KELUARGA DAPAT KEKAL SELAMANYA. 27 Mei 2018

Families Can Be Together Forever

My sweet fam & friends,

THIS IS IT! My last email home. I will be headed to LAX on 6 Juni and into the arms of my mother so soon. The feelings I am feeling are the weirdest feelings ever. I am NERVOUS SO NERVOUS and so SAD and so excited but yeah, I don't know how to describe it. I tear up every time I think of leaving Indo. I know I am going to cry heaps leaving Indonesia, but this IS home, and I know I will be coming back sooner than I know it. 

To express how I feel about my misi in an email is impossible!

What I can say is that God lives, and He hears our prayers. Jesus is the Christ, and He indeed has felt every feeling of despair and grief that any being has experienced. My prayer of 19 years of having the chance to meet, to know, and to introduce the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to my family in Indonesia has been answered. I know that families can be together forever with Heavenly Father's Plan. My mission has been absolute evidence of God's desire for my family to be together forever... and I know that it will happen!

In each city I have served in, I have had a personal connection with my family that I just recently learned about as I have had the time to talk about family history with my Oma and Opa (grandparents) here in Manado.

My first city was Solo- which is where my Opa's mother is from. My second city was Malang-  where my Om Nyoman lives- dad's cousin- who gave me a family history rundown from my father's side in Bali. Jakarta, my third and longest city, is where 2 of my older sisters were born, where my parents met, and where they lived for a few years when they were young parents. I also met another saudara there- my Aunt Nancy- which is my dad's cousin, who also gave me some family history. My last city, Manado, is where my parents are both from, where they grew up, and where my family currently lives.. The city where I literally had the opportunity to serve, to love, and to KNOW my FAMILY! I have seen so many miracles here, and I indeed have seen God's hand in my life on the misi.

Just 18 months ago, I could not tell you more than 5 words in Bahasa Indonesia, I could not tell you more than 3 things that I knew about my grandparents, sisters, cousins, or any of my family members that live here, and I couldn't even tell you 5 things I knew about Indonesia, the country itself, or the people. 

The hole in my heart has now been filled! I know where I come from, who my own family is, what is special to them and what they've experienced, and where we are going- together as a family.

I know that salvation is an individual matter, but exaltation is a family matter. My family will be together forever and I will do whatever it takes for the rest of my life to help them to come home to my Father in heaven.

Mosiah 2:41-
And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

I love you all, and I feel so blessed to have had this incredible experience. Indonesia is forever in my heart.

See you next week! 

dengan kasih yg AMAT BESAR,

Sister Vanessa Rachel Ratunuman <3

ps- THE GREATEST MIRACLE YET! My sweet fam came to church yesterday to hear me talk about eternal families. I love them SO MUCH! 

fotos: 

1) the fam at church :")

2) My aunty uli & big sister, Sisilia 

3) my cousin, Nivy

4) Aurel & Cinta, my niece & cousin

5) my cute niece, Aurel!! mini me!! she lost her tooth last night hahaha

6) my father's homeland! tondano!

7) My dad's family in Tondano :)

8) even PUGS know the Book of MOrmon is TRUE!

9 & 10) Beach clean up/ service project with the distrik fam

Another CRAZY week 21 Mei 2018

I don't know how to sum up this week besides...

1) I ate kalalawar, anjing, tekus, dan ular. Put that into google translate and you might gag a little like me ;)

2) I visited my Opa Ratunuman's home, which is the home that my father grew up in. That came along with visiting his kebun, and hearing the funniest stories about my dad hahahah. ALONG WITH PRICELESS FOTOS OF HIM IN HIS YOUTH... David is his twin!

3) Found more names of my ancestors who have passed. I have really and truly felt the Lolrd guide me in finding them, and I have a testimony that there is so much work to be done right here, right now. On earth and for those who have passed :)

4) Our lovely simpatisan is committing to baptism for the end of next month!

5) We are teaching a lot of people with incredible potential and so much interest in how to strengthen their relationship with Heavenly Father. The rising generation, children, parents, aand so forth.

AND WE ARE LOVING EVERY SECOND OF IT!!

Oma and Opa Ratu :)

Aurel, my niece!! She looks exactly like me when I was her age :")

Sisilia, Bren, and Jesika- my three older sisters when they were in Indo together before Brenda moved to America!!

