Last Post

Today was a historical day. Our Kuala Lumpur Branch was divided and we saw the birth of a new branch: The Cheras Branch.

As such, we as the Kuala Lumpur Branch Relief Society presidency (Claire Lim, Susan Seet and Shirlee Keddington) have been released.

It has been a great honor serving all of our lovely sisters. We are grateful for all their support and love all these years. We pray that we will all continue to love and care for one another and help one another to make it back to our ever-loving Heavenly Father.

(We will no longer be updating this blog)

Conversion Story - Sister Cathy Lee

All the way from primary to secondary school, I studied in a Convent. When I met my best friend Jean at 11 years old, Jean introduced me to Catechism classes (kind of like seminary classes for the Catholic children). From then on, I learnt about our Saviour and I so much wanted to follow Him. By the time I was in secondary school, I asked permission from my mother to be baptised as a Catholic. My mom told me,"You are born into a Buddhist family and you will remain a Buddhist until your dying day.....unless, the man you marry is a Christian, then you are allowed to follow his religion.".

So you can imagine what my prayers are for ever since..... it had always been for me to meet a nice Catholic boy so that I could become a Catholic! I had only wanted to become a Catholic because to me the proper authority was important, and Jesus Christ had passed the authority to Saint Peter....... so I believed that the Catholic Church was the only true church and no other churches would have the direct authority from Christ himself.

It took me a long time waiting for the right 'Catholic boy' to come into my life. Not a single one did......... until I met Eric.........he wasn't a Catholic yet but he was taking classes to get ready to be baptised as a Catholic. So I would finally marry my 'Catholic' and get to become a Catholic myself.....or so I thought..............

Then one day, Eric told me...... that he did not believe that the Catholic church is the true church and that he would go in search for the truth! I was stumped but I just waited and watched where the search would take Eric. He would become any missionary's favourite target! Any friend, contact or acquaintance who invited Eric to their church, he would willingly go....... One day, he was at his office when he saw one of his colleques (Sister Annie (Ling) Teh) reading some kind of church literature. He asked her what was she reading.... she said it was her church book (Eric can't remember now whether it was an RS Manual or Book of Mormon) and she invited him to investigate the church. Of course Eric willingly went along. He took the lessons and attended Sacrament meetings but I would not go along (because it was not the Catholic church!); but every time he came back, I would ask him what they taught him. He would share with me but when I started asking more and more questions, he said,"Why don't you just take the lessons yourself so you can ask as many questions as you like because I don't know how to answer your questions any more"!

So I agreed to take the discussions but was appalled when I found myself in the Mormon church! In my mind I was thinking,"What! Isn't this a cult?"! I prayed to Heavenly Father and asked Him what was happening and how on earth was I led to a cult and to please show me back to the right church"! However, I didn't get any answer from Heavenly Father so I continued with the discussions. I must have given the missionaries such a tough time because they had to continue seeing me for the next two years!

Finally, when Eric and I were ready to get married, I asked Heavenly Father to show me what I should do........... Interestingly, that was when Eric decided that this was the true church he had been searching for and wanted to get baptised (but he didn't ask me to because he thought I wasn't ready). So I thought about it and realised that perhaps it was THIS church that Heavenly Father wanted me to join! I felt that since I was marrying Eric and he was going to become a Christian, then so be it, this would be the right church for me....... So you can imagine the surprise I gave the missionaries....... I remember the day clearly........... The couple missionaries were asking Eric to commit to a baptism date and before Eric could answer, I said I would like to be baptised too (by then I had gained a testimony that Joseph Smith was indeed the Prophet who restored the Gospel after reading the book "Truth Restored" given to me by Brother David Chan). So we decided to be baptised together 3 days after our marriage registration!

When I think back, I am indeed grateful that through Eric, I found the true church and I am certain that was the reason Eric came into my life. I realise now that Heavenly Father has indeed answered my prayer after all. The best part is, He led me to the right church by placing Eric in my life otherwise I would never have in any way come into contact with the church at all!

Isn't it so amazing how things had turned out? I did not end up as a Catholic (much to Jean's disappointment) but I got something better..... the Restored Gospel! For this, I am thankful for Eric's part in my life because I now see a bigger purpose in Heavenly Father's plan for me!

