Penang Mall

Week #39: Obedience - April 4, 2017 – April 10, 2017

This week has been good. We've been very very busy teaching lessons, just the way Sister Shafer and I like it. We were also able to listen to General Conference, which has been superb and inspiring. On Sunday, I had a superb study, and I learned more about faith. I have been reading talks from the May 2009 Liahona, and learned the 6 destructive D's, which ultimately lead to disbelief. These 6 things lead into one another, which destroy the faith one has. It came so strong this week to change what I am doing, my behavior, and attitude--give up any doubts and fears--which will ultimately lead to faith and confidence in God and in my mission. This was definitely the eye opener I needed to remember to keep an eye singled on faith and the glory of God.

Durian, not Sister Vranes favorite

One miracle this week was visiting our members. We've been meeting a lot of less active and active families, and giving them the Book of Mormon Reading Chart Challenge. As we've followed up with them, we've discovered many of these families are starting to gain a desire to go to the temple, and are making a conscious effort to read together. Some of these families have children who are almost missionary age. One family, Sister Iswari, has a daughter who is 18 and desires to serve a mission. She has previously gone to the temple, but is starting to desire to go again with her daughter. We're really trying to help her desire and set a goal to go through the temple with her daughter BEFORE her mission. Another set of sisters we discovered desire to go to the temple. They haven't really known each other, not even knowing they lived in the same area, but through us, got to know each other over dinner! They discovered they both have the desire to go to the temple at the end of the year/first of next year. They bonded over that desire, and even started making a pact to help each other! It was amazing!

Wonderfood Museum

Penang has been really starting to grow and it's been superb to see how these members are starting to take the first steps to faith. I realized, I'm having to take my own steps of faith while I am here in this mission. This week I'm really going to work to follow the counsel that others have given me through blessings and to be strictly obedient to the missionary handbook, including exercising hard. I'm learning a lot about faith and the requirements to develop it--OBEDIENCE.