Walk With Jesus, Dude: December 2015

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Christmas & Finding Joyce

This week has been a fun and tiring week! We had two parties on Christmas. One was hosted by one of our branch members for all the missionaries in the KL zone - the food was incredible. Haha, and the other was a Christmas party/farewell for one of the young men going on a mission this week. They were both so much fun! There was so much food I almost couldn't take it though. I started getting sick on Christmas, and the last two days I've kind of been out of commission from that; so no other news since then. :)

BUT the experience that's stuck out the most this week is our meeting with Joyce. She lives a few doors down from us and the sisters met her before I even got here, and we haven't seen her since then because she's been in China staying with her daughter. WELL, Saturday night we were calling through potentials, and we got a hold of Joyce. She said she had just gotten back to KL a few days before and was just then searching through everything trying to find our number right when we called her. She said she just felt like she needed to call us! So we met with her that night and found out a lot about her. She said that her Christian friend had prayed with her once, but she couldn't remember how but she really, really wanted to pray all the time, at work, at home, wherever. She told us about how her husband had died a few years ago and other struggles she was having. Through that we told her about the plan of salvation. As we shared this with her she said that when she'd first started talking to her, all she wanted to do was cry; but now all she felt was peace. It was a great teaching opportunity, and the spirit was very strong there. She recognizes that God has led her to us so that we can teach her these things. We're so excited for her to learn that through Jesus Christ her sadness and sorrows can be replaced with happiness and light.

My faith this week has grown as I spoke to my family and was able to see the difference in myself from the time I left for my mission to now. There have been innumerable things that have changed in me for the better over the last 6 months. When I prayed to know if I should go on a mission and got the answer that I should, I had no idea how impactfull and important an experience this would be. I still feel like I"m only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact this year and a half will have on me, and I'm more than excited to discover the rest.

I love you! I had so much fun talking with you all!

BAPTISM

Christmas in a Muslim country (at the mall)

Enjoying the Christmas lights & decorations at the mall

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Sisters Lee & MacKay!

Santa is in KL, too!

District Pics

District fun

Future missionaries!

Every member a missionary!

Too many pics, I think ;)

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Yeah, so being happy! I don't know exactly what it is, but I know it's from God because only God can bring this kind of happiness. You're seminary kids are completely right though, it's a natural outcome of serving the Lord, looking outside yourself, and keeping an Eternal perspective.

News! I have a new companion! We're in a trio! Sister Amat is from east Malaysia and is serving here until she gets her US visa and can go to the Provo MTC; so she's staying with us for a couple weeks because the US embassy is in our area. :) She's the best! I love her a lot. So in a way, I'm kind of training!

So for Christmas day here all of the missionareis in KL area are going for lunner at a member's home, which is so nice of them! Christmas is weird here because it's a Muslim country and Muslims don't celebrate Christmas. And there are a lot of Bhudists....who also don't celebrate Christmas. But some of the malls have great Christmas decorations and shows! I might have accidentally uploaded a few pictures or videos from one of the shows we found. It makes for a really great contacting opportunities thought! We get to tell people where Christmas came from, why so many people celebrate it, and, basically, what's in it for them. Have you checked out the church's new website for Christmas? It's so good! I espcially like the animated video about why we need a Savior.

This week we had a YSA Christmas party last night! We played games, and dressed up and did a nativity. I also got to eat ham. :) Bonus!

We have an investigator getting baptized this week! Her name is Stephanie. She's really sweet and really strong in her testimony. Half the time she teaches us the lessons. :) We have some pictures with her from this week. Haha, there's also two pictures from when we sat ouside the embassy for 3 hours and napped while we waited for sister Amat in her interview. Good news, she passed!

There's a picture of all the Muslim men who wanted pictures with us.... and the video from when the music store man asked me to play the violin so he could record it and post it to FB. haha I know, it's a little rough, I haven't played for 6 months!

So my Patriarchal blessing is currently in Miri, and I don't think I'm getting it back any time soon. Or ever. Could you email me a copy or mail me a copy? Thanks!