Almost like snow..... March 23

I am doing fanfreakingtastic! It was a good week.... I mean sure all of our lessons fell through as it is normal. As missionaries,  we just go out and invite everyone who has a face and help them learn about the gospel and what not ... No baptisms this past week. This week we have a potential of 3 baptisms! It is so exciting! President Senior received revelation that I must stay here for someone or something. It's all in Gods plan that I am here, I don't know why! Well, I am still leaving my bag packed because President Senior said," See you soon", and Sister Senior said that I won't be in the Khumphwapi a lot longer. But if the Lord needs me here till the end of this transfer, that means I need to find someone and help them come unto the gospel.

Zone conference was a very fun experience. It was a good time to talk to other missionaries and see how they are doing. It was about pushing ourselves to be bigger and better then what we are. Aim higher and GO HIGHER! It was so fun! We had an activity where we jumped into the air and slapped a sticky note on a pillar. In the end we had to exceed what we had done before, it was so fun!!

Zone conference was mainly for a re-energize to get us excited for the upcoming year and helping us set higher goals and make sure that we work as a team and what not- it is jolly good fun!

We just were told to set our expectations higher and being AWESOME! 
A random exciting thing that happened is that it hailed in Thailand!!! Yeah it was awesome! It was like it was snowing here!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 

Well, I have become more courageous. I have seen what I want in my life and how an education is a very important  thing in my life. I just want to be a better help to the bishop.

I leave the 99 always because there is one needed to be found. (He is talking about the 99 sheep and the one that is lost.
I am great! I can't wait to see the world!

A packed suitcase and nowhere to go.... March 16

Well, we heard through the grapevine that Elder Proctor had not been transferred. It was a tough week until we finally heard from him. Here are his thoughts....

Yes, I am still here in the city of monkeys. It was hard to accept,  but the Lord works in mysterious ways. Yes, I am still here. I don't know what happened. I am hoping on Thursday, when we have zone conference I will learn why and what happened. I am fine and doing good. I survived the dispointment and now we are going to go for 2 baptisims this week. We are going to give it our all and just press forward and win! I wont lie... I am quite disappointed. I wish I knew why. But, well it's the Lord's will that I stay here longer. I am trying to figure out what I have left to do here. There is obviously someone else I need to find and help come back to the fold. I had my bags packed when I found out that I was staying. I was really sad for about two days and never did unpack one of my suitcases. I remembered then to love it, come what may..just like I was taught at home...

 

 But you know what.....This week we had a baptism. It was jolly good to see her get baptized. The day will be one to remember....... because the water pump did not work so well at all. Basically there was no water coming from the pump. So, we had to turn on a little faucet  and fill up buckets of water and pour them into the baptismal font. We did that for 2 hours straight and the water was just barely deep enough for her to be baptized!!! But yeah, it was funny watching us run around filling up buckets and pour them into the font. Yeah.... it was good 

 

Besides that, we basically invited everyone that had a face this whole week. We just went and talked to everyone. I walked into restaurants and asked people if they wanted to be baptized and what not! We also had to sent a loan shark swimming away on Sunday. He came looking for someone saying they have to pay money that day. We said, well you cant do that here because we cannot shuffle money around, so he swam away! 5555 it was awesomely fun we then went and taught an investigator who is at the moment wanting really hard to be baptised only problem is that her husband will not let her get married to him, even though they have lived together for 20+ years

Trust the Lord for with him all things are possible!

 

 

March 9th... I smile because without smiles the world is full of frowning faces.......

During the last transfer, Elder Proctor was told that he would remain in Kumphawapi for three more weeks...He seems pretty excited about the opportunity for new adventures!

onight well i know like 100 percent am leaving

 

 

I am doing great! T'was a week of oddness and error and lasers. It was a good week..... yesterday(today for you) was super crazy because there was no Branch President at church, so we had to run the show ourselves! Elder Jensen had to preside over the meeting. I had to bless the sacrament. It was quite fun!! We were running around the church with our heads cut off like chickens sorry English is very hard to write it sucks! 

