Hey there Dad!
Well I'd be glad to help if I was at home... But I still
have a mission to serve so save some projects for me to help with... Hahaha. I
wouldn't trade anything for this mission experience. It's really tough, but it
is making me better. How easy it is to find and receive revelation from the
Lord when you're out trying to save the souls of his children, but I can't
imagine how hard it will be when I'm at home, not working full time as a
missionary and still trying to receive revelation. Especially for myself,
that's the scary thing. It's no longer me caring for other people, but me
receiving revelation for myself. What a scary prospect. For now I enjoy every
moment on the mission, as a set apart representative of the Lord and our
Savior, Jesus Christ.
This last week was a little rough, I will admit. Not too
much. Not anything close to Alma and Amulek that's for sure.
We just found 3 large spiders in our house that we killed. I
put one down with a knife, one by stepping on it and another one by slapping it
with my shoe. All within 12 hours and once while I was showering. Bug spray
does not work in these ones, let's just be clear. To this day the scariest
experience of my life.
We just didn't find as many new investigators as we set a
goal to do... So we've readjusted our plans for this week to provide more time
to do that. Diligence, effective time management, coupled with some mighty
prayer, ought to help fix our problems. And being bold while we invite. We have
the saving message of the Gospel! Why shouldn't we be bold? We cannot be
overbearing, of course, but even the prophets of old called to the people
with straightforward language:
Repent.
1 Nephi Chapter 1 said it. Alma says it. The Savior also
says it. In the Book of Mormon alone it says "Repent" 382, or so,
times. Considering that there are 707 pages (in the Thai version) in the Book
of Mormon, that's enough to tell you at least once every two pages about
repentance, on average. The Book of Mormon does not hide the fact that we need to
repent, so why should we, as authorized representatives of the Lord.
Of course, there are many ways to reach people, and you
don't necessarily need to call them to repentance the first time you meet, but
they should receive a commitment invitation, since we are missionaries after
all, to do something that will help them build their faith.
Anyways, we went to go see a big monument to an old king
last week. Really huge and really detailed so it was pretty cool. Then we went
to go see another big monument as well right behind it called วัดภูเขาทอง (Wat Phu Khao
Tong). Pictures will be on the way when I actually have Wi-Fi.
Tuesday was English Class and District meeting like normal!
No monkey attacks this week but that's because we were in Ayutthaya for district
meeting. We had 6 new students come to English Class which was way good! We
need new students besides little kids... And a couple other people. So it
should be good in the coming weeks.
The rest of the week was pretty OK, still didn't have a ton
of time to invite/contact. We're working on it.
No motorcycle or any sort of crashes either this week,
though we did have a switchoff and we didn't use our bikes the entire day. So
that was fun. I was with an Elder from Arkansas and he's a really solid
guy/missionary.
Now for the last part:
I love a lot of quotes from C. S. Lewis.They're really
insightful and quoted a lot in General Conference. There's two that I really
like that I want to share:
This one is from a talk given Bishop Ted R. Callister in
October 2011:
"C. S. Lewis spoke of a similar dilemma faced by
someone who must choose whether to accept or reject the Savior’s divinity—where
there is likewise no middle ground: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying
the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept
Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That
is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort
of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. … You must make your
choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or
something worse. … But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His
being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend
to.”
Either Jesus was the Christ or he was not. We must make our
choice. The words of Bishop Callister need no further explanation.
The next one is about repentance, said quoted by Elder
Quentin L. Cook in October 2012:
"C. S. Lewis, the striving, pragmatic
Christian writer, poignantly framed the issue. He asserted that Christianity
tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness; but until people know and
feel they need forgiveness, Christianity does not speak to them. He stated,
“When you know you are sick, you will listen to the doctor.”"
Remember this for ourselves as well. We all need
forgiveness.
The last thing I would like to share is a quote from Elder
Neal A. Maxwell, said in 2004, not from C. S. Lewis and speaking a little about
consecration:
"Brethren [and Sisters], as you submit your wills to
God, you are giving Him the only thing you can actually give Him that is really
yours to give. Don’t wait too long to find the altar or to begin to place the
gift of your wills upon it! No need to wait for a receipt; the Lord has His own
special ways of acknowledging."
They who listen and obey when the Lord calls to us, who
listens to the promptings of the Spirit at all times, are the ones who will
always be right. May it be so with us. Let us give our will and our all to our
Heavenly Father and take ourself out of the equation.
I know this work is true, and I love you all! Keep your
spirits up and keep working diligently! Never forget our goal of exaltation.
- Elder Collin Decker
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