Hello everyone,
I hope life is so good. Last P-Day, my roommates and I naiked the Marina Bay Sands hotel and saw all of Singapore from above. What a beautiful city. I forgot to mention the P-Day before we went tomb-raiding in one of those escape-puzzle rooms and pretended we were archaeologists. Have I mentioned I love my mission friends? Sudah? Seribu kali lagi. Sister Parcell called me and STL-ed me good and basically told me to snap out of my melancholy. I love that girl.
I started seriously working out again on the 29th, because that was my 3-months-to-go-mark and I don't want to come home a blob and have all my friends and family think, "Aw Ellen, the nice returned sister missionary. She has such a sweet spirit." Just kidding, I haven't gotten that fat, but a little muscle tone in my arms would be nice. We made a cute cake for Elder McCarthy's birthday week to make up for the fact that we were his worst district ever and forgot. Sister Opatha and I cut out little giraffes to put on it because he's tall, and I made a card that said "Stand TALL, you're a son of God." And then I pasted a giraffe on it. Turns out giraffes are his favorite animal. We gave it to him during district meeting and he got all weirded out because he hates attention but it was still nice. As per usual he gave another inspiring, encouraging district meeting. I always feel the spirit.
On Halloween I celebrated Mikel's birthday and my 15 month mark quietly, and in the evening we went to the Peterson's house for homemade pizza. They were all dressed up as Star Wars characters and we all geeked out about Star Wars for a while and committed Sister Opatha to watching it after her mission. "I love you."
"I know."
They gave us SO much American candy that I haven't seen much less eaten in a year or so, and we gave tons of it to Elder McCarthy and Sister Opatha so they could soak in the magic of the holiday that is feeding our kids tons of processed sugar. Elder McCarthy lost all control and ate so many Butterfingers. The next morning we all found ourselves at the stake center for exercise time. I felt so sick from all the sugar and tried to not look like I was internally dying as I sprinted back and forth. Elder McCarthy tried to work out but wanted to die, all the while Sister Opatha and Elder Andrus laughed at us.
Sister Opatha and I had a good week in that we helped a lot of our less-actives and investigators. It feels good to know we've helped them develop a habit of scripture study even though they're SO busy, but it's important especially because they're busy. So many of them have these huge hurdles to jump over and it's cool to see how their scripture reading is allowing them to have stronger, self-sustaining testimonies. I hope everyone I've taught can still have their testimony that God lives and Christ is our Savior if everything else in their lives fail. I hope the same for myself, because in the end, that's all we have, right?
Church was miraculously so good. We've been meeting with the presidencies of all the auxiliaries (this week, Sister Opatha and I met with the Primary, Relief Society, and Young Women) for the primary purpose of seeing how each auxiliary can do missionary work, and also earning their trust and support. I also asked the bishopric if we could have 10 minutes of their time during their meeting. It was a little hectic making sure our progress record was flawless and detailed (with specific action items and who we want to carry them out) but they were happy to have us and backed our ideas. I had been pleading in my prayers for it to work. Meeting with all the presidencies has been working because all of the leadership in the ward was very warm and supportive during ward council. It was a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. It was comforting to sit with the Elders and John and feel like this is our team and present our game plan.
We had three potential investigators come to church because other missionaries serving in Singapore brought them. Two guys from Ghana, who asked our roommates on the MRT, "How can I be saved?" and also this gorgeous ex-pat from Vietnam. The general theme during all of our meetings was about missionary work, which means we're seeing the beginnings of the ward culture being changed to be more missionary-minded. Looks like a miracle to me. It's nice because even though these members are so busy and have these daunting personal and family challenges, to me, they are perfect.
And I'm not afraid to promise that if they do missionary work, they will see miracles in their own lives.
Man, I love these people.
One sister said in sacrament meeting, "We have all the truth. It doesn't make us special, it makes us responsible."
I was reading the story about Helaman's stripling warriors this morning, which was exciting because before then I was trudging through the boring war chapters. I got to Alma 57:25 and teared up a little when it talked about how all two thousand of these young men survived the last battle. "Nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also to the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds."
For some reason I immediately thought of my MTC elders, my brothers, and all the other incredible missionaries I've had the privilege of working with. These warriors were young. They were like my friends, and I wondered what hardships my friends have been through since we've been out here. I thought about all the stories of them being mugged, harrassed, crow-barred, and hit by motos, and on top of that everything they sacrificed to be out here and their trials at home. I thought of personal conversion stories and the ones I heard from missionaries this week made me a little achy. Conversion is a painful process. I like what Spence-man wrote to me a few weeks ago, that we're bound to sustain a few wounds. But it's okay because the Lord recognizes our sacrifice and He protects us. So it's all okay. Rub some dirt in it.
How beautiful are the feet in the kampungs of Miri are she who bringeth good tidings of good? Who says, in Iban, "Rajamu hidup. Memang Dia ada!"
I'm going back. Miri, balik kampung!
Yang benar,
Sister Wynn
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