Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Glad to be in Thailand

Sawadii Khrab!

Wow I am sure glad that I am in Thailand right now! Sounds freezing over there! And I guess I realized how nice it is not walking outside to warm up the car. I might just move here! Naah! Even though it is cold. I have experienced both and there is nothing better than having seasons. Because without the cold. No spring or fall! Probably the best two things.   Football in the fall. Throwing Shot Put in the spring. haha! Anyway enough trunky business. I still have a year and  a lot more rice to eat! yay! Plus side, I can now make Thai food! So that is what I make on Sundays. I know how to make curry and basic dishes. But it is still cheaper to eat out at restaurants here. So ya! But got some news for ya! With all the new missionaries coming in they moved the week we have transfers. They are moving transfers ahead two weeks. So we have a four week transfer I think in two transfers. The one before April where we get the huge group!  So ya that is fun fact. Also I must comment that is really awesome about Sara and Mckenna they are both going to the same mission or just the same country? Anyway it is super cool to see so many people leaving on missions right now. I can't believe it! Really fun. It is one of the best things you can do in your life. It is an opportunity that everyone should take. The only time you can serve the Lord with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. Bottom line only time of your life you can dedicate to serving others. Which we did this week!


After that a pretty typical week. English on Tuesday. Taught investigators. Planned for a long time. haha! and did service on Saturday. Met some ward families this week. K so first I think I will talk about is Investigators. Well our zone got challenged to have 12 baptisms this month. So the rule is two times at church. So they all needed to come to church on Sunday. Well guess what we called everyone. Formers, potentials, investigators. Anyone we felt would come to church. Most of them promised they would come to. And guess what! Only 1 came to church.  Besides that we had tons of people that said they were going to church and for some reason or another nothing happened.


As for our investigators, Pee is doing good. We extended another date with him. He says he believes these things. But he just wants to know more. He wants to know it all. We explained to him, even though we are missionaries. I love the translation into Thai. "Person who teaches religion". You think that we probably know everything. And well we don't. We need to study everyday like everyone else. In order to grow, learn, advance. You need to study the scriptures everyday. If you read one verse. Analyze the verse, understand the verse perfectly. We encouraged him to read Joseph Smith testimony in the beginning of the Book of Mormon. Because this helped me understand the Book of Mormon so much. It helped me gain a testimony of it. And I know it will help him. So besides him we met a few people on the street that we have talked with. This week we want to meet them again. So we met. Go said with a ^ tone, different from my recent convert Go said like a "v" or valley tone. So ok. He is cool he sells food on the road. Sat down and talked with him for 5 minutes. He invited us to come back. So hopefully we can go visit him. We also met a guy from English named Rong he wanted to come to church. He didn't come which was sad. But he still wants to meet us.


So last Monday we got stuck in the Bangkok traffic and were sitting next to a Cop he is awesome. We taught him there on the spot. We even gave him a Book of Mormon. He was really interested but he just is really busy.  We are working with a girl named Niw she is I think 18. She is a friend of Toffee who we are teaching. She is really interested and called us last night and asked to meet with her before English. I love to see people who come to us, it shows us that God is preparing people all the time. We still are trying really hard to find a solid pool of investigators. We are working with lots of people but for some reason we are only able to meet one or two times with all these guys. It is kinda hard and sometimes a little frustrating. We are meeting with people. But we aren't finding that person who just is ready to give it there all.  It is really fun to see the roller coaster rides of the mission. How times are going super great and you have a ton of investigators. To times where you don't have any. We have investigators but it is just crazy how in missionary work. Things are never in one direction. It goes up and down. But as I said earlier. These experiences are to test you, everyone needs to be humbled. It definitely is such a great experience to be able to help others.


So about helping others. Probably the highlight of last week. Or on Saturday. It was children's day in Thailand! Ya! Anyway super fun. We got to go as a zone to the princes old palace which is a museum of money and currency and stuff. But it is next to a bank. So the bank sponsored this activity. Everything is free. In the whole country. They have little parties and carnival type things. Where the children to ages 15 get free treats, food and everything. So we went to this place. And we did the game where you tie a balloon to a string and then tie it to your ankle. Then try to step on the other peoples balloons. We used a lot of balloons there were between 2 to 3 thousand people who came to this one. So we were blowing up balloons all morning before it started. haha! we had little pumps we used. The office Elders are sending out the pictures this week. So I can show you them next week. But it was a blast. Most of the Elders would play. And then they would always call me "The Giant" haha! Very fun. It was a great day. We helped with the soccer station and the bag station and it was great. really good time. I don't know if I mention already we also deep cleaned the church a week ago. That was fun.


So fun stuff. We have also been visiting members like a ton. And I realized in Thailand if you want to get fed a lot. Make a calender and have members sign it for the time they are free. Because we did that for this month. And have gotten a ton of food appointments. Thai people love making food. Any event and there is food.  But really fun. I wish I did this calendar thing in my last area. We go and learn a lot about the members and then about 90% of the time they feed you. Amazing. Im just kidding the food is good. But I really just like making the bonds with the members. That is what is more important. And I saw that today. Sister Mamm my recent convert wrote me and I got her letter today. She is doing really good. I am super glad to hear from her. Also Sister Wiganda who got her appendics out last Sunday evening. We went and spent an hour with her last P-day to cheer her up. So I went and she said I had to leave cuz I made her laugh too much and it hurt. I guess I just love bringing smiles to the hospital! haha! Made me want to be a fun Doctor when I grow up. I did the typical glove on the head. And the Thai nurse walked in. Way funny. Also saw a few members from Srinakarin because Sister Wiganda's Older Sister lives in that ward. So she told me about Sister Yupin and her daughter and stuff. And how Sister Yupin is determined to make me food because now her family is so much happier. Haha! It is really cool to see her family come unto the Gospel.

Well anyway I am about out of time here. So I want to wish you all a happy week and good time!

Love,
Elder Landon SImonsen

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