Well, there's your Thai for everyone today. Writing in both
languages is hard, you see... It's either one or the other. I don't really know
the English equivalent a lot of the things that I say in Thai.
ผมไม่อยากพูดยาว
แต่สรุปว่าผมขี้เกียจแปล
So I hope that's good for everyone! Also a note: If it is
00.00น. (12:00
A.M.) and you're still up, please go to sleep. Family, please go to sleep
before tomorrow comes. President Hinckley has promised blessings from doing so.
Which means that as it hits 14.00น.
here, please go to sleep.
This last week was fun! We went to MBK last week. Let's just
say that I'm probably never going to go there again. And I will not take you
all there. Markets here... you have to be careful. Don't get me wrong, it's
really clean and developed, but maybe developed after the pattern of Babylon,
another great, large, developed city in times past. That's all I'll say.
Has District Council on Tuesday, so that was way fun! I love
our district. So much fun. English was also fun. We talked about our world and
rotated classes. It was good!
Wednesday we taught some lessons to ซ.พร
and ซ.ติ๋ว. Pretty ok. พร is having a hard time
time understanding, but we're checking for real intent to help her, hopefully.
Then we found a strange old lady for a new investigator that day as we headed
over to teach a part member family.
Thursday was our weekly planning day. Some appointments fell
through, some dropped investigators... it's ok, because that's how life goes.
They'll have their chance again later in their life I suppose. We do all that
we can but we need to move on to harvesting. If, over a long period of time,
investigators don't keep commitments, then we need to move on, as prompted by
the Spirit. Then we went inviting along the คลอง
and found a couple of way cool investigators. We just need return appointments
and more opportunities to teach them. Then we read the Children's Book of
Mormon with an new member's mom and her over video call.
Friday was Sport's Night but that didn't really pan out. We
ended up going to teach that same family as mentioned. We're trying really hard
to help them progress and help them complete their family. That's the dream,
for sure.
Saturday nothing worked out... but we had Correlation
Meeting with the Bishop. He's so great. I love the Bishop here a lot. He works
hard and is very efficient and clear in what his goals are. He also gave us
Pizza Hut and Sticky Rice with Chicken so that we could start our fast. We are
working on trying to see more Less Active members and help them return to
Church as well. That day we also tried to teach a couple people who we met on
the street but no results there. We ended up seeing an old couple who are
members (we usually give the Sacrament to them). We taught them while our investigator
and her daughter, who is a new member, came along. I felt the Spirit there. I
hope she did as well.
Sunday was fast Sunday. Lunch was great. They feed us lunch
kind of like a potluck every Sunday after Church and we eat together. It is way
good. A good way to break the fast (Lunch - Lunch). We also had dinner with a
member and our RC and the Sister Missionaries. We all gave a Spiritual Thought
about The Holy Ghost who helps us as member missionaries.
Monday we had Zone Conference, in of which Elder Homer, who
is in the Asia Area Presidency, came to train us. We talked about finding and
teaching, the basic components of missionary work. He was way funny and told us
lots of stories and had President and Sister Hammond tell us how about their proposal
went. Then he told us a story that made everyone cry called "The Marks of
Man." It went something like this:
There was a member, who once boarded a plane going from
Miami, Florida, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Up at the front he saw a young man in
a new suit, sitting right next to what appeared to be his parents. He seemed to
lights in his eyes, and the members recognized that this young man is probably
going to be a missionary. He is clean, a little anxious, but ready for the next
two years. The member says that they felt proud, proud to be a member of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The member then took their seat and looked to their right.
They saw another young man, the same clean short haircut, the suit, and wearing
a name badge. His suit maybe a little less clean. He was sleeping against the
window. The member recognized that this young man was a missionary as well.
However, this young man was probably on his way home.
The member looked, and saw the bags under the missionary's
eyes, from the long days spent under the hot sun, working all day. Tireless
hours spent working for the people he loved. That was a mark that made this
young boy a man.
The member looked at the missionary's nametag. He saw it
crooked, scratched, and engraving almost worn away from those countless hours
and experiences. Those were the marks of a man.
His pants, once new and clean, now patched as evidenced by
many, poorly made, stiches.The knees of his pants were white, from all the time
he spent kneeling for his investigators, his companion, the missionaries, his
president, for the work. Kneeling in prayer and humbling himself before God all
the time. Those were the marks of that man.
The knuckles of his hands, once smooth and clean, were now
cracked, scarred from all the doors he knocked and the service he gave. The
hands he used to bless the people and come unto God. Those were the marks of
that man.
His shoes, once having that new shoe shine, were now
cracked, split and old, having evidence of many, many, shoe shines. They bore
himself many many miles, to the doors and places that he served. Now worn down,
those were the marks of that man.
Clearly he loved the people, as much as he could. He served
them the best he could. Now at rest, well deserved, on his way back home.
In him, the member could see, the marks of a different man
as well. One who blessed with his hands to make the blind see and the deaf
here, whose feet carried him throughout all the land. Whose feet and hands were
pierced for, to save us all. A Prince of Peace. Those were the marks of that
man.
The member wanted to bring that new missionary right by the
ear and say to him "Look at this missionary! You could become like him.
Someone came home with honor." The member was filled with pride as they
saw that missionary resting there.
Shortly thereafter, they landed, and the member woke
returning missionary. He opened his eyes. His body seemed to sigh, and be
renewed with strength. And in his eyes, the member could see a light that they
did not catch before. It was light of the Savior, of whom that young man had
served, ever so faithfully, for the last two years.
The member looked at him and the missionary looked back, and
they exchanged no words, only a smile. The member gestured, letting him go
first and so the missionary did. The member followed him through, and they
found themselves in the midst of that missionary's family, and saw him in his
parent's arms. He had finally returned, his work was done. He had returned as a
man.
So I hope that might be with me. That's what I pray. And so
I serve with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength. I will find those who
are ready, and I hope the Lord will help me do it. May he bless us all in our
missionary endeavors.
Love you lots! Talk to you soon.
- Elder Collin Decker
