Week 15 - September 29, 2025

 Rest in peace to a Prophet of God🙏🏼 Russell Marion Nelson at 101 years of age. What a man and legacy he has left behind. Honored to have him call me to Singapore and Malaysia, and I know that he was a true prophet of God just like Joseph Smith and every prophet that has been likewise called of God, Praise to Russell M. Nelson indeed🖤🙏🏼

Onto the email⬇️

Hello, everyone‼️🫰🏼

WHAT A WEEK in the Lion city (cool fact about Singapore is that in Malay, Singapore is Singapura and that literally translates to Lion City. Singa=Lion. Pura= City/temple in Malay) Such an amazing week I'll break it down.

Monday: P-night, went out with Elder Randall which was super fun.  We served all last transfer together just me and him, so running it back with my first trainer after we split is so fun. He's also District Leader this transfer too, so we're still able to be in the same house and around each other in Miri which is great. Had a solid night, we taught this man named Changan about Joseph Smith and the Holy Ghost and how we can know Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God through the Holy Ghost. Said the First Vision in Indonesian (yes, they taught us the Indonesian First vision in the MTC, not the Malay one😂😂 Indonesian and Malay are comparable to Spanish and Portuguese but slightly closer just for reference, so super, super close languages. Anyways) Also taught this one family about Patriarchal Blessings (which is pretty rare to teach as a missionary. It's not a required lesson for baptism and especially in Malaysia as well, it's very rare to touch on Patriarchal blessings) I felt prompted to testify about how both my grandparents are Patriarchs. But I accidentally said "nenek" (grandma) instead of "Datuk" (grandpa)😂😂 Can't say either of my grandmas were patriarchs haha. Got another chance to talk about it again and I said Datuk the next time to clarify. Really felt the Spirit with them.

Tuesday and Wednesday- went with Elder Platt on Tuesday, a new trainee from the MTC and he's super chill. He played baseball, and I told him I got a lot of buddies back home that also played baseball and one that still plays now and my guy Tingey who just committed to play at BYU. Love baseball, such an awesome sport.  Wish I played for sure. Was cool to finally get to talk about it with someone. Wednesday did some morning finding, got some McDonald's in Miri and then spent the rest of the day traveling to Kuala Lumpur and then Singapore‼️ Got in really late though but went to bed super excited.

Thursday and Friday- Zone conference In Singapore🇸🇬🦁‼️

Could write a whole email just about these two full days, but I don't want this email to get too long haha, but amazing as always getting to see all my guys from the MTC, interviews with President and Sister Ho, they're the best. Went out on Thursday with Elder Johnson (both our first names are Isaac too haha) and had a blitz day with Elder Johnson (basically where you get a random new companion and you just go out to a designated area and find and talk to people basically for a couple hours for that one day) across Singapore after working with the elderly that morning for our service project. Me and Elder Johnson went to Tao Payoh which is a little district in the middle of Singapore. Super, super fun. We met a lot of Filipinos, and this one lady taught us some Tagalog! Felt the Spirit a ton throughout the day especially during the departing missionaries' testimonies. Listened to Elder Simonsen's Farewell testimony which was super solemn and inspiring though for sure. Sad to think I only have 2 and a half weeks with him left. 

Saturday- traveled back from Singapore, got to walk around the greatest, nicest airport in the entire world, and oh my gosh, my mom wasn't too far off when she implied to me I wouldn't want to leave Singapore😂😂 Singapore is just so crazy clean and oh my, words cannot describe how nice it is and just like how safe and peaceful it is there. Cannot wait to serve there. but like I told my mom also, Miri is home. Sarawak (the state in east Malaysia where Miri is) is just so special. It's so unbelievably different and just its own place truly. My bike also broke AGAIN😂😂 Apparently all of East Malaysia is having bike problems so the APs and President and Sister Ho are getting involved, which is nice.

