Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Future missionaries

Love this kid

A day to remember

Hello everybody!

Time flies by when you're having fun. Or working hard. I've learned those to be the same on my mission :) 

Anyone considering serving a mission, listen to someone who's doing it right now. I thought I knew how to work hard before I came out here. Now I LAUGH at how little I knew about diligence. There's a Malay word I learned this month that I really love - it's giat. It means not only to work hard and be diligent (which is rajin), but to be actively diligent or zealous or to strive to do something. To be basically overall ridiculous. In the Malay Book of Mormon, the people of Ammon in Alma 27:27 and 30 are praised for their kegiatan, or  giat - ness. 

27 And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal (kegiatan) towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.

30 And thus they were a zealous (giat) and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord.

This word reminds me of being "anxiously engaged in a good cause" and bringing to pass much good of our own free will. We've got to be giat, baby!!! That's what Elder Stewart and I are doing right now, and the Lord is working with us every second of every day. I'm loving it. And time is flying by. Next week is transfers ALREADY. Absolutely crazy!

Those families and our investigators are doing great! Progressing towards their baptismal dates. By October 18, we expect to have 13 (and hopefully more) baptized. Pretty excited. I'm so grateful I got to play a part in helping them receive the restored gospel and the blessings thereof!! Nothing makes me happier than this. Sometimes I think about the fact that I'm literally just doing church stuff all the time and basically have no life outside of this, and then I usually start laughing about it. It's a pretty funny gig here on a mission, but I love it. I'm learning how to bergiat and love and so much other stuff.

This week, we had another baptism! J_____ entered the waters of baptism. So excited for him. He's the first of a group/family of 8 to be baptized. He is going offshore to work this next week, so we expedited his learning process. He's awesome and basically promised in front of everyone at his baptism to endure to the end!! hahaha We laughed and told him his promise is to God, not to us hahaha. Funny stuff. And this week we broke Miri 2's all time sacrament meeting attendance record (135). Things are looking up for us right now, and Elder Stewart and I are rejoicing in the opportunity to be used as instruments in the hands of the Lord. :)

I know this Gospel is the way to happiness! We have the fullness of truth and doctrine - and that's why I'm out here sweating and working to bring people this happiness. We don't do it out of any other reason except we know our message can bring happiness to those who are willing to receive it. Don't believe me--ask any member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who actively lives their faith!!!

Malaysia Boleh!!

I love you all and hope life is going swell for you all!

Elder Clay Coleman

Awesome families!