I don't know what it was about this week, but all of the female RCs [recent converts] here just kept telling me I looked fatter. Here in Thailand it is not a mean thing - they just state facts. I AM NOT FAT ok. If I am fat, then I don't know what skinny is.... probably someone near death of anorexia. There are some serious issues here hahahahahahahaha. This week has been so much fun!
Flower version of an Asian water buffalo - called a kwai
The Work:
We have 2 investigators preparing for baptism this next week. One of them is named Mxxang, the Laotian guy. He is just too prepared. He has NO issues with the church or with the teachings or with the commandments... it is kind of weird honestly. He reads the scriptures, marks everything up, follows all commitments. A dream come true. He is looking good to go. I guess he was just really prepared :)
The other man, Brother Saw, the half-Chinese guy...remember him? He is doing ok... making those steps towards baptism. He wants it, but we have to make sure he still has vision. He is struggling reading the scriptures right now and that is a HUGE step in the conversion process. So we are helping him the best we can.
Other investigators are doing great - Gabriel is just killing it. He is such a stud. It is so awesome to hear his prayers in Italian, and he speaks English really well!
The investigator class at church. Awesome group!
Oh also Elder Howard is a stud. A STUD. I love that man. I hope I get to work another transfer with him. That would be a prayer to be answered.
The Culture:
1. In Thailand, you can't enter into a home (officially move in) until the home has been blessed.
Myanmar (Burma)
2. Calling someone fat/stupid/short/tall is just a fact, it's not mean. Seriously this is not a joke. It happens all the time.
3. Rats are kind of a regular story here in Thailand. This week in the church, we caught 4 :) Don't look at the next pic if you are "rat" squeamish.
Rat #4
The Funnies:
1. This week we had another Zone Training in Chiang Mai, and we were doing a get-to-know-you activity that required all four of the groups (groups of 4 people each) to come up with common things they all did/liked. So while one of the groups was listing off their similar quallities, one of the sisters said, "In our group, we all shave our legs."... and from across the room that girl's companion yells, "Whatever Sister Belnap. I personally know for a fact you haven't." Hahahahahhahahahahahaha it was so classic. It wasn't a burn or a mean thing or anything. Sister Hayes and Sister Belnap are great friends. Hahahaha but all the elders were like, "Ooohhhhhh burrnnnnnnn." Hahahahahaha funny stuff.
Catching some ZZZs.
Spiritual thought:
This week, as Elder Howard and I were teaching Brother Gabriel, we taught about the importance of repentance. We asked him if he thought repentance was a necessary step in the conversion process. He replied in his broken English, "If no repentance, we cannot go..." What sound words of wisdom. Without repentance, we cannot progress...we can't move forward. I love taking Alma's counsel that he gives to his son Corianton in Alma 42:29, which reads: "And now, my son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance."
May we all remember that without repentance, without coming down from our high horse and saying, "You know what God...yeah...you are right...I need to re-align my will with yours.".... we cannot move forward. We cannot progress because we are weighed down by our sins. It is my prayer that we may all remember that Christ is waiting to take our sins.... all we have to do is let Him take them. And after that, we can, "GO!"
I love you all. Hope everything is going well on the cold side of the world. Still sweating over here ;)
--
Love the Lord and Laugh,
เอ็ลเดอร์ สมีธ-ดริกส์
Elder Smith-Driggs
P.S. Shout out to Wes Thompson for the small "Preach My Gospel" he gave me junior year. I LOVE it and use it all the time. What a great book!
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