November
16th,
This week
has been one of the roughest weeks of my mission. This area has so much potential. We can all see it and are really wanting to
see miracles happen but it seems that satan is fighting us so much this last
week with anti materials and with people not wanting to meet or do anything. By the end of the week, both my companion
and i were beat. Sunday after church
with literally had no hope... The next day, we lay in bed not wanting to even
get up. We were emotionally
drained. Despite all of this, after a
minute of laying there, both of us jumped out of bed. We decided that even if we had no plans and
had nothing to do. And even though we
felt no body wanted to talk to us we would go out and do something. It didn't matter what. So we left the house
As we got
on the train we met Yaep. He is Buddhist
but willing to learn we got his number.
Then we stopped at the next train stop and got off. We were on a mission to try and find a less
active member. We went to his house
(wasn't there) and then started to go back to the train and it started raining. So we slipped under a pavilion to talk about
our next step. It was there that we met
4 men from Nepal Korea
That night
we told the other Elders about the miracles that had happened that day and they
loved it. Then this morning one of our
members texted and said that they had a referral for us that was from
china!!!!!!!!!!~
We are back
on the game!! We are going so hard to make everything happen here and we are
really trying to build the area up!
November
23rd,
We are
started to see a lot of progress in our area! We went from zero to improving quite a
bit! We met a girl named Lucy on the
train. She is 24 and from Beijing
Another miracle
- Rico and his Girlfriend Eunice are
wanting to get married but Rico is Buddhist and she is Christian. They don't want to get married without
understanding each others religions first.
She really wants Rico to get baptized! She actually was attending
another church for a while and then Friday she was praying because she didn't
know what to do... when Elder Holmes and Elder Hord called her. Previous elders had contacted her and gotten
her number and left it for them.. When she got the call she felt like it was an
answer to her pray and she came to church for "marriage counseling"
with our Branch President. President
Toleman (who is a beast) brought them in and told them that the prescription he
would give them is to take the missionary lessons. They want them in mandarin! That is where we took over!:) They are great! it has been a great week!! love you guys so
much!!!
Oh ya about
immigration... after about 6 and a half hours of interviews with different government
officers here I was approved to stay here for the normal amount of time! so that
is good!
This area
is very difficult, we can’t knock on doors.
We can really only contact on trains and streets and work off of
referrals.
We are
going to an ex-patriots house for thanksgiving.
An ex-patriot is someone from the USA ,
England or Australia
November
30th,
I am still
here in Malaysia
Some
highlights were we have a new investigator named nelson. He is pretty cool lots of great questions!
We met with
our “Beast” branch president today. The
reason…a workout plan. I am not in the
best shape anymore. He showed us a good work out plan and let me tell you....
haha we are in for a wild ride the next couple weeks with the plan he gave us! We are using a thing called the fireman
trainer that he is letting us borrow! He
is such a winner at life! I am not sure
how he does everything he does. He
really is a great example! I really hope
that i can stay here a while and become good friends with him! He works for a company called melaloqua or
something like that. It is a health food
company. He is the sales rep. for all of
south east asia! So maybe after the
mission i can work for him! Another
thing is he is big. 6'2" and solid
muscle!! He made the work outs we were
doing seem easy! Oh and the senior
couple here convinced me that i need to get married one year after my
mission.... haha so i commited to it!... well yep that is about all!
About
Thanksgiving…It was really good! sorta! we had texas pork chops! it was really good! and such! not as good as home but it was pretty good! we had some mashed potatoes too!!! haha that is a first! hey would you guys look up what food has lots
of protein in it? so that way i could buy some!?? oh also i am going to singapore
I feel much
like a car with a manual transmission. I
am going very strong right now and very fast.
If i take my foot off the gas and loosen up and relax.... i will have to
shift down to get started again! and i don't want to shift down!:) So stay out of my way!
This area
is mostly Cantonese Chinese but most people that speak are successful people. In order to be successful in this area you also
need to know English. So, not only do I
speak the wrong language, but those that do want to be taught by the English
speaking elders and sisters.
The few
that do speak Mandarin, are either in their cars driving to and from work or
are in their homes. Since we can’t
talked to them while they are in their cars and it is illegal to knock on their
doors, we need miracles to contact anyone.
