Our hosts were Liaw and Beslik, friends of Ann and Patrick.  Patrick and Liaw grew up together in Budok Bui.  Beslik is Liaw's second wife and they have no children together.  He has 5 children from his first wife who died.  All of his children have college degrees.  One is a doctor.  None of them live in the village, but they come home to visit.  He has 10 grandchildren.  Beslik is a good wife and so very nice.  She had tears in her eyes when we left.

This is Beslik in her kitchen where we ate our meals.  She has on the red pants and orange shirt.  Every morning we were there 3 or 4 women would arrive at 5 in the morning to prepare breakfast with her, then at lunch 3 or 4 different weomen would arrive with goods and help her fix lunch, then the same at dinner.  The men hunted every day and feed us wild boar, deer, and chickens.  We also had vegetables(never knew what they were), and fruits.  Beslik went out one morning up in the mountains to get bananas to fry because she heard that we liked fried bananas.  She had never made them before.  Liaw spent one morning trying to find a fresh pineapple.  He said that they are difficult to find because the monkeys always get them before the villagers can.  He found a small one--the best I have ever eaten.
The women sit on a mat in front of the fireplace to prepare the food and then cook it on the open fire.  They laugh, talk, and sing--very happy.  There is a drying rack higher up, where they dry meats and vegetables.  They cook rice for every meal prepared in about 10 different ways.  Every house has at least one rice paddy field.  They have water buffalo--how many you have tells how wealthy you are!
The women would not eat with us--only the men.  That is their custom.

This is Liaw's rice that he harvested.  Dad counted 120 bags!  He has not been able to get it to market because of the bad roads and the rainy season.

This is the meeting that was held at Liaw's house where 42 villagers came to discuss the water project and decide if they will do the work on the fresh water project and agree to maintain it when finished.  After Dad explained what we will do and what they are to do, the village chief signed the agreement.  They are excited to have good water come to their homes!  They have electricity already.  Patrick got the government to help them build a micro hydroelectric dam with a small generator.

The man in the purple shirt on the right is Liaw.  So nice.  He walked for 1 1/2 hours(one way) to Bakelalan to buy batteries for my camera one day!  I did not know that he had gone.  Someone sold him bad batteries.  I felt soooo bad.  The door in the middle was to mine and Dad's bedroom.  We had a mat on the floor with mosquito netting over it.  We were very comfortable in the cool mountain breezes.  The bathrooms had squatter holes, no sinks, and a 55 gal drum with slow drip water and a big dipper in the drum.  You wet yourself down, wash off, the rinse yourself with the dipper and water!!  Interesting!! 
When we were ready to leave, the villagers all came to say goodbye and each gave us a small bag of rice!  Dad and I were very touched.  We wish that you were there to meet these wonderful, happy people.
On the way back to Bakelalan, Martin's truck broke down.  Luckily, a villager in the next village brought his truck and took us the rest of the way.  We spent the night in The Apple Lodge  across from the airport.  We had a actual bathroom in our bedroom!  I got to wash my hair!!  /We took a stroll around the village with Patrick.

Dad and me in front of some rice paddy fields.

Village school children.

The next day as we were preparing to leave, the local band and native dancers arrived to welcome some diginataries who were coming in on the plane.  Notice the musical instruments--all made of bamboo!!  As they were posing for a group picture, they wanted the "white woman" (that's me) to be in the picture with them!!  So fun!!
This was a heartwarming, humbling experience for Elder Larson and me.  We loved it and love sharing it with you.   Lots of love to you,  MOM and DAD