Zone Conference...from Singapore

With my former companion Elder Hansen

With my former companion Elder Parker

With my former companion Elder Misa

Hey everyone!!

This week was terrific and hard! Terrifically hard!! Hardly terrific!! .... Wait, that last one didn't make sense. Whatever. It was a good and tough week. But somehow I can't remember the details of the difficulties. I only remember the good. I prayed for these blessings and feel like I've received them :  

Alma 31: 31 "O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people." (a verse from the Book of Mormon)

Singaporeans are incredible because they really want to do big things and educate themselves and make it in the world!! And, as everyone who has ever been to Singapore can attest, that which they have built already is truly a wonder. Their dedication and perseverance is remarkable and worthy of emulation. However, for a missionary, it can be tough because people just see the name 'Jesus Christ' on our name badges, then turn away and shake their hands at us. That can be really tough!!! But those who are willing and open to receive it, those who have a sincere heart, they are benefiting so much from this gospel. The Singaporeans I know in the Church have really undergone the change of heart spoken of by the prophets, and they stand as a light to the nations. I just hope and pray I can be God's instrument to help Him bring about this change of heart in their lives. 

I'm glad to be here. I'm using this time as a time to prove to God that I'm willing to do whatever He asks of me. And my companion, Elder Wang, is a straight up legend!!! I've been trying to help him improve his English lately, which has been hard and sometimes having to repeat something 4 or 5 times can be frustrating, but the Lord is working in me a greater desire to learn Chinese and patience! hahaha

Something I love to see among our investigators is legitimate desire. One of them, a kid / professional Ping pong player from China, really exemplified that this week when we were teaching him the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He kept on saying, "What's the point of being baptized if I'm going to sin again afterwards??" When we taught him that he needs to ask forgiveness from Heavenly Father, he again asked "Why?? I'm just going to sin again??" We could tell he was tired of dealing with sin and repeatedly falling into transgression. Elder Wang opened up the Book of Mormon to Ether 12:27, where Jesus Christ teaches us the following: 

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

It was amazing to see the verse affect him. Though its words are so familiar to us in the church, I saw this young man realize that God is okay with us being imperfect as long as we recognize our weakness and strive to repent - to change our actions AND our natures to be in line with God's teachings. He was struck with force. I want to testify that Jesus Christ's grace IS sufficient that we can repent and improve in our lives. I am so grateful for his sacrifice for me.

Zone Conference was fantastic. I've met so many wonderful, hilarious people I hope I can be friends with for the rest of my life. It was awesome to see so many of my KL mission buds come down to Singapore and to see them again. The mission has been such an awesome experience, and I hope I can see all of these missionaries again once we head back to the States. I've met so many fun friends from New Zealand and from Australia and Malaysia. I'm going to miss them so much! I don't know how I"ll see them again, but it'll happen sometime. 

I want to offer my testimony here again. I believe Joseph Smith was the instrument in God's hand in restoring His true gospel and true priesthood authority back onto the earth. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God by divine manifestation. I know and testify that Jesus Christ is there for us to pick us up whenever we need him, and that if we can just trust him, he will deliver us out of our trials and our troubles and our afflictions.

I love you all so much!!

Elder Clay Coleman

Farewell to My Grandma Coleman

The Compassvale Chapel

Hello!

This week my Grandma Coleman passed away. President Mains called to let me know. I am so thankful our prayers were answered on her behalf. How grateful I am she is in the spirit world now!! She's resting but also getting straight to work I would imagine! When I heard the news, and read the incredible experience that dad had right before she passed away, I was overcome with joy!!!! I knelt down and prayed full of gratitude for our many, many blessings.

We had a great experience with one of our investigators this week. He is a Singaporean Indian guy, and he readily accepted the Word of Wisdom when we taught him this week. We asked him if there was anything we could help him with at the end of the lesson, and he told us, "If I have anything, I will call you and tell you." We thought that was fair enough, so we left shortly thereafter. About 5 minutes later, as we are walking out to the bus stop, he calls us and says this: "Ya know, you wanted to know how you could help me. Help me change. I want to change and be a better person. I just want you to help me change." That was pretty sick and pretty fulfilling. The Savior through us is going to help him change!!!

