Personal Revelation

NI HAO

This week has been a wonderful week! I am so excited that I have the opportunity and privilege to come here to Sibu. It's nice to have a fresh start with a new area, new companion, new people, new everything! So far I have loved sibu! One thing I'm most excited about is Chinese. Out here hardly anybody speaks English and the branch is a Chinese branch. My Chinese has improved already within the few days I have been here. On Sunday I blessed the sacrament in Chinese and gave a talk and bore my testimony in Chinese!  I discovered that I know more then I give myself credit for. I'm excited to continue to learn and progress in the Chinese language.

 

My faith has increased a lot within these past few days, especially today. I had a wonderful experience last night and this morning in receiving personal revelation. At church we watched a video about receiving personal revelation and it showed the experiences of Joseph smith receiving revelation for the Doctrine and Covenants. It then related how we ourselves can receive personalized revelation and explained to us how to do it. That video struck my and made me feel the spirit. I kept reflecting on it that night. So in my nightly prayer last night, I followed the videos guidance and seeked for personal revelation. Upon asking my specific question a thought began flowing into my head like someone was speaking to me and told me what I must do. As it happened I felt a nice peace and sort of like I was not in my own mind. After the thoughts stopped flowing I received a distinct impression to "write it down" So I wrote down what I had heard. The answer helped me as I fell asleep last night. I fell asleep in peace and my soul was comforted. This morning however, when I woke up, the doubts came in and I began to question if what I heard was just my own thoughts telling myself what I wanted to hear. And I flipped open to the scriptures in Luke 24: 36-38. And it says: 

 36 ¶And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

Verse 36 and 38 really stuck out to me and helped me feel peace that it was revelation. When it asks "why do thoughts arise in your hearts?" there is a foot note on thoughts that say "doubts; hesitation" And so I asked myself why do I let thoughts of doubt and hesitation keep holding me back? After that I read a blessing that Elder Avery gave to me while we were companions that I had written down. And the words of the personal revelation I had received lined up almost word for word with the words of the blessing. And it confirmed to me that it was revelation and brought much peace unto my soul and weary heart. It has increased my faith in the Savior Jesus Christ and his gospel. I know that this church is true and I know that God loves me. I know that he has not forgotten me and is on my side cheering for me. I love God and I love this church.

As for miracles this week I would say that experience was the biggest. But this week we did have a member who brought his cousins to church and we were able to meet them and will be trying to teach them soon. The branch here is very small only about 20 or so at sacrament. I hope and pray that I can find a leader who will build the kingdom and the Chinese branch here.

I love my companion Elder Pearce! He is so fun and we clicked right away! He is from Utah. He went to Brighton high school. We have a great relationship already and I am excited that the Lord has put me with him.

Also, Elder Avery Grant is in my district!!!!! I am so pumped!! We were good friends in high school! I am so glad to see him out here on a mission! I got so lucky that he is in my district! We have seen each other a lot this week.

Elder Schwemmer's good friend Elder Grant from high school!

 

 

The other Elders in my district are Elder Knight, Elder Ee, and Elder Meacham. Today for pday the district is having a movie day. Sibu is pretty empty so there's not much to do. Today its raining pretty hard anyways.

 

Our house that we live in is HUGE!!!!! Just Elder Pearce and I live in it. It is so big and empty. There's a cool story behind our house. So in Sibu there are a bunch of Chinese gangs. Well, many years ago, some missionaries met the big boss of the gangs. They taught him all of the lessons. He was about to be baptized but if he wanted to be baptized he would have had to confess all his sins. But he didn't want to. However, he absolutely loves the church and the Elders. The only reason we have a big house is because he is the land lord of it and hooked up the church with a way good deal on it. The other day he also saw us eating lunch and he came and payed for us. He protects us haha its way sick.

 

Another funny story: This week I crashed for the first time on my bike haha. I'm using a crappy left over bike while my good bike is being shipped over here. Well I was riding no handed on the main road and there was a big puddle coming up. So I looked behind my shoulder to see if there were any cars coming so that I could go around the puddle. Well when I looked back there were some huge bumps in front of me that I didn't see and I totally ate it haha. There were so many cars there and they probably all saw haha. At first, my pride was more hurt then anything but I got over it. Haha even a couple branch members saw and talked to me about it at church lol. I got a bunch of scrapes and a bruised hip but I'm doing fine haha.

Well I love you all! Thanks for everything!

Love, 

Elder Schwemmer

 

Pictures

Elder Schwemmer's look alike



Elder Schwemmer and Elder Brown trying the fish spa!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zone Conference

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missionaires singing hymns

Got to see my buddy Elder Avery again!

 



Transfers!

Wow last week was a shocker. None of us expected Elder Avery to become AP. But I am so excited for him! He has been the best companion! I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to serve with him and I know that he will do great in his new assignment!

