God is in Charge!

Hey everyone!!!

This week is Zone Conference in Singapore. The Zone Leaders in KL are doing a great job, and they had the District leaders ask a really great question during reporting: "What do you want to get out of Zone Conference?" I have never asked myself that question before, so I thought it was a great idea, something that will really focus my attention and learning here. So I took it to the Lord and got some great ideas. I think this principle of trying to establish the end goal right from the start is a very important and valuable principle - it can give us the direction and purpose we need to really get going in some direction that will help us use our time and resources more effectively.

I don't think all of those thoughts will be answered directly by the speakers and training (but who knows, they probably could), but I have faith the Spirit will give me answers over the next couple days. God Moves in a mysterious way (hymn 285??). In the words of Jessie "Ammi right??"

Well, the work takes a few steps forward and a few steps back every day. A lot of the time, the people we meet tell us "I/we will call you when I/we have time." === in Asian language that means "I'm not actually very interested" because I've had like 1 or 2 people call back EVER so.... that can be frustrating. Sometimes you're just like "JUST TELL ME YOU DON'T WANT!!" hahaha But this week I really learned that God is in charge! Our Heavenly Father is in charge and knows what the heck He's doing. All we've got to do is trust. I learned that through two experiences. 

The first great experience is that someone we met on the train this week, a lady named Cecelia, came to church!!! Elder Misa saw a couple ladies that looked like Sarawakians, and that was what motivated us to go sit next to them and talk with them. Then turns out she really wanted to come to church, and when she arrived, she got fellowshipped SO DANG WELL. The Klang branch could write a textbook on fellowshipping people. So she's really excited to learn and wants to keep coming to our church. So that was cool. I know God uses whatever means He wants to get us to talk to and find those people He's preparing for this message.

The second really cool experience was when a member, VJ, told us some exciting news. His friend Tamilarasi, who has been learning for the past 7+ months, was letting VJ stay at her house until he could find some work and get his own living spaces. She was waiting for him to move out before she could be baptized, so two weeks ago we met her and told her that, well, if God thinks now is the right time for her to be baptized, He will open the way! He will give VJ a new place to stay if it is His will for her to be baptized now. So we prayed like that for a week and a half, and well, God came through! Now VJ has new work and so GREAT!! Tamilarasi can be baptized!! God really is in charge, that I know. 

Loving life and enjoying it how it is!!! Everything can teach us, and sometimes we just gotta sit back and soak in where we are and who we are with and everything around us.

Love you all!

Elder Coleman

Seek and Ye Shall Find

Elder Misa and I as good friends and as great friends  

Hey everyone!!

Last week we hit up the world's largest indoor rollercoaster and the amusement park, so we didn't have time to shoot off a ton of emails!! So sorry.

Well, this past week was very good. We're working really hard, and we're really enjoying the Zone Leaders' vision for the Zone. Their vision is to get the Kuala Lumpur Zone baptizing weekly - an incredible standard, but who can limit the Lord? Who can say what the Lord CAN'T do? Abraham's wife Sarah laughed when she heard she was going to have a child at her advanced age, but we know how that turned out. So we're working hard and trying to be nothing but the conduits so we can allow God to do whatever is HIS will. We want to be led to prepared people, say what needs to be said, go to the right place at the right time, influence less actives for good, clean our houses, get investigators wanting to be baptized - we can do this ALL, if we just let the Lord work through us. We just have to be the tools for God to work. 

Anyways, one cool experience is that yesterday Elder Misa and I were looking for people to teach, and we stopped this Indian guy named Mohan and started talking to him. I smelt his breath, that he smokes, then the Spirit instructed me to tell him right then and there that the teachings of Jesus Christ will help him quit smoking. I was shocked and tried to think of a way to politely say it to him. It came, and the second I said that, he invited us into his home. He agreed to pray to Heavenly Father for a week, along with the promise that if God can help him quit smoking, he will follow God and only God for the rest of his life. Pretty cool!!!