Sister Annie Fan

On 7 July 2010, Sister Annie wrote:

I joined the mom's team last month. I got a baby boy. I am really happy. I am trying to be a good mum. He is not easy but I love him!

All my love,
Annie

On 16 August 2010, Sister Annie wrote:

My baby is 3 months old. He grows really fast and laughs a lot.

I bought a baby carrier yesterday because he has not gone outside yet. He is 8kg. It is really not easy to carry him for long time .

His first 100th day is coming. That is the second most important day for a Chinese baby. The first month is the most important. After the first 100 days, he is strong enough to go outside and do something.

The Chinese say the baby "3fan 6zuo 8pa". it means a 3-month old baby can turn the body over, a 6-month can sit properly and an 8-month old can crawl. Ha ... Have you ever heard of that?


Miss all of you.

All my love,
Annie

President Doxey's Remarks on 21 March 2010

• President Doxey shared the account of Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball leaving their wives, children, and humble homes to journey to Great Britain in response to their mission calls to that faraway land. Heber C. Kimball records the event in these words:
• “ ‘September 14th, … President Brigham Young left his home at Montrose to start on the mission to England. He was so sick that he was unable to go to the Mississippi, a distance of thirty rods, without assistance. After he had crossed the river he rode behind Israel Barlow on his horse to my house, where he continued sick until the 18th. He left his wife sick with a babe only three weeks old, and all of his other children were sick and unable to wait upon each other. Not one soul of them was able to go to the well for a pail of water, and they were without a second suit to their backs, for the mob in Missouri had taken nearly all he had. On the 17th, Sister Mary Ann Young got a boy to carry her up in his wagon to my house, that she might nurse and comfort Brother Brigham to the hour of starting.
• “ ‘September 18th, Charles Hubbard sent his boy with a wagon and span of horses to my house; our trunks were put into the wagon by some brethren; I went to my bed and shook hands with my wife who was then shaking with a chill, having two children lying sick by her side; I embraced her and my children, and bade them farewell. My only well child was little Heber P., and it was with difficulty he could carry a couple of quarts of water at a time to assist in quenching their thirst.
• “ ‘It was with difficulty we got into the wagon, and started down the hill about ten rods; it appeared to me as though my very inmost parts would melt within me at leaving my family in such a condition, as it were almost in the arms of death. I felt as though I could not endure it. I asked the teamster to stop, and said to Brother Brigham, “This is pretty tough, isn’t it; let’s rise up and give them a cheer.” We arose, and swinging our hats three times over our heads, shouted: “Hurrah, hurrah for Israel.” Vilate, hearing the noise, arose from her bed and came to the door. She had a smile on her face. Vilate and Mary Ann Young cried out to us: “Goodbye, God bless you!” We returned the compliment, and then told the driver to go ahead. After this I felt a spirit of joy and gratitude, having had the satisfaction of seeing my wife standing upon her feet, instead of leaving her in bed, knowing well that I should not see them again for two or three years’ ” (Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1967, pp. 265–66).
• They were willing to make any sacrifice asked of them to build the kingdom of God.
• When President Doxey first served in the Hokkaido branch, there were only 8 people but on his last day there, there were 70.
• President Doxey told another story from his mission: There was a 16 year-old girl who used to attend the free English classes taught by the missionaries. When President Spencer W kimball went to Japan to announce the building of a temple there, her parents wouldn't allow her to go. She then wrote a letter to President Kimball and in his reply to her, he mentioned that her parents would join the church. The leaders there started trying to teach her parents the gospel to no avail. When they decided to send Japanese elders there, they managed to get into their home but there was still a lot of resistance. Being Japanese was most important and this included things like tea, sake, etc. One day, they decided to go to church and they heard someone gave a talk about Joseph Smith. The father started to cry and knew that Joseph Smith was a true prophet. Since then, he never smoked again, never drank tea or sake again. He served two terms in the temple presidency.
• We need to be obedient and do the things that our branch president asks of us. We need to prepare. We are the Lord's hands.
• President Uchtdorf counseled us to lift where we stand.
• This is not about splitting the branch. This is about building Zion.

