Nov. 16, 2010
Hello family and friends!!!
Wow. Time just flies, yet crawls at the same time. Ever since the MTC it has been this strange morph of the time/space continuum. I can't believe its already halfway through November, and yet it seems so long ago when my birthday party was. Its insane. Its hard to think that just over 6 months ago I was living in Provo. Woah......
Anyway. What a week!!! Elder Gallinger and I have been working SUPER hard in finding and teaching families, and we have been having such awesome success out in one Kampung called Rembus. Elder Steele and I have always had good feelings about this kampung, but only about 1/2 of it. One side is very.....well. There is just a not so good spirit there. But on the other side the work is really picking up, and we are teaching 3 new families! Its amazing! I love it. The biggest difference is that we have just been talking and inviting everyone we talk to to learn about the gospel. Just today as I was sitting in a bus ride going to Kuching (Zone Soccer game) I was sitting next to this woman, and it would have been soooo easy to just keep on riding and take a minute to relax my mind, yet that is not my purpose. I didn't come halfway around the world to just sit next to people, but to invite everyone (and everyone!) to learn and partake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So I started talking to her, and while she just ignored me when I invited to learn about the gospel, I definitely felt a warm peaceful feeling of "you did your best, my faithful servant". It was really a good feeling. While many people will not heed our wonderful call, if one should turn an ear and listen, oh how great will be our joy!!! This goes the same for all of you too!!!
So it has certainly been interesting, this mission. I'm not even close to being done, yet my life, my whole perspective of things has changed. Where as before I was thinking that making it big in the movie business was going to bring happiness, now I can see that just having a strong family in the gospel is what really brings happiness. 2 Nephi 12? I think talks about how the Idols of man will be laid low, and all the positions of the world will be for naught when the savior comes. Pretty much told me that any title that you gain as a man is....well....pointless if you put it before what is most important. Prioritize. I also just watched a CES broadcast from Elder Quinten L Cook about this. SO VERY GOOD! 2009 i think. Check it out.
Well, I haven't really crashed my bike in a long time, so it was about time I did, and I did. Hahah. So we are riding out to our furthest kampung ( Sungai Batu "River Rock") when we passed this house where the dogs always chase us. However, only one did today, and since Elder Gallinger was in front, he started after him, being right on his heels. However, without his companion, he couldn't see me coming up behind him. I thought it was going to be great to scare the wits out of this dog, right until he stopped dead in his tracks and I ran right over him! And went flying! Elder Gallinger saw the whole thing as he was looking back, and mentioned "funniest thing in my life". I'm ok....don't worry mom. No bike damage, just one little scab about the size of a US quarter on my elbow. It was kind of a miracle too, cause the owner was there, and yelled if we were ok, which I was (after laying on the ground for a bit). We then got on our bikes and continued on. Later on we were talking with one of our members about it, but he knew the whole story because his daughter had called him the other day to talk about these two white guys who ran over her dog. She wasn't mad, thankfully, but just wanted to talk to her grandpa. Possible contact? We are going to go back there later this week :D Sometimes accidents like that aren't really accidents.
Other than that we are doing really awesome. Elder Gallinger and I love working hard, and being obedient. I am so grateful to have a companion who desires to be exactly obedient as I do :D Newb-Squad for the win!!! We are rocking it up though.
Not sure what we are doing to thanksgiving, cause they dont celebrate that here, but us missionaries might do something. you never know. But!!! I love you all, and be sure to send pictures of all the wonderful food!
Your loving friend, brother, and son,
Elder Willem G. Kampenhout
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