We also met the most prepared Indonesian family ever. The mother is a pastor and often travels to the small villages all over east Malaysia and preaches to them - but when we started teaching her about the Book of Mormon, she said "Please don't be offended (and I started expecting the worst), but I'm going to follow the Spirit on this one. If the Spirit tells me this is good, then I will accept it. If not, then I will not. Hope that doesn't offend you, but I'm not going to just take your word for this." WOOOOOOOOOOOOW I was so stoked! Then we read together John 16:12-13: 

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 

and then Moroni 10:3-5:

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

It was way cool and the woman was just like "Great. I need to read this myself and dig around, see if it's good." So I replied, "I promise that if you dig-dig, you will find HIDDEN GEMS!" Haha so overall it was a great experience. That day, we had prayed about where we should go find people, and the Lord brought to my mind the flats where they live. So pretty sick that we followed the prompting then found them!!

We're working hard and trying to allow the Lord to work though us - after it all, it is the Lord's work anyway!!

Love you all!!

Elder Clay Coleman

Great P-day but No Time to Email

Riding the world's largest indoor roller coaster!

Today we had a great p-day, but unfortunately if we want to do anything with any other missionaries, we have to travel very far. So today to do our activity, we didn't have the opportunity to email. I'm getting off now. Sorry. Love you and praying for you and Maddy.

The Future of Klang Branch Looks Bright

Hey everyone!! 

This week has flown by with lots of hard work and sweating and talking to people and teaching people. I'm so excited for the future of Klang Branch!! There aren't a lot of members out here now, but the way that the immediate future appears, it's very possible that's going to change.

I'm so grateful for this opporunity to help people change. We've been in many homes this week of new people trying to find happiness and goodness in their lives, trying to live well, but despite their efforts not knowing where to find truth. I'm so blessed to be working with those who do not know Christ yet, those who say they do but need a bit of repenting, and those that really have strong faith in the Savior.

I know this work is true, and that all comes from my personal experience reading the Book of Mormon and diligently enquiring of the Lord of the truthfulness of this message. 

For you future full-time missionaries and those who are member missionaries (that includes basically everyone), the most valuable thing you can do to prepare yourself as a tool in God's hands is to read and obtain a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Once you do, though you may not know much history or anything else, you will know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, the Church of Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ's church on the earth today, and so many blessings await the honest seeker of truth. Get that testimony now so you can look people in the eyes while you serve God and with no hesitance at all, testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ.

Love you all!! 

Malaysia Boleh!

Elder Clay Coleman

When God is On Your Side

Clay's sister McKelle and her husband David visited KL on a cruise this week.
Their port was Port Klang, the very place where Clay is serving.
They didn't see him, but did leave a note at his apartment for him.

Hello! 

SO...my sister McKelle was in my area this week. That's weird. (I didn't see her, but I did meet other people who were on her cruise.)

More people want to learn. More people came to church. There is a baptism coming soon. My companion and I are great friends. Life is just the best.

Don't ever forget!! God answers prayers!! But, He can only do what He really really wants to do according to our faith. And, He does things in His own way according to His own plan.

For example, this week we had an appointment with a man named Raja. He's great. It started to rain near our apartment and by the church, and he told us if it rained, he couldn't make it. Well, we had a member going to the church to meet him with us, and so we really wanted that appointment to go through. So, I looked at Elder Misa and here was our conversation.

Misa - "Dude.... look at those clouds, there's no way we're meeting them tonight..."

Coleman - "Yikes. Hold on man. If God needs us to make this happen, it's going to happen. He'll get rid of the storm."

Misa - "Well, yeah, but look at that thing!!!"

Coleman - "Let's pray, man. Let's turn it over to His hands. We can't do anything now. You think this can happen?"

Misa - "Dude, what can't God do? Let's do it."

So, we kneel down and pray. 15 minutes later, the black clouds were gone and blue was beginning to show. We laugh and just comment how it's sick when God is on your side. 

In the appointment with Raja and VJ, we tried to commit Raja to come to church. We talked about how if we really love God, we prioritize Him above everything else. We allow Him to take care of the details. Raja was sketchy, but  VJ (who was going slightly less active) was being more and more convinced that he needed to do more than just say he loved God. So, Sunday comes around, and VJ shows up for the first time in the last two months!!! And bring his investigator friend and her granddaughter!! And now that friend is going to bring her whole family next week! Raja, on the other hand, didn't show up. So!! God has His own plan and as long as we do all we can, He will work according to his own purposes through us. Pretty cool!!!

