Week 89 - Singapore - Open Your Mouth and Speak Miracles‏

April 10, 2012

Dearest Family!!!

    Another Fantastic week here in Singapore. I think among all of the Singapore wards, that I have been blessed to attend the ward that fits me the best! The Filipino ward! In case you have never met a Filipino, they are a smaller people, but very loving, friendly, bubbly and love to eat! They are a super passionate people and they are quick to make friends. They also know EVERYBODY! Their memory is incredible. And they speak English really well :D

    This past week we had a Ward Sports Fest on Friday which allowed Elder Martin and I to get to know a lot of the Ward members very quickly, which is helpful due to our frequent absence. It was such a blast, and we had the coolest jerseys made too :D

    But!!! Story Time!!!!

    So it starts back when a certain Elder became the office Elder, and he is still very young in his mission, but had excellent training in a really tough area, but his desires continue to burn bright, and he literally TALKS TO EVERYONE. It is inspiring! He has inspired me to do more contacting while going out and about, and to ask for numbers and give referrals. It has turned out really well :D But I would like to talk about the Miracle that occurred yesterday. After having a lesson with an investigator and grabbing lunch with the members who came along, we attempted to catch a free shuttle back to the train, but we took a wrong turn and just barely missed the bus. Like by 15 seconds. So instead we decided to take a bus back to the church. We were planning on taking bus 175 to Orchard and then get on a train to Novena, but our member sister Noemi kept mentioning that bus 5 will take us to Newton (close to the church) so we didn't have to switch over. Well, before bus 175 showed up, bus 5 did, and a last second decision brought us to jump on that bus, and Sister Noemi and I stood next to this Filipino woman on the bus, and I immediately struck up a conversation. "hello, how are you today?" She responded good, and then Sister Noemi jumped in and asked her if she was Filipino, and then went on to talk about where they were from. Our conversation quickly led to us inviting her to come to church this Sunday, which she agreed to. She gave us her number and the contact was successful! But still had time on the bus! So we asked her if she was busy this afternoon, which she wasn't, so we offered to take her on a tour of the Church, and she agreed! After the tour, we taught her about the message of the restoration, and she was extremely interested, and when she was giving the closing prayer, she couldn't utter a verbal word, as her heart was so full of the Spirit. She kept touching her heart and saying she felt warm, and that this is something she has been looking for for a long time. She needs the guidance in her life. After the lesson, she went out to eat dinner with one of our members, Bev, and then they watched the Restoration at the office while they were waiting for a Chinese Ward baptism to start. Wow.....talk about an incredible day!! All because we missed the shuttle, and because one was willing to open his mouth and speak miracles. We have such a unique message to the world. We NEED to share it, and to invite others to learn for themselves about the happiness which we radiate. I am so glad that Sister Estralita accepted our invitation to come on the Church tour, because not only will this gospel change her life, but her faith has changed mine as well. 

 I love you all, and hope you all will find opportunities to speak miracles in your lives. Its a great feeling :D

Your Loving Friend, Brother, and Son,

    Elder Willem Kampenhout

Week 88 - Singapore & Malaysia - A Man of Change‏

April 3 , 2012

Elder Tovar and Myself. Both a changed man!

A snapshot in Singapore. A bit different than the jungles of Malaysia.

Elder Martin, Inus (Recent Convert in Singapore), and Myself

Eve and the newest chapel in Singapore. Baptism NIGHT!!!!

Noemi, Porxia (Investigator) and Bev with Elder Martin and myself. Porxia just received permission from her family to be baptized after much fasting and prayer. She was so happy she was literally jumping and squealing with joy in the office here :D

Sister Burtis and her deaf Malaysian investigator in Singapore. That little girl is permanently smiling :D

Dearest Family,

     This age is so full of technological advancements, isn't it? Here I can click a button and on the OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD you can receive an image of my life captured in time by a camera almost instantaneously. Now just think about those in the 1700's and tell them that this was possible. Hahaha!

    So the life keeps on getting better here. This past week was our first big transfer that went down, and honestly is was pretty painless to figure out with President Clark. It seemed that the revelation just flowed into the room and the assignments just came. Some changes were made last second (due to inspiration) and it just made the entire transfer feel right. It was a pretty big transfer too. I think 7 of 48 companionships were not affected. THAT'S A LOT!!!!

