March 23, 2012
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| Elder Kampenhout in front of Mount Kina Balu! 4K high!!! |
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| President Clark and Myself in the middle of the hike |
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| Waterfall on Mount Kota Kinabalu |
Dearest Family
This past weekend we were able to have lots of missionary appointments
in Singapore on Saturday and Sunday, and WOW!!! It was awesome! I love
teaching the Gospel, and it was amazing how it flowed so much easier when
teaching in English. WOW. Super Rad. We had double digits on investigators
at church this Sunday, and it was especially great because out investigator
Enos has quit smoking on the drop of a hat so that he can be baptized this
week!!! YAYA!!!!! He has progressed so well over the years. He has taught
himself how to read (slowly) and absolutely loves the gospel and the
church. He understands that when he moves back to Sabah that he is still a
member of the Church and that he is going to do his very best to move to KK
to go to church. So rad.
Well, we quickly went to Bintulu Sarawak early this week, which is the
factory central of all of Sarawak. There are 4 growing branches there
though! There I was able to help President Clark translate over 20 Temple
interviews, which was an awesome experience. To these people, and temple is
something which requires great sacrifice to attend. Many of them can only
go once or twice in a lifetime, but will renew their recommend so that they
can always live worthy of their covenants. It is so important to always
live worthy of that standard. Also while in Bintulu we drove up to the Niah
Caves where we hiked through the gaping caves and had a devotional in which
we shared our latest enlightenment and testimonies from the scriptures. It
was incredible to see the growth and strength in the testimonies of the
young Elders, and the maturity in the older ones. Their studies in the
scriptures may play the most important role in their lives. Imagine our
world without scriptures today. Do we really appreciate the greatest gifts
we have given? We should be ever so grateful that Nephi returned to
Jerusalem to retrieve the brass plates, that William Tinsdale made his
efforts to translate the bible, and to all of those who have sought to
bring forth the Word of God. We have been given the source of knowledge.
Often there are many questions that I want to ask, but then I realize that
the answer is already made available in the scriptures. Oh how I need to
read them more diligently.
Last night we flew into Kota Kinabalu, My longest area in the mission,
and I was able to accompany Elder Brodie in teaching some of their
investigators, all of which are solid. The most special though was when we
visited Joebort and Marilyn. They are a young Filipino couple whom Elder
Hawkins and I contacted into over 6 months ago. They are not yet baptized
because they are waiting to be legally married in the Philippines first,
but they have been faithful since the day we met them. When I saw them last
night, there was a noticeable difference in just the way that they looked.
Their countenances had completely changed, and they were happier, more
active, and the Light of Christ more prevalent. I was nearly brought to
tears when we were teaching them about enduring trials and doing good. I am
ever so grateful that I was directed by the spirit that day to go knock on
their door. Perhaps I can retell the story.
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| Elder Kampenhout, Joebort and Marilyn |
We would often ride the bus out to appointments in our area, and we
always bussed past these apartments that we located close to the church.
After a while I felt an impression to go knocking there, and my companion
and I set a day and off we went. Our initial success was poor, as most of
the doors had already received and rejected missionaries, but Elder Hawkins
and I persevered all the way up the 6 flights of stairs. By the time we
reached to top, things were not looking good. When we knocked on a door, a
man answered and told us that while he was not interested, his friend would
be, and he pointed us to the door across. So we eagerly knocked that door,
talked with the woman who answered, and gave her a pamphlet. She seemed
rather interested, but was unable to meet right then. When we closed our
discussion, President Clark's training about Following Up with referrals
came into my mind, and I felt prompted to return to the mans door and tell
him how things went. When we knocked he opened again and we told him how
things went and invited him again to learn himself. This time he let us
into his apartment where we sat down and talked with him about God and
Prayer and he told us an incredible story about how God answered a prayer
of his. When we invited him to learn more, he asked for us to wait for his
wife to come back from the Philippines, and the following week we were able
to meet Marilyn. Joebert has since quit all of his addictions, and is
living the commandments, and is progressing incredibly well. Marilyn too
has changed more dramatically. I still remember the first day we met her.
In her closing prayer she thanked God for sending his servants to find his
lost children. This touched me so much. I don't know what all was going on
in their life, but I know that the one whom we represented was able to heal
them. This Gospel is true. It can Heal the broken hearted, restore sight to
the blindness of emotion and blindness towards one situation. It can
restore strength to family relationships. This Gospel is True. I love the
man whose message I bear.
Your Loving Friend, Brother, and Son,
Elder Willem Kampenhout
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