President Sanders' Remarks on 21 March 2010

• We are at the Kirtland stage of the growth of the church here.
• President Sanders is grateful for his great grandfather who joined the church during the Kirtland era.
• If we continue faithful, the generations after us will also hold our names in reverence.
• When President Sanders served his mission in Bolivia, he worked among the pioneers of the church there and it was the same for President Doxey in Japan and President Renner in the Philippines.
• The people had to be united to draw strength from one another.
• It is vital that we be faithful, purify our hearts, prepare ourselves, be ready, be united, be worthy and be full tithe-payers.
• Elder Jeffrey R Holland suggested 5 reasons why all of us, should faithfully pay our tithes and offerings:

1. do so for the sake of our children and grandchildren, the rising generation.
2. to rightfully claim the blessings promised those who do so.
3. as a declaration that possession of material goods and the accumulation of worldly wealth are not the uppermost goals of our existence.
4. out of honesty and integrity because they are God's rightful due.
5. as a personal expression of love to a generous and merciful Father in Heaven.
   

• The great intercessory prayer of Jesus as mentioned in John 17 applies also to all of us.
• We are among the ones referred to by Isaiah in Isaiah 58:12 as the repairer of the breach and the restorer of paths to dwell in.

President Renner's Remarks on 21 March 2010

Here's a quick recap of what was said last Sunday, especially for those of us who couldn't make it to church.

• The Kuala Lumpur Branch will split in 12 months but we actually have less time than that.
• The split will be based on the following assumptions:

1. The current rate of baptism remains the same.
2. Those who are baptized remain active.
3. Aaronic priesthood holders advance to Melchizedek priesthood on time.

• The split will be roughly along even lines, 50/50.
• We are to focus on being temporally and spiritually reliant.
• Leaders are to train those for whom they are responsible.
• Teachers are to prepare their lessons well and teach by the spirit.
• Those who hold grudges should repent and move on.
• Those who are coasting along should start contributing.
• By December this year, we could have about 10 members from our branch serving missions, including sisters.

Sisters, exciting times are ahead. President Renner is having a combined Priesthood and Relief Society meeting this Sunday to further instruct us so please make sure we're all there to receive it.

Friends, Family Pay Homage to Fallen Elders in Romania

Elder McKay Choy Burrows

Sisters, this is an article about Elder McKay Choy Burrows and Elder Jace Edwards Davis who died Saturday from accidental natural-gas asphyxiation due to a gas leak in their apartment in Romania.

Elder Burrows was the nephew of our very own Sister Jenny Han. She has gone to Highland, Utah to be with her sister and her family.

Please pray for the families of these two elders that they may feel comforted during this very difficult time.

(To read the entire article, click here)

Congratulations to the Weists!

Sisters, do you remember the Weist family? Michael, Erin, John and Emily? Well, this is their newest addition: David Edward Weist. Hope we'll get to meet him some day!

Just Married

The beaming bride and groom: Miow-Lin and James Willis! Our heartiest congratulations!

Emergency Preparedness

Today, we had a combined Priesthood and Relief Society meeting and President Renner was moved upon to chastise us for not being obedient to the counsel of the Lord to have our 72-hour kits and 3-month home storage fully prepared.

President Renner quoted from Alma 5:6 which says, "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in ^aremembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has ^bdelivered their souls from hell?

We were also told that blessings were being withheld from our branch due to this disobedience. I felt really sorry that the Lord was displeased with me. It made feel really bad that I had let the Lord down. I need to repent.

Sisters, we can't deny that we have been reminded over and over again to do this. There must be a good reason that this is happening. Let us be diligent and obedient and do all that we can. I know that the Lord will bless our efforts.

Let us go and do!

Conversion Story - Sister Tina Lee

After my husband died in 2006, I was very sad and afraid as I felt like a tree with no branches, just emptiness. So I did something which I had never done before: I went to church. After two years of going to the Catholic Church, I still felt afraid, alone and without anyone whom I could confide in. As time went by, it became worse. I felt weak and vulnerable. When I finally thought that I had found a friend, this person took advantage of my trust.

One day, I saw two white guys traveling on the same bus, talking to the other passengers. What surprised me was that one of them was talking to a passenger in Tamil! I later asked the passenger what the white guy wanted and he said that the white guy was telling him about God. He was also given a book in Tamil. I became interested and wanted to know more but the question was: How? Where could I find them?

Some time later, I saw those same white guys in Mid-Valley Mega Mall where I was working. I approached them and asked for the book about Jesus Christ. They were so happy and asked whether they could meet me to teach me. I told them no problem and a date was set for the following week. However, when the time came for us to meet, they were taken ill and I never got taught by them.

Later, when my work took me to Ampang Point, I saw another two guys from the same church. When they checked my address, they told me that they were the ones who were supposed to teach me, not the previous two guys. I got to know them as Elder Houston and Elder Taimoni.

Not long after they started teaching me about the Prophet Joseph Smith and what he did, Elder Houston told me that he had been transferred to Singapore. I couldn't understand why someone who was so concerned about me and my knowledge of God had to go. My heart ached and I felt very sad.

Elder Taimoni continued teaching me with Elder Richards. After a few meetings, Elder Taimoni too had to go. You can imagine how I felt as the teachers kept being changed.

Then came Sister Parry and Sister Clark. By the end of September last year, they decided I should get baptized but I was very reluctant. I became afraid. I told them I couldn't be baptized as I was already baptized in another Church but if God called me to be baptized, I'd do it. I wouldn't do it just for the sake of making them happy.

They agreed and started sending me scriptures to read every day. They also asked me to ask God about my baptism. I started having problems with one of my sons and as I thought about it, I realized that God was calling me to be baptized so that I could have the companionship of the Holy Ghost and be able to feel peace.

One day before I was baptized, I felt faint. I don't remember how I managed to walk to where I could get a cab, told the driver where I live, got out of the cab, walked up the stairs and reached my front door. I realized later it must have been God who had taken me safely home. I decided to do what God had wanted me to do and that was to get baptized. The date was set for 19 October 2008.

Sister Parry and Sister Clark were very happy but neither of them got to attend my baptism. Sister Svenson and Sister Kotogama took over their place. I was baptized by Brother Friend. I had a very good feeling. I felt like all my burdens and sadness had been lifted up.

Now, I feel happy going to church. I am very blessed that President Renner takes good care of me as he knows I had a lot of sadness in my life. I feel like I have a family now, not just a bare tree but one with many branches. After Sister Svenson and Sister Kotogama left, Sister McCurdy and Sister Alford continued to teach me and it made me happy. I feel the Holy Ghost who comforts me.

It feels really nice to belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's like a home, full of laughter and love that I had never experienced before, not even with my sons. They have all left, thinking that I'm the most foolish mother. But with God by my side, I don't worry so much any more. I know He is there for me.

Charity in Action - Sister Cathy

Being with the sisterhood of Relief Society has been a wonderful blessing in my life. When I was expecting my first child 19 years ago (and a new convert then), the sisters willingly shared with me their experiences and pregnancy tips.

I'm especially thankful to Sister Susie How, who constantly called me up to check on my progress when she found out that my baby was due. As a first time 'mature' mother-to-be (and being far away from my own sisters), the thought of going through the birth process was rather worrying and Sister Susie's calls had certainly been reassuring and comforting to me! And especially so when I went beyond the due date and she kept up with me every day till my baby was born. After the birth of Johann, she shared with me parenting tips and gave me a book that I still treasure till today!

Sister Joyce Yong's help for the first year of Johann's life will always be remembered with much fondness as I've learnt so much from her in the area of child discipline for her children are a great reflection of her mothering skills!

By the time Eriene, my second child came along, I no longer needed the services of a confinement lady as Sister Jenny Han was around to take my maid to the market every morning and taught her the dishes to cook for me to help me recover fast from the rigours of child-birth! Sister Jenny is one sister who is ever ready to give her time and energy at a moment's notice and I will always be appreciative of her.

I have always enjoyed Sister Geok Lee's sharing of her children's milestones with me and from her, I learnt about academic excellence and multiple talents. When my children excel, she deserves the credit too for she showed me the way!

Of course, there are many other sisters (too many to name them all but they know who they are :-)) who came bearing gifts for my babies and generously shared with me their experiences about children in particular, and life in general. To all these sisters who have touched my life with charity, kindness, generosity, and patience, I will be eternally grateful to you :-).

I know that I have not been able to return the favour to them; so to show my appreciation and gratitude, I'll make myself available to other sisters who are in need of my listening ears and companionship.

So Sisters, just remember that I'm on call for you. This will help me return the favour to all the wonderful sisters who have done much for me :-)

Charity in Action - Sister Hui-Lian Liew

My mission has been one of the best things I have ever done, I think for my life. I learnt a lot and grew to love everyone I was able to meet, teach and associate with.