 

So yeah, this week was a very successful one, through obedience anything is possible!! We had 3 investigators at church which is astronomical! we also had what we called balanced which means we need to get 3 people with baptismal dates, 3 new investigators, 12 lessons (with members or RCLA lessons)  and 3 people progressing in the gospel and we achieved all of this last week! 

 

So, awesomest teaching moment was when we were out inviting and we got off our bikes and saw a family eating food.  We went and talked taught and ate a little bit of papaya salad and taught about baptism. They were kinda interested.  The spirit was very strong there and we taught about the way Jesus can help them over come sin! 

 

People we are teaching at the moment....

Ones name is ....... yeah she is awesome. She was a lady we invited to be baptized and she said yes. She cannot use her legs because polio ravaged her legs when she was younger. She is very excited to be baptized and forgiven! Her friend  came a long I don't know her name, but she wants to be baptized as well!!
Then our last dater is named ....She wants to learn about Christ and wants to be baptized because she has seen how the gospel changes you.

 

On a funny note......my companion got attacked/ groped by a Old lady while inviting........

 

I am 85 percent sure I am leaving. Yeah, it should be good. I am going to leave and go some where big.

 

I  love the work and time is just sailing! It needs to slow down! I can smile because without smiles the worlds is full of frowning faces and its bad for your health!!!  I will have fun! Memories are always good, even the bad ones which we are supposed to learn from!

 

 

 

It's fun being a missionary! And we have hit the 10 month mark!

Studying and learning

Riding through the "wilderness"

Fixing something....we think.....

Eating a Cane

Riding a fun contraption

 

Loving a puppy

We have been blessed to have kind friends in Thailand who send us pictures of our missionary. All but one of these pictures were shared with us by Narin Rakmak who is Aaron's companion who just finished his mission. 

hey mum 

i love you loads as well! you are so awesome mum! Hey did Brian's gift make it? Don't worry just one more of his I miss right?  Well that's weird Brian 12 its not real! he is still only 8 i swear he is!! That's so cool that he will be passing the sacrament soonAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Where does the time go! Elder Proctor's little brother just turned 12. That means that he will get the priesthood and be ordained a deacon.

Well this week was a week of just faith and working our tails off and praying for success. But success sometimes comes in the form you least expect it! Through all of our work we had hoped for 4 people to come to church. Well in the end no one really came. It was a tough cookie to bite, but while we were inviting, about 6 in the evening, we got a call from our Branch President. He told us Brother C. was back! He had been gone for a month and BAM -he is back! It's so exciting. Sad thing is, I wont see him again because I will be leaving before he comes back to church. He is going to be in Udorn and what not.

I asked Aaron if he had seen the Lord's hands in his life this week....

Well, yes, yes I have! the Lord saved my leg from being chomped on by a dog. Sure he bit me, but the socks and pants saved me from actually getting hurt !!!  Well let's see -just pray that we can make this place grow and become stable again! We have hit loads of problems, but nothing we can't overcome with the Lord's help, for he wants us to have success, you know! Well, it's got to get dark before the dawn right?

I miss that kid so much its not even funny!( He is talking about Narin Rakmak- his companion that just finished his mission) I got to talk to him yesterday. It was nice to say hello to him and what not. I told him he needs to come and visit.

I would like to go some where that is fun we will see how the cards fall! I wonder where the winds will take me next! (This is in reference to his upcoming transfer).

I just do my best and let the consequence follow...... yeah it makes me happy(to be on a mission). It's fun being a missionary!! 

Elder Narin Rakmak Returned With Honor.....and left Aaron behind...5555555

Elder Aaron Proctor has had such fantastic companions. It started in the MTC and has continued through his mission. Each of those companions has helped him grow and become the missionary and person he is. Some of his companions have returned home. In fact three of them have, the most recent- Elder Rakmak. 

 Elder Rakmak finished his mission a week ago (February 19). He was Aaron's first Thai companion and they connected in such an awesome way. I remember talking to Aaron on Christmas Day how Christmas Eve had been for him and he told me that the two of them had been kinda down. They had worked all day without any success and the Christmas spirit seemed to be missing. However, the two of them managed to turn the day around, sipping hot cocoa in cool 60 degree weather.

