Nama Berita Semau!!!!
Things have been kinda nuts these past few days, with seeing members and investigators before Elder Steele leaves, and getting everything ready. It was kinda nuts. He even gave a talk on the last Sunday, but that wasn't the only surprise. BOOM! Mission President walks through the elevator with his assistants and attends our tiny branch's Sunday sacrament meeting. We knew he was in town, but were told he was going to another branch for church. Well......people fib sometimes ;) It was awesome though. There was such a spirit and a presence in the room. It was awesome :D
So the transfers happened yesterday. Elder Erickson (senior missionary) and I took Elder Steele to the bus station where he boarded the bus and headed off to Bintulu, the place where he first served. It was kinda sad to see him go, mainly because of all of the new responsibilities that I will have and in having no 'safety net' in the language. I am not that safety net, as my new companion (only halfway through training) came into the field only 6 weeks after me! And I'm suppose to train him! I just finished my training 2 weeks ago. Well....i guess the Lord calls us in our weaknesses. All I can do is pray and trust in him.
So one of the great excitements has been with a Investigator named David. He is the husband of a little family that was just baptized, but he didn't want to hear about the church, so just his wife and 2 step daughters we baptized. Every time we would come over and teach, he would just sit in the next room over and listen or text his friends. It was kinda sad to see that he didn't want to learn, when it was helping his family soooo much. Well, we have also been teaching his parents, and the other day went over there and found his family was there! They were helping the Parents plant rice and were resting up before going home for the night. David was a little drunk, but he sat down in the room at the start of the lesson about Prayer, and how we receive answers through the Holy Ghost. About halfway through we invited him to join us, and he came into the circle and actually participated! Even in a buzzed state he answered questions very well. He told us he would come to church the next day :D Well.....he didn't, but the next night we saw their family again and David wasn't drunk this time, and he was SUPER active in the lesson, and you could really see in his eyes the change that he wants. It is incredible. :D We are really hoping that he continues to grows and will come to church this Sunday :D
Last night Elder Gallinger and I had our first appointment together, and it was in English! Our Indian investigator Magis is a little old Indian man who is wanting to join a christian church, but wants to join the right one. He has so many tiny little questions that he often distracts himself and is very hard to teach planned out lessons, so last night, we just went in with the desire to testify about the book of Mormon, and wanting to answer his questions. and WOW. I already know that Elder Gallinger and I are going to work well. Magis talked most of the time, and when we just let him talk and we listened, his real questions came out. It was amazing. One of them was about the 12 tribes of Israel, and he was rambling about how Christ was a Jew and the Jews wrote the Bible, and how we are not Jews, so how can we become one of the Chosen people of God? He really just wanted to know how he could become a chosen son of God? It then just clicked in my mind what to teach him. We testified of the 12 tribes, and how everyone can be adopted into the tribes through patriarchal blessings, taught about that really quickly, and then testified that he can become one of God's chosen sons. It was amazing so see how his questions were answered through listening to him, and to the spirit, and not trying to 'combat' him with the standard missionary lessons. Listening truly is a skill we all need in our lives.
Later when we mentioned godhead, Magis flat out told us that "I will not believe in the Trinity. Cannot." Elder Gallinger and I were both surprised, and worried. But, we then asked him in return "When you are raising your children, are you and your wife not one in purpose?" We then testified how God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are 3 separate people, but are one in heart and mind, meaning ONE IN PURPOSE. You could see the chains of confusion lift from his eyes, and he said "Now it makes sense. Thank you." The power of asking questions and testifying is sooooooo apparent, and is the Chosen Way to teach others. Just as Christ did in Jerusalem. Now the hard part is asking questions in Malay. Apa boleh buat, kecuali terus untuk belajar dan ingat.
I realize that I often talk about the people more than I talk about myself. Well, it's because i'm not here in Malaysia for myself, but for these people, and I am realizing that as I help these people change their lives to follow Christ, that they are in turn changing me. I am still the same quirky, intense and hard working Willem that you all knew, but am just doing everything in a different language, in a different country, working for a different Boss. Let me tell you, He's a good boss :D
I love you all so very much, and hope that my letters are something you enjoy to read :D
Elder Willem Kampenhout
P.S. Elder Gallinger's name out here is Elder Gergasi (Elder Troll or Giant) LOVE IT!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment