🇲🇾Apa khabar semua orang yang sihat dan cantik🤘🏼
🇺🇸Hello all healthy and beautiful people🤘🏼
This week was better, no question. No yelling or any crashouts or angry writing in this email, janji yah. That was Isaac Barlow being prideful and stubborn. Newsflash I'm not perfect (shocker) even when I wear his name, Yesus Kristus, as well as his restored church's name over my heart and chest proudly every single waking second of every single day for the last 127 days. That was not Elder Barlow and I'm sorry. When you become a missionary, you retire your first name for a reason. You represent all Orang Suci (people holy in Malay or saints) You represent that you are an elect son or daughter of God in the zaman akhir (dispensation last in Malay or latter days) You represent your last name, Barlow. A special pioneer-based name from Wales that is of upmost value and importance to me. You represent the Gereja (Church in Malay) as an organization and its immense presence of good in the world and the gospel it rolls out to all nations across the world. Last and CERTAINLY not least, you represent the SAVIOR AND REDEEMER OF THE WORLD, THE GREAT I AM, even Yesus the Kristus. That is why I love being a missionary. I represent all those things, not Isaac. All missionaries and Latter-day Saints do. I'm not special. Lastly, Isaac is a Hebrew name and it means "he laughs" from Hebrew and I need to do that more and recognize the little things more, even when no one calls me Isaac anymore.
I do truly apologize🙏🏼❤️🩹
Maaf yah🫡
Monday- solid P-night, met with an inactive RM (returned missionary) at McDonalds that is from Malaysia and served in this mission five years ago during Covid. He seemed very lost, and you could see in his eyes, he seemed very hopeless and depressed. We talked to him about Malaysian General Conference this weekend (no y'all aren't missing out on some extra general conference, it just means that Malay translation is done for people to hear😂) and the upcoming messages later in the week that we know would help him. Absolutely destroyed a 20-piece and had the Halal Oreo McFlurry ice cream that is awesome here in Malaysia at McDonalds😂 Living in a Muslim country has its perks😂 solid day.
Tuesday- ministering night was fun. Went over to a member's house and taught the 2nd counselor in the branch presidency and his wife and son. They're so awesome. Talked about 2nd Nephi 31:20 and all those verses about getting on the path and staying on it, enduring to the end and such. Solid, solid day.
Wednesday- solid, solid day and ended it on a high note with a member meal with crazy good food filled with all kinds of meat and amazing music playing from the Tabernacle Choir playing on the tv and with super awesome members. Taught about prophets and Malaysian General Conference. Solid day.
Thursday- another solid solid day and ended it off again with a member meal at this super nice restaurant near downtown Miri with the Branch President and his friend. Taught them about repentance. Elder Simonsen paid for everyone, too, since he's going back to the 115th YSA ward in Provo next week😂 He's so awesome and he totally declined me when I offered to pay him back. Gonna miss him a ton. He's Zone Leader 1 for a reason for sure. Elder Simonsen also talked to this one woman all in Chinese and she's going to be coming to church next week🙏🏼 solid solid day.
Friday- did exchanges with Elder Platt and Elder Barker came with me for it. So Elder Platt and Elder Simonsen switched. Did the exchange here in Miri. I've been out the longest between us three, so I led us around in finding and the lesson we had that night. Taught this one older couple about prophets and Malaysian General Conference (yet again😂) talked about how Dallin H. Oaks is our new prophet or will be at least and tried my best in Malay to explain the whole situation about Russel M. Nelson and they can't sustain Dallin H. Oaks yet and all that good stuff and man it felt weird to teach about how we have a living prophet when technically at this current time we don't (yet)😬😂 This is Jesus' church though, jangan takut semua. (Don't be afraid everyone)
Saturday- probably the easiest most chill day I've had the entire mission, woke up, got ready, went to the church, watched morning session with one member in English, quickly went and got lunch and ate, went back watched afternoon session in English, did a comp study, watched evening session in Malay, cleaned up. Went to our finding spot, found for like an hour, and then ended it off with a 1-and-a-half-hour member meal😂 Man, I needed a day like that. Unfortunately, Elder Barker finally broke, I guess, and told us over the last three days he's been secretly battling a lot of illnesses and headaches he's been having. Still a solid day but felt bad for Elder Barker. Dude still didn't complain or pout once and has been having full body tremors supposedly. I mean if that isn't a strong-minded and physically built man, I don't know what is. Inspiring honestly.
Sunday- since Elder Barker went to the hospital on Sunday morning, Elder Simonsen just went with Elder Barker there and then had me go with Elder Platt and Elder Randall to the church for the AM general conference session which a lot of members came for compared to Saturday. Had lunch at the church and then watched PM session, went back home and then since Elder Barker was still absolutely slumped from the meds, and Elder Simonsen was tired from sitting inside all day, he still wanted to go out, so Me, Elder Simonsen, and Elder Platt went out and then Elder Randall stayed home with Elder Barker. Definitely a crazy day, a lot of switching around😂 Finished it off with yet another member meal and a lot of lessons that day from Miri Elders 1. Taught a lesson about testimonies and based it off Elder Brown (or probably known as the Jamaican guy on the internet right now😂) His absolutely awesome amazing talk that will forever be a General Conference classic. All three of us bore our testimonies and I gave mine all in Malay about the trip my dad took me on to Barcelona and how the trip changed my life. When I was done, I felt the Holy Ghost probably the strongest I have all mission. Confirming to me once again how true and real this church is and how real Jesus Christ is. Really really awesome day
Learned a lot this week about a lot of different things and just this last transfer in general. As I reflect on this last transfer, I realized wow it is not a coincidence that my bike didn't break once this week. Just not a coincidence. The other five weeks the Lord was testing and trying my obedience, patience, desire and faith every dang time that dang tire popped. And man, it popped a lot. Man, I walked a lot all the way to our house to the mall to get it fixed. 30-minute walk on the road when the sun is right in our grill, and I'm just dripping sweat. "Will he continue to do my will?" Man, I did it. We did it. Me and Jesus Christ and all my companions and the Holy Ghost. AH. (Job's not finished of course) And seeing how this last week went and NONE of our bikes broke even ONCE, FINALLY, Jesus probably said yes, I'll protect the bikes so thou canst do my work or something like that. I don't even know for real. HE IS SO GREAT.
Transfer calls tomorrow..... So so nervous😭😪. My prediction: I think I'm going to Kuching (specifically Kota Samarahan) or Melaka. (Yes, I understand this prediction means nothing, just for fun. I mean I literally heard an audible voice from the Holy Ghost tell me I was going to Argentina for my mission😂😂) but regardless, if this was the last week here in Miri then jumpa nanti (see ya later) for real🫡. What a special place I've spent a lot of time in and grown so unbelievably much in. Miri has a special place in my heart for sure. If I'm moved to Sabah, West Malaysia or Singapore or if I stay in Sarawak here in Kuching or Sibu, then I'm ready to open a new chapter of my mission and life wherever the Lord wants me🙏🏼
Love you all so so much, you're so awesome if you read all this. The emails and responses and prayers mean the absolute world to me🙏🏼❤️🔥
Bersukacita, sekali lagi saya kata bersukacita!⚜️
Rejoice, the Lord Is King!
No comments:
Post a Comment