The last, last Monday how ever many weeks ago was way fun because after emailing we went to a trampoline park where we did some awesome basketball dunks and also beat everyone in dodge ball. Haha it was way sick. Got some good footage.
Tuesday we had a great District Meeting about enduring to the end. I learned that you can't just "Survive" the situation, but you need to endure it, like looking past the game or the situation and really give it your all, not just enough to make it to the end. It's something my old football coach talked about a lot. Not just being a survivor, but a conqueror. There's a huge difference and enduring takes a lot more than just sitting back and waiting for time to pass by. There is still so much to be done in life and in the mission!
After that we went and met two potential investigators where they sold their stuff, one being Sister Lek, who sells orange juice on the side of the road, and the other person sells dvds and music at a market. Sister Lek is way open hearted and happy, and she even gave us a referal, which is a lady from South Africa who said that she could meet next year. The second lady, who sells dvds, has been reading the book of Mormon that we gave her a while ago, and she is almost to second Nephi, though she doesn't really understand what's going on in the book. We are going to help her understand more. She has had a lot of miraculous experiences about Christ, and every time we are going to visit her, she says that she wakes up in the same day the we are going to visit her she feels like someone important is going to visit her. She is way spiritually sensitive. Then that night we taught English at our house, and this time was the biggest turn out, with about nine people learning with us.
Wednesday we went and ordered a sign for English, because we still haven't gotten one to say that we teach free English. and then after that we weekly planned because the next day we would be on a switchoff. We taught some RC's at the church, helping them with some of their current struggles, and then we went back to the Market by the airport to do some inviting. I thought it was way good.
Thursday we had our switchoff, I was in Bangna with Elder Hinckley, and Elder Johnson went to Samut Prakan with Elder Gillam. It was way fun. I really miss Bangnaa it was a way sick area! Elder Hinckley is doing a beast job as district leader there right now and they are seeing tons of success so it was good to have a chance to go and learn from his and share some advice with each other.
Friday we had an appointment in the morning, but the guy never showed up, so we went and got our English sign that was made, and it was way bigger that we were thinking it would be. So now we don't really know where to hang it up at. But then we went and did a baptismal interview for the Elders in Srinakarin, and their investigator is awesome! He had been investigating for six months and now he is ready to be baptized. After that we were fed by "Mom and Dad" from Bangkapi, because they wanted to take us out to dinner before I left because we all assumed I'd be moving out of Bangkok. Then we had sports day and I did another Baptismal interview over Skype.
Saturday we had coordination, taught Brother Aught, our LA with Brother Gary, and they clicked way better. I feel like when we took an older member, he opened up way more on what he was feeling and also felt more love from us as members of the church. We will be taking the sacrament to him this coming Sunday. After teaching Brother Aught, we went and ate dinner at another LA's house, Sister Lek and Brother Guy. They made us some super spicy SomTam and NamTok (#isanfoodforever). I was able to have a good talk with Brother Guy too, and they are super strong members in their heart.
Sunday we had church, and we had this one guy come into the church, but that same day he said he was going to go to Ayutaya. He said that he also had no phone, so I couldn't get his number to go to give to the Elders over there. After church we taught some new investigators named Nam, Taan, and Nat. They are all pretty good, and we felt good teaching them, and I hope that they take the challenge to pray so they can believe God is there for them. After that we had a Stake Christmas Devotional at the church, where the Stake President talked to us about Christmas and it's true meaning, along with a story, and then we watched President Uchtodorfs talk from the actual Devotional last Monday. It was great to see everyone from all around the stake, and a lot of investigators came too! I am glad that they got to learn about the true meaning of Christmas.
On Monday some more members assumed there would be some of us moving so they took us out to sizzlers! It was way good. We were all just waiting in anticipation for the call to find out who was moving.
So yeah that week before transfers we had a blast in Lad Krabang. During the week we had to say bye to all of the members I love to death there and pack! I loved that area soooo much. I was there for almost 5 months, it felt like not long enough for all the work I wanted to do there but I know Elder Johnson is gonna tear it up!
