Happy New Year

Well Hello Family!

How was the Christmas Break? So Cam and Serena won't be there for New Years! What will you two do? Anyway it looked like Christmas was really good and I can't believe how old everyone is! Jk. But it is really weird to see everyone growing up. It is sad to not be there for the holdiay season. That is for sure. But the work out here needs to be done. It is kinda funny this last week. But in my personal study I was reading about the Plan of Salvation in 2 Nephi 2. And thought about how families are the reason we feel joy in life. That you can't have happiness without feeling sad right? Well thinking about it showed me the importance of Gods plan for us. That basically the one thing that we love in this life is our family. It doesn't matter who you live with, you love your family. Everyone deep inside loves those who take care of them.  To be sealed to your family for all eternity is awesome and I am so thankful that God has given us the opportunity to live with those we love here on this earth.

So for Christmas. It actually turned out to be a really awesome day! After we e-mailed we ran some errands. Then we went to Sizzlers with the Samut Prakan Elders who aren't in our district anymore since transfers. Then got Coldstones. Excellent. Then we taught English and made cookies with the English students/ frosted them. It was a really good day. Awesome presents, So thanks everyone for the presents. I can play the harmonica now! So next week attach some cool harmonica music to the e-mails. I play hymns already. So cool stuff, the Eagles, oldies. On Wednesday we went Carrolling at the mall, since people don't really know the difference between Christmas and New years here. haha! They decorate the same for both of them. Santa and everything. But it was really fun. Did a few other things in there.

So speaking of temples I don't remember if I told you that Sister Pin (Bang na) is planning on going through the temple and getting sealed to her family next year. It is so awesome to see investigators prepare to go to the Temple.  She knows that she wants to live with her family forever! It is something truly great! It is so awesome to see how much her testimony has grown! They are an awesome family and I am happy for them! Also this week we have been teaching Apichad (pronounced Aww Pee Chawed(Sawed with a ch-) He is doing great! New investigator that I didn't really get to talk about but he is doing really good. At first he was just interested in learning about Christianity and He really thinks that we have morals and that all people should follow them! It is really interesting to see him change over that past couple weeks. He is the guy that calls me a member of the mafia.  As for Rote she is doing great, but because of Christmas she wasn't able to meet with us last tuesday and that is the only day we can meet with her. Unfortuantely Go's Uncle died yesterday so he won't be here this Tuesday. But we feel like this is a good opportunity to help him understand the Plan of Salvation better. It is really awesome being able to teach your RC's. In Thailand all the members have 3 callings or so. Thailand is awesome. The members really try and I really appreciate all they do. It is hard when you have like 10 or 11 active Melchelzidck priesthood holders and no Elders Quorum President. With small wards you really try and do your best to fulfill all the spots. But they are trying hard and we will get a temple here in Thailand.

So something kinda funny. About two weeks ago. We got a mission announcent that said that we shouldn't plan to go door to door inviting. Because it isn't very effective. It takes a lot of time and it is harder for those people to come to church. So we now walk around the streets, markets, neighboorhoods. But we don't knock doors unless we have nothing better to do. haha! So kinda interesting. But I think it is a way to find those people who are interested in the gospel much faster. Instead of them coming to us at the doors. We go to them on the streets. That is a kinda moto thing.

As for today nothing to spectacular. We are going to eat MK which is like Sabushi. So anyway sounds decent. Besides that haircut and shopping. Tonight we have family home evening. At the church with the ward. They are doing a New years party. We can only stay till Seven. Because tonight we have a mission wide Curfew. They want us in early because in this country there basically isn't any laws against drunk driving. So they don't want us to risk getting hit. Plus they love the New years here! So that is for sure, they actually give presents for new years and not for Christmas. haha!

So anyway mom keeps asking about all the little family traditions, do I remember them? Of course I do! Come on have faith! I was reading in the December Ensign this month and it was a talk on building testimonies, but it talked about how in our families today, family traditions are on of the most important things to have a strong family in a crazy world. It just talked about how our home should be a secure place from the world. And I think that is why I loved home so much. Is because of all the fun traditions we do! We always are doing something fun for Holidays! So yes I remember the Green eggs and ham. The new years goals. The easter egg hunts. The valentines breakfast. Sunday walks. KFC and Morgan. The luminary drive. Like everything! So thanks for having those family traditions because they are what makes our family so strong! Keep doing them. I guess by yourself now! Jk! Lauren lives close by! But make sure they live on. And make sure you are always creating new ones!

One way that my testimony grew this week was when I was talking with Sister Marvel a Senior missionary in our ward! We talked about how when we come on missions we change so much. We change for the better. But the interesting thing about missions is that they make us stronger in every aspect. In compassion, love, charity, hard working, diligent, patience. Anything you can think of a mission helps you grow. We talked about how we aren't only called to serve missions for others. But for ourselves. How her sons have now served missions and now at home they are able to go to school, have a family, work. Do so many things that if they didin't learn how to handle it on there mission, they wouldn't be able to do it in life. So my testimony was strengthened when I look back at what my mission has changed me into. I realize that I have humbled myself a lot. That I can't do anything without the Lord. I have learned to love others. I could go on and on. But to see the change of what I have become shows me that I am out here for the right things. And I am so grateful to be here!

Love,

Elder Landon Simonsen