   Last night we sent home the group of missionaries that came before my group, and in that group was a missionary who literally turned his whole life around. In his closing testimony this Elder talked about how when he came into the mission he didn't know anything about the gospel. He knew it was true, but if you asked him how old Joseph Smith was when he had the first vision, he had no idea. From there he had many experiences and met many people, but was still fairly the same person until there came a turning point in his life. I don't know what it was, and I probably never will know, but the fact remains that this Elder has completely changed his life. As he stood there bearing testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel, I realized within myself how much I have changed. I can relate in a sense to that my Gospel knowledge was not very deep before the mission. I had never really read the Book of Mormon all the way through either, but that all changed when I went on my mission. As I look back to where the change began, my mind turns to the point when I was getting ready to be set apart as a missionary. I had just sent a goodbye text message to Amanda N. and then turned off my cellphone while standing in the doorway of my mother's living room. I placed the phone down on the little table next to her love seat where she and Papa watch movies together. I feel that at that point I made a choice. I made a choice to serve the Lord and to give my all to Him. I shut off my desires to participate in Non-missionary activities. It's not that those things aren't fun or good and wholesome, but during the next two years, I didn't quite know it then as I do so now, but I was enabling myself to truly enjoy doing things that I could only enjoy and do as a Full-time Missionary. Once I made the choice, the rest was easy. Well, there are still difficulties, but I knew where I stood. Since that moment of time, I have truly changed. I promise each and every one of you that I am a different man than I was before. I am a better one. Not because of anything I did, but what the Lord was able to do with me. I feel that I am more personable, quicker to observe, more positive, patient, and personally confident. These have all been gifts from God. There is no earthly shopping center where one could purchase such gifts, but when you give your whole heart to someone who has given you everything, He is able to give you more. This change in my life has been the sweetest repentance I have ever enjoyed. Because of Jesus Christ's atonement I have been able to repent and allow Him to change my heart's desires. It has not been easy. It was never meant to be easy, but it has been worth it. I feel such a spiritual high that if I don't read the scriptures in the morning that I am missing something. I NEED to keep this going the rest of my life. It is so great :D Miracles never cease. Where are the miracles in your life?

    Look for them. They are there.

Your Loving Friend, Brother, and Son,

      Elder Willem Kampenhout

Week 87 - Singapore and Malaysia - Kembali ke KK!!!!‏

March 28, 2012

Obviously Singapore!!

Hello all!

   Ni hau ma? Haha! So my Chinese has been getting a bit better. Im still not able to have a conversation, but i can banter back and forth with other Chinese missionaries about certain subjects, and I can recognize words they are saying. Its so much fun learning other languages. Its amazing what you can pick up if you just try. 

  So this past weekend we were able to go to KK for a Special Missionary training (which we held on Mount Kinabalu) and then stayed in town for the Sabah District Conference. WAHHH!!!! SOOOO AWESOME!!! of the 4 branches there, I had only not served in one, but i know a few the of the members really well. It was a a pretty sweet re-union, especially with Jacky and Jeffery (some of my recent converts from KK). They had fallen on hard times, but came to district conference to see me, and they were able to hear some messages which both they and I realized was prepared for them it was incredible to see how the Lord works through inspiration. He really does lead us through the inspiration of his Word.

   Another cool opportunity was that over 20 members of the district are planning on going to the Temple soon. WOW! So awesome. 4 of the people being interviewed were Young Single adults who had received mission calls. SO COOL! They are all waiting on their visa's but should be able to leave in April. Two of the missionaries are the identical twins (Laura and Elsie) who's older brother is currently serving a mission in SLC Utah. WOW! Having 3 kids out on a mission. Talk about a blast! They have such great Spirits, and will be able to do a lot of good. 

   As the KK District Conference came to a close, we flew with the Senior Couples to Singapore where we had another Senior Conference, but we were also waving farewell to the Cunninghams (Mukah Senior Couple) and the Larsons (KK Senior Couple). They have both been an extraordinary assistance to the mission and the missionaries. Both Elder Larson and Elder Cunningham are Patriarchs, and every Elder who has served underneath them has really grown from their testimony and wisdom. It is pretty incredible how the Lord can take someone and work them and shape them to be a powerful servant. When we give ourselves, our whole selves, the Lord really will make it happen. Their testimonies were astounding, and I will greatly miss them in the mission-field.

  That same evening we were blessed with the testimonies of Brother and Sister Bradford, who were Ex-pats living in Singapore, who spoke to us about the Atonement. They lost their oldest Son Parker when he was 17 when he attempted to save a drowning friend, but was knocked unconscious and drowned. He was taken to the Hospital where he was put on life support, but after two days was taken off. It was an incredible story of how they found comfort and healing through the Saviors gospel and his Love, and through the sealing power of the Priesthood. It was incredible. It really helped me see that work is being done on both sides of the veil, and that as angels over there are assisting others, we are serving as the Lord's angels here on this earth. That never became so real to me until this point in time. It was particularly touching to know that :) There is so much to be learned and to be gained in this life. This life is truly one worth living. LOVE IT!

Your Loving Friend, Brother, and Son,

     Elder Willem Kampenhout