This week I finished reading the Book of Mormon again and wanted to share my experience with you. Yet again, I heeded Moroni's promise as recorded in the final chapter of the Book of Mormon. Yet again, I got an answer from Heavenly Father as He spoke through His Spirit to me. (See "An Educated Conscience" BYU devotional by Stephen R Covey)

I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know it's the word of God. I know it's a trial of our faith to see if we will accept the Book of Mormon to see if we will be open and humble enough to accept anything that is from God. I am so grateful that in the LDS faith, we do not rely solely on a book that has been meddled with and edited and changed by men - but rather we depend on additional and continuing revelation, both from a prophet and apostles to lead us and personal revelation to ourselves directly. We are so blessed for our heritage of faith!

I know this world is merely Part 2 in a drama that spans long before we came here and will yet span for centuries. I'm excited to one day see Grandma Coleman again and come to know her without the Alzheimer's disease, to thank her for her powerful influence on our father and that she continued in the faith so that WE could all benefit from it. 

I love you all so much and can't wait to see you. Progress to the end, baby!! 

Elder Clay Coleman

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

(We had the best phone call with our favorite missionary! I'm going to try to upload some of the video from the call. Stay tuned!)

I just want to express my love and gratitude for you, Mom. I love you so much and am so happy and blessed to be your son.

Another GREAT week!

Leaving Malaysia

Arriving in Singapore

Snippets of some of my emails with Elder Coleman this week...

Elder C: I took a ton of pictures on the flight into Singapore from KL. You can enjoy the ride with me as I look out the window!!  

Momma C: LOVE THE PHOTOS! That series leaving Malaysia and heading into Singapore is sooooo cool. Also made me a little sad for you, knowing you were leaving a place you loved. Do you think you will end your mission in Singapore?

Elder C: I knew you would love it!! I call it - "Fly with me" 

I don't really know if I'll finish my mission here! I have my own feelings, but we'll see! I'm not too worried. I don't really care where I serve at this point because I know whatever transfers holds for me will be what I NEED and the Lord knows best!

Momma C: Elder Wang is adorable! Does he have members of the church in his family?

Elder C: His mom!! His dad is a 'communism', as he says, so he only believe in science.

Momma C: Have you met President Lai. the stake president in Singapore?

Elder C: Yes, many, many times. We talked for quite some time once about how he knew dad!! also this week I got to see white kids because we had a special conference. THEY'RE HILARIOUS. I MISS WHITE CHILDREN! 

We met a French woman yesterday who REALLY didn't want to talk to us and was super disdainful with us hahaha Oh well my French needs some work :P

Momma C: How did you handle that? 

Elder C: You just smile and say have a good day!! What else CAN you do? Just pray that you can be a light in someone's life, right?

Momma C: How was your week besides getting the French brush off?

Elder C: WE HAD A GREAT WEEK!! I'M SO HAPPY AND LOVE LIFE!!

Momma C: To quote my favorite elder...What is life??!

Elder C: The update...you'll get it this coming Monday when we Skype!!! :PPPPPPPP Gotta go!! Don't worry there's a great big letter in the mail for you that has this week's updates ;)

Love you! You're the best!

That Singapore Lifestyle Though

Elder Wang is a legend!

Hello everyone from Singapore, Singapore. I'm currently emailing at an internet store on Orchard Road. It's flipping weird to be here, but I'm so stoked. 

This week has been a crazy one!!! The adjustment from Malaysia to Singapore messed me up a little bit - for the first couple days, I felt really out of it. It was hard to focus, my whole senses felt fuzzy!! I had a REALLY hard time adjusting - the first worldness of the country and people is really night and day different from Malaysia. I think I was having major sensory overload, as compared to Malaysia. I started to stress pretty badly. Oh well. Everything takes time!! I fasted yesterday with the ward for Elder Chia from the Ang Mo Kio ward (he had a brain blood clot recently), and also that Heavenly Father would help me adjust to this new area and experience, and yesterday I felt the burden lifted off me. I really know it is true - God will help us overcome as we fast!! Though my adjustment to this city was stressful, I'm glad I had that experience because it strengthened my testimony of how powerful fasting is. 

Elder Wang, my new companion, is a legend. He's from mainland China, and how I wish I could record every word that comes out of his mouth. He is hilarious. You all would love him. We whitewashed our area (meaning we're both brand new to Ang Mo Kio), which also means we have a lot of work to do. Right now we have virtually no investigators, but by the time we email next week, we plan on having changed that :) We are both nearing the end of our missions (four months to go) so we're working super hard!!!