Sunday- woke up, went to church, got home from church eventually and my previous comp and trainer Elder Randall is this super super super sarcastic guy, so when he randomly out of nowhere said, "President Nelson is dead," my heart just dropped. Knew he wasn't messing around. Then I saw the texts coming in from President Ho to the mission groupchat and I just couldn't believe it. During Personal Study we just sat there and read these articles about him on Church News and then listened to one of his talks for Comp Study. It was great.

What a week though, this is a really long email but this week just goes to show the highs and lows of a mission. This mission has constantly been a roller coaster of emotions for me, no doubt. You feel it all when you wear this badge for sure. One thing that helps me stay level and balanced is focusing on Jesus Christ. 15 days tho until transfer calls. Me and Elder Simonsen were just saying to each other that it's time to lock in for sure. Me and him both want to end super, super strong. This could be my last transfer here in Miri or if I stay, then I'll be finishing Elders Barker's training. Whatever happens I just wanna finish strong. I've come to love this place in a special way for sure. I guess this is my spiritual thought. Anyways love y'all, the support back home means absolutely everything for sure. Can't believe I almost didn't want to serve a mission😂 Wouldv'e been a catastrophic mistake not to serve one haha. I'll stop rambling though, love y'all🙏🏼❤️

Week 14 - September 21, 2025

 Hello, everyone! I'll try and be less negative and actually write a somewhat fun, uplifting email this week. Sometimes I like to keep it real and show as much as I truly feel as I go through this 2-year journey. But I'm not gonna lie sometimes the quote, "No one cares, work harder" applies. Of course, all my family and friends care, all of you care and I can feel all your love and care truly. But the adversary and the people rejecting this message and the weather and the things I can't control definitely don't care is what I'm starting to realize, so work harder is the mentality or rather work harder to not care about uncontrollable things especially our bikes that seem to fall apart at every touch.

Last Monday P night and all of Tuesday was crazy because we didn't have our bikes, they were broken, so we had to walk and Grab (Uber) everywhere. Lot of finding, little success, declared our purposes in Malay, Iban, Mandarin (Elder Simonsen is fluent in Mandarin and Malay btw dude's a beast) and English and got rejected in all four languages, We majulah though. Had a ministering night which was great, a lot of this work is most of the time with Miri being pretty Muslim is we can't knock or talk to most houses or people. So this mission is definitely a "supporting the members" type of mission which is great, and the members are super awesome for sure. 

Wednesday and Thursday were exchanges here in Miri with the Bintulu Elders. That was great. Really slowed down the week for me. Got to serve for the 3rd time now with my guy Elder Overly from my district in the MTC which is always awesome. His Malay has improved so much, and he keeps me calm. I'm not gonna lie, during one of our finding blocks on Wednesday I kinda crashed out (to translate out of gen Z slang it means to get mad and do something out of anger basically) and got super passive aggressive on this one Buddhist lady who kinda was yelling at us and saying stuff like, "I Buddhist forever!" And stuff like "Everyone on this road already knows you."  It was rough I'm not gonna lie, Elder Overly was tapping my shoulder and everything trying to get me to stop😂 it wasn't too big of a deal because she definetly couldn't understand my tone. Later in the finding block, I overheard some music and it was "Don't bring me down," by ELO.  Right at the chorus when they're saying, "Don't bring me down," such a sign from God and I just starting smiling and shaking my head, just felt like I was having a laugh with him, too.

Friday night was crazy.  My back tire popped, and we had the funniest finding blocks ever. Bikes broke down so we walked them to a gas station, left them there overnight, ate McDonalds, which was clutch, and then went back Saturday morning and fixed the bikes. Saturday was cool.  I genuinely can't remember a singular thing we did other than the bike problem stuff.

