Still and Small

Monday, March 13, 2017

HELLO! I am going to make this week short again, sorry folks. 

"My boy scout buddies.. and ELDER BROWN sneaking in the photo I SEE YOU BRO"

[Mom comment: Not sure what festival they are celebrating here.]

The Work: 

Yesterday we got to see Sister ChewyChai get baptized! She has really worked hard to live the standards of the church. It has been such an honor to see her change over the course of learning with us. I was SO HAPPY to see her enter the waters of baptism yesterday, making her first covenant of many with her Father in Heaven. She waited a long time to be baptized, but she needed to make sure the Lord wanted her to do it. After that confirmation, she decided to act in faith and be baptized. Congratulations Sister ฉุยฉาย (ChewyChai)! 

Congratulations Sister ฉุยฉาย!!

Miracles in the Udorn Zone are happening right now! Elder Rawlinson and I challenged Sakornakorn DL and KhonKaen DL to get 25 phone numbers in a single day. We prayed for them and sent them texts throughout the day to encourage them. They accepted the challenge, but neither of them had much free time in the day that was set apart for contacting (inviting). With prayers in their hearts, they asked the Lord where to invite at what times. We followed up that night about their results, praying in our hearts that they reached the goal we had set. Elder Cheney from Khonkaen picks up the phone, "Elder Rawlinson, sorry we didn’t get 25 numbers.... we got 26!" WOOOOHOOOOOO Faith changes everything! We then called Elder Bjarnson and Elder Johnson in Sakornakorn - they respond, "27 numbers Elder Smith-Driggs!" When I asked them how many they got the day before that, they responded: 2 numbers. Amazing. And thus we see that as we raise the bar for ourselves and trust in the Lord that he can help us, miracles can happen. It is as simple as that. I am so grateful the Lord gave the opportunity for both those district leaders and their companions to learn something about faith. So did I. I love miracles. I know they happen! 

The Elders of Udorn!

The Culture: 

Here in the Isaan (eastern part of Thailand), one of the most common things for the locals to eat is tammarind (off of the trees) and sticky rice. I tried it for the first time on Sunday and all the members were like, "Elder Smith-Driggs you are a true Isaan missionary now hahahahahah." 

"Welcome to Thailand! Feat: Elder Brown"

Hiking

The Funnies: 

1. The same grandma that introduced me to the sticky rice and tamarind treat sat down on the grass on a piece of paper and looked up at me saying, "Elder... look at me I am Aladdin!" Hahahaha. 

"I am Aladdin Elder - Look!"

2. This week Elder Brown and I placed a bet that the district leader was the person who had to do the baptismal record, not the zone leader (if the zone leader was the one interviewing). So we called Elder Lindley, the AP... his reply: Elder Smith-Driggs wins the bet hahahahahahahaaha. I love Elder Brown - he is such a great guy, but he owes me some treats at 7-11 hahahaaha. 

The Spiritual Thought: 

For one of my personal studies I watched the Face to Face event with Elder Holland and Elder Eyring. Elder Holland said something about receiving personal revelation that I LOVED. He said: "Heavenly Father will wait until we can provide an environment that HE can be STILL and SMALL." We need to take more time to listen to the still small voice, and create that environment of silent meditation, of being alone, in a quiet place, just like Joseph Smith did. Let’s give Heavenly Father a chance to answer our prayers instead of just asking for the answer then quickly closing the prayer... we need to wait, listen, and think quietly in order to create that environment. I know that as we do, we will hear the Lord's voice more clearly in our lives. For he is always waiting for us (Jacob 6:5).

I LOVE YOU ALL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK FROM UDORN THAILAND 

Some of the MTC guys at a conference in BKK

THANKS MOM FOR THE PACKAGE LOVE YOU

-- 

Love the Lord and Laugh, 

ອັບຣາຮາມ ສະມິດ-ດິກສ

Abraham Smith-Driggs