December
7th
This week
has been uh.... worse! We aren't really
sure how it just keeps not working out, but it does... the week ended yesterday
with my comp and I literally stuck in our house because we were locked inside
without keys!! (the doors are keyed on both sides) We decided that we would go
crazy and clean the house to find the keys.
However, we never found them. The
house is really clean though!! We made
our study room better for good studies! We talked about our area and how we can change
things! Something that we have decide is
that we have 3 areas but really have only been working in 1 PJ. So this week, we are going to try working in the
Subang which is the area next to ours that is also is one of those 3. We also found a scripture that is now our
companionship scripture Luke 5:4-7 “we have been toiling and laboring with
little to no visible success but as we read that together we decided that the
Lord is telling us to go again and "Let down our Nets" so we are
going to do that!:) we also prayed and called people to set up appointments. (5
new ones this week and 1 for next week).
That is more then we have had our entire time here! The other elders finally came home and let us
out. Despite not getting out, we had a
miracle day.
We head out
for singapore this week wed thurs and fri. for zone conference! i didn't have any problems coming back in to
kl this last time so i doubt they will give me trouble this time! as for the
chinese we are reading the scriptures together to improve our chinese! :) we
are in 1 nephi 4 he reads in pinyin and i read in characters!
anyways how
is everyone there?? oh and i got my package!~!!!!!!!!!!! holy cow i love it so
much!!! it is great!! haha i have been so happy and now we have a
tree!! that is great!! haha i hung it up!~! i love it!!!
haha trust
me we didn't want to stay inside!! we wanted to go out we were thinking of ways
to bridge the 18 story drop to get out!
December
14th
Well just
to start out i will tell you about the week so far! We went to singapore for zone conference and
that was heaps of fun! we all really learned alot! we went caroling at a mall
there and found that when we sung songs about the savior people (about 20 or
so) would stop and listen but when we would sing songs like jingle bells people
( 2 or 3 or so) would stop for a minute and smile then leave so it was
interesting that the people in singapore still could be touched by the light of
Christ!!:)
We finally
met with Amieilia and her daughter heng yi she lives in the subang branch and
is a less active but her daughter is 9 and hasn't been baptized yet so we went
to go teach her and see how she was doing! we played a matching game that we
made like 10 minutes before the lesson and she really opened up and it was
great! we finally got her to start liking us before we left! she was a little
shy at first but that is ok! we also had
the christmas party and that was great! scott came and ate some good food! we
also went to brother ravi's home for dinner and it was so goooooddd!! he also
called mom but mom didn't answer....:( so mom if you got a phone call on like
friday morning it was from brother ravi! so that is that!! we have transfers
today nobody really knows what is happening yet so we will see! i think we will
be playing soccer and rugby and ultimate frisbee today as well!! so yep.....
December
21st
So this
week we finally have been making progress on meeting with people and finding
stuff to do! Scott we took over to our branch presidents house and made some
ginger bread houses and we also met with Amelia and her daughter son and
husband and taught then about Joseph smith the investigator is amelias daughter
named yong qing(9) and son(7) and husband amelia is a member but none of her
family is so we are working with them. They
attend subang branch but we are in charge of that branch as well! so that is
cool! i showed them a magic trick and we had lots of fun! so everything is going good! we are preparing for Christmas! we will be going to the hartmans on christmas
night to have a dinner and that should be alot of fun!:) we also just finished
a big rugby game with our branch president and a couple members! so it was
fun!! so yep!!
December
28th,
This week
was sure interesting! we mostly were running around helping people. it
didn't seem like people were much interested in meeting with us but they all
wanted help so that was good! we also
helped some elders move and we had a great Christmas party. We went and visited a family! The hartmans
they were great! so happy! brother hartman was a tad bit stress but we shared a
message and had a good time! they have a
new born baby and he is just going crazy because he is suppose to be on
vacation but has to keep working! we gave him a blessing and that was that!
so
yesterday at church was good we were introduced into the subang branch and they
are willing to accept us and start having us work in their branch with the
chinese people so that is great! we also went to a service project Saturday
night and help set up for a party, where they were giving away school supplies
for kids in need! it was great! i spent
probably 30 minutes in a hunched over position feeling up cups of juice for
about 400 people +refills haha so that was great! my back is feeling great....
not!;) well that was about it!
tofu???