Loving life and this work. Weird to get a handwritten note from McKelle but hopefully now she and David get to see a little of why I love Malaysia so much. :)

Love you all, too!! I pray for you all!!

Malaysia Boleh!

Elder Clay Coleman

We do service for these elderly people every week!
And below is a video of a little pick up baseball Elder Coleman joined in with some local children.

How My Mission is Changing Me

Finally got to see the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur

Hey everyone!!

This week, as normal, has been full of challenges to our faith and patience, but as we put our trust in God and worked harder, we were able to see many blessings. We found that we were lifted up as we in patience kept going in spite of the problems.

Unfortunately, the Iban family we met last Sunday really doesn't want to meet with us anymore (spoke to some pastors and stuff hahah) and they sent us a message like this on Thursday:  "Hey sorry for getting back to you late. I've read a tiny bit. We don't believe in that. I believe in the Bible and Jesus Christ, not in any other prophets. Good night." hahahah woof. We felt pretty down after that but then!! In my study of Hebrews, I found some verses (ch  6) :    

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;(for he is faithful that promised;)

So I really like verse 23, God's always faithful in his promises. I connected that to this verse - about Abraham in Romans 4:20-21:

 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

God is able to fulfill his promises!! Any promise he makes, according to our faith, He will fulfill. Then the Spirit got me to think of this Book of Mormon verse in Alma 26!!

 26 But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.

 27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

What God is promising Ammon and his brethren (and any other missionary, for that matter) in verse 27 is that if they are faithful and push on despite of and in spite of their afflictions, they will be given success. Or the Lord promises them that if they do not lose faith though they have been going through some really hard times, they will be instruments in the Lord's hands in bringing to pass whatever the Lord desires them to accomplish.

Then I read on in Hebrews and found this verse:

10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

And, oh gosh, Elder Misa and I got picked up and went out and the Lord led us to like 4 families and these ones actually are willing to try out what we teach. Pretty cool. The Lord wanted to test our patience and faith (see Mosiah 23:21), and then the Lord picked us up and led us to a bunch of new people/families. So great. Elder Misa and I realized that in order to test our faith, He took away one family (who weren't prepared anyway) - and then, in response to our faith and strength, led us to 3 or 4 more. That's pretty cool, and definitely a faith promoting experience.

Furthermore... Mahendran! He is a guy I mentioned last week whose work didn't allow him to come to church for more than a hour, and his wife is very sick with cancer!! Well, we finally met him this week (for some reason he could stay longer this week), and he proceeded to tell us that he has finally been able to change his work schedule so he can now come to church every Sunday. He told us he is finally ready to be baptized. He also said that he is ready to bring his wife and son to the church as well. WOOOOOOOW. SO MANY BLESSINGS!! I'm just here in the right time when the Lord needs me here. Mahendran will be baptized in three weeks. Who knows! Maybe his wife will eventually be baptized as well - by Mahendran himself!! We really didn't see that coming so we are way blessed and just doing what the Lord wants. We are literally just trying to be conduits for the Lord to do his work.

So grateful to be on a mission and here are some things that some converts asked me to write up for them! Hopefully you get a better insight of how I'm doing from here.

1. Why did I want to become a missionary?

While I was in Johor, the first area of my mission, I thought a lot about this. Why did I come on my mission? Why did I want to become a missionary? What motivated me to come out here and turn over two years to the Lord? Well, I came to several conclusions. The main reason I wanted to become a missionary was because the Lord had blessed me so much. I wanted to serve the Lord because I wanted to give something back to the Lord, and I hoped that as a missionary I could demonstrate my love for the Lord. I wanted to express gratitude by dedicated and hard work as a missionary, striving to bring others to the same knowledge and blessings I enjoy every day. I needed to spend time trying to share the amazing things that have been given to me. 

Of course I was also motivated by the fact that LDS young men are expected to serve missions, and the chance that I could go to an exotic/cool place on my mission, and because many of my friends were going. I can honestly say I never considered NOT serving as a missionary, thanks to great parents who taught me to serve the Lord and great leaders who set my sight on the mission field. 

