Back in Tawau

Flying across Malaysia

Hello all!

Sorry I didn't get an email off last week. We've had a very busy last two weeks that involved being out of our area for 6 whole days! Yikes. I'll get into the details in a bit.

First of all, transfers just came out! Elder Yang and I are staying here in Tawau, along with Elder Sutherland and Elder Chong, the Chinese speaking elders. It's going to be great, and we have high hopes for this upcoming transfer.

Last week, we had some great lessons. We have some new referrals that we haven't contacted yet, but we feel really good about it. 

I don't remember how much I talked about Brother Sagario before, but he is the one with the injured leg. Well, he's doing way better and can now walk around and the wounds are getting smaller and smaller!! He's great. We taught him the first lesson last week, and he was very interested and really wanted to learn! We feel really great about him. This past Friday, we taught him about the Book of Mormon, and he has been reading it!! He has agreed to be baptized on May 17, so that will be this transfer! We are so excited. 

So! Out in Malaysia, where the Church is still new, we have Districts and Branches instead of Stakes and Wards (which are terms we use for congregations in the LDS church). The District is based in Kota Kinabalu, the biggest city in Sabah. For district conference, the Tawau Elders flew to Kota Kinabalu! It was really great. The members came up in a 10 hour bus ride from the Southern bit of Sabah to KK and met us there. President Mains gave great trainings about members working with missionaries. I really connected with what he was saying, and so did the members. We think we're going to have even more success soon.

After District Conference, we flew to Singapore for Zone Conference, a missionary meeting! It was also really great. We got some great training from President and Sister Mains, and the Assistants to the President. President Mains spoke on being a Preach My Gospel Missionary, and his trainings were so on point. It was really a pleasure to be there and learn from him.

Finally, we got back on Wednesday - after flying from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to KK to Tawau. Apparently, it's 2700 miles total travel. I signed up for a frequent flyer card! hahahaha

This last week, Elder Yang and I have been going out finding a lot, trying to find those people in Tawau that are willing to listen to this message that will change their lives forever. I have been trying to focus on my motives for missionary work a lot lately. I think it's important to really try to love the people here and desire their happiness. That's why Elder Yang and I sweat and work and sweat some more out here. That's why we go hard - just to try and help these people find true and lasting happiness for their families and themselves. It's hard work but the most fulfilling work, too. I would ask for your continued prayers that we might have success bringing people unto Christ, to find out what this Church can do for them.

Here's a quote I read recently from a past leader of our Church: 

"If we will always look for the best in others, in our friends, in our

neighbors, in our wife, in our husband, in our children, they will

turn out to be the most wonderful people in the world. On the other

hand, if we are looking for their weaknesses and faults and enlarge

upon them, these same people may become even despicable."

- N. Eldon Tanner (an apostle in our church)

It's so true. I really wasn't good about focusing on the good things about others while I was at home, and I really can't wait to come home and focus on the positives of my family and friends. I think this is a powerful lesson for all of us to learn - and it really hits me hard when I think about how we usually act the worst around the people we care about the most - our family. Anyways!! Hope you can find a way to implement that in your life this week!!

Love you all!! The work of the Lord will go forward, there is no doubt in my mind - but we, as members and missionaries, have to do all we can so that we can help it along. Pray about whom you can talk to about the Gospel and the Lord will tell you who needs it.

Love you all again!!

Elder Clay Coleman