Hey family,
Well sounds like it is an eventful week. In Utah.
Marriages and the Christmas spirit! So ya I will just go off my week. So anyway.
It started off really good. English class always fun. But on Wednesday even a
more special surprise! We had zone conference it was so awesome. We started off,
by taking a really long ride in the mission vehicles to The Peninsula hotel.
Where we had an all you can eat buffet.. We had Lamb (side story real quick, so
now because I am serving in Thailand I eat basically everything. You don't eat
anything fully cooked I swear. Red Pork, Not chicken, red beef, Octopus(which is
delicious) Frog is good(is just as good as chicken, just not enough meat)
basically I eat weird stuff now. ok I’m done on my tangent) steak wrapped in
bacon, duck, fish, tons of desert éclairs, tarts, sticky rice and Mango.
Basically the best food you could have. It was the only meal we ate that day so
they told us to eat a lot. It was a super nice hotel! Anyway after we stuffed
ourselves and listened to the first I'm a Mormon from Thailand. Who is a drummer
(In a rock band) We did this because it was for Christmas and for zone
conference, it was really fun. After we went to the Tonburi church. Where we had
our zone conference. It was so awesome. We had a great meeting on finding people
and about how to approach people. After that we had a testimony meeting. We were
all invited to share our testimony about Christ. The reason I love being in the
West Bangkok zone is because you are in the zone with the Senior Missionaries, I
loved hearing their testimonies of Christ. I am pretty sure that I have never
sat in a meeting where I have felt that good. It is an experience you don't get
too much. Where everyone in the room is a missionary and they all get to bear
their testimony of Christ. It was a special experience you can't even explain
with words.
So anyway after that we had the opportunity to go to the Kings
palace which was great by the way. I forgot to get the picture. But we didn't
actually get to go inside it. It was on the grounds around it but the palace
looked so awesome. It was the kings birthday and so everyone wore yellow ties.
But the whole country or at least most people I saw were all wearing yellow. It
was awesome. So I guess I was wrong about the flying lanterns cuz everyone did
them. It was the bomb. We got to watch a few fireworks. But there were so many
people and we just kind of watched the lanterns and stuff. All I know it was the
best day ever. It was really fun. Afterwards President Senior said it was the
most Sanit (close, knit, best friends) Sanit. Zone he had ever seen. We were all
having a great time. And we all loved being with the missionaries and having
fun. We also crammed 16 Elders into the back of a small Tuk Tuk like truck. I
think we have a picture. It is really funny. But all the elders had to walk
because there wasn't enough parking for the Elders van. So we had a huge single
file line of white boys in white shirts. And the mission president. All walking
and sweating cuz it was super humid. I am pretty
sure it feels like it is summer outside right now.
On Saturday we then had a wedding to attend for brother
Dui are Brother Apichad. So actually they wanted the missionaries to be the
welcoming service. Haha! To make sure everyone signs the book. It was fun. More
or less just helping the members out is fun. But it was a great time. We met
tons of people from around the Bangkok stake. Met a few people from my last area
that are friends. It was great.
To continue Pin wanted to move her baptism date up to next
week. I am so excited. It is really awesome. So on Sunday we finished up
teaching her about fasting and tithing and follow the prophet. But it was an
awesome lesson. You can really see how much she has changed and how much her
testimony has grown.
To answer questions what day do you want me to Skype on.
It is up to the parents. Besides that thanks for the Christmas Ideas! And yes we
that nice lunch/ dinner buffet. Christmas gift from the Mission President. Then
we have something this Saturday for the Stake and then the 22nd we have a
Christmas party for our ward. So there are some things going on. They encourage
us to have investigators in order to go to the stake party.
Ok so a few ways that my testimony grew this week. Was
first at Zone Conference when we had our testimony meeting. I feel the spirit a
lot out here. But there was just something special about everyone bearing their
testimonies on Christ. That the feeling in that room that no person could deny
what they were feeling. Also I loved the way that Bishop Peace as we call
(Otigan Sandi) explained fasting in such an awesome way that I had personally
never looked at it. He said to his daughter that one of the reasons we fast is
so that we can know what it feels like to be in the shoes of someone who only
has one meal a day. That never really occurred to me before. I always looked at
it like more in the way you fasted to receive answers, to help you feel the
spirit. It never occurred to me before that we are putting ourselves in someone
else's shoes. Someone who needs our help. I really loved how he explained it is
so we can humble ourselves. I thought it was really interesting, we all have so
much compared to many people who have nothing in their life. And during
Christmas time it is a time of giving. A time to humble ourselves and give to
those people what they don't have. When we have so much, we need to share and
help those in need. Also, I really liked how President Uchtdorf in the Christmas
devotional this year(our ward showed it to us, we got to watch it in English)
said more important that giving is receiving. I liked that. He said we all need
to receive Christ gift he has given us. Which is the gift of eternal life. But
not only receiving God’s gift but accept the gifts others give you, but don't
look at them from the outward appearance look at them for what they mean (the
love, the sacrifice of others). Well I love you all family and have a great
week!
Love,
Elder Landon Simonsen
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