I also had the desire to help save souls, of course. I really wanted to get involved and get to work and bring people unto Christ - these are probably the best motivations to desire to become a missionary - but I think that desire was outweighed by the more simple motivation that I wanted to give the Lord something back. Because I had been given much, I too must give and serve as a missionary.

2. What are the differences in you before and after you became a missionary?

Well, there are very very very many differences that I've been able to notice in myself, but even more differences that have been noticed by others (fellow missionaries, friends, family through skype and email). I probably won't be able to give a full explanation of this, and after my mission my family would be able to give the best answer, but maybe I can share some of the things I now know. 

Something to add though before I continue - what I have learned from President Mains is that a mission has a very different purpose than meets the eye. Each missionary's purpose, as we often recite, is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Or, to strive to baptize individuals and families in the restored Church of Jesus Christ. To help people find peace and direction and happiness through Jesus Christ. That is MY purpose. I am to find and teach and baptize!!! But the MISSION's purpose is different. The mission's purpose is not just to be (some of ) the best two years of a person's life, but to be the best two years FOR that life. The purpose of the mission is to change missionaries and help them grow. To allow them to become powerful tools and dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ. To throw young men and women up against challenges and to teach them to depend on Jesus Christ to overcome them. 

Oftentimes, missionaries ask, "Did I accomplish enough on my mission?" but a VERY VERY VERY good question for them to ask is "Did my mission accomplish enough on me?" So, here are some ways the mission has changed me.

First of all, I know myself a lot better now. I know what gets me upset, I know what things I do that make others upset, and I can try to avoid those situations that usually result in me acting below my ideal self. One of those things (very simple thing, don't tease haha) is that I can now feel a HUGE difference in myself and my own happiness/cheerfulness level when I don't get good rest. If I am ever late to get to bed (from staying out a little to late teaching a lesson or by writing in my journal etc) there is a definite difference in my ability to be happy! I just am more snappy and crabby and just lash out over dumb things that don't really matter. This is something I WISH I had known when I was at home, because I would have changed my behavior and gotten more sleep to be happier and make everyone else more happy around me. But I have learned this on my mission and hopefully I can make the decision to be more wise with my time to get more sleep and be more happy and cheerful and less irritable.

Another thing is that I have matured a TON, especially regarding controlling/correcting other people. Before my mission, I was of the opinion (perhaps due to pride, or just this is the way I was?) that if someone was doing something wrong, or was misinformed, or was saying something incorrect, it was my duty as a human to immediately tell them of their mistake and correct them!!! If someone was doing something wrong, without any impetus, I would go over there and tell them what they were doing wrong and tell them to stop doing it (think MTC). If I knew something more about a particular skill or talent, I would offer tons of unsolicited advice that I assumed the person would greatly appreciate and receive well. Here's a funny example from my childhood. One day, a little kid was seen sprinting down the church hallway, making tons of noise. My parents then heard me, walking as fast as I could, yelling "NO RUNNING IN THE CHURCH," making quite a bit bigger disturbance than his running hahaha. That's just how I was! I would tell you what I knew to be true and right and correct. If someone was wrong, they would be talking and I would interrupt and say "NO, it's actually like this..." Well that did a great deal to make people like me!!! I blew it!! I aroused resentment and dislike and wondered why in the heck they felt that way. Since I've been on my mission, I've realized that everyone has their own agency, and though we CAN in some circumstances influence the way our friends and colleagues make their own decisions, we CAN'T choose for them and if we try to tell them what's what it just results in bad relations/situations. I'm definitely not perfect now in this regard, but I have learned to lessen that terrible habit to a dramatic degree on my mission. Sorry to everyone who had to deal with that one :P

Last of all, I think I have changed a ton in being humble and led by the Spirit. I went on my mission thinking "How is Elder Clay Coleman going to wreck it and change these people and bring many people unto Christ" when in reality I am just a tool. As I have humbled myself and instead thought "How can I change to become a better tool in the Lord's hands" or "What would God have me do here to help them?" I have learned that the Spirit often whispers to our minds and hearts when we ask questions like this. It's been pretty cool and humbling, but I'm so grateful to know I am just a tool/instrument in the Lord's hands and not actually worth anything at all. 

