"And That Was His Prayer. AHHHH!"

So this week was crazy! First of all we have a new investigator who I am in love with (missionary kind of love, haha). His name is Deba, and he is from Bangalore, India (the same place as my family!!). I don't even know what to tell you first. He has been in Malaysia for 7 years, and he met Sister Pinkston and her old companion a few days before I got there (but I was there the first time we went back) because the way they usually went home was blocked off and they were lost. So, he helped them and told them they could come by any time.


So Deba lived in Kalkata (Calcutta) for a while when he was younger and lived on the same street as Mother Teresa. Yeah, he personally knew Mother Teresa and her example left an impression on him. So although he was raised Hindu, since he was young he has had a soft spot for Jesus Christ. He told us the first time I met him, "I am very interested in this. I don't know anything, and I need you to teach me." We invited him to come to church, and he told us, "I have to go there. I will definitely come!" And he did come. He came, and it was the first time he had ever been to a Christian church in his life. He saw pictures of the Savior on the wall, and we sat by him in sacrament meeting and he followed along with the hymns. Our mission president, President Clark was visiting our branch this Sunday, and gave a wonderful talk about the Savior. Afterwards, President Clark came and talked to Deba, asking him what he felt about church. Deba said he felt a sense of unity, of familial love. And then yesterday we met with Deba again and I asked him myself what he thought about church. He said, "I was not nervous. Even [though] it was my first time, I didn't feel scared. I was calm, you introduced me and sat by me. And when I was in the church, I thought to myself, 'I feel like I have been here before. I feel like this is not my first time.' This Sunday I will come again and I will understand more." I wanted to shout to the world my love for this person!!! He is SO prepared. We stopped by and gave him a Book of Mormon, which he already has a great respect for. We taught him who God is and taught him how to pray, after which he eagerly offered the first prayer he had ever given in his life. He said, "Heavenly Father, I am so happy. I am so happy about Jesus Christ." And that was his prayer. AHHHH!!!!! And he is from my dad's hometown!!! There's nowhere I'd rather be than here. This morning I woke up, dreaming about how we will invite him to be baptized tomorrow. Prepared souls. So much love.


Also, this week I went to Singapore to "chop visa" and went out proselyting with a few of the sisters in Singapore. It is legal to teach Singaporean Malays (they are Muslim), and so I went to a lesson with a Singaporean Malay man named Zul (say Zool). It was a very different experience, never having taught anyone from his culture/mindset before. He was very sweet, has a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and wants help to stop smoking so he can be baptized. We testified of Heavenly Father's love and awareness of him, and of the power of prayer in overcoming temptation. When you testify of something as precious as that, to someone individually, you see that person differently. I loved him in a way I had never loved a Muslim before (because of not being able to teach them until this time). It was a sweet experience, with feelings I hadn't felt before. God's love is real. He loves each and every single one of His children.


I found an amazing quote yesterday, and I want to share it and I'll end for this week. It's about spirituality. 


"Every noble impulse; every unselfish expression of love; every brave suffering for the right; every surrender of self to something higher than self; every loyalty to an ideal; every unselfish devotion to principle; every helpfulness to humanity; every act of self-control; every fine courage of the soul, undefeated by pretense of policy, but by being, doing, and living of good for the very good's sake--that is spirituality." - David O. McKay


That's how people prepare... prepare to meet the missionaries, prepare to be baptized or have a family or receive a place in God's kingdom. Through those choices.


The Gospel is true.


Sister Gopinath