March 8, 2011
Anu Abarmu!!!
Thank you so much for all your letters and emails :D They are really great to read and it’s good to have thoughts about home at times. I guess it makes me more of a human being.
The time on the mission is a strange vortex. It seems like I was just here 2 days ago, yet it seems so long at the same time. Weird. But much has changed. A large chunk of our investigator pool has seemingly vanished, and we have suddenly gone from super busy to not so busy at all. I have a feeling that something is going to happen pretty soon here that will need a lot of our time and effort :D Let me tell you about one miracle family :D Malou is a 49 year old woman who has 5 children, 4 of which live with her. If we had been out looking for new investigators we would have never found her, because she actually lives in an old Muslim mans house, but is Christian, and Man!!! She was ready for the Gospel. A member works with her daughter’s husband, and began talking with her about the church when she saw him reading the Liahona, and he began to tell her about the church (and about the temples in the Philippines before he even mentioned Joseph Smith). It was awesome and she wanted to go and see what this church was. When Sunday morning came, Malou, and her daughter Manilou and her three other little boys walked in and immediately meshed with all the other Filipinos in the branch. It was incredible. Everything we have been teaching they have been soaking up and applying. They wanted to be baptized that day! In old times we probably would have. They are ready, but we want to set a firm foundation first :D But this is one family we are definitely excited about. This week they went back to "camp" ( a far away work place where their husbands work) but will be back next week. Can't wait :D
Here in Sandakan we work extremely close with the senior couple, and the Branch President (same guy :D) and this has given us tons of experience with how leadership within the church works. The Branch President has me translate the sacrament meetings, interviews with non-English speakers, and lots of other things. With all this close work with him, it has given me a lot of wisdom and insight into life, but one thing particularly is in Focus and Faith. Not just any senior couple could come out to Malaysia. Things just don't work the same, and it’s hard to even get basic functions going, and there is lots of work to be done. However, I myself have realized that the church here and the way people are is about 19th Century saints in America. It really is interesting, but I have learned myself that you need to Focus your effort. Build one foundation at a time, and once it is complete, it will help uplift others. If you try to tackle them all at once it won't get done. This is happening on the Lords time, not ours. It sure does make it hard at times, but is a great humbling experience. The second half is with Faith. Believe. Such a powerful word! I could go on for hours how that when has faith, it fills them with such light and love, and lifts others around them. It is an incredible thing to see take place, and have been blessed with many occasions as such :D
One thing that has been very strong here in Sandakan is the Missionaries. Now not us, but the ones who come from here. We just recently had two go out (and are serving in this mission too) but are working on another one, and setting the building blocks for another one. The youth of Sandakan are some of the strongest I have ever seen, who keep coming to church even when their parents have stopped for months. They are the future leaders of the church. They are the pillars that will one day raise up the land of Malaysia to be a spiritual mountain. But I guess we are all doing that. We are all building up our families, our lives and our experiences so that one day, we will bring our works before our Father, and we will reap what we have sown here in this life. I guess that is why I love 3 Nephi 13:19-21 so much. "Lay not up your treasures upon earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and thieves break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." President Dallin H. Oaks once said "The Ultimate treasure on earth and in Heaven, is in our children." While I have none of my own yet, I know that those who do could say the same thing. Don't forget that. Take the time with your treasures, and let them collect dust. Spend time with your children and your treasures every day, and they will love you back :D I am sure grateful for the love my parents showed me. I sometimes wonder why I got such good ones :D Continue on being those great mothers, fathers, husbands and wives.
Your Loving Friend, Brother, and Son,
Elder Willem Kampenhout
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