More Than Tree Sap: Good Tidings of Easter!

Hello all,

I am emailing later today because we went out to see some sights today! It is the last P-day before transfers (Thursday) and Elder Arne really wanted to go to Pra Ram 9, or the King's Palace. So that's where we went! It was so much fun! We went with 3 members and our investigator that is getting baptized on Sunday. It was very pretty - it almost makes me want to learn more about Greek mythology! It was really hot too...but that's pretty typical for Thailand. :)

This week was interesting. We found out today that the only people moving from our district are Elder Arne and Elder Schmitz in Thonburi. They are the only ones that have been here longer than 1 transfer. The rest of us are pretty relieved to not have to pack everything up again. Plus we will be here for Sister Gift's baptism on Sunday! She came to church for the first time yesterday and she loves it. She is so thankful that she met us when she did, otherwise she wouldn't know where she would be in life. That's the kind of people we need to find - the ones looking for happiness but can only find it in superficial and worldly ways. But she knows where she wants to be right now, and that is exactly where she is going to stay. She's only 17, 18 next month, but she's wiser beyond her years. She's a little scared to get baptized - she thinks whoever baptizing her won't be able to lift her out of the water, which is ridiculous because she's tiny, but we keep telling her that it is all going to be okay. Just keep praying! It is really always the answer. :)

So Easter...Saturday the Branch President calls us at around 10:15 - only 15 minutes of language study then we're out the door. He asks to speak to me, and in those few moments he gives me the assignment to give a talk in Sacrament meeting about Easter. For 15 minutes. Originally he planned for me and another member to speak for 7 minutes each, but the other member couldn't come, so he gave me all 15 minutes. I tried to volunteer Sister Sawangwong to be the other 7 minute speaker, but he wasn't budging. Sister Sawangwong thought it was funny, and she said that when I got home I would have to give a 30 minute talk (which I don't believe to be normal at all), and that 15 minutes is nothing. Right, the time is fine, but the language...its sometimes hard to just fill time. In my mind, this is my way of controlling how long the meeting goes, because normally all 3 blocks are over about 30 minutes... of course I accepted the call! Originally I thought I would speak about the Plan of Salvation, but in my 30 minute preparation before calling all of our investigators Sunday morning, I felt that I shouldn't speak about that. And even then I still didn't really know what I was going to speak about. I had time to look up a few words I didn't know, and that's about it. I'm standing at the pulpit, I give my talk, and totally just have to rely on the grace and ennobling power of the Atonement. Here's a little what I talked about - what Easter means to me!

1) Because Christ lives, we can be cleansed from sin

- Baptism is the only way! And then we renew our covenants each week by taking the sacrament.

2) Because Christ lives, we can be confident in all things

- We don't have to worry about the storms of life when we have the Savior as our foundation

3) Because Christ lives, the Gospel of Jesus Christ in it's fullness has been restored to the earth again

- It is because of His sacrifice for our sins

4) Because Christ lives, we never have to be alone in life

- We have a Savior that understands us perfectly, even when other people can't.

5) Because Christ lives, we too will live again with our families for eternity!

- All things are possible through Christ, even the Resurrection and uniting of our bodies and souls after this life, taken to live with God and our families for eternity, if we live our lives worthy to receiving this blessing.

Overall, I was thankful for the opportunity to speak on Easter Sunday. It was a special privilege - and more especially because we had 3 investigators who were there for the first time. One was Sister Gift, the other two were people I had met just Saturday. The Lord was very merciful to us this week, and I am so thankful for all His many blessings! Plus, one of the Elders' investigators - Brother Joseph from Africa, said that I was a very good preacher and that I should peruse it even after I finish my mission...and that's when we had to explain to him that we don't have women preachers, or really preachers at all. He was a little confused, but I still felt goof that he was impressed with my "preaching". :)

Weird experience - Saturday I woke up just feeling really stressed and worried about something. I still have no idea what caused it but I couldn't shake it. And I certainly didn't feel like I could go throughout my day feeling that way. So I called the Elders and asked for a Priesthood blessing. They gave it to me, and it seemed like everything just got a million times clearer. It gave me the strength I needed to go out and work - to bring souls to Christ. I felt like the hole in my heart was immediately filled to the brim with the love of the Savior for me, and with the power of His Atonement. I feel confident in the power of the Priesthood. It is the means by which Christ's disciples performed miracles, it is the means of our salvation. It truly is the power of God on earth today, that was restored through the Prophet Joesph Smith. It is the means and authority of acting in God's name on earth. Without it, we can't truly be cleansed from sin, we can't be counted as members of God's kingdom on earth or in heaven, and we couldn't perform saving ordinances for ourselves or for the dead in the temples, including that of being sealed eternally as families. How grateful I am for this power! It helped me once again this day to have the stamina to work, and comfort was immediately spoken to my soul when other sources seemed to have failed. How fortunate we are to have this blessings available to us in this day and age!

Lots of pictures this week from our adventures!

Us soaking wet in Siam Square - during Song Khran of course!

After Song Khran at Central World - we were soaking wet and freezing!

Us with Sister Natthaya inviting outside of Big C!

At Wat Pra 9 - the first is us at the entrance...furongs have to pay 500 baht while natives get in free. They even separate you in two lines to go in. This is us: Sister Sawangwong- full Thai. Elder Arne - Half Thai. Me - Quarter Thai. Elder Pyne - all white. We cover the whole scope! Too bad it isn't based on this - they only care about your citizenship card. But we just thought to take a moment to commemorate the time we had to pay 500 Baht to do something we might have been able to do for free.