Sunday was a wild wild day. I placed an order for these two ties from this one lady that makes them here in Miri whose a member and when I went over to buy them, the lady that made them, her husband experienced some loss in the family so we were able to be there without us hearing about that at first and teach an unexpected lesson about resurrection and the spirit world which was so awesome and a cool little miracle to be at the right place at the right time. I thought it was going to be a quick little visit just to buy the ties, but it was great. Small and simple things for sure🙏🏼

You're definetly probably reading this and saying, "Wow only one bike problem.  It's a miracle." (of course you're not lol) LO AND BEHOLD, AS SOON as we end our language study right before our prime time on Sunday, BOTH me AND Elder Simonsen's front tire just absolutely gone. Cooked. Somehow😭😭 its actually laughable at this point. We both just started dying laughing and yelling and just screaming at the sky, everyone was looking at but we didn't care. Total justifiable crash out from the both of us. We both agreed that we're just not even gonna fix the bikes before Zone Conference and do it after Zone Conference. We've been living at the bike shop anyways😭

Which brings me now to Monday morning as I'm writing this. We have tonight, Tuesday and 1/4th of Wednesday and then OFF TO SINGAPORE FOR ZONE CONFERENCE🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬🎊 so unbelievably excited. Been a missionary for 3 and a half months and in the field for 2 months by the time Zone Conference starts until I actually get to Singapore for the first time as a Singapore called missionary😂😂 which is why I will always say Singapore AND Malaysia mission. Even though the official name of the mission is just the Singapore mission lol. 

Quick spiritual-ish thought

We were finding last night and me and Elder Simonsen were kinda talking just feeling really disappointed about the bikes and just the last 2 weeks in general. He said this is the hardest start to a transfer in his entire mission. Mind you this is his 16th and final transfer and has been out 2 years. And I was just like wow. I was super happy he said that cause I was thinking like is this hard for him as well? How really difficult have these last 2 weeks been? Am I just soft? Am I overreacting? All that. Come Follow Me curriculum this week is about Zions Camp, and it's no coincidence the Lord is putting us through our own little Zion's Camp indeed. We were talking (not even finding at this point, pretty much every single house was Muslim, and there was a mosque nearby singing Quran verses over the megaphone, which is super cool btw) Anyways, we were talking how we were thinking that the Lord is just seeing if we'll stay obedient, if we'll still walk, put one foot in front of the other (literally because we have to walk everywhere now) still not cry against the Lord through our afflictions, do we complain? Sure, of course, but never against the Lord, we were more just confused honestly, is he testing us, molding us even more for what's ahead? We're all at different parts in our mission. Elder Barker still doesn't really have a clue what's going on (I mean that super respectfully.  I was the same way, he just got here from the MTC) I'm in my last training month but feel like I've been out like 6 months lol and I've been totally greeny broken with leading the area. And Elder Simonsen is literally gonna be sitting in an algebra class at BYU driving, listening to music in a month. We're seeing no success so are we planting seeds? Probably. We are definetly being tried for sure. I'm hoping the 2nd half of the transfer is a lot better. Opening up an area is just tough. Maybe this is my last couple weeks in Miri and the Lord wants to prepare the way for future missionaries. I don't know and I never will, and once again just writing down my thoughts. Love y'all, thank y'all so much for the support. This was a really long one.  I debated on putting a spiritual thought, but I have to I feel like. Anyways love y'all🙏🏼

"Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God." Jacob 4:8

Week 13 - September 14, 2025

 Another week and another email coming to y'all from Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia🫡 and wow a crazy eventful week for sure. 

First off, I want to say, "Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk. A martyr for his beliefs and views, and it's such a shame that something so horrible could happen like this especially in Utah where a lot of my cousins and aunts and uncles live and so close to a Latter-day saint community, as well in general. Prayers up🙏🏼

This week generally consisted of a lot of mall public contacting and finding, declaring our purpose, getting rejected, only had like one lesson, maybe two, a LOT of bike problems mainly with my bike as well, a LOT of rain as well. We're entering rainy season here, so the rain is just starting to pour which isn't the most fun. Didn't really rain at all last transfer as it was the end of hot season. But now the rain is starting to take its toll. Makes finding a lot harder and getting to and fro around Miri. 

