This week was Songkran which is the big Thai celebration of the new year and where everyone sprays each other with water guns. It's a nationwide water fight and it's so fun! It's a little difficult to teach people during the festival but it's a great way to spend time with members. We went to celebrate Songkran on Saturday with some members at a big celebration and it was a blast! I ran into several members from old wards where I served. We saw a cool miracle at the celebration as well! President wanted all the missionaries to wear missionary clothes instead of the traditional Hawaiian shirts that everyone wears. While walking around the festival we had a man run up to us and yelled "Elders! I've been looking for you everywhere!" He is from Cambodia and served a mission there. He moved to Thailand about a month ago and couldn't find a church where he lives. He was so excited to see us and he's excited to come learn Thai at the church with us. (Some other Elders teach Thai at our weekly English classes.) President was for sure inspired when he had us wear our white shirts and ties to the festival!
This week we also were able to watch General Conference. It was such a great conference and was full of the spirit. I noticed themes of repentance, preparing for the second coming as well as many things focused on families and strengthening our homes. It was a strange feeling knowing that this would be the last conference I watched in Thailand. Many of the returning members we've been meeting with were able to come to Conference and all enjoyed it. I really enjoyed President Nelson's talk in the Sunday morning session about families and how we need to do everything we can here in order to be with our families in the nest life. I found another great quote from President Nelson from a few conferences ago. "That proclamation on the family helps us realize that celestial marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other relationship. The earth was created and this Church was restored so that families could be formed, sealed, and exalted eternally." One of the main reasons we are here is to be sealed to our families and be with them forever. I'm grateful for a loving family and the prospect of eternal life with them!
Other fun highlights:
- While walking around the Songkran festival a man spotted us (a group of about 10 missionaries) and then screamed "MORMONS!!" and then he and his friends unloaded all the water the could muster on us with no mercy. It was so funny!
- Brother Boom is still doing great! He came to Conference and loved it! We taught him the Plan of Salvation this week which answered lots of questions for him. We also read 2 Nephi 31 with him which was very spiritual and helped him understand the Book of Mormon more as well as what we need to do to live with God again. He tells all the members how it was such a miracle when we met him and how happy he is at church.
- Brother Ter is also doing well. He came to Conference and slept through a lot of it but he's still super excited to be baptized soon!
- Elder McWhorter got smacked in the face by some baby powder while walking home one night. The baby powder mixes with the water and gets pretty messy, so that was funny
- That name of the week: North
Love you all lots. This work is so amazing and I'm so glad to be a part of it! Watching conference was a great spiritual boost! Hope you all enjoyed General Conference. Pay special attention to Elder Uchtdorf's talk! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment