Hello everyone!
This week was great! We had an awesome lesson with a girl named Erika, a relative of some members, and we really hope she's going to progress.
It's so cool because the Book of Mormon is everything to missionaries. We can teach all we want, tell people about our doctrine, and some people will kind of accept what's going on - but if they don't get a witness or a testimony on their own of what we say, it's basically all useless. And that's what the Book of Mormon is--the way for them to find out on their own. Go check out the last two paragraphs of the introduction to the Book of Mormon and then you will see exactly what we teach investigators! (excerpt below)
We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)
Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah.
Two funny things from this week, both really great. So my comp and I are riding through some sketchy Malaysian shop lots, and I see this epically named store. It's called "The Ideal Face."
Just let that sink in for a second. "The Ideal Face." What do you think this store sells? With a name like that, what is it?
"Professional Hair Styling Salon." Oh man. It's stuff like that that reminds me I'm actually in Asia.
Another thing that was fantastic, that also made me realize again I'm actually in Asia: My grandparents' names are Ken and Barbara; famous American toys are Ken and Barbie, right? Well, there's a family in our branch that is so close! Chen and Barbara. Hahaha! I think that's hilarious. CHEN and Barbara. That sums up Malaysia so well too, that they're just so close but so far at the exact same time.
So great though! It's pretty janky (meaning sketchy, weird - crazy vocab I'm picking up from Elder Adams) over here, and we bike like that same length (50 minutes) to and from our members' houses every day. We mapped it out with a map and a string and a legend: 20.54 miles yesterday. And that's a ride we do almost daily. I know you're all probably tired of hearing about all my biking, but it is the thing that I do most often out here! :)
Spiritual thought for the week: Missionaries definitely receive impressions from the Spirit that help them help others. At church yesterday, a woman walked in and I went up to greet her. As we talked for 30 seconds, I just got this feeling like there was something we could do for her. I asked if she needed anything, and she said yes, she would like a priesthood blessing. A priesthood blessing is something that Elders in our church, (or those that hold the priesthood authority from God to act in His name to serve others,) can give to those who are sick or those who need comfort. See the following quote from James 5:14-15:
14 Is any asick among you? let him call for the belders of the church; and let them cpray over him, danointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the aprayer of bfaith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be cforgiven him.
Anyways, she is pregnant and had just received news that her baby was turning in the womb, which can be dangerous during delivery! So she wanted a blessing. I told her that when my mom was pregnant with me, she almost miscarried me, and that without my dad's priesthood blessing, I may not have been safely born. So we gave her a blessing, and I actually managed to give the full blessing in Malay! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve here in Malaysia and to help people with anything that they need.
I love this work and this gospel, and I'm so grateful to be able to serve a mission!
Godspeed everyone at home!
Malaysia Boleh!
Elder Coleman
P.S. Shout out to Tesoro's Mock Trial team, you're the bomb and I know you'll go far! Keep doing work and good luck! Win the finals for me!
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