March 24, 2014

HELLO FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!!! <3

I hope everyone is doing well!!!! All is well here in Singapore!!! :) This week has been CRAZY!!!!!! Oh my goodness!!! So!!!!! It started off on Tuesday when we went to Kuala Lumpur!! We arrived around 2pm and I noticed immediately it was totally different!!!! Singapore is really clean, nice, proper, and everything is kept up really nice and new! Malaysia is dirty, smelly and SCARY!!! Hahaha, we arrived a little early so Sister Guzman could see her recent convert and pick up a few souvenirs!!! We didn't have much time, but we found some good stuff!!! Everything is CRAZY cheap! So we loved it!!!! :) (Mom and Dad, if you come pick me up, this is the 1st place we are going!!! :))

Anyway, we went to dinner with the Assistants that night! After I had done a lot of things that scared me, like… 1) riding an air plane in and out of Kuala Lumpur 2) riding a really sketchy bus that drives with the door open as ppl jump on and off 3) whistled at by one too many people 4) crossed streets with cars driving like maniacs 5) to top it all off everywhere in the city smells like urine!!! I explained all of this to the AP's and they just died laughing at me! I’m a bit of a princess!!! Anyway!!!! :) Let’s just say it was a totally different experience from Singapore!!!! It was crazy culture shock for me!! BUT!!! Exchanges were a BLAST!!! I went with Sister R. (From Madagascar) and Sister L. from Utah!! I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!! It was so much fun to get to know both of them! They work so hard and we were able to get 2 new investigators the day I was with them!!! :) They are ROCKIN missionaries!!! :) I learned so much from them about diligence and really expressing love to investigators and helping them have a spiritual experience. They have deep testimonies! I'm very proud of all the sisters in this mission!!! THEY ROCK!!!! <3 So! We had a lot of really great experiences that you will see in pictures!

ALSO! I was able to see the PETRONAS twin towers!! IT WAS COOL!!!! I want to go inside someday and walk across the high bridge that connects the two towers!!! :) Anyway!!! The next day we went to PJ. I was with sister Fa from Samoa (She is the coolest person ever!!!) I told her I was going to come visit her in Samoa when she gets home!! :) I want her to be my next companion!! :) haha anyway!! I was really sick the day I was with her so sadly we took it a little slow! BUT! We were able to visit a lot of people and we even had a great lesson with a new investigator!! It was cool to see how hard working of a missionary she is!!
Malaysia eventually grew on me and I actually hope to serve there someday! The people are so humble and ready to hear the gospel! It was a very neat experience to see how missionary work is done there! :) We came back home to Singapore and unfortunately Sister Guzman’s bag was lost :( BUT! We got it back later that night so we were quite happy! I was able to go on exchanges with my daughter Sister Zhang!!!! :) It was fun! We went to the RS birthday party and I was able to see everyone from Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio! It WAS A BLAST!!!!!! I was so happy to see everyone! Sister Zhang is doing really well! Her English has improved a lot and she is a rockin missionary! Wants to build her area up so much!! :) My posterity ROCKS!!!! :) haha Church yesterday was really hard!!!!! One of the recent converts (who was less active for a while) came to church and had a huge break down :( one of her missionaries that taught her made a really bad decision which affected her (she has a very big heart) and so we spent most of church talking with her, and trying to help her see that she can be an example in this situation.

SO! Here is my soap box!!!!
When you choose to serve a mission, you are not just serving for a 1 1/2 or 2 years! YOU ARE SERVING FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!!! And even if we don’t have that name badge above our heart! We should put an invisible one on it! We are representatives of our Savior Jesus Christ! We should always act like it! Our purpose in this life is to Prepare to meet God again... THIS SHOULD BE OUR PRIORITY! Always ask ourselves, does this help me grow so that I can live with my Father in Heaven again? I know that work, school, lives, and everything keep us busy... BUT! WE MUST MAKE TIME FOR OUR HEAVENLY FATHER!!!!!!!! He NEVER forgets us... let us NEVER forget him! :) <3

Anyway!!! This week was amazing! Full of a lot of ups and downs! But that’s life! You learn to take it as it is, and when you involve Christ you become stronger, and you CAN do ALL things!! :) I love you so much family!!! Keep on keeping on!!!

Love
Eternally
Sister Waldvogel
O.W.L.E <3