Jobs of a District Leader- August 17

It's so weird that he has finished(his cousin just finished his mission). That means I am going to "die" soon! (missionary lingo for finishing a mission.It's so odd to see how  time can change someone so much and to see how the gospel makes you  a better person, no matter the circumstances!

Well our week was basically... us fighting the devil with all of our tools and all of our weapons....  :-) but alas we did not get a baptism..... but we can do it! Well this past week we were inviting all day and whenever we had a chance we were teaching.... It's the life of "I"

We are trying to make this area into a stake, so we can get a temple announced this October- that is what we are gong for!

 

Well as a District Leader, I have to prepare a meeting every Tuesday and I have to interview people for baptism. I also have to call and followup with every companionship. It's awesome!

Well I have started taking videos about my daily life as a missionary.  I saw a video on  from one of my friends who just finished serving here. She helped me remember that I need to have fun! LOL!

Both of my companions are learning English. I feel like a teacher some days.... LOL! I do have a Book of Mormon in Laotian - that I am studying. I can't pray in English... I think in Thai as you can tell by my awful writing.... (Note from his mae(mom)- a lot of editing goes into this blog.....)

Happy Mom's Day August 10

In Thailand Mother's Day falls on the Queen's Birthday and Father's Day on the King's birthday. :-) This had been a week full of bad news in our lives and Aaron respond as always with much faith.

Dear mumzy!

HAPPY MOMS DAY

well that is not very happy news to hear but he will be fine because he has two grandsons on a mission. Their prayers will be heard and he will get help. I will pray for her. Don't fret mum, the Lord is on our side!

So the hike did not happen. Instead Elder Gandun and I went back to the house and I took a nap, that was much needed. If I had not taken that nap I would have had a very hard Sunday.

But on a way awesome note.... We had an awesome baptism! 

So we take a taxi for an hour to go to  transfers meetings. Some times buses and sometimes trains. It's all up to where you are.

When the Savior comes, I so want to be caught living the gospel. I want to be surprised right in the act of spreading the faith and doing something good. I want the Savior to say to me: “Jeffrey”—because He knows all of our names—“I recognize you not by your title but by your life, the way you are trying to live and the standards you are trying to defend. I see the integrity of your heart. I know you have tried to make things better first and foremost by being better yourself, and then by declaring my word and defending my gospel to others in the most compassionate way you could.”
“I know you weren’t always successful,” He will certainly say, “with your own sins or the circumstances of others, but I believe you honestly tried. I believe in your heart you truly loved me.”
Jeffrey R. Holland

That is how I want to go out!|

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts" Churchill

I love Churchill he is a champion of awesomenes! I know that quote to be true!

I now have two companions. Elder Gudun from Thailand and Elder Sayawong from Laos

So our convert  has been coming to English class for about 7- 8 weeks. Elder Gandun asked her to be baptized and she said yes.She was baptized yesterday thanks to much prayer and faith.

Sister K.

Cutting my own hair..... August 2nd

Well this past week went by in a blur......  just inviting like champions and just making the world spin as we tried to bring those precious souls back into the fold it is a hard work but in the words of Joseph Smith " And as for the perils whichI am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the envy and wrath of man have been my common lot, all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ordained from before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God knoweth all these things, whether it be good or bad. But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation;  for this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from  henceforth" 

That's how I feel! Ha ha the world may try to destroy us and hate us for who we are, but in the end righteousness will prevail always! I miss you too,  just think I have 257 days left..... so little time!

I am so happy that you are having a good time... Yeah I needed a haircut but then since I was low on  money and since it was not Monday, I took matters into my own hands and cut my hair myself......

I look dang good :-)

So this past week, we have tried getting new people but it seems that something hardened their hearts but there is always a way. God provides a way! I encountered very angry farang (white person) this week. I invited him to be baptized and he was not to pleased. Then I said "We can help you become better". He then flipped a lid,  just went on a rant and stormed off accusing me of calling him a Moron. It was odd!

 The thing is, we learned from this transfer more about ourselves and how we can become better because I have worked the hardest I have ever during these two transfers to have what seems to be no effect when it came to our numbers. yet, this is the work of the Lord and it is hastening and can not be stopped!

Watch this! Love! Elder Proctor

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3701964025001&cid=HPTH073114368

Superhero!

There was a sense of defeat reading his last letter. He pretty much had nothing to say. I have never seen him this down. The email was not much...but the pictures were awesome! He for sure is our Superhero!

39% Left July 20

Well shoot....... this week was a crazy hard week! Some of the days it was all push.... We had a way hard time with the people, just being mean.... But oh well that is the life of a missionary some of the days. Some days people hate you and are ridiculous. Other days people are just way nice! We just worked hard and prayed that everything would work out! Well, Sunday rolled around and it was a feeling of somberness  that filled the missionaries, as all of the investigators we had planned on coming did not come. Some days you will face disappointment, even when you work as hard as you physically can.  The thing I have learned through my time being a missionary is that you cannot force someone to change. They have their agency. You cannot force someone to come to church and feel the spirit. You can't force someone to be happy.  You can only provide them with the most ideal environment and let the spirit do the testifying and have the faith that the person you are teaching is really feeling the things you feel! 

Well life always marches on no matter what.  You cannot slow down the march of time. You can only enjoy the ride! I did some calculations this week and I have about 36% left of my mission. I have 39 Sundays left. That is not enough time to teach I  need more time. Weeks go by way to fast now. Time is just sailing on. The transfer is almost over. We are on the fourth week of a six week transfer. Time is the enemy right now. It is just going to fast! 

Well at least you have a temple to go to. Remember that and be grateful. People take the temple for granted. They really shouldn't,  because when you live in an area where there is no temple, people are more hardhearted because the spirit doesn't have a as strong foothold. It will get harder the closer Thailand gets to having a temple, because evil will always try to crush goodness - no matter what we do. The more goodness there is in life  the more wickedness will rise.

Well the zoo was pretty sweet. It was way awesome being able to go and get in for less then 2 dollars!

It's a Zoo!!!!! July 13

Dear Motherus

well GERMANY WON WOO! It's a good day....Well it was a tough week we had a hard time finding people that  wanted to come to church. But in the end we were victorius! We got people to come to church. Only two people came, but we are planning to get them baptized in the end.

Well, this week we were just working and pushing to fight the devil all day long it was "fantabulous"!

Let's see-we have an investigator that who is so ready for baptism! We just have to make sure we teach with power and authority. Yesterday, Elder Kandun was sick. 

Some of the hard moments this week were.... people looking at me as if they are thinking that I have a demon inside of me .....LOL

The reason I am writing you so early is that we are going to a zoo. Well first we are teaching an investigator to help him get ready for baptism and help him change his path! 

Yeah its going to be one of those days!

 

Well mom, I want to let you know that I know this is the work of the Lord. The only way we can have true happiness is this gospel without it we are nothing but dust. We are here to learn good from evil. Some days the world says otherwise, but we need to rise above the world and overcome the evilness!