Hello world!
This week was a whirlwind of activity.
We were able to do a lot of sifting through people to find those that are
really willing and determined to listen and follow the message we have to
offer. Our most recent dater is no longer a dater right now. We saw
her on Wednesday and she just wasn't there. She is not willing to listen
and her desires lay more in the temporal than the spiritual right now. It
has been discouraging with her because just a few weeks ago we had such hope
for her. We have been doing all we can for her and she is just not
responding. After having a lesson and it ending up with her true
intentions coming through, we started our journey out (she lives 45 kilos
away). The bad thing was that it was just after 4. The time when
public transportation (and the only way home) becomes sparse. After
waiting for about 15-20 minutes, we were getting desperate. We had already
gotten soaking wet on the way there, and it was going to rain again really
soon. We were feeling discouraged and hungry and we just wanted to go
back in order to meet our other investigator who actually wanted to learn.
Sister Ng and I went off to the side and said a prayer asking Heavenly Father
to safely guide us home and for us to even be able to get home. About 5
minutes later, a rodluang came and took us home. Thank goodness for
answered prayers.
We finally got back to the church,
after our investigator waited for an hour. But it was really a miracle
that she actually came through with her appointment in the first place!
She's cancelled 4 times in the past 2 weeks. She tried to tell us
that she would call us when we were ready, but we didn't fall for that.
She recently broke up with her boyfriend and it has been really hard for
her. We stressed the importance of the message we have and told her how
much it could help her. After our first meeting with her, she was so much
better. The change was incredible. I wish she could see the changes
the Spirit works in her life like we do. She is still trying to grasp the
concept that this Gospel does apply to her. She says she doesn't pray and
she doesn't read because she can't help but to think about her problems at home.
So right now, our focus for her is to help her understand that Heavenly
Father does love us and answer our prayers.
This week we were blessed with some
really really good new investigators and our older ones are getting better and
better! I love when I can tell that the Gospel does help them. One
older investigator is taking a lot of work, but the progression is amazing!
She has had 3 baptismal dates already and she hasn't made them. But
we finally found out her concern this week after eating dinner with her and her
friend. We found out that she doesn't really believe that her life can
get much better after baptism than it already is right now. She doesn't
quite know what to think of an after-life and she almost doesn't want to think
about it because she is afraid of what it might be like. We are soo glad
to finally know what to teach her because we have been at such a loss.
She knows and pretty much understands everything. She keeps all the
commandments and she asks so many good questions whenever we meet. She
really does want to get baptized and she wants to go to the temple too.
She told us that if she was younger and learning about this, she would
have been baptized a while ago, but I guess she's just wondering what more the
Gospel has to offer her life. We are excited for this lesson on Tuesday!
No more beating a dead horse talking about baptism. We're going to
knock her socks off! ;)
New Investigators: how we love
them! About two weeks ago we were with another investigator walking near
the church to go get a D-milk after a lesson. It was dark and we're extra
cautious of our surroundings at that time. We walked past this restaurant
and a man said hello to us. As we walked past again going back to the
church, he said hello again. At first we thought it was a little creepy,
but the second time I noticed he was sitting on a bench with a woman and two
little girls. Last week, after many more encounters with them at the same
restaurant (which they own) we finally gave them a Book of Mormon and got to
know them a little better. We saw them again when we ate at their
restaurant on Saturday with an investigator. The dad has read until
Mosiah. IN A WEEK. We were shocked. He explained that he
didn't understand everything, but he liked reading it a lot then asked if he
could ask us questions if he had any. Of course we answered affirmatively
after we regained our composure! We explained some logistics of the Book
of Mormon and where it came from. He and his oldest daughter (Pim, 12
years old) are so interested. When she found out we were going to teach
her right then her smile was so big. I love them so much! They
listened so intently and I think they will be able to progress fairly quickly.
We couldn't believe that he would read so much when we hadn't even
formally introduced it to him. He wasn't even there when we gave them the
Book - we gave it to his sister. But they keep it in the restaurant and
read it daily - they even asked us for more copies so they each could have their
own. After teaching them how to pray and committing them to pray about
the truth of the Book of Mormon, we asked Narong, the dad, to close the lesson
with a prayer. He offered a sincere and heartfelt prayer, and after
saying "Amen", he said he wanted to do it every day. I love
people who are committed and thirsty for the word of God! I love people
who read on their own and don't even need us to "convince" them to do
it! Some investigators make it seem worse than pulling teeth in a
Thailand dentistry, but they do it so willingly - I have no doubt that they
will be blessed for that! This is a sweet reminder that there are people
who need this Gospel and who want it! What a tender mercy from the Lord
after having our dater drop and another reject our invitation to baptism.
We couldn't be more excited for these sweet and prepared people. As
soon as we walked into their restaurant, we were respected and loved.
It's like we are already part of their little family! We are hoping
to get a wonderful prepared priesthood holder in our branch very soon!
The power of the Book of Mormon is real. How much stronger will
they be because he is actually reading it and feasting on the words it
contains, because they do it of their own free will and are not "compelled".
The power of the Book of Mormon is undeniable and if he prays about it,
he will no doubt receive and answer. So as they are feasting on the word, we
will be feasting on gwitdiaw! (the noodle soups they sell) It is a small
but delicious sacrifice we are willing to make to help others come unto Christ.
:)
Well, that's all the time I have today!
Just remember that God does answer our prayers - He will send answers in
many different ways in His own timing and when we are ready. Seek for His
guidance - He's pretty good at giving at and being right. All the time.
:)
I love you all so much!
Sister Norrell
P.S. Our Branch President took us traveling last
P-day. These are a few pictures I have. I am planning on getting
lots more from the other missionaries too!
We went to the jungle basically.
And we rode elephants. Bare back. It was terrifying. I
felt like I was falling off all the time and we were pretty sore for a couple
days after. And we were filthy. Like so dirty after trekking
through the wilderness then riding elephants. It was so much fun, but not
a very restful P-day. :)
The first pictures are of us in our mode
of travel. A pick up truck with a steel frame around it on the sides.
We love doing things that are perfectly normal in Thailand but no where
near legal in the states!
We saw a
waterfall. :)
So I didn't
actually get any of Sister Ng and I on our elephant because my camera batteries
died, and it was too much of a hassle to try to take any. BUT, this mom
elephant is the one we rode on. The baby was so cute! Except for
when it was super cranky and stepped on Sister Zatarain's foot. Oops.
It was fun and at a super good price, but the elephants were not too
chipper. :P
And we didn't get
the luxury of even a rickety basket. The Branch President said "If
you come with me, you aren't using a basket". So we didn't!
And I'm sure our faces looked pretty similar to this couple's. It
was actually really terrifying...but now I can say I did it, right? :)
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