Selamat Patang Semua!!!!
Sorry this is coming in a day late. Yesterday we had Zone conference with two zones, Kuching and Sibu, and we had to push back our P-Day till today. Zone Conference was SICK though!!! President Clark gave this really awesome lesson about Angels, and how they are everywhere all the time, doing the Lords will, and that a lot of the time we see them and don't even know it. It is incredible :D It's crazy to connect all the dots and see how prevalent Angels are in the Bible AND the Book of Mormon. Amazing.
So this past week has been so packed with happenings there is no way that I would be able to say them all. Living in our area is 100% better, now that we don't have to spend 1 hour plus riding too and from our house just to go tracting or to appointments. It's insane. The work is picking up, and while Elder Steele and I are living alone, we are becoming more involved with the members and better connected to the area. It's nuts. Every morning we go running around this beautiful lake for our exercises. Its amazing. We actually taught these two 20 year old boys yesterday on the lake side, and it was a just natural being in such a beautiful area talking about the Restored Gospel, and how it can bless us all in our lives :D Halfway through the lesson though this Indian guy pulled up and parked his car about 25 feet away and just sat in the car. When we rode away afterward to our next appointment, we called out Cegu!!! which means teacher, and I stopped and started talking with him. He was driving by and when he saw us teaching these two boys he just felt impressed to stop and talk to us. Woah. WOOOOOAAAAHHHH.....He wants to bring us to his Kampung (Village) and have us meet his whole family, because he currently has no religion. It was amazing talking to him, and he said that my Malay was very, very good, especially for only being out here for 2 months. The gift of tongues is real. I am now following about 90% oh what people say, and find myself not struggling to express myself. I still have leaps and bounds to go (questions are hard in Malay) and am still working on the Iban. I can understand a bit and speak a tiny bit. Aku nemu Mimit-mimit!!! Tak uleh Jako!!!! Haha. Its amazing.
So when people say that being a missionary, and having a companion is like marriage training, they are so right. Now that Elder Steele and I are living on our own, we can never really get away from each other, so its 24/7 :D I love the man though, and he's a hard worker. You really do get used to peoples little "things" they do that bug you, and focus on the big reasons that you love them :D I have been truly blessed with Elder Steele. He really does like to work hard and we have a lot of fun doing it, and he doesn't make me feel like a trainee at all. Its great :D
So oh!!! HUGE NEWS!!! A while back we had an investigator (Lintang) that moved to Johor Baru the week he was supposed to be baptized, and he was going to do his best to find the church there, but he didn't have a hand phone and we had no way of contacting him. It made us very sad, and we heard no news from the JB Elders if they found him. Then, the other night, right after this family committed to come to church, we got a text message. "Hello Elder. Mr. Lintang Anak Judi from Jesus Christ. Please Call me back." WOAH!!!!! People often associate themselves with their church by putting the name on the end. He's not even baptized and considers himself a member. Freaking sweet :D So we called him back. He just got a new phone and he called us, and we hooked him up with the Elders in JB. He is so awesome. He reads the Book of Mormon everyday and highlights it and loves to read. He even shared an experience where he almost lost his hand at work (a welder of large factory machines) but thanks to a prayer he was saved. Woah. It was one of the sweetest nights ever!!!! We were so pumped. I love the people here.
Looking at the last 4 paragraphs starting with "so" I figured I would start a new one without So. But!!! Another Miracle this week. As we were riding out to Kampung Nangka, as we passed by a members house, Elder Steele thought he might have seen the car of one of their old investigators at a members house. These investigators, Jonathan and Jaeclyn, were very very awesome, but suddenly dropped off the map. We kept riding, but both of us had a super strong feeling to turn around. So we did, and we ran into them, and re-established contact!!! They have seen us tons as they drive around, but they just been too shy to stop and say hi or honk, so this was the perfect thing to happen. Since then we have met a few times and we are now back on track. They are on date to be baptized again, and when they do, they will immediatley become strong strong members. It's incredible how some people are just flat out prepared for you. All you need to do is be obedient and listen as the Spirit guides. On that note, our Branch President in the MTC had this quote, that I think applies very very well. An apostle said this: "When obedience ceases to be an irritant, and becomes a quest, in that moment you are endowed with true power." There are no other words that explain it better. As we grow closer to God through our obedience, we begin to desire more, and obey more fully so we can become more like him. Perfect. It really is incredible.
Before the mission I never really read my scriptures a lot (bad Bad BAD) and I didn't really feel a need. But now, I LOVE reading them, and find new strength and insight every day, that I need for that day! I sit at a desk for 90 minutes everyday studying and writing my thoughts. It is awesome. I love it. I've finished the Book of Mormon once in the MTC and once out in the field, and now I am going through again, but in more detail with certain patterns in mind. There is much depth to them, and the knowledge gained through your own study, and sharing it with others is amazing and uplifting. I encourage all of you to do so. One thing I find particularly fun in topic is the Millennium, and how we are going to receive new scripture :D Just blows the mind.
Well I must be going. I love you all so very much, and I pray that you remember the Lord in All things. Don't just settle for the good things. Find the Best things :D
Elder Willem Kampenhout
aka Elder Belanda atau Elder Kempen
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