Well well,
It's been a crazy week! The whole mission has been going loco! We had six emergency transfers happen! So poor President Skelton has had to deal with a bunch of problems. First of all, we had the emergency transfer with my companionship. My new companion, Elder Pace T, is from Mesa, AZ, and he is a really great guy. He works really hard, but also has fun at the same time. We have had a lot of success this week, the best week that I've had so far! We taught over a hundred lessons, and for the investigators that we have with a baptism date, well, it went up from two to eight, so we're working hard, but also working smart! We've been calling a lot of former investigators to see if they want to learn again, and it has been very successful! We also are contacting some of my relatives and parents friends to see if they are willing to learn! We're meeting with a couple of them later on this week, so hopefully something comes of it!
One of my favorite Elders got thrown in jail for a second time because of visa issues. He finally got out and is back in Singapore now, but he can't get back into Malaysia, so they are short of a Zone Leader there, and they're trying to work something out. One of our Zone Leaders in Singapore had to go home because of some family problems at home in Sri Lanka, where there is a civil war raging, so we're praying that all will work out for him. So, we've had a whole mess of Elders moving all around the mission! So, I'm now the longest-staying missionary in our apartment, so many changes! But, I know that the Lord has His hand in all of this, and we have to just trust and follow Him.
Been having headaches/dizzy spells these past couple of weeks, so I had an MRI done. The results seem fine, but if they continue to persist, I'll probably go back to the doctor for another consultation. The neurologist thinks it's just stress-tension headaches, so I guess we'll see how it goes and pray that all goes well.
Our investigators are doing well and are progressing. We have Aravin, who is praying about whether or not he should perform a couple of Hindu rituals for the sake of his family before he gets baptized, or to just go for it. We respect his decision either way, and I can definitely understand the situation that he is in. He will definitely get baptized though, because Michelle, his girlfriend, a member, and him want and are planning to get married in the temple, the house of the Lord! :) Prasanth is Michelle's brother's best friend who has been coming to Church and who has taken a couple of discussions. He has accepted a baptism date, but he has to work it out with his family, because he is only sixteen. While going through our list of former investigators, we found a report about a boy named Jovian, who was found by some sister missionaries three years ago. We've been able to meet up with him, and he knows that the Church is true! He came for Stake Conference and loved a talk that was given about it being a commandment that every worthy and able male of the Church should serve a mission. The only downside is that he has some problems with his leg and spine, so he has to walk with crutches. He has for the past six years. We are doing our best to help him reach the waters of baptism. He almost did three years ago, and we're not letting him go this time. He is a great kid, and we hope that all will be alright. The only problem is his family. His Mom is a staunch Presbyterian, and she is openly opposed to the Church. It seems that the problem that we keep facing in Singapore is the family. I guess it has both it's pros and cons. In Asia, the family really is the central unit of society, and we grow up with the mentality that family is always first, which is good. The thing that irks me a little about that is that people give up their free agency, their right to choose. It almost seems that they are double-knotted to their Mom's apron strings, and there is no way to get out of that tangle. Honestly, I really do believe that our biggest challenge that we face are the families of our investigators.
But, all we do is to go forth in faith. As it says in Doctrine & Covenants 128:22, "Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.
We just need to go on to victory! We can all do our part to have all those around us have "a feeling of exquisite wonder for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and plant in them that seed of faith, hope, and charity, that will help them to know of the truths of this restored gospel. Have courage and faith, and the Lord will build the rest!
Do write! Take care!
Showing posts with label seeds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seeds. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
"Planting the Seed"
Apa Khabar! (Malay for "How are you?")
I've been introduced by the missionaries to a store that sells five ties for ten dollars! It's a great deal so I'll probably have a decent tie collection when I get back from my mission!
I was reading a quote by President Hinckley, which I thought was wonderful. It was his counsel to missionaries where he talked about how the missionaries and members of the Church are responsible for sharing the gospel to "a world that doesn't want it," but we should be the source of the gospel to them. Even if they don't want to listen then, we have planted the seed of the gospel there. In another quote, he talked about how we should all be "a little better, a little stronger, a little more thoughtful, a little humbler, a little more prayerful, and to stand a little taller." As we do that, we can seek the Lord's guidance and be more worthy to him. I certainly hope that I'm doing all that I can to achieve that. As I continue in his service, the adversary works harder and harder to plant doubts in my mind and tempt me, but that makes me all the more want to fight harder to be worthy of the Lord. It's hard at times, especially since home is so close, but I know that with the Lord as my strength, that I can overcome all.
