Aug. 11, 2010
Hey All!!!!
Wow. I love this country. So this week Elder Steele and I had our first Baptisms!!!! Woot! 3 Young men. They are all awesome and wonderful spirits. I was given the lucky chance of baptising Sebastian (in the picture) and let me tell you, it was a life changing experience. I did it all in Malay and did it in one try, but the whole time I was a bit nervous. However, as soon as I stepped into the font I felt like a different person. I was no longer Elder Willem Kampenhout, but a representitive of Jesus Christ, who was helping this young man make covenants with Jesus to follow him and enter into his Kingdom. It was amazing. The other missionaries call it "getting wet" which is a kidna funny term. Haha. It was a good thing too cause on our way to the Baptism I crashed my bike when I slipped on water and mud mixture. I'm ok (don't worry Mom) but I got a hole in my pants and got some mud all over them. Luckily I was able to dress into my baptisimal clothes :D
So this week has been interesting. Some days are scorching hot, while others it completely pours the rain down. One day it started to rain right as we rode into Kampung Rembus and the member there Dundang said "Get in the house now!" The rain picked up quickly, and soon afterwards we could not even see the next house over. The house our Zone Leaders were at was struck by lightning. It was nuts. We lucked out though, because the rain caused Dundang's neighbors and our investigators to come home from work, and we taught them a very personal and quite lesson, something we often don't get in a house at night full of Iban children. It was awesome, and their family are planning on getting baptized soon! It is so amazing to see people make the commitment to take upon themselves the name of Christ, and put aside the desires of the world and follow Him. It really does warm your heart.
So some of my emails won't go through because of the pictures I attach, so now on I will send one with pictures and one without :) Just in case. It also helps if you keep your inboxs not so full (MOM!)
So one of the pictures is a bathroom at a members house. The little hole in the ground is what you squat over, and then wash off your bum with the buckets of water surrounding you. At our house we have a shower hose, but its pretty much the same. I haven't used TP since I left the states. Its weird, but you get use to it.
One picture is me with these kids out in this Kampung where we were helping a member build his house for his family so his kids could live close to their school, and so they could get an education. These people are very selfless, and family is everything to them. It is amazing to see how they will work so hard and be so kind all on behalf of someone else. It's very humbling.
Another picture was this odd day where it looked like it was raining fire. It was the most beautiful skies I have ever seen. I more to show when I get home :D
The work is going very well out here :D Elder Steele and I are going to move out into our area at the end of the month, that way we don't have to spend over an hour everyday biking to and from our area. It will definitly speed up the work and help us and our investigators. We will miss living with other missionaries, but we will get use to it :D
Well we must get going. The work calls. The Lord blesses the obedient and awards us with truth and light in our lives. Follow him always. Read and Pray everyday and go to Church every Sunday. I Love you All!!!
Elder Willem Kampenhout
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