Speaking English is way fun. It's also funny to shock some people with my Malay skills. Speaking Chinese isn't that big of a deal to Singaporeans but knowing Malay is!! So that's pretty fun.

Well. My patriarchal blessings says I'm going to face trials on my mission, and I know that this difficult transition back into the first world is one of them!! Think about all the newness of this transfer:

- from Malaysia to Singapore (completely different styles of missionary work)

- non-American comp (1st one)

- whitewashing

- having a smartphone (all missionaries in Singapore have them)

- District Leader over 7 companionships, 6 / 14 missionaries are sisters!!!

- having no investigators right now

District Meeting should be a good one!! The whole district needs investigators (what I define as someone who actually wants to learn!!!). We really don't even have people to teach (those who will meet with us, but don't have legitimate interest), so I'm going to be training about how we can increase miracle findings by becoming increasingly specific in our prayers. Luke 18:1-8 (see below) is what gave me the inspiration. I'm really excited to bring the fire to Singapore. I want Singapore to be a place where everyone wants to be transferred. It's amazing here. Who says missionary work has to be slow? In fact, the odds of finding prepared people here are just as good as anywhere else!!! So let's turn up and GO!

Well, it's definitely a challenge, but, hey, it's going to be way fun!! I'm really grateful that Heavenly Father listens to our prayers. He really cares about us and is REALLY willing to help us overcome our weaknesses because - here's the best bit- He's the one who DESIGNED to give us them in the first place!! And He has done this so we can rely on him and on the grace of his Son. I'm grateful for the Gospel and my faith which allows me to overcome those emotions and experiences that have the potency to cripple. I'm grateful for a loving God who is always patient with us and just wants us to keep trying.

Love you so much!!!

See you next week!!!

Listen to this beautiful hymn and try not to weep!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsQ4NHCYrmg

Read this and tell me if you don't feel inspired!! https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/latter-day-saints-keep-on-trying?lang=eng

Elder Clay Coleman

Luke 18: 1-8

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 
8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

The last time I was in Singapore for Zone Conferences, I never dreamed I would soon be serving here

SINGAPORE!

What is life! I'm actually going to serve in Singapore!!! That is exciting but stressing!! Singapore is one of the hardest places to serve in the mission, but God has worked through me in Klang and in the rest of my areas, so I have complete faith that God will work through me in my new area! He will make sure I can have an impact on the people of Singapore, and I trust He will make things happen!!! Can I see success in Ang Mo Kio? No, of course not. But can the Lord through me work mighty miracles? YES. With a resounding YES I testify He will do amazing things through me and my new companion, Elder Wang, a MAINLAND CHINESE ELDER. Crossing my fingers I'm going to be speaking fluent Chinese by the time I come home! (I can already teach a lesson in Chinese and have basic conversation. So we'll see!)

It'll be sad to leave Elder Hansen and Klang. This place has been a really important part of my mission, and I'm so grateful I was able to spend 4 months here. I know Elder Hansen and I will be friends for a long time, and so even though we only served one transfer together, it was boss. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me in Singapore. 

This week was terrific, like usual. I'm not sure if you remember C, but I taught her last month, and since then, she's brought her whole immediate family to the church in Kuching. Then, her dad came back with her to Klang, so we taught him and he came to church this week!! God brought that about through a simple prompting to speak to her on the train. So cool. FOLLOW PROMPTINGS AND YOU'LL BE HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL!!

'The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.' - Thomas Edison. I know that is true, but let me add a 4th one - prayer!! And I'm sure good things are coming to Singapore. Cool to finally be laboring among the people I used to live among!! And who knows if I will meet up with my old friends from Singapore and teach them the gospel. Perhaps that's the sole reason I'm heading to Singapore!!! We'll see. 

I love you all!! The Church is true!! I want to testify - just as Maddy learned on her mission that hard things are a necessary part of life, I want you to know that just because something is hard doesn't mean it's not worth doing. In fact, I've found those things that require time and extended effort on our part to achieve them are the most rewarding experiences in our lives. So let us wear out our lives doing that which is good, and do all things that lie within our power cheerfully!! Let's go!!! 

D&C 123:13-17 "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all 

things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

See you all soon!! 

Malaysia Boleh!

Elder Clay Coleman

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