One of the highlights of my mission is definitely the companions that I had. Companions are definitely a God-sent because there's no way we can be as effective being solo missionaries. We are with them 24/7 and we have to do almost everything together. So of course, it's not all great. There are times when we have to work out our differences since we are all different and we each came from different backgrounds.

One companion I had was very strong-willed and having two strong-willed missionaries together, we were bound to head butt. She wanted a lot of control and so did I. But being the newer one in the mission at that time, I figured I'll back down and let her "run the show." It was frustrating and I found it difficult to enjoy our missionary work. Yet, we were taught that having the Spirit is important in every aspect of our work and I badly wanted it to work between us.

My companion had a scripture quote on charity, found in Moroni 7:47 which says, "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." She stuck it on her bedside and said she reads it every day to help remind her.

I thought a lot about it and thought to myself, I surely needed it, badly. I made a point in every personal prayer throughout the day, to pray for charity. To have the pure love of Christ so I could rid of this discontentment filling up inside. Things slowly turned out better. I began to see qualities in her that I never noticed before. I learnt to see her, as one specially chosen by Heavenly Father to be my companion and to be in this mission, the lives that she touched, the amazing teaching skills that she had, all the things that I wanted to have in my own self.

By the end of the transfer (6 weeks), she got ready to go home and I felt like the time we had was not enough. It was not fair. We have grown to love each other and worked really well together.

But life is such, that Heavenly Father shuffles things around a lot so we get to grow even more with different events in our lives. In this case, I had the opportunity to serve with more amazing sisters and meet so many wonderful people that touched my life even more.

Charity not only brings about the pure love of Christ, but also opens up to more opportunities to catch a glimpse of what the Lord feels for each of us. I love it! :)

Charity in Action - Sister Susie How

Many years ago, when I was staying in Taman Supreme, Cheras, I seldom had visiting teachers who would come to my house to visit me. My house was up on a hill with a long and very steep slope. The angle of the slope was more than forty-five degrees and the distance more than one kilometer. Of course, there was no bus service and unscrupulous taxi drivers charged extra to go up the hill. As I lived there, I constantly walked up and down the hill but for others, it was quite a trek uphill to visit me unless they had a car. My own brothers complained that going uphill there daily would put a toll on their cars!

Later, I had a set of visiting teachers who made no excuses when visiting teaching and no hill was going to deter them. Sister Lillian Lim and Sister Annie Teh were the two faithful sisters who were obedient and diligent to their callings as visiting teachers and who loved me enough to visit me faithfully every month. They would come together after work by bus to the foot of the hill, then walked up. After a whole day of sunny weather, the road up the hill would usually be hot and the soles of their feet would also be heated up. Naturally, the first word they would utter when they saw me was always, "Water!" After drinking, then only would the greetings and message given. Theirs were the visits I've always treasured!

Conversion Story - Sister Vanitha James

When I was asked by the missionaries to read the Book of Mormon and pray for guidance of the Holy Spirit, I was reluctant because I did not believe in it. Our whole family and I were angry with my husband because he continued going to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We thought we had convinced him to leave the church and believed that he had really left. But after some time, we saw him still going there and this time, he was very strong in the church. So, we decided to give up on him, ignore him, maintain our distance and keep away from him.

During this period of time, our family and I were very against any teachings by the church members including the missionaries. But the elders continued to come and visit us. This made me listen to what they had to say and they showed me how to read the Book of Mormon.

Our son, Vasanthan was very angry at first but I told him that the elders were referring to the bible to explain the words from the Book of Mormon. Vasanthan then came and joined me to listen to what the elders were teaching. It made us feel peace in our hearts.

Two months later, I decided to be baptized and our son, Vasanthan was baptized just last month, in June. I did not tell the rest of the family that Vasanthan and I are baptized. I want them to see the changes in us.

Now, the Holy Spirit guides me and there is peace in my heart, which leads me to study the Book of Mormon every day.

I still have challenges especially during this period of time but I pray to God daily and submit myself to Him. Now, I feel light in my heart and I hope that God will deliver our family soon. I know that one day my prayer will be answered and our whole family will come to know about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

E-mail from Sister Tracy Friend

How’s the branch? We miss it, but are enjoying visiting in my sister’s ward. The first Sunday I got to substitute for the Sunbeams! (Their teacher had to take a sick child home). We are so close to the chapel that we can walk to church!