At times, more often than not, Kuhmpawapi can be a really tough area to work in. The missionaries are well known and are, as always, easily recognized. Often they are not welcome and meeting new people can be hard. Those two elders have worked hard and have made an impact. 

They encountered much wild life and kept fun alive. I remember one time asking Aaron if. "Having a brother in arms" helped make the rough life easier. He empathetical agreed. Telling me how grateful he was for his wonderful companion. 

When Elder Rakmak left, I sensed some sadness and it felt that Aaron was pretty much ready to move on as well. I though it might be hard for him getting a new companion in an area where he had made a best friend. He stayed on and I think that was not too, too easy for him. 

Since returning home. Elder Rakmak has started to communicate with us. In fact, we are working on getting a skype connection going where we can teach each other, our respective languages. He misses Aaron terrible, just as Aaron misses him. I think they have established eternal bonds. Elder Rakmak has sent us a couple of pictures of Aaron that are posted below. 

Thank you Elder Rakmak! We are glad you are Aaron's friend!


 

February- Myanmar is open for missionary work!

Well as you have heard, I am still in KHUMPS.... but fear not for I shall be here for only a short stay. I have received confirmation that I am leaving in 3 weeks, no doubt about it!! Really, I am ok with staying. I have to show the world this area can grow! (The area really has grown over the past weeks.)

Yeah, so this past transfer an amazing thing happened..... BURMA(Myanmar) IS OPEN. We have people in Burma the whole area is open. The church is translating the Book of Mormon into Burmese right now. THE WORK IS HASTENING ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(So, here is the cool fact about this Myanmar situation.... earlier in Aaron's mission, the church started having English classes in Myanmar. There were some problems and the program was shut down. So this is truly a huge step forward. Up until this point, mostly senior missionaries had served in Myanmar. Having Elders there is a miracle!)Our whole mission is now open. Another cool tidbit..... Aaron's mission included Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Since he got there. Laos and now Myanmar have opened to missionary work. It is so very exciting!!!)  Oh yeah and President Senior is in Hong-Kong  right now. Something is "abrewing"! I went to Bangkok and what not. It was jolly good fun to see friends and what not!

Missionaries in the states, they just need to walk around and ask people to be baptized! It is simple.... because when you overcomplicate the gospel, nothing gets done!! Yeah so really this whole week was about transfers. Sorry not much more exciting than this!

February 16 - Do you want to get baptized in 30 minutes?

Twas a mad week of pure madness of people running around and running away from us because they don't want to hear what we have to say! It's funny..... Gravity it is always our enemy when we want it to be our friend ......It hates us always and makes us fall and get up again yeah.
Well in the end everything will be alright!!No animals tried to kill us......... I almost died a couple days ago because a dog was chasing me and I was off balance because we had a lap top. I almost got hit  by a motorcycle- needless to say I was cross. (Note....he had just told me that he had not been killed by an animal....sigh!) 

 

Well I  will know if I get transferred, tonight...... "Tonight,  tonight there's a party on the rooftop of the world!" It should be exciting!  All is well that ends well right??Either way, I will go to Bangkok with my companion on Wednesday.

Well, in some rather exciting news....... we had a baptism this weekend. It kinda came as a surprise. Our investigator was interviewing on Saturday and it wasn't going good. The computer stopped working, she had a head ache because she was quitting coffee cold turkey. We were like ok come back tomorrow and we will get you interviewed. She came and was interviewed in the second hour of church. Satan did everything in his power stop it from happening. There were problems with the computer.  Heck, even the power went out at the church! But through faith and prayers the interview was accomplished. She then had to have another interview because of something and she passed as well!! Then our District leader and Zone leader called at separate times to see if she was going to be baptized on Sunday. We looked at her and said ,"hey do you want to be baptized in like 30 minutes?" She said yeah!!! So we rushed around filing the fount and getting the clothes and speakers ready and what not/ Then she GOT BAPTIZED!!!! It was pure madness!! Super fun!

Let's see tender mercies of the week.... Well all I honestly can remember about this week, is the baptism, because it was a tough week .This baptism was possible because a lot of help from this side and from across the veil because well she was not positive if she wanted baptism any more!