that is all i eat over here! haha do you not like it??
it taste
like whatever it is cooked with! i could make some when i get back it is really
good! and super cheap and easy to make!!
most people
cook it with chicken and serve it with it, so is like another piece of
chicken!;) ya it isn't too bad! haha ok
i will practice cooking it now!!;)
Jan 5th
This week
we have done alot of stuff! it has been kinda a crazy week
we went and
looked at the new building they bought for the chapel. We helped out with a huge service project! Elder Sabin and i moved all the food and boxes
into the church before it and then the next day we made humanitarian kits for
the people suffering because of the flood. I also sorted out our supplies, and pulled out
all the extras so we can take them to the church. (I did that while everyone in
the house decide to take a nap). I also
have become a bug killer and I am currently on the hunt for all bed bugs, because
the guy that they paid to kill them didn't do his job so i am fixing it.
there was a
baptism in the Subang branch. I also now
have this lump in my neck and Elder Valentine tried to cut it out but it didn't
work... he just made me bleed..
Jan 11th
“Derek, why
are you on a mission?”
First of
all to answer your question I do know the why.
Knowing this was my goal from the beginning. It is to always be about my
"Father's" business, Jesus was 12 years old when he traveled with his
parents to Jerusalem. On the way back to Nazareth, Joseph and Mary noticed that
Jesus was not “among his kindred and acquaintance.” They returned to Jerusalem,
and “after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the
doctors, and they were hearing him, and asking him questions” (Joseph Smith
Translation, Luke 2:44–46).
As i have
pondered many days on my mission why i am out here? what i am doing? and how am
i suppose to do this? I always am encouraged by one of my favorite quotes it
says "As you define your goals and plan for their achievement,
ponder the thought: The past is behind—learn from it; the future is
ahead—prepare for it; the present is here—live in it.
At times,
all of us let that enemy of achievement—even the culprit, self-defeat—dwarf our
aspirations, smother our dreams, cloud our vision, and wreck our lives. The
enemy’s voice whispers in our ears, “I can’t do it.” “I’m too little.”
“Everyone is watching.” “I’m nobody.” This is when we need to reflect on the
counsel of Maxwell Maltz, who said:
“The most
realistic self-image of all is to conceive of yourself as made in the image of
God.” You cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound
new sense of strength and power."
Many of our
Priesthood men today are also committed to their “Father’s business.” They are
becoming favored of the Lord through studying the scriptures, living the
commandments, and preparing themselves to be worthy of the temple and of
missions.
The Book of
Mormon teaches us of other young men who were favored of the Lord because of
their faith and obedience (see Alma 56:19). These were Helaman’s 2,000
stripling warriors. “They were all young
men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and
activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times
in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.
“Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to
keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him” (Alma 53:20–21).
The parents
of these young men, known as Anti-Nephi-Lehies or the people of Ammon (see
Alma 23:16–17; 27:26), had covenanted with God to lay down their weapons
of war. But their sons felt an urgency and responsibility to defend their
families and freedom (see Alma 53:16–18). Like Jesus, they increased in favor
with the Lord because of their faith and obedience.
I love this
story from president monson!
Like some
of you, I know what it is to face disappointment and youthful humiliation. As a
boy, I played team softball in elementary and junior high school. Two captains
were chosen, and then they, in turn, selected the players they desired on their
teams. Of course, the best players were chosen first, then second and third. To
be selected fourth or fifth was not too bad, but to be chosen last and
relegated to a remote position in the outfield was downright awful. I know. I
was there. How I hoped that the ball
would never be hit in my direction, for surely I would drop it, runners would
score, and teammates would laugh.
As though
it were just yesterday, I remember the moment when all that changed in my life.
The game started out as I have described: I was chosen last. I made my
sorrowful way to the deep pocket of right field and watched as the other team
filled the bases with runners. Two batters then went down on strikes. Suddenly,
the next batter hit a mighty drive. The ball was coming in my direction. Was it
beyond my reach? I raced for the spot where I thought the ball would drop,
uttered a silent prayer as I ran, and stretched forth my cupped hands. I
surprised myself. I caught the ball! My team won the game.
This one
experience bolstered my confidence, inspired my desire to practice, and led me
from that last-to-be-chosen place to become a real contributor to the team.
