Tiger Woods

Hello there my dear Family and Friends! This week was probably one of the most eventful in my mission so I will try to summarize it the best I can hahahahaha. 

I totally golf

Last week for Pday, Elder Leininger, Elder  Webb, Elder Smith and I went golfing. 

SO MUCH FUN BUT I’M A TERRIBLE GOLFER.

The Work: 

Yesterday at church, I was reminded how through small and simple means are great things brought to pass (Alma 37:6)... A man from Orem, Utah - who is originally from here in Thailand, who came to serve as a senior couple in Roi Et - came to visit for a couple  weeks. He bore his testimony about the work of salvation. He told us about two of the people he taught...and 7 years later, one is now the stake president and the other is our beloved bishop. In just 7 years the branch has grown into a ward and is close to becoming a stake. It was just awesome, and it really helped me to keep a 5-year perspective instead of a 6-week perspective. Because the steps we are taking are very small... But the work is the work of salvation, and therefore God magnifies those steps to big things over a long period of time. Work is going great. Please pray for Brother Boss. He is one of our investigators and will be baptized next week. Just pray that he still learns with us and doesn't give up hope that there is a God who loves him. Pray that he has the strength to switch to Christianity. Elder Smith and I would really appreciate that! 

The Culture: 

To speak forwardly to someone (speaking boldly and directly) is very rude in this culture. If you need to do it, it is polite to ask for permission. For example, "Brother, may I ask permission to speak boldly to you"... and then you can say what you really feel. Fun fact. 

Priests Quorum: Brotherhood

The Funnies: 

1. We have bats in the church. YEAH. Like vampire bats. They have burrowed (hundreds of them and fun fact it is mating season hahahaha) all in the roof of the chapel. The other night one of them had dropped from the hole in the roof into the chapel and was hiding in the dark when Elder Webb and I went to close the sacrament room... We turned on the lights, and it attacked us! It was terrifying but funny. We caught it with a broom and a dustpan...took it outside and killed it. It felt way good. Take that Batman.

2. Random giant statues here in Thailand. This week we found the Hulk. 

3. One of our investigators when we committed him to be baptized asked if he needed to pay for anything, and we said "Of course not!"... He then responded, "Wow - good thing it is free! You don't even need to pay anything to get baptized. I want to get baptized this Sunday!" ... and he will. His name is Brother Nat. Keep him in your prayers. 

4. We went and did service for a little old lady and fixed her roof and her sheet metal house. To make sure the rain didn't come in again, we draped a giant Jesus Christ Christmas poster over her whole house hahahaha. The bishop brought it over to keep the rain out. 

How do you keep the rain out?...Giant poster of Jesus of course

5. The old lady gave me a chicken because that's what you do in Thailand. Thanks Grandma Bet! 

6. We watched the video of you Mom during general conference the other day in church, and my heart dropped. I was like... wait... I have seen this video.. hey wait.. that is my mom!!!!!!! Hahaha I was like, “Hey everyone, that is my mom!” Totally disrupted the spirit...oops sorry. I was just excited to see you Mom! 

Spiritual thought: 

I am so grateful for answered prayers this week. As I was praying for guidance about what to do in Roi Et, I read a talk by Elder Richard G. Scott. In it, he challenges us all to "have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His program to acquire the power to achieve"... Now there are a lot of ideas in here, but I want to focus on the words "his program." A lot of times as missionaries we have an agenda that we want to get done. Missionaries and members all around the world want to get things done... but to do them the "right" way we need to submit to our all-knowing and all-patient Creator... for in his program and in his time do we thrive, and in turn have the ability to grow larger in love towards our fellow man and towards our Savior Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that we focus on God’s plan and accept his will rather than our own. 

I love you all.

God bless you! 

-- 

Love the Lord and Laugh, 

เอ็ลเดอร์ สมีธ-ดริกส์

Elder Smith-Driggs