"Happiness has little to do with the circumstances of our life and EVERYTHING to do with the focus of our life." That's a quote from a prophet of God right there and it couldn't be more true🙌🏼 That's the quote that Elder Simonsen told me when as we were locking up our bikes to start our finding block one night. It was dumping the South China Sea on us, but that quote absolutely reverberated through me. Felt a fire that went into the start of the finding block and then quickly withered with rejection after rejection. Biked home, threw off my sopping wet clothes, literally chucked my keys into the dark home near my desk, broke my holy oil carrier unfortunately, sat down at my desk and just stared ahead for like 10 minutes. Just sat there questioning everything, why I'm having half the city of Miri being placed on our shoulders out of nowhere, opening up an area and everything. It's tough. But the work moves on regardless. That night I hit another personal study and decided to study James 1-5. Some of my favorite chapters in the New Testament. 

It talks a ton about how faith without works is dead, and friends of the world or the natural man is an enemy to God. Also, talks about mastering the tongue to create peace and being able to be spotted as a disciple of Christ through what we say and do. And lastly it talks about waiting on the Lord and how the people who only focus on worldly things and greed are not justified in such. 

Quick recap over such amazing chapters of wisdom and doctrine. But these chapters just really spoke and applied to me that night. I have developed a lot more control over my tongue and a lot of patience as well. That's been good and all.  I just get really easily discouraged but mainly the message about faith without works really spoke to me.

I am establishing my faith and witness of Jesus through this mission and work. 

"Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

"Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."

James 5: 8, 11. Me and all missionaries around the world are showing our devotion to the Lord and his church and his children who want the truth but don't know where to find it. Mainly just writing this for myself at this point so I apologize but I want to connect the idea between faith with works is necessary and Doctrine and Covenants 58:1-6

"1. Hearken, O ye elders of my church, and give ear to my word, and learn of me what I will concerning you, and also concerning this land unto which I have sent you. 2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven. 3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. 4. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand. 5 Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow. 6 Behold, verily I say unto you, for this cause I have sent you—that you might be obedient, and that your hearts might be prepared to bear testimony of the things which are to come."

Such amazing, amazing such applicable verses right here to missionaries and just for life in general. I have been sent to a very far away land indeed and have been given tribulation after tribulation, but the glory comes AFTER much tribulation, and I can see it in the distance no doubt. It may be far away or it may be close by, but even getting home and being upset is a reward by itself, knowing another foe down, another day of doing my duty and staying in the path of my duty, declaring my purpose and staying OBEDIENT.

Obedience- the first law of heaven. Can I be obedient in Overland Park, Kansas, or Dallas? Or Provo? Yeah, I could. Was I? Maybe not, but can I do it when all odds are stacked against me and my whole life was turned upside down by taking on a responsibility such as this work? I'd say I've grown a ton and that's what this mission is about. Being obedient to the Lord, showing my faith WITH my works and having patience and long-suffering. This mission is tough but it's not impossible. This week ahead just going to keep grinding and who knows what the Lord has in store for me next, area, comp, opportunities, leaders, and many miracles through faith and obedience. I'm eternally grateful for this opportunity to represent the Lord. 

"For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?"   Mosiah 5:13

592 days left, every one WILL count

Elder Barlow⚜️

Week 12 - September 8, 2025

 Hello, everyone!

Another amazing week here in East Malaysia‼️🇲🇾 transfer week so a lot happened.  I'll break it down.

Monday- had two lessons that night and that was fun, taught about tithing and roh kudus (Holy Ghost). 

Tuesday- had transfer calls and then did some finding throughout the day and then packed and headed to Bintulu to accompany Elder Overly in Bintulu since my district leader Elder Boseman who finished his mission, was leaving. Sad to say goodbye to him for sure. Bus ride to Bintulu was horrible, crazy bumpy, and we were on a tall bus so it would sway, and me and Elder Randall just did not feel great throughout the ride.