Anyhow, going on, this week was pretty productive. We taught eleven more lessons than we did last week. I've gotten a decent amount of my training done so far with Elder Pace. We've been going through the white handbook during companionship study. We've been exploring some new areas that Elder Pace hasn't been to yet so it's been fun showing him around. It seems to me that the people here really are pretty friendly. I guess you can kind of tell who not to approach.
We had a few interesting encounters this week. The first was a referral that we got from the Chinese Elders, Elders Hunsaker and Roberts. They gave us the number of a lady who owns a Christian bookstore, and she said we could meet up with her, so we did. Unfortunately, when we got there, all she wanted to do was sell us Christian materials. It got pretty awkward so we left. A couple of days later, we were taking the MRT (train), back home. We bumped into a bunch of Christians from another church that was started by some local pastors here. Elder Pace had told me about how he and Elder Plant (his last companion), had met with them one time and went to one of their meetings and it got really weird because they had some rituals. While teaching them, I got a really uncomfortable feeling, like the Spirit wasn't there, and I got pretty scared. Thankfully, we were near our stop and we got out soon enough. It was a weird experience, and I prayed and asked for a blessing from the Elders which calmed me down. The people were really nice, and they're great people, but that was a really weird encounter. For the last crazy encounter of the week, we were waiting for investigators on Sunday when a guy approached us and said he was supposed to meet with us. We finally figured out that he was a tour guide who said that he had been interested in using the Church as a stop for his tour of Singapore. Anyhow, we took him to Sacrament, where he acted questionally a couple of times, but we ignored him. As Sunday School started, he asked if we wanted to talk about the tour inside or outside the classroom, so we took him outside. It turned into a pretty heated encounter because he insisted on only taking to Elder Pace and Elder Shute (senior couple missionary) because they were westerners and this was a western church. He rudely ignored Bishop Lim and refused to talk to the Stake President because he is Singaporean. Eventually, he said he would call, but it was a very disturbing conversation and I had to keep my temper in check. I guess that I'm building my patience out in the field.
Oh, great news! One of the investigators that I contacted and taught has accepted a baptism date for July 5th! Unfortunately, he lives in another ward's boundary so we had to transfer him to the Elders in that ward. But, the Elders said that they'll still try and see if I can be the one to baptize him. If I can that will be awesome! But even if I can't, I know that I've done my part to bring one of Heavenly Father's children back to Him, and that's really all that matters! The ward members have been really nice to us. We had dinner appointments the whole of last week. They were all wonderful and we loved it! The only thing a little off was that we were served spaghetti four nights in a row. I think one night might have been angel hair pasta. But I really should be complaining. It's just kinda funny how that happened, the food was still great. We were taken to a hotel buffet for lunch by some members too, so we've definitely eaten more than we need to. Elder Pace's stomach isn't doing too well right now because of that. That's what we think anyways. We're trying to work on eating less and eating healthier now, it's working a little I guess. The good thing is that we take public transportation and walk around, but I do need to watch my heart because it can spike pretty easily and then I don't feel too well. Other than that, it's been great, and I love doing the work of the Lord! I love being with the missionaries. It's a wonderful bond that we have. We do have to take our work seriously but we have our fun too. Elder Nixon, who lives with Elder Pace and me, along with Elder Selveratnam, had his birthday on Saturday so we've been celebrating it these past few days!
I've also seen just how important and useful members are in missionary work. We love to receive referrals from members because it helps us to get into the homes of these investigators. So, if you have any referrals, even if you don't think your friends want to hear about the gospel, try anyway! You're helping the Kingdom of the Lord to grow!
Time to write some letters and go take a nap! I've received a few letters but I wouldn't mind getting a bunch more so do write! Thanks!
I've been introduced by the missionaries to a store that sells five ties for ten dollars! It's a great deal so I'll probably have a decent tie collection when I get back from my mission!