We can
experience that burst of confidence. We can feel that pride of performance. A
three-word formula will help us:Never Give Up.
To answer
your question I am on my Mission because of Love, Love for Our Lord, and love
for our Father in Heaven!
Love,
Elder
Fletcher
ps. I am
doing great this week we have met so many people that want to learn!! and we
are pumped for this next week people have set up to meet with us every day!!
that is awesome going from 1 appt. a week to 7 is a great improvement!!:)
January 18th
Well the
lessons all canceled this week... except 2 so that was good!:) 1 more then
normal! his name is Tang! but we have to pass him to the other chinese
elders... maybe! we also have a bunch of referrals that we have gotten this
week!
We can see this
area with a lot of potential but it is still right on the edge of exploding! Transfers are right around the corner, so my
companion and i did something a little crazy.
We set a goal for 1 baptism this week! We are going to work our tails off to get it! All we have to do is find some one who is
prepared! This is what our zone leaders
told us to do so we did it!:)
We have
this lady named Annila that we will be meeting with! She is from china and has lived here for 10
years as a Teacher, she is a PHD and was teaching chinese at the biggest
univerisity here in KL. (she is also insanely rich).
We are
hoping for a great last week! because my visa runs out the week after next so i
will have to leave! not really sure where i am going or what will happen but it
is in the lords hands and that is all that matters! Pres. Mains just called and
wished me a happy birthday!
About my birthday…haha
i don't know what to do!!!:) everybody has been asking me what i want and what
i want to do and all i want or want to do has to do with missionary work! that
is my desire!:) i did get my card! It was very nice, i loved it!
January
25th
We have
transfers this week! This week
everything has sorta flopped!! the lady
alinna from china is moving to east malaysia! but scott came back except he
slept in and couldn't make it to church.
But I did have a great birthday! i
went and bought you guys tons of presents! you will love me when i come back
home!!:) hopefully...
this week
we are sorta just waiting to see what happens with transfers i will let you
know when we get them!
yep so i am
probably getting transfered but i don't know where yet! i am getting kicked out
of west malaysia so we will see! and because i want to share everything over
here with you guys!!:)
he said
they might try sneaking me back in to west malaysia to open another area..... i
am not to thrilled with that thought! i actually scares me!!
for
sure July 15th is when I will be coming home.
Just IN….they
are trying to sneak me back in west Malaysia.
I am getting transferred to a different part of kl called puchong. I will let you know how this goes.
Febuary 1st
Everything
was basically over shadowed by Saturday!
I took off
to Singapore Saturday morning at 5:30 in the morning... and then i
spent the day with the Chinese elders down there and helped them teach some
lessons, Elder Clark and Elder Warner so that was interesting.
I saw
Ramona and Dong kai and Eric! They are
all doing really well! it was great to see them again! They were all trying to help me with learning
more and more Chinese! Anyways it was
alot of fun! and the whole day i was really nervous because i was going to be
flying back Saturday night!
Well my
flight left at 10:20pm. I landed
about 11:10 and then i went to immigration... they questioned me for
about and hour or so and i made it out by 12:30am with a 90 day Visa!
so then the night got really
interesting... haha
I thought i
would just grab a taxi back to the house and my journey would end there, (also
keep in mind this whole time i didn't have a companion) I got in the taxi and
he was going 40 kph on the free way about 25 mph.... about 20 minutes later he
was rear ended by somebody...
He called
another taxi for me and they picked me up and asked where i was going i told
him very near ioi mall and so he kept driving and i told him puchong area and
he said he knew the place and kept going eventually after a while we showed up
at the ioi city mall and he then took me to the marriot hotel... i told him
that this was the wrong place and that i need him to take me to ioi mall not
ioi city mall about 40 km difference... but he didn't know where that was but
the taxi driver at the marriot hotel did so he offered to help me and then he
drove me back home... i walked in the door at about 3 am.... i still am so
tired...
Anyways my
new area is amazing so much work!! so many prepared people to learn!! some
names are Abby and Melody both are most liking getting baptized on feb
28!!
My new
companion is Elder Brown, he is from Ogden Utah. He was mtc comps with elder sabin, his mom is
from Hong Kong! and
i am still
trying to improve my chinese!! it needs to be better!!
This week
we are going to meet with tons of people and help them all want to be
baptized!!
