The Return to Lao

Monday, March 27, 2017

So.... WE'RE back and we are happy to be here! 

My companion, Elder Drew Cheney, and I hopped the border (legally of course) on Thursday last week.

We have a couple things we need to do: 

1: Find a place to live 

2: Get new passports because our old ones are filled up

3: Pray for inspiration

So you could say things are going pretty well! 

The Work:

The members are SUPER PUMPED that we are back! Everything is going well, and it was so fun to go to church on Sunday and see them all. This week was full of visiting random members, meeting with the branch presidents and branch mission leaders, reviewing the progress that has been made with the church, etc. The Lord blesses his people and is preparing them for big things here. This week the members brought 5 investigators to church... the members want them to get taught and are excited to have elders back in the area! 

Quick Funnies: 

1. Special S/O to Elder Rawlinson! I am going to miss you man. Udorn was real. Especially that last day when you fell asleep on the way back to the church (5 minute car ride... this man has a gift for sleeping at all times) hahahah love you Elder! 

2. Elder Cheney and I are both tall white people. Apparently that makes us look like twins. Since we've returned, we have had 7 people come up to us and ask us if we are twins. Truth! 

3. When we got onto our missionary portal to put in our key indicators, we got this message, "There are no church units assigned to your proselyting area. If this is incorrect, please contact your mission office." LOL I guess we went rogue.

4. President Johnson called us this week with this message: "Well Elders this is a special opportunity to blaze the trail up there in Laos, so go to town!" 

5. We translated my favorite hymn this week, "Have I Done Any Good," into Lao. Pretty sure the translation is awful, but we gave it our best shot. We are going to have the members go through it tomorrow hahaha!

6. The old grandmas of the branch came up and offered us food after church. What a treat! We got to eat some delicious ant eggs, year old fish sauce, and some mashed fish with sticky rice and grilled fish. I love Lao food! I was just laughing because I thought of myself 2 years ago. If I saw this food, NO WAY I was eating that. But now I do. Because I love the people. And the food is good too! 

7. Because President Khonsavan doesn't have an office in the church yet, he brings a printer down from his town and sets it up where all the cars are parked. He calls it "His office" hahahahahahahaha. 

The Lord is blessing us each day. We are seeing miracles left and right, up and down, north and south. The Lord lives and he loves us. 

Thank you all for your birthday wishes. This year was very special. A couple friends of mine threw me a party down in Udorn before I left! Thanks so much you guys! And I got to come to Lao on my birthday and spend some time studying the scriptures. What a treat! Thanks for all the birthday wishes today. Love you all - thanks for your prayers! 

-- 

Love the Lord and Laugh, 

ອັບຣາຮາມ ສະມິດ-ດິກສ

Abraham Smith-Driggs