The Meeting House (Miri)(1st)

First Meeting House
This is my church's first meeting house in Miri. I always pass this house on my way back home from the town and never knew that this is a church!! And found out that the owner is my secondary Form teacher!! In April 1998, me and my children sent 2 missionaries back to the house. Elder Whitcomb and Elder Redd were staying there. We got to meet Elder Neeley and ??? - I have to check that up and update). We also got to meet a very nice missionary couple from Canada, Elder/Sister Folsom. All of them live on the first floor. Later in the year, the young Lord's warriors moved to another place nearby. My first impression of the missionaries - they were different, unique, special - they are like lighted candles in the dark! You can feel their love for you and you cannot help loving them back.

This house is where my children and me were taught the 6 lessons, where I learnt about Heavenly Father and his salvation plan. This is where I was baptised on the 9 May 1998 and where both my 2 children were baptised also (1 January 1999). This is where I was called as the 1st counselor in the Relief Society in 1998, then the seminary teacher in 1999 and the Primary President for 1 month (I think) in November 1999. This is where we have our firesides, enrichments, barbeques, Xmas party. This is where I delivered my first talk "Endure to the End" and my first public prayer. This is where my extended family is.

(inserted by Elder Cragun, 15 December 2005)
I stayed there with my companion Elder Anderson and the couple E&S Jeppesen, Jan to Apr 1997. Our bedrooms were upstairs and church was downstairs. One Sunday morning I was getting dressed for church when suddenly Gloria and the other kids suddenly came running up the stairs. I had to run in the bedroom and shut the door! We used to sit on three sofas to hold our church meetings. When attendance grew, we started bringing out the dining room chairs. Finally we had to order 30 chairs from a furniture company. We thought that would be enough for many years, but soon the Church was ordering more.