Well I got transferred! I got called and told I was moving as expected then all the excitement started! Elder Johnson is staying to finish his mission with a new companion in Lad Krabang. Transfers day was way exciting. Ever since I was a greenie in the mission a year and a half ago, I have wanted to serve in Udon. I found out one of the zone leaders who was in Udon was moving so I was getting way excited because I had a good feeling I was gonna move there. My dad served his mission in Thailand 28 years ago and finished his last 4 months in Udon. Also, my trainer finished his mission here too, so both of my dads finished here :) I've heard nothing but good things about it my whole mission, and I especially wanted to go because I have never served in the countryside of Thailand yet. WELL I GOT TO GO! I got assigned to be with Elder Jeng in Udon! If you wanna see my reaction you can watch it here>
https://www.facebook.com/mormonthai/videos/vb.335601019805520/1053798644652417/?type=2&theater
There's an RM from our mission that makes SUPER good transfer meeting videos, our transfer meetings are the best thing ever! Way spiritually uplifting and excited and sooo fun!! Check it out please!! And look for me in it ;)
Hahahah he wanted me to catch him but we absolutely failed! But I've never been so excited! I served with Elder Jeng in Srinakarin last year. He was in the other companionship but we got along well and actually spent Christmas together last year too!! At that time he was training Elder Bartschi, who just so happens to be our district leaders now!! SOOO DOPE!!! Elder Jeng is the only missionary I know that has served in Bangkok for longer than me. But now we are going to be together in the upper east part of Thailand, and looking over the district in the country of Laos too!!! Way exciting. Elder Jeng is 25 years old, 100% Taiwanese raised in Taiwan, college graduate from Tufts university on the east coast and probably the smartest person I've ever met in my life. Completely fluent in Chinese English Japaneese and Thai! As a matter of fact today he just got news he was accepted to Columbia University. Waiting on his reply from Harvard so that he can pick between the two for grad school. Way sick. This will be his last transfer so its my first companion that I will be killing. He will be heading home in 6 weeks on February 5th. Seriously can't put into words how excited I am for this transfer!
So... After a year straight in Bangkok I had to brush off the dust on my bike, and hop on a bus for the 9 hour trip to Udon. We arrived at 1 in the morning and it was FREEZING COLD!!! (about 80 degrees) HAHAHAHAHA I'm going to absolutely DIE when I go home to Utah even though it would be summer! I was shivering and just so uncomfortable in the back on the little truck thingy we took to the house. The members here are incredible. On Saturday we had the nativity and Christmas celebration with the two branches that attend church here in Udon. It was beautiful. It was way good to get to know some of the members and I got to be one of the wisemen. I'll send some pictures from that.
I had an absolutely incredible experience my very first day in Udon. I walked in and was meeting the members and one of them, Sister Ooh, said wow! A white guy had the same name as you about 30 years ago when I was investigating the church here in Udon! I quickly told her yep! That's my dad! And she teared up in excitement that his son was here to serve in Udon. She told me that one of the people he taught, Maa Goolaad was still active along with all of her kids and grandchildren. I met all of them and we all reminisced about the skinny little white guy that finished his mission here. I felt the spirit so strongly as I came to the realization of what a big impact my dad's two years had on this place and the other places he served. I feel beyond blessed to be here working and attending church with the family of somebody my dad helped be baptized. Their whole family is incredible. There will be many more stories to come about how cool it is that I'm serving where my dad finished his mission!
Sunday was great. So there is two branches here, one at 9 and one at 1. The morning one is the one we are assigned to and it has about 75 members go every week. The branch president is a Thai RM who is like 28 years old and looks younger than me. The other branch has upwards of 110 go every week, so this branch needs a lot of help but the district we have right now I feel life is perfect for the job. The branches up here in northeast Thailand are preparing to be made a stake but we need A LOT more priesthood. I think I have said it upwards of 20 times in this email but I'm SO STOKED TO WORK HERE!!! We have a lot to do and I'm looking forward to it. All of the district leaders that we will be working with across the many different branches know the work they have ahead of them to be able to have an Udon stake.
We had a baptism on Sunday that Elder Jeng and his previous companion had been workin on for a couple months. Jack and his wife Wan. It was a beautiful baptismal service and I absolutely love these two people. They are so humble and have such pure simple testimonies. So much potential in this Gospel and it just warms my heart to see a young family like theirs baptized. They have a 4 year old son that's so cute named JJ. They met Jack because he is the Elder's barber and it just started with a conversation while he was cutting their hair. They then started the long process of him changing his life to be able to be baptized and set the example for his family, then his wife was also interested and they ended up being able to be baptized on the same day. Like I said, the service was great and the ward showed so much love for them. Sister Wan had a beautiful testimony to share after and she just teared up and said she couldn't say anything other than she was happy.
