Church Madness, Bangkok and The Airport

27 August 2017

So, a lot of great things happened in the last week and a half. The last two Sundays have been great and we got new people to teach. Just for a little insight into our Sundays here in Laos, I am almost never with Elder Saunders. We are almost always split off with young men or another priesthood holder, just running around doing everything that needs to be done. We each probably switch the person we are with probably 6 times each Sunday. We do this so we can cover as much ground as possible. So, we split off, then we teach people, go to different classes, do random things for different members, talk to people, set appointments for the week, and about an hour and a half after church is over, we meet back up and each give a huge sigh of relief that we are done running around for the day.

Because we can only teach at the church, Elder Saunders and I kind of have different sets of investigators that we teach each Sunday. Last Sunday I taught two girls that came in with a friend (the same friend that brought Sister Basa to church). So, I taught a Restoration Lesson with an awesome Returned Missionary named Brother Kit. With his help, we had a great lesson ending with an invitation to read and pray. Unfortunately, with the Sunday Madness going on, they ran home before I got their phone number to follow up with them. So, the week went on and I tried to call the friend to get their phone numbers to follow up. I wasn't able to get a hold of her, so I wasn't able to follow up. We then had to go down to Bangkok for a meeting, without getting in touch with them. Then yesterday, at church, I was way happy to see them again. I got into a lesson and finally followed up on the Book of Mormon, only to find that they had read about 50 pages in already and want to be baptized! So, that was a great little miracle for the day. They have a Baptismal date set for the 17th of next month. Also, another great addition on the investigator front. We have an investigator that Elder Saunders is teaching right now. The Elders have been teaching for a long time. Like a year and a half or so. Her name is Sister Lisa and she comes to church every week and likes it but doesn't really read in the scriptures or pray and doesn't really have a desire to be baptized. So, she has never really progressed that far. Elders have just tried to teach her as much as we have time for on Sunday. Well, last Sunday, Elder Saunders got a lesson in with her and it went well. Then he taught her again yesterday. This time she had read and prayed everyday and had lots of questions about the things she read and had a desire to be baptized and has a goal for early in October. A real 180 degree turn. So, what I really saw and learned yesterday is the power of the Book of Mormon. I always looked at it as the way to know the truth of our message and filled with great knowledge about how to live our lives. Yesterday, I really saw the power it has to give desire to the people who need it. The Book of Mormon is an amazing book.

“Within the book’s pages, you will discover the infinite love and incomprehensible grace of God. As you strive to follow the teachings you find there, your joy will expand, your understanding will increase, and the answers you seek to the many challenges mortality presents will be opened to you. As you look to the book, you look to

the Lord. The Book of Mormon is the revealed word of God. Of this I testify, with all my heart and soul. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

—Elder Gary Stevenson  October 2016

The other people are doing great. They are all coming to church and doing great things.

So, one of the big things from this week was a trip down to Bangkok. Elder Saunders and I had a meeting for all the missionaries who are close to going home. It was great to be with my group that started in the MTC together. The meeting was good too. We were given a lot of advice about what to do when we go home and were advised to make a plan covering a few area's: Health, Education, Employment, Finances, Spiritual Strength, and Social Life.

Going down to the meeting was fun. The meeting was on Friday and we had English teaching Thursday night until 6:30. So after English class, we had a member drive us to the Border. We crossed over, then met another member in Thailand that drove us to the airport in Udorn. When we fly, we usually fly from Udorn because it is like a third the price of Vientiane. We made it there with an hour before our flight left. Once we went through security we went to sit down and ran into some Udorn members that we knew who were going down to Bangkok as well. So that was great. On the way back from the meeting we just took a long over-night bus back to the border.

One funny thing is the amount of times Elder Saunders and I have been to the airport in the last month. People keep going on missions, coming home from missions, going home from missions, moving to America, or just come to visit the Branch. Elder Saunders and I have been to the airport probably 10 times in the last month. Good thing it is only a 5 minute bike ride from the house.

 

Airplanes not made for American legs

Things are going great here.

-- Elder Cheney

ฉะนั้น, หากเจ้ามีความปรารถนาจะรับใช้พระผู้เป็นเจ้า เจ้าก็ได้รับเรียกมายังงาน

เอ็ลเดอร์ ชีนีย์

ແລະ ຈົ່ງເບິ່ງ,

ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບອກພວກທ່ານເຖິງເລື່ອງເຫລົ່ານີ້ເພື່ອພວກທ່ານຈະຮຽນຮູ້ກ່ຽວກັບປັນຍາ

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ພວກທ່ານກໍຮັບໃຊ້ພຣະເຈົ້າຂອງພວກທ່ານນັ້ນເອງ

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