My cousins & Aunty :)

My Oma Elisabeth Pai's 76th birthday & the fam

Tiara, our BFF & beloved simpatisan

& the greatest things in life.. es kelapa, pisang goreng & sambal, with a killer view of my faves the ocean and a sunset!

Pelajaran" di Pantai 13 Mei 2018

Lessons on the Beach

HEY ALLLL! Hopefully you've had a beautiful week!

Last night, Sister Mentari and I had NO IDEA where to go or what to do. The joys of whitewashing ;) Our janji fell through, and we said a prayer outside of MegaMall, asking Heavenly Father to guide us to people who would recieve a KItab Mormon. Our goal was to hand out two, and so we asked for His guidance.

The night went on, and after an hour of contacting on the seashore, no one was interested, and no one wanted to talk to us.. like at all..

We prayed again, asking for more guidance in who we needed to talk to.

We opened our eyes and the first family we saw, we decided to walk up to and talk to them. We stated why we were here in Manado, and we testified that Heavenly Father speaks to us through prophets. The conversation led into a lesson, and they asked if they could have the KItab Mormon!

After meeting that family, we walked a little further, and ran into a Bapa, who introduced us to his boss, and this Ibu was so interested in why we were here. That conversation also led into a lesson, and she also wanted a KItab Mormon!

At the end of the night, we felt very blessed and very thankful that the Lord guided us to meeting that family and that Ibu on the beach. It was the coolest experience to literally pray, teach, sing, and feel the Spirit with them right after meeting them 15 minutes before. 

It was a humbling experience for us to see how the Lord provides a way for His work to be done. Heavenly Father knows the truest desires of our hearts, and if we are willing to ask, and act, He will always always alwaysss provide a way.

Manado is a dream, and I never want this dream to end! 

I love you all, and HAPPPY MAMAS DAY! Can't wait to skype ya!!!

<3 Sister Ratu

fotos: distrik fam at the beach yayayaya! 

my heart feels at home since I am near the ocean :)

Surga is MANADO. 6 Mei 2018

Heaven is Manado!

My Oma Elisabeth! I love her so so much.

My sweet fam & friends,

We had Zone Conference this last week, so I had the chance to go to JOGYA for a couple of days. We visited Borubudur as a Jawa Tengah/Timur Zone, and it was the greatest PLD yet. From Jakarta to Jogya, to Jogya to back to Jakarta and then finally off to Manado! We got to Manado at 2 am on Friday.. and so far, it's been so amazing!

Why do I love Manado??? It's a city filled with literally ALL of my favorite things into ONE. 

The ocean, mountains, trees, coconuts, fish, I get to ride my bike again:), dogs, killer sunsets, and of course, MY FAMILY IS HERE!!! Manado is straight outta Tarzan, and everyday as I'm riding my bike, my comp asks me: "Sister, anda ketawa atau menangis???" (Sister, are you laughing or crying?) Haha, Sister Mentari is the best. 

BOTH, MY SISTER, I AM LAUGHING AND CRYING BECAUSE I FEEL SO THANKFUL TO BE HERE! It still feels like a dream, and the best part is, I GET TO TEACH MY FAMILY!!!

On Sabtu, we had the chance to visit my Oma in Airmadidi (my mom's side), and then we visited my Oma and Opa in Tondano (my dad's side). It was such a joyful reunion, and it was really the coolest thing to actually understand what they were saying, and they actually understood me. The first time I met them, we didn't really communicate well, hence I was a month old in Indo. But kemarin, we were able to teach about temples, and family history, and we got a bunch of names and dates down. 

I loved being able to just listen to my grandparents and hear their stories. They told me about my dad/mom growing up, and my grandparents told me stories from their youth, and how they met, and etc. Everything I have wanted to hear my whole life!

My whole life I have wondered who my family is, and who I really am.. and I feel very blessed that Heavenly Father has given me the chance to get to know who I am and where I am from on Earth and get to know my earth-ly roots, and that I am also able to help my family understand who they reallllly are as a child of God and His Plan for them, and help them understand their divine roots. 

His Plan is perfect! I can go on and on about Manado and my family and how true the Gospel is. 

I love you all so much! 

Baku dapa lagi :)

Wish I could send more pics, but this warnet isn't loading anything :(

<3 Sister Ratu 

1- Jogya :)