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| Elder Tovar and Myself. Both a changed man! |
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| A snapshot in Singapore. A bit different than the jungles of Malaysia. |
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| Elder Martin, Inus (Recent Convert in Singapore), and Myself |
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| Eve and the newest chapel in Singapore. Baptism NIGHT!!!! |
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| 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 |
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| 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
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