Monday we had family home evening at Pie and Bum's house. Bum is the daughter of Maa Goolaad, the one my dad taught on his mission. That just gives me chills every time I even think of it. It was great. Brother Jack the one who just got baptized said the opening prayer but couldn't even get through it because he was crying. Later he said he was so emotional because he's never felt like a family before, and never felt so much love in one place. It was great. We played Uno and Elder Jeng won of course, I came in second to last, the only one losing to me was the cutest little 6 year old ever. The grandaughter of Maa Goolaad. :)
Tuesday we had district meeting! Our district has 14 people. THAT IS HUGE. The biggest district in the mission. We are also in the biggest zone in the mission. Hahaha most of my friends on their mission's entire zone has around 14 people. Way hectic but way fun and just more opportunities to learn from more missionaries. We also taught English and stuff and it went pretty well. Also had some time to go inviting and teach some people. Solid day, the English program here needs help though. It can be a huge tool for finding new investigators if we really put some time and effort into it. We'll see what happens.
Wednesday we had our first switchoff. It was in Sakon Nakhon! I tiny little town closer to the border of Laos. I'm way excited for all the switchoffs we will have. We get to switchoff with the Elder's in Laos which will be soooo sick cause their doing insane work right now even though it's illegal for them to proselyte. There is only 6 Elder's over all the work in the entire country but they see huge miracles through teaching English and being an example of Christ. One of them said something I really liked, he said, "In Thailand you get to teach of Christ all day. You get to hit the streets and go tell everyone who Christ is, but in Laos, you get to show of Christ." They don't get to do all the stuff we get to in Thailand but they see great success through service and just being a light in the lives of the humble people in Laos. This last Sunday they had a record breaking 221 people at church. Absolutely insane. 31 of them were investigators. Those numbers are mind boggling for a country that is so against organized Christianity! I'm excited to have the chance to go out there.
Anyways, back to the switchoff in Sakon Nakhon. It went way well and we had a blast. We attempted to wake up at 3 in the morning to hop on a bus to get there before studies at 8, but the alarm must not have gone off ;) We arrived in Sakon Nakhon at around 11 and I went with Elder Lor and Elder Jeng went with Elder Greenwood, their District leader. It was the day of their Christmas activity for their branch so we got to spend some good time with the members and interact with them. They have a way special branch. I felt so much love and unity between all of them. They will play a huge role in helping Udon become a stake. Me and Elder Lor taught a couple lessons together, then prepared for the activity. I was once again a wisemen for the nativity even though I'm from Udon haha. Super fun. Love that place and Elder Lor is a beast missionary.
Yesterday was one of the most special Christmas Eve's of my life. We got home around 12 from the long bus ride home from Sakon Nakhon, got some good planning done and preparing, and then we went out Christmas caroling with a bunch of members. It was something so special to me to be Christmas caroling in the countryside of Thailand. Everywhere we went it was dirt roads without a Christmas light for miles but the Spirit of Christmas was strong and it was truly inspiring to see the faces of members and friends light up as we sang Christmas hymns to them. I've mentioned before I've never understood more than I do now the true meaning of Christmas and I think that's why this has been the best of my life. I am so far away yet I've never felt more emotionally close and more love for my family back home supporting me as I do now. I felt way just.. peaceful I guess? Last night just thinking about my family and all of the families we were visiting. There's nothing more important in my life than family. I love you guys!
Well today is Christmas for us here in Thailand! I got to skype with my family and you guys are doing so well! It was so good to see and talk to you guys. Shoutout to my beloved mother who totaled my car and waited till skyping to tell me! RIP to my 4runner... HAHAHAH I love you mom! Next Christmas will be the best ever. :) Today we are gonna have a cool Christmas party and stuff but I gotta go since I just spent 48 years typing this huge email that probably nobody is going to read. I love you all! Have a Merry Christmas!
Here is a buttload of pictures:
1. me and elder Johnson after the trampoline place. way fun. i love elder johnson gonna miss him!
2. saying bye to the members in lad krabang. that guy in the front squating with the white shirt is a professional soccer player here in thailand! we played with him the day before i left it was a blast haha!
3. all of my mommys from lad krabang
4. the christmas activity in udon
5. baptism! jack and wan!
6. all of the support from the ward! dad: the old lady in the front with the pink scarf is goolad the one you taught!
7. family home evening
8. sakon nakhon christmas activity.. wi$e man
9. thai santa
10. going hard on watermelon
11. christmas caroling
12. also christmas caroling
i know i need a haircut thanks bye
