Happy

Pasar Seni

Memories of my childhood

Kuala Lumpur's National M o s q u e

Hey Everyone!! 

When you're working hard and having a good time and learning in every way possible, happy is an understatement. Hahahaha I know this comes only a couple weeks after I wasn't feeling so great, but such is the nature of the Colemans' depth of emotion. We feel them really deeply, probably more so than is necessary/healthy!! But hey, that's what makes us entertaining...right?

Well, this week was just fantastic. Elder Hansen and I are becoming great friends, and the work is progressing in all aspects. Members are doing well, investigators are coming to church and taking steps forward--it's just fantastic. Also, we are getting to the top of our ping pong game from our exercise every morning. Woot. 

Let me make a list of crazy stuff we did in the last week: 

- went to the really famous Pasar Seni (Central Market) in KL and the National M o s q u e, then sprinted home and taught some Sarawakians the restoration!! They can't wait to get started reading the Kitab Mormon.

- We stopped by an investigator family's home that we hadn't seen in a month, and they let us in. We shared a message, then later in the week taught them again with our branch president. The parents came to church to watch General Conference and loved Elder Nelson's sermon on the Sabbath. 

- T's (a recent convert) daughter, Kalai, has been learning with us and preparing for baptism. One of the most epic things of my life was when she told us this - her husband, who lives way far away, is going to come back and live here in Klang in June, and that he also wants to be baptized. Her husband's mother / mother-in-law, when she found out T got baptized, said "Can I be baptized, too?" and came to church on Sunday. Wooooo!

- We taught R agian this week, who FINALLY made it to church! We had been teaching him for quite some time now and this is the first week he came to church. We are so stoked. He wore the sickest outfit to church. I'm so disappointed I wasn't able to get a picture with him!!

- N we taught twice this week - and she told us that she is definitely going to be baptized. She's a Hindu, with no Christian background, but consider the comment she made when we asked her when she would like to be baptized: "I will pray first then let you know." Coming from a woman who has never prayed to the Christian God before 2 weeks ago!!! Then her son said HE wanted to learn and get baptized, too!! His work schedule right now doesn't really permit it, but we'll see how. If it's God's will, He'll make it happen :)

- We taught G again and brought M, the recent convert! He doesn't have the best memory but is a way legit guy, so this was his first time helping us teach someone in his whole career as an LDS member. BUT HE WAS GREAT!! He testified way strongly and just made it clear to G that this church was the best church out there. M is a legend!!

- D, our investigator from Nigeria, we taught this week about prophets and how important a living prophet is. We picked him up to show him the church this week and he also loved it! The best part was, the only session of General Conference he was able to make it to was the Sunday Afternoon Session - when Elder Sitati of Kenya spoke! That was a miracle!! 

Honestly, this was one of the best weeks of my mission. I love the people we're teaching and working with and I love their diversity. The Lord is working miracles. A man I met on the train named Alfred also came to the church to watch conference, and while I was emailing right now, one of his friends named S called me and told me, "I read your pamphlet about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that my friend A gave me and I'm very interested to learn more! I want to read the Book of Mormon. When can you come and give me one of those books?"  The miracles are real and Elder Hansen and I are just praying we can keep pace with Heavenly Father. 

Here are some excerpts from my letter to President Mains:

This week was fantastic, and as you can see, 10 investigators came to church. That doesn't include the children under the age of 8. It was pretty cool to see. Also, the average attendance at the conference was about 40. That's incredible for Klang!! We saw so many come to church this week. The total number of unbaptized investigators that came to the conference was 18, between our companionship, Mikovits-Wade, and Sutherland-Sabin. Pretty sick!! Hahaha I love it when 30% of the attendance is investigators... :)

Wellllllll, this week I increased my faith by experimenting on God's word! I have never prepared several weeks in advance for General COnference, let alone fast and pray several times for the experience to be an edifying one. Well, the big question I had in mind is how can I do humility? How can I make it a part of me? How can I eliminate pride and enmity that so often manifests itself in my thoughts and actions? And though I wasn't expecting a talk to be written at me, Elder Ringwood's talk in the Sat. Afternoon session spoke DIRECTLY TO ME. Honestly, though it's really not likely, I felt like God inspired him to write that talk just for me. Shiblon is my Book of Mormon hero, too. Pretty cool and now I have perfect faith that God answers prayers and really speaks through his servants the prophets.

This week, we got members involved by having them pick up investigators with us!! That's how several of our new investigators this week who couldn't make it last week came - via member support. They saw them enjoy church as well and hopefully they'll get more and more desirous to get involved!!

Miracles??? We had 10 investigators at church!! That's incredible!! N, G, K, S (and two other kids), P, J (and son), D, S, E, and R. First time for P, D, S, E and R. R came without us even reminding him (he said "no need to call lah, just trust I come lah" haha)! I would never have guessed that S and E would have come!! And D we made sure was coming because we picked him up ;)

Well. A great week. I finished a spiritual journal this week and began a new one. I wrote 10+ letters this week to family and friends. I'm feeling good and working hard. 

Oh, and Elder Hansen is way sick and I'm planning on being buds with him forever. Just good stuff is happening. 

Love you all!! If you need any confirmation that this church is true, just go watch a message from our prophet Thomas Monson, and feel the Spirit and his goodness touch your heart. I wept when I listened to him on Saturdaay. I know he is a prophet of God, and how grateful I am for living prophets and apostles!

Malaysia Boleh, 

Elder Clay Coleman