I was reading a quote by President Hinckley, which I thought was wonderful. It was his counsel to missionaries where he talked about how the missionaries and members of the Church are responsible for sharing the gospel to "a world that doesn't want it," but we should be the source of the gospel to them. Even if they don't want to listen then, we have planted the seed of the gospel there. In another quote, he talked about how we should all be "a little better, a little stronger, a little more thoughtful, a little humbler, a little more prayerful, and to stand a little taller." As we do that, we can seek the Lord's guidance and be more worthy to him. I certainly hope that I'm doing all that I can to achieve that. As I continue in his service, the adversary works harder and harder to plant doubts in my mind and tempt me, but that makes me all the more want to fight harder to be worthy of the Lord. It's hard at times, especially since home is so close, but I know that with the Lord as my strength, that I can overcome all.
Anyhow, going on, this week was pretty productive. We taught eleven more lessons than we did last week. I've gotten a decent amount of my training done so far with Elder Pace. We've been going through the white handbook during companionship study. We've been exploring some new areas that Elder Pace hasn't been to yet so it's been fun showing him around. It seems to me that the people here really are pretty friendly. I guess you can kind of tell who not to approach.
We had a few interesting encounters this week. The first was a referral that we got from the Chinese Elders, Elders Hunsaker and Roberts. They gave us the number of a lady who owns a Christian bookstore, and she said we could meet up with her, so we did. Unfortunately, when we got there, all she wanted to do was sell us Christian materials. It got pretty awkward so we left. A couple of days later, we were taking the MRT (train), back home. We bumped into a bunch of Christians from another church that was started by some local pastors here. Elder Pace had told me about how he and Elder Plant (his last companion), had met with them one time and went to one of their meetings and it got really weird because they had some rituals. While teaching them, I got a really uncomfortable feeling, like the Spirit wasn't there, and I got pretty scared. Thankfully, we were near our stop and we got out soon enough. It was a weird experience, and I prayed and asked for a blessing from the Elders which calmed me down. The people were really nice, and they're great people, but that was a really weird encounter. For the last crazy encounter of the week, we were waiting for investigators on Sunday when a guy approached us and said he was supposed to meet with us. We finally figured out that he was a tour guide who said that he had been interested in using the Church as a stop for his tour of Singapore. Anyhow, we took him to Sacrament, where he acted questionally a couple of times, but we ignored him. As Sunday School started, he asked if we wanted to talk about the tour inside or outside the classroom, so we took him outside. It turned into a pretty heated encounter because he insisted on only taking to Elder Pace and Elder Shute (senior couple missionary) because they were westerners and this was a western church. He rudely ignored Bishop Lim and refused to talk to the Stake President because he is Singaporean. Eventually, he said he would call, but it was a very disturbing conversation and I had to keep my temper in check. I guess that I'm building my patience out in the field.
Oh, great news! One of the investigators that I contacted and taught has accepted a baptism date for July 5th! Unfortunately, he lives in another ward's boundary so we had to transfer him to the Elders in that ward. But, the Elders said that they'll still try and see if I can be the one to baptize him. If I can that will be awesome! But even if I can't, I know that I've done my part to bring one of Heavenly Father's children back to Him, and that's really all that matters! The ward members have been really nice to us. We had dinner appointments the whole of last week. They were all wonderful and we loved it! The only thing a little off was that we were served spaghetti four nights in a row. I think one night might have been angel hair pasta. But I really should be complaining. It's just kinda funny how that happened, the food was still great. We were taken to a hotel buffet for lunch by some members too, so we've definitely eaten more than we need to. Elder Pace's stomach isn't doing too well right now because of that. That's what we think anyways. We're trying to work on eating less and eating healthier now, it's working a little I guess. The good thing is that we take public transportation and walk around, but I do need to watch my heart because it can spike pretty easily and then I don't feel too well. Other than that, it's been great, and I love doing the work of the Lord! I love being with the missionaries. It's a wonderful bond that we have. We do have to take our work seriously but we have our fun too. Elder Nixon, who lives with Elder Pace and me, along with Elder Selveratnam, had his birthday on Saturday so we've been celebrating it these past few days!