Tons of changes!! I pray each day that my changes can become permanent differences in me!!

3. How has missionary work helped you change to become a better person?

Here is an interesting question. How has the work itself, the day to day labors of a missionary changed me. I think I am much more able to confront challenges / uphill battles with faith and hope than I was before. As I have served in areas that required great effort, I have been able to see great changes in my own efforts. Now I have faith that as I diligently and patiently work, relying much on the Lord, over time, situations that seem impossible to change CAN become different! Of that I have no doubt!!

Another change: I think I'm more loving. I'm learning it's ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE and that if I really want to help others, it's about focusing entirely on them and getting all motivations off of myself and working hard to love them. As the Apostle Paul says, "Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." We stop seeking the profit of ourselves and strive to push ourselves outward to love and teach because we love.

I know God is with us and this is the message/church that will bring us most happiness!! And that's why I'm here in Klang. To bring as many people as will receive it more happiness, peace and direction from the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Malaysia Boleh!

Elder Clay Coleman

The Petronas Twin Towers are 1,483 feet tall, with 74 stories

Our Awesome Investigators

B and C

These guys are two Zimbabwean dudes living in Malaysia. In our branch, we have an African member also named B hahaha, but he was baptized in Botswana. They are fantastic, and it was kind of a miracle that we met C!! We met him this week, and when he was a teenager, he had received a Book of Mormon but didn't know what it was, so didn't ever pay any attention to it. But now, we taught him as well as B and read with them, and now they both have a baptismal date of the 28 February!! They are so excited to read the Book of Mormon and ask God if it's really true. 

R and C and son, and R and N and kids

These guys are Sabahans! Dusun and Murut (just two tribes in Sabah). We found them by accidentally going to the wrong flats and knocking on their door, trying to find some other potentials. They answered, and they invited us to come back the next day and teach them. We taught them the restoration and how Jesus Christ's true church has been brought back, and they decided to come to church that week!! (last week). We taught them again this week and they came to church AGAIN! we have really high hopes for them and they are reading and praying about the Book of Mormon now. If they get an answer, they will be baptized very soon. 

D and M and Family

Just last night I went over and taught this Iban family. It's fun just speaking Iban with people (but I have to teach in Malay bc it's way too hard right now in Iban. They were very receptive except for the dad, who had a bit of an issue with the Book of Mormon. Again, they're all committed to read and pray!! SO that's good. We really need these peoples' names on the temple lists that if it's the Lord's timing that they should receive and accept the restored gospel now, that they will receive spiritual confirmation that this is true.   

S and Family

S is the Indian man whose picture I uploaded a few weeks back. Well, he's been possessed and bothered by evil spirits his whole life through, and my investigator in Miri had the similar thing, but when he came to church (Christ's true church, mind you) he found that the entire problem went away. So I testified to him that this would happen in his life if he would come try Christ's restored church, and he ALMOST made it to church this week. His Father from the RC church got really upset with him to hear that he wanted to visit our church, but this morning through a Spirit-led phone call I persuaded him to try to come to church again next week. If he comes, and it's God's will that he needs this gospel right now (because he really really does), he will come and see it's right for him and he will be baptized along with his whole family!!

T and son

An investigator who has a hard time getting work off. Very nice lady who really wants to be baptized. Maybe it's just not her time yet if her boss and work is this sketchy. Gotta accept that God has his own timing with everything.

R

R!! He's a seriously funny Indian guy. No picture yet but when we meet him tomorrow, I will take one with him. So great! Just trying to get him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. Lots of people need to do that!!!

D

Way sick. Corporate lawyer for top 3 firm in Malaysia. He might work with the church in getting visas for the missionaries in Malaysia!!

M

A great guy whose poor wife is dying of cancer. He comes to church every week though, and even though he sleeps through all the services because he works nearly 24/7 for his family, he's just great. He really feels the peace and good feeling that comes from our restored church - otherwise he would just stop attending!!