This week was a good week. Last week Elder Avery and I went to find a less active but ended up finding a family that lived near to them. This week with Elder Li they became new investigators. This family is super kind and have gone through a lot of challenges in their life so I have developed a strong love for them. We met with them and shared the first lesson. As I was reciting the first vision the spirit struck my body head to toe and it was so powerful for me that I couldn't help but get emotional. The first vision is always the most powerful part of any lesson and this was the strongest the spirit has ever touched me. It helped me build my testimony and increase my faith.

 

The family liked our lesson and they committed to come to church and to read and pray. I was excited for this Sunday to see them at church. I fasted for them this Sunday as well. Well they never showed up to church because the wives brother got in an accident and they went to see him. I was a bit sad, but I understood. Then after church Elder Li and I went to visit another less active. We showed up to her house but she ignored us. So during this we had an interesting experience. The walk to this less actives house is very long. We were walking and a guy who lives in our condo pulled up next to us and offered to give us a ride. So we got there quicker then we had planned. Then she ignored us so we started walking back. Well on our way back a member from our branch pulled up next to us and offered a ride! We were excited but confused because we didn't know where we were going because we planned to be walking much longer. So we asked each other: "Where is God trying to take us right now?" We said a prayer and the thought to go visit the less active that lives next to this investigator family came into our heads. So we start walking there and we get offered another ride! This never happens here, so we were excited. We get to the less actives house and they were not home. But, the family that we just started teaching and that was supposed to be at church who lives two doors next to the less actives was just getting home from their trip and outside. I got really excited and I knew that God was leading me there to them but I wasn't sure why. We started talking to the dad and I didn't get what I was expecting to happen. He basically told us that he didn't want to investigate anymore but that he just wants to be friends. I was so confused. I had been fasting for him all day, praying for him all week, and I thought the lesson we had with them touched their hearts. I was left wondering why God lead us to that? Why was that the answer to my fast? I kind of built up some anger and discouragement. I'm hoping that the spirit will work upon him and change his mind. I love him and I don't want to see his family miss out on the blessings of the gospel.

My new companion Elder Li is great! He is American born Chinese. Both his parents are from China so he has been speaking Chinese his whole life! I'm excited to learn from him.

This week for P-day we might go bowling or to an escape room or something we still don't know haha. 

Thank you everyone for the love and the prayers and the support! 

Love, Elder Schwemmer

Batu Caves!

What's up yall! This week was an awesome week! Last week was my favorite P-day I've ever had! We went to the Batu Caves! We took a 45 minute taxi ride to northern kl and the taxi driver was an Indian man and he gave us a discount because we were going to his temple haha. We got out and the first thing we saw was the HUGE golden statue! This thing is ginormous! Before my mission I looked at it on Google images so many times and now it was finally real! The staircase going in to the caves is huge and straight up. We stopped half way up because there were a bunch of monkeys jumpin around! :) Monkeys are so cool! They are so fun to watch! There was a big one who jumped on top of a light pole and started shaking it back and forth and I thought it was about to fall over! I guess he was showing the other monkeys that he is king! Then we went into the caves! The cave is way cool! It's huge and on the inside there is a bunch of Hindu temples. There's also a ton of monkeys! I love monkeys but Elder Avery hates them because last time he saw a monkey it attacked him! Haha so now he's petrified. Haha he got a picture of it too! Monkeys are insane! This P-day was super fun!

These past few weeks the work has been really hard! We cannot find anyone who will keep there appointments. We meet so many people and schedule so many appointments but people don't like to follow through!! We confirm with them the day of and they always say they are coming but they never show! It has been very frustrating so we have been trying different ways to find people. If I stay in Puchong this next transfer then me and Elder Avery have asked president, and he has approved for us to get bikes. They have these folding bikes out here that you can put in a bag so we are going to buy those.

We did have a cool miracle this week though. We were trying to visit a less active when we see this lady getting out of her car. We tried talking to her and she goes "Are you guys Jehovah's witness'?" We said no and she said: "Are you sure?" haha and were like yes of course. So then she invited us in. We get in and there is a big family there with a bunch of little kids running around. We sat down and talked to her and her husband. Her husband has been searching for truth about God his whole life. One of his daughters was born with a mental disability and since then he has been searching for God and wondering why these things happened to him. He is now 60 years old and has not been able to find answers. The whole time we did nothing but listen and he told us his theories about God and how he thinks he works and it was exactly in line with what we believe. He also said he wants his 16 year old son to go to a church and has been praying to know which one to send him to, then we showed up at his door and he feels like we were sent from God. We invited him to church and he showed up this Sunday! He said he really likes the church and feels that it is very organized! We are hoping his whole family will become new investigators this week!

Transfers are today but we still have not got any news. Ill keep you posted! Love you all! Thanks for all the prayers and the love! 

-Elder Schwemmer