I've also seen just how important and useful members are in missionary work. We love to receive referrals from members because it helps us to get into the homes of these investigators. So, if you have any referrals, even if you don't think your friends want to hear about the gospel, try anyway! You're helping the Kingdom of the Lord to grow!
Time to write some letters and go take a nap! I've received a few letters but I wouldn't mind getting a bunch more so do write! Thanks!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
"Seeing the Lord's Hand"
Hi Everyone!
This week has been great! The work is going forth here in Singapore! I had my welcome dinner on Thursday, while one of the Elders had his farewell dinner. He had to go home a little early because he has a pretty serious medical problem. But, he is an amazing guy and he bore a wonderful testimony of his love of the gospel and the Savior. I hoped that I can be like him one day. The food that Sister Skelton, my Mission President's wife made was wonderful. A new Senior couple was also there and it was great getting to know them. They are now laboring in East Malaysia.
We've been going around contacting this week, and for a few days we haven't been getting too many good contacts. But, we have been getting many referrals from Elders from different areas. I guess the Lord blesses us for our work in many different ways. There have been a couple of promising contacts. One Indonesian Chinese guy that I met on a bus on the way to contact a referral has turned out to be wonderful. I went on a split with Elder Howes who is on his visa run in Malaysia. We taught this guy, Edmond, who is a new Christian and very excited about the gospel. He questioned us about baptism and we explained it to him, along with the steps that he needs to take before he can be baptized. He was so excited that he committed to be baptized during our first lesson with him! His baptism date is set for July 5th so hopefully all goes well! We've met quite a few people who are drawn to the Church because of the Plan of Salvation. I guess that there are many people who are indeed searching for the purpose of life, and it's great teaching them about how we can return to God and live with our families forever. It's wonderful seeing the Lord's hand in the work.
We received a call this week from a guy who has been contacted by a previous missionary a couple of months before who promised to call that missionary. We were able to get him to meet with us. He met us with his friend and we were able to teach them more about the gospel, the restoration and the Plan of Salvation. He said that it seemed like a very positive plan so hopefully that works out.
When we went on splits last night, both companionship's were very successful and we were able to teach a good number of people. We ended up the day with fifteen other lessons taught! I've been able to see some parts of Singapore that I've never seen before! It's really cool to be able to teach the people of my country!
Well, do write me if you have time! Take care and God bless! Have a wonderful week! Take care and God Bless!
This week has been great! The work is going forth here in Singapore! I had my welcome dinner on Thursday, while one of the Elders had his farewell dinner. He had to go home a little early because he has a pretty serious medical problem. But, he is an amazing guy and he bore a wonderful testimony of his love of the gospel and the Savior. I hoped that I can be like him one day. The food that Sister Skelton, my Mission President's wife made was wonderful. A new Senior couple was also there and it was great getting to know them. They are now laboring in East Malaysia.
We've been going around contacting this week, and for a few days we haven't been getting too many good contacts. But, we have been getting many referrals from Elders from different areas. I guess the Lord blesses us for our work in many different ways. There have been a couple of promising contacts. One Indonesian Chinese guy that I met on a bus on the way to contact a referral has turned out to be wonderful. I went on a split with Elder Howes who is on his visa run in Malaysia. We taught this guy, Edmond, who is a new Christian and very excited about the gospel. He questioned us about baptism and we explained it to him, along with the steps that he needs to take before he can be baptized. He was so excited that he committed to be baptized during our first lesson with him! His baptism date is set for July 5th so hopefully all goes well! We've met quite a few people who are drawn to the Church because of the Plan of Salvation. I guess that there are many people who are indeed searching for the purpose of life, and it's great teaching them about how we can return to God and live with our families forever. It's wonderful seeing the Lord's hand in the work.
We received a call this week from a guy who has been contacted by a previous missionary a couple of months before who promised to call that missionary. We were able to get him to meet with us. He met us with his friend and we were able to teach them more about the gospel, the restoration and the Plan of Salvation. He said that it seemed like a very positive plan so hopefully that works out.
When we went on splits last night, both companionship's were very successful and we were able to teach a good number of people. We ended up the day with fifteen other lessons taught! I've been able to see some parts of Singapore that I've never seen before! It's really cool to be able to teach the people of my country!
Well, do write me if you have time! Take care and God bless! Have a wonderful week! Take care and God Bless!
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