WEEK #100 - All is Well, All is Well

Hello to all,

What a wonderful week to end on - 100!

Things that I've gotten "100" on :
1. 6th grade spelling bee test
2. Parent Inspection of my bed room
3. Drivers Ed test (maybe....)
4. Burning the toast


Happy Father's day to all! I hope you were able to spend time with your family and enjoy the simple moments together. My father takes the role of being a father beyond  that of providing for the physical needs of the family. He knows, cares, and sacrifices for every one of his children. No matter how crazy we can be, family is still family. Love you Rantler!

I will give a summary off the last week of the mission and then will close with my testimony and what I've learned.

On Tuesday I had the special privileged of finishing the Book of Mormon in English and Malay around the same time. As I prayed to know if what I read was true (in both English and Malay), I received the same peaceful feeling that has come from reading and praying with real intent and a sincere heart. To those who have not taken this challenge, take it.

We visited the Bongs, an active family in the branch. They are a wonderful family with lots of laughter in the home. They followed us to a lesson with Brother Malexis and Sister Sophia, in which we went over questions that will be asked during the interview for baptism. Both Malexis and Sophia bore their testimony of how their lives have been changed through reading the Book of Mormon and coming to church. We've seen it too:)

I finally wrote a summary of general conference and some of the main takeaways from it. General Conference is a semi-annual broadcast to the world, in which leaders from the church including the modern day prophets and apostles give speeches about certain gospel topics. Here are some of the quotes that I liked:

Becky Craven: - There is not a right way to do the wrong thing

Elder Uchtdorf: - The gospel should become such an essential and precious part of your life that it would be unnatural not to talk about it with others

Neil L. Anderson: - No choice, no alternative, that denies the companionship of the Holy Ghost or the blessings of eternity is worthy of our consideration.

Russell M. Nelson: nothing is more critical to our eternal progression than a daily focus on repentance

David A Bednar: - Our personal responsibility is to learn what we should learn, to live as we know we should live, and to become who the master would have us become.

We stopped to talk to this young family in a mall. Their names were Aston and Ruviah They allowed us to sit down with them and teach them about the Book of Mormon. Their kid was really wild, and to top it off another crazy kid joined the fun. While we were sharing with the parents, the kids were screaming and running around. I used the "Mom" technique and whipped out some stickers that my mom had given me (you are a life saver mom). The kids were amazed at the stickers and were quiet... But unfortunately that amazement was temporary. We hope they still felt the spirit of the message haha.

Friday was my last exchange on the mission. It was with Elder Greenhalgh! He was in our group during the MTC and then came back to the mission a year later! He is a wonderful missionary and will represent our group as he finishes his mission next year.

Sunday was my last full day in KK. I gave a speech or a "talk" during church. It was a farewell talk in Malaysia and will be a homecoming talk in America :) I chose to talk about how sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. Can't wait to share more this upcoming Sunday!

The Lord blessed us to share the message of the Restoration with three more families that night. They all had children under the age of 4. Imagine what will happen when those families are founded upon the teachings of Jesus Christ :)

We stopped by Brother Malexis and Sister Sophia's house before we returned home. They are wonderful people. It was really hard to say goodbye, but I know Elder Hunter will continue to help them progress.

Packing was a nightmare but managed to throw everything together ;)

Today I have the special privileged to visit the Awie family that were taught in Masai. It will be a great reunion and strengthening of each others faith.

Tuesday we will arrive in the mission office and have a final dinner and devotional for all the departing missionaries.

Wednesday I will fly home and see my family.

There are so many life lessons that have come from my mission. I can't believe how many opportunities I've had to grow and to change.

In my last area, there was a whiteboard that was designated to be the quote board for any missionary that would be leaving KK and getting transferred to a new area. The quote that I chose was from our family's blackboard in Utah: "good is the enemy of GREAT." we can be good at many things whether it be sports, school, or other activities. When we are great, we succeed. We are above average and we are proud of the sacrifice that we've made.

I've definitely seen the difference between good choices, and great choices.

Before entering the MTC (missionary training center) we received our mission call letter that indicates where we will be going on our mission. There is one quote in the letter that now has great meaning for me:

"Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children."

I've experienced a lot of happiness before my mission. Fun times with the fam, going to school, participating in sports and church activities, but now I can say that I have found true happiness on my mission as I've experienced for myself the atonement of Jesus Christ and helped others do the same. To find someone, share the gospel with them, see the changes they are making in their life, and to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ is indescribable. To be honest it feels like raising a child until they leave for college.

In reference to the scriptures I feel like I've been in the "furnace of affliction" during the course of my time here. To know if silver is pure, the blacksmith will be able to see his reflection in the silver. Jesus Christ has shaped and formed me to become a little more like him, and has given me motivation to continue to reflect what He has done for me.

One of my favorite quotes is: "A testimony is to know and to feel. Conversion is to do and become."

I've known and I've felt. I've done and I've become. Now it's time to continue to come unto Christ.

There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon that sums up what I've learned on my mission.

Moroni 10:32:
"32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

Our conversion is to Christ.

I love my mission. I love the people of Malaysia and Singapore. I love my family and I love my Savior.

I'll see you soon :)