The Rebound

This title comes from a few subjects of the week - one being that we literally were able to rebound after I played basketball in the church on P-day for the first time ever since I have come out into the field! Also, another highlight of the week comes from going on a 20 minute run with Elder Shirley - it was really fun and I was sore from it :). The real meaning for the subject of this week comes from the fact that we had some good success in our missionary work and we found some cool people to teach!

Lets start off with what happened 1 week ago on last P-day. We went to the Marina Bay Sands (the classic three towers with a "ship on top) towers for P-day and we got some cool pictures. On Tuesday, I held my first ever District Meeting where other missionaries besides my companion attended (my last area was only a two-person District). Then, on Wednesday, I went on my first ever exchange with someone else in my district (an exchange is where you switch companions for a day to learn from each other). Also, fun fact, on Wednesday I talked to the first Jewish man I have met on my mission (he was from London, and he had gotten to Singapore the day before. The morning he left, two missionaries from our church had sat next to him and talked to him). 

One of the people who we met with this week was a man who we found on the MRT a week ago. He has read the whole bible, but is not Christian because he feels like some of the teachings in the bible, and in Christianity contradict each other. He was intrigued by the fact that we did not believe in the Trinity, and that confirmed what he had learned from his personal study of the bible. We had a good lesson, in fact it was one of the best lessons about the Restoration that I have taught. Although he has great English, he prefers to learn in Chinese, and sometimes I reflect on how normal it has gotten for me to have a conversation that is half in English, and half in Chinese. When we gave him the Book of Mormon, he told us that he would read it in a month. Also - a sidenote - we had our lesson in a really picturesque place - we were right next to a lake and you could see a cool skyline of part of Singapore.

Well, I might be running out of time, but I thought I would end my email with something that has really been on my mind the past few weeks. Personal revelation is something that is key for us as members of the church, as well as investigators learning about the gospel. Revelation brings guidance and  comfort to us in our journey through life. One great pattern for how to receive revelation can be learned from the Book of Mormon. We must do our part and think about the decisions we are making, and question that is at hand (for example, we must read the book of Mormon to get revelation). Next, ask the Lord, really wanting to know and being committed to act on the answer that we receive. I have a testimony that when one of these elements are missing, revelation is impossible, or is at least hard to find. Learning to be willing to do the will of the Lord is one of the great challenges for us, but it is the key for revelation. 

The Faith to Find

Hello,

I included some pictures from the last few weeks since I haven't been able to connect my camera the past few weeks.

Well, this week I will be brief, but there were a few highlights of the week that I want to share about. One was our Mission tour with Elder Evans, who traveled around all of Malaysia and Singapore this week, starting with Singapore. We gathered as a Singapore zone on Tuesday, and he shared with us about the process of calling a new stake president, something that they did last Sunday. We learned about how to set better goals as we focused on being more specific and more realistic. He talked about the vision he, and other church leaders had for the future - looking forward to the day when Singapore will have two stakes instead of one.

This week we were also able to meet with our ward leaders (including our ward mission leader) and talk about the ways we want to strengthen the members, and work through them to do missionary work. We identified English class as something that we want to focus on, and we will be inviting our members to invite their friends to attend our English class, which has been doing really well the past few weeks.

This week, I read the first part of Helaman, and I was impressed as I always am with the prophet Nephi (the brother of Lehi). They preach the gospel to the Lamanites after having given up on half of their lands due to a war that happened between the Nephites and the Lamanites. Nephi and Lehi convert so many people that the Lamanites give the Nephites their lands back and quickly become the most righteous people in the land. Later, Nephi is comforted by the Lord, and is given power to seal things on earth and in heaven because the Lord knows that Nephi will not ask for anything that is wrong. To me, I learn that selfless sacrifice brings blessings and power from the Lord. 

Where we live (on the 3rd floor though)

Singapore

Elder Shirley in China Town

The map on our wall, we really do cover all of Singapore

The famous Marina bay

My first day in Singapore eating at a food court

The Final Frontier

First off, I would like to apologize for not bringing my camera to email today...but luckily Elder Shirley is here to back me up with some of the pictures he took. It is just not as easy when you aren't an Elder with and Ipad... but we are probably one of the few missionaries in the world with a smart phone so I can't complain too much :)

The headline comes from all the conversations I had this week with people who are from China. There are so many prepared people here who come from China, and they are looking for the truth. I reflect on how many places in the world that the church is in. Of those places, however, one of the most obvious places where the church isn't, is in China.

This week we had a cool experience with a new investigator. We were heading home last week when we spoke in Chinese to a lady who was walking the other way. She was surprised (that we knew how to say ni hao) but it started up a conversation. We talked for a little while and then exchanged phone numbers...we didn't think that she seemed that interested. Later, she texted us back and we explained more of what our purpose is here in Singapore. She told us that she was looking for a belief, and that she had sent her son to church since he was small because she knew that religion was good. She talked to her husband and he wanted to meet with us. We met him last week and he is super cool. He is from China and was part of the communist party (which taught him not to believe in God). He wants to understand more about what his son is learning in church, and he wants to understand the bible. We taught him about the godhead and we are excited to teach him further!

There are lots of other cool things to write about, but simply not enough time. To state it simply, Singapore has a lot more resources, and a lot more people here than I have had in all my past areas. A lot of people are "free thinkers" which means they don't attach to a religion (I would say about a third of free thinkers believe in some sort of god).

Well, we have a "mission tour" tomorrow with Elder Evans of the Seventy. We are most certainly going to talk about preaching repentance and baptizing converts. I have reflected on the need to repent lately. Everyone needs to do it because no one is perfect. When I think about repentance, it is truly amazing. Christ has the power to change who we are, and not just what we do if we choose to accept him.

Sincerely

Elder Allen

Singapore!

Well, this week was very different, and I am now basically a pro at riding Airplanes seeing as how I do it so much in this mission. I nailed my suitcase weight with exactly 30 kg and I got through immigration and security no problem :).

Right off the plane, Elder Shirley and I went hard, and we got 7 potentials on the ride home. Singapore's public transportation is super cool, it is called the MRT, and it is a network of subways/skytrains that cover the whole city. This is what we use every day to get around, and we cover the whole island, seeing how there are only two Chinese Elders in all of Singapore. Contacting is SO much easier here than it was in Sitiawan because you can always be talking to someone one as you travel, and people are always on the sidewalks. I am still getting over how amazing it is.

I made a list of things that amaze me in Singapore: Everything is way more expensive (I did grocery shopping here, and it was more expensive than it would have been in America). I have a smart phone, I attend a ward now, not a branch. I meet a ton of people from China here, and the Chinese here is very good (it is from China, and I don't hear the slang words that are exclusively in Malaysia. I live in a four Elder House for the first time on my mission, instead of just me and my companion. I can drink out of the tap. We have a dryer! Also, for the most part (I have already found exceptions), Singaporeans are super friendly :).

Elder Shirley is my new companion, and he is great. He has served in Singapore for a long time (like 6 months) and he has 8 months left of his mission. He is motivated to do things for the right reasons, so what more can you ask for?

There is so much to talk about, and just not enough time. I will finish off with the most basic, and one of the most repeated promises in the Book of Mormon. If we keep the commandments, we will prosper in the land. Elder Shirley and I picked Alma 36:1 for our "vision scripture" and I know that it is true. One thing I found, is that as I obey with a willing heart, I am blessed AND I feel happy. To me, this is one of the great quests of life: Finding happiness in keeping the commandments.