Wednesday- day in Bintulu was solid, taught this one big family about the Book of Mormon and the power the Book of Mormon holds and how it can change our life as we study and read it. Finding was also solid throughout the day as well, i opened and closed most contacts all in Malay which was awesome. Confidence and energy for talking to people has grown so much through my prayers of faith which has been so awesome to see. 

Thursday- came back to Miri and got back to work, talked to this Chinese uncle in English who is trying to convert us to Buddhism😂😂 We tried to have just us three talking and teaching about the Book of Mormon, but he just was kinda rambling at us. Unfortunately, his efforts of conversion have failed, I would say😂 Had another lesson that night about tithing as well.

Friday- went to the airport and welcomed in the Tanjung Kidurong Elder and the other Bintulu Elder and then my Senior Companion, Elder Simonsen🙏🏼 My MTC teacher, Brother Jacobs, literally told me in the last week of the MTC that he hoped Elder Simonsen would train me because he trained Elder Simonsen. Such an awesome full circle moment for sure.

Saturday- I'm in a trio and in my last training transfer, so that day we picked up Elder Barker, our new trainee fresh from Provo, and he's an absolute dawg for sure. He's very level-headed and wants to use his Malay at every single opportunity and is always asking me and Elder Simonsen a ton of questions.

Saturday and Sunday - both days we had District Conference here in Miri, so President and Sister Ho flew to Miri as well as the Asia Area Mission President Elder Tai.  He was awesome and spoke in this last year's General Conference in April (his talk was right before President Nelson. Got to shake his hand and have a chat with him and he was super super kind, what a guy. It was super nice to meet President and Sister Ho and to listen to them speak in conference. 

(Bishop Divine, please read this to the Priest Quorum as my 3-month update)

Spiritual thought: I've been reading a ton of really really good conference talks over this last month and a half in Malaysia, (tomorrow is my 3-month mark as a missionary and today is my exact mark of 45 days in Malaysia.) And one talk that Elder Simonsen gave me to read was by Dallin H. Oaks, his first ever talk as an apostle of the Lord in 1984. It's about why we serve and that there are six reasons why anyone would serve in this church.

1. Earthly reward/worldly honors

2. Only for networking or companionship

3. Fear or punishment

4. Duty or loyalty to family traditions

5. Eternal reward (eternal life, blessings) 

6. CHARITY

The first three are not admirable ways of service. 

The next two still bring blessings, but there is something better.

I want to reflect on Charity in this email. ("But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." Moroni 7:47) 

When I find myself doing everything I do out of fear or for earthly rewards such as recognition/desiring an RM status or just to say, "Oh yeah, I went on a mission," or only wanting to make new connections or networking or I look at it as something I have to do and every single day when I wake up at 6:59 and I feel like I'm clocking in when I put on Jesus Christ name on my chest and over my heart every morning,  I never feel the true happiness that I feel when I lose myself in the work and when I don't care about myself for a day and have true, pure charity towards others, it's when I'm flying around on the bike in the rain or absurdly hot weather, sweating through my clothes and when I'm determined to bless others with the messages from the Book of Mormon or the Lord's spirit with others that need it. 

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Matthew 16:25

I love this work so much, its unbelievably hard, it's insanely uncomfortable at some points, it's different, it's luar biasa memang. It stretches me every single second. but a mission would never be worth it if it wasn't any one of those things, and I've learned that as I trust in the Lord, as I don't worry about the things I can't control, as I control my effort and attitude and give all my mind and heart along with might and strength, I'm starting to find my life infinitely more full and rewarding and happy through Jesus Christ. I know this is his work, I'll always say it. It's not mine, it's not yours reading this, not in Laoag, not in Costa Rico, not in Stockholm, not in Florianopolis, Not in Rabinal not in Santo Domingo and not in Mallorca. HE LIVES AND THIS IS HIS WORK. and I'm willing to lose my life for that fact (🚨metaphorically of course🚨)

Love you all.

The Love of God

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/04/56tai?lang=eng