Mark went to choir practice last Sunday (our 2^nd Sunday). It’s a nice ward. I do hope Mark can find a job so we can stay here.

Tell everyone I said, hello, especially my visiting teaching sisters. Tell Elejer keep up the great work – she’s a GREAT visiting teacher!

Here’s our family blog: http://thejungletimes.blogspot.com so if people want to see what we’re up to.

Tracy

Conversion Story - Sister Claire Lim

My parents are Catholic, thus I was born a Catholic. So, I went to Catechism (Catholic Sunday School) all throughout my primary school years. However, I grew up with my grandpa in Melaka and not my parents, who were working in KL. I remember when I was 8 or 9 years old, I would ask questions like, “Why are we here on earth? What is the purpose of life?” Well, I asked those questions, because I hated doing homework ALL the time! ^_^

Nonetheless, my questions were answered when I was 16 years old. The answers came through a series of events. I didn’t know then, that they would lead to my baptism in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Looking back, I never regretted the path I chose.

My baptism was a member missionary effort. My aunt Lillian shared the gospel with her sister, Susan and Susan’s husband, Michael. During that time, Michael and Susan were also living under the same roof as my grandpa and I. The missionaries started coming over to teach the discussions to Michael and Susan. Subsequently, they would also go to the missionary couple’s home for the new member discussions, watch church videos and also hold family home evenings. Of course, I would always tag along.

In the beginning, I would just tag along for fun. When new missionaries came, I would be the “investigator” for them to practice teaching the discussions. All these happened around the time when I was 15 and 16 years old. Not long after that, I started skipping Catechism to go to “their” Sacrament meetings. My parents were not happy about it. However, I felt that the Plan of Salvation the missionaries had been sharing made sense. It’s very logical. So, I wanted to learn more. I also started praying to know the truthfulness of the gospel.

Wanting to learn more meant spending more time in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints with the Saints and mostly missionaries at that time (as it was still a very small branch). Thus, I gradually removed myself from the Catholic Church. There was one particular Sunday (I don’t remember the date) I went to my usual Catholic Mass in the morning. I sat on the aisle seat looking at the people seated in the cathedral. During that time, females were assigned to sit on the left side of the cathedral and the males were on the right side. I remembered thinking to myself, “What if ALL the males in this cathedral hold the priesthood of God?” That would be A LOT of members in Melaka!

I sat there weighing heavily on the pros and cons of staying until the Mass was over and most importantly if I should leave the Catholic Church for good. I believe I was only about 16 going on 17 at that time, nonetheless I decided there and then to get up and leave the Cathedral and subsequently the Catholic faith. I still remember vividly the moment I walked out of the Cathedral, telling myself, “There’s nothing here for me anymore.” I didn’t feel a loss, I felt at peace.

This bold decision that I made was aided by a few incidences which happened as answers to my prayers. I shall share one. As I’ve mentioned before, I’d already been praying to find out whether the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. There was one time I had a religious discussion with my English teacher in school. I brought up the topic of ‘Mormonism’ and my teacher went on to share what she knew about the ‘Mormons”. I started to correct her and defending the church. The moment I realized what I was doing, it dawned on me that I already knew this church to be true.

As a Catholic, I’d already been taught to pray to our Heavenly Father. However, the most crucial part of prayer that I’ve learned in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that He answers our prayers. He truly does! I found out for myself through prayer that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and that the prophet Joseph Smith Jr. was called to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ here on earth. I also know the Book of Mormon is written by ancient prophets for the people in our day.

I was finally baptized when I was 18 against my parents’ wishes. Nonetheless, I had support from my aunts and uncle. My grandpa also joined the church after I did. He was 71 when he joined. ^_^ I was privileged to be able to serve a mission in the Kaohsiung, Taiwan mission. After that, I was blessed to attend BYU Hawaii and the University of Hawaii. All these came to pass, because of the gospel in my life.

I testify that when we stay faithful, doing and giving our best to build His kingdom here on earth, we will be guided by the Spirit to do whatever that is right and necessary for us to go back to our Heavenly Father. Through that, we are able to help our brothers and sisters as well.

Heavenly Father has been very kind and generous to me. The atonement of Jesus Christ has enabled me to repent of my sins and get back on track every time I fall short. I truly am an unprofitable servant. That’s when I learned that when much is given, much is required. This life is for us to prepare to meet God. We will have to learn to endure to the end and endure it well, work together with our families and our loved ones and bring them to the knowledge of the gospel. With Christ as our Savior, we can and will make it when we do our part.

