Family Home Evening in Malacca, Malaysia

 

Families come in all shapes and sizes. This is very apparent in families belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With the celebration of the 100th anniversay of Family Home Evening and a look at typical Family Home Evenings in Malaysia, we highlighted the Semana Family from Malacca. Angelo and Anna Semana are a young professional couple with a 6 month old baby girl. Angelo was raised in Sabah, Anna in Malacca. Following their marriage and the birth of their daughter, Liesl, they returned to Malacca. Anna's mother cares for baby Liesl while Anna and Angelo work each day.

Family Home Evening on Monday evening is a time for Angelo and Anna to be together, enjoy baby Liesl, and share a short lesson. "It is a time we can get together and have fun doing things together. We are also doing it for our baby. If we don't start now we won't do it. We hope in 10 years she's taking her turn conducting the meeting and we all have a role".

Angelo feels the responsibility of leading out in holding Family Home Evening.  He said, "It is like follow the leader. It is easier when I lead out and take charge." Anna told us with a baby to juggle while trying to focus on a gospel principal, lessons and activities are usually short and refreshments sometimes consist of milk for Liesl. She said "We try to have a short FHE every week. We want to have this good habit in place when we have a bigger family."

Lesson materials come from the Church magazines and helps for Family Home Evening found online. Even with the everyday demands of a young family and careers, the Semana Family is reaping the benefits of following the counsel of their leaders to hold Family Home Evening each week.