The Friends

The Friends will be leaving us tomorrow to return to the States. We will miss them.

We are grateful for all that they have done for us and wish them all the best in their future undertakings.

Maybe Marcus will be sent here to serve his mission!

The good news is, we can still keep up with their adventures by reading from their blog at http://thejungletimes.blogspot.com

Conversion Stories

Hi Sisters,

Remember last week I asked all of you to write down your conversion stories so that I can post them on our blog? Well, I've started the ball rolling by posting my own.

I hope you will be able to e-mail me or give me your handwritten ones to post. I've been inspired to ask this of you so I hope you will try.

I know we can strengthen ourselves as well as one another if we can share this.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve you and as I begin to get to know you better, I can see just how wonderful and unique you are. I know the Lord must be so pleased to see all the efforts you are putting in to live by His commandments, despite any challenges you may have.

We: Sister Claire, Sister Sharon, Sister Cathy and I love you and respect you.

So wear a smile and have a great week!

Conversion Story - Sister Susan Seet

Susan and Michael with the Elders who taught them the Gospel, Elder Andrew Confer and Elder Mathew Wall.

The year was 1994. My husband, Michael, and I were leading a worldly lifestyle. He was holding two jobs and I was teaching during the day and going to law school at night. Life was too hectic for us to enjoy anything.

My sister, Lillian had recently been widowed. Michael and I knew that she was hurting badly so we visited her often and even accompanied her to her church. It was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had been baptized into it eight years before.

Soon after our visiting the church with Lillian, two elders were sent by the mission to our little historical town of Melaka in Malaysia. We were wary of the elders at first and even hid from them, however, in no time, we became fast friends. We felt sorry for these two American young men who had nobody. There were no members and they were so far away from home.

Invitation to a Very Small Sacrament Meeting
They invited us to their sacrament meeting one day and we agreed. Sacrament meeting was held in their apartment. They did not even have chairs, so we sat on one of their beds. Week after week, there were just the four of us. We started asking them questions and they asked us to take the six discussions.

During one of the discussions, we were taught the principle of tithing and we both felt that it was right. We went home and discussed it and decided that if we felt a teaching to be correct, then the right thing to do was to act upon it.

We decided to pay our first tithe even though we were not baptized yet. ---The only problem was that we had spent our income without planning for a 10% tithe and if we were to go ahead, we would not have enough money for food for the rest of the month. ----It was a tough decision but we decided to go by faith.

Miraculously, we survived the month because my father visited us often and brought us plenty of food. We then had our first testimony of tithing and this has never been a challenge to us ever since. We continued to act upon everything that we were taught and felt to be right.

Everything that the missionaries taught us was very acceptable to me, as I was hungry for something more in my life. That which was seriously lacking in my life, I now seemed to have found.

Disagreements
It was harder for Michael to completely accept that this was the only true church and we used to have huge disagreements, especially on Saturday nights or Sunday mornings which made it extremely difficult for us to get to church. However, we always seemed to make it there somehow. It was so amazing that the elders would invariably talk about something that we had been arguing about even though we had never told them about it. The spirit was so strong, always, and tears would often flow freely.

I was sure that I had found that missing piece in my life and was ready to be baptized but it was not so with Michael. We had more arguments as a result. One day, however, he came home from work and ---to my surprise announced that he also wanted to be baptized! ---While driving home, he had a vision of us. In the vision we were members of the church and we were very happy!

Susan and Michael with Elder Brian Ashby who also helped teach them the truths of the Gospel.

Baptism
The elders set the date for November 5th. We had our biggest argument on November 4th, over nothing! My sister Lillian told us to pray and as we knelt down and prayed, all the anger and negative feelings just left us and we could not figure out what we had been arguing about.

We were baptized and at about the same time, a missionary couple was sent to our little town and a few months later another family moved in. With two families, a branch was formed and Michael was called as the branch president. It was quite overwhelming, as we were so new in the church. However, the missionaries continued to teach and train us.

Michael and I spent a lot of time reading from manuals and whatever church materials we could lay our hands on. We thought we were hungry, but we were practically starving. One couple described us as sponges trying to absorb everything.

Becoming Parents
One day, Michael read a quote by President Kimball stating that putting off parenting for the sake of studies or career was a form of idolatry. ---He thought about us and shared what he had read with me. I knew then that I had a big decision to make. I remember taking one whole day, praying and studying it out in my mind before I decided that I would give up law school to start a family. Michael agreed with me and almost a year later, our son Matthew (named after the first missionary who taught us) was born. His Chinese name is Jing Wei, meaning defender of the scriptures.

When Matthew was born, we decided that I would quit my teaching job to be a full time homemaker, just as the church teaches. This decision drew lots of criticism especially from some family members and most of our friends. ---Since Michael's sole income would not be able to sustain us, Michael also had to quit his job to look for a better paying one. Most people thought we were either stupid or crazy or both. In the scriptures, the Lord promised us that if we would do the things that He wants us to, He would provide a way and He did. Michael was able to provide for us with his new job.

When Matthew turned one, we made plans to go to our nearest temple, the Manila Philippines Temple. Lillian went with us and it was such a wonderful experience especially when we were sealed together and when Matthew was brought in to be sealed to us.

The Seets' three boys, named for the missionaries who taught them, Andrew Seet De Wei, Brian Seet Song Wei, and Mathew Seet Jing Wei.

As we continued to learn, progress and serve, my niece Claire, who was staying with us was observing us and learning as well. Claire wanted to be baptized, but she could not get her parents' consent. When she turned eighteen, however, she was baptized. She served a mission in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She cycled about 15 kilometers a day. She worked so hard and touched so many lives. We are very proud of her.

My father Samuel, who was also staying with us, got baptized later. He was 71 years old at that time. He does not speak or understand English but he has faithfully attended church all this time. We do not have a Mandarin branch, all is in English, but he is able to say prayers, bless the sacrament, sing the church hymns and read his church manuals and other materials in Mandarin. He was 75 when he went to the Taipei Taiwan Temple to serve as an ordinance worker and then returned home with his proud granddaughter, Claire. He was not able to serve a regular mission, as he is a widower.

Michael and I later had another son, Andrew (named after the second missionary who came to Melaka and taught us). His Chinese name is De Wei, which means defender of virtues. Just before Andrew was born, Michael was retrenched from work and it was four months of refining and living by faith. Michael later got a better job but we will never forget the things that we learned during that ordeal. We have become more compassionate, more generous, more understanding and more grateful.

An Amazing Miracle
Sometime after this, something really wonderful happened. My uncle (my father's younger brother) who had just returned from one of his trips to visit our relatives in China, brought us a book. It was all written in ancient Mandarin and my father could not really make out what it was so he showed it to me. At first, I too did not know what it was but as I slowly studied it, I realized it was a record of my father's ancestors! If I am not mistaken, we have information on eighteen generations! ---I often wondered when I was growing up, why my parents had sent me to a Mandarin-medium school when all my siblings were sent to English-medium schools. Well, now I know! What a tremendous blessing this was. Our hearts were filled with so much gratitude. We made copies of the book and sent it to be translated. When we went to the Hong Kong Temple with my father for his endowment, we had the opportunity to do work for some of our ancestors. We can feel the love for our ancestors even though we only have names and dates to look at. My father finished doing work for all the names in the book when he served in the Taipei Temple.

Just before our third son Brian (named after the third missionary who came to Melaka and taught us) was born, Michael was offered a better job but this required us to move to the city of Kuala Lumpur. I have never been one who likes to live in the big city so I was very undecided about this. One day after praying about it, I was prompted to read the scriptures from where I had left off the day before. When I opened my Book of Mormon, I knew I had my answer because it was the chapter about Lehi moving his family from Jerusalem! The Lord has never failed to help Michael get a better job so that he can provide for us, as our family grows larger. We have a very strong testimony of this. By the way, Brian's Chinese name is Song Wei, which means defender of the mountain (as in mountain of the Lord).

There have been so many spiritual experiences in our lives that there is not the time nor space to share them all. We are so grateful for all that we have learned and for all the blessings that have come into our lives because of the gospel. We love our three beautiful boys so much and we are working hard to bring them up the right way by changing ourselves to be the best that we can be. We pray that they will grow up to be valiant young men. We want to make it to the celestial kingdom and we are trying our best to do it one day at a time.

In fulfillment of the vision that Michael had, we are indeed happy!