Elder Santeco: August 2016

Monday, August 29, 2016

Thailand Week 27: Bangkok!!! :D

I AM JUST SO HAPPY

Alohaaa!

I've moved into the city of Bangkok! Whoo! I am currently companions with เอ้ลเดอร์ ฮิกสัน (Elder Hixson) in ธนบุรี. It is just plain awesome.

Elder Hixson is chill, spiritual, full of charity, and just awesome! He is always looking for ways to become more like Christ. He is constantly looking for opportunities to serve others. This transfer is going to be sooooo muchhhh funnnn!!!!

We took these pictures right before we enter into the Internet Cafe. HAHAH. We're not that good at taking pics.

When we came into the area, we found that we like no investigators. This is Elder Hixson's second transfer here in ธนบุรี but last transfer he was put into a group of 3 elders. Therefore when we become comps we practically started a new plate. :)

Last Saturday, we had a cook-off at the church. Yeah! I love food. It was a Relief Society activity but basically the whole ward came. Haha. it reminds me of Kahuku 1st Ward<3. It was really fun. We basically broke up into groups and made different dishes. I can't remember what I made, but I promise you... I helped my group. Hahah. Got to meet many awesome members. I am looking forward to working with them. :)

Sunday. I love Sundays. :) After church and meeting with several of the members, we continued to invite for the rest of the day. I seriously love it! :) There's people everywhere! Haha, there's no excuse to why I couldn't be inviting. :) To finish the night off, we made some tacos for dinner and watched a Church movie. :)

I really do feel like this is going to be an awesome transfer. I'm going to be performing miracles. I am going to be changing lives. How amazing is that?! I love the Thailand Bangkok Mission. :)

Also, thank you family! It brings me peace and joy knowing that mom and dad have completed the temple sealing for Grandpa and Grandma. Ahhhh... :) It is my testimony that families truly can be together forever. Ah! I love you guys so much! :)

"God Loves You!!!" :)

- Elder Santeco

Elder Hixson pays with stamps. :D

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Transfer #4/Thailand Week 26: Korat

Transfer #4?

Wowowowow. Time flew by.

I am seriously dead tired, but am still able to do the Lord's work! Whooo!!

Good news! My cast is off and now I smell much better.
But my arm is still very stiff. Can't really move it around as much, but I think it's getting better.
Dad, the first thing that came to my mind was golf. I really don't want to give up golfing. Haha.
I love you dad. I hope you and Jesse are doing a lot of fun activities together. :)

Korat is doing great. Thanks to the wonderful members, investigators, and leaders, the work has been steadily progressing. My love for the people of Korat has grown so much that I actually wouldn't mind staying here for another transfer. I am looking forward to that day when my arm gets better and my new pair of hearing aids come in so that I can begin to do all sorts of service and actually responding to others without guessing what they are saying. Haha. Thank you Mom and Dad. :)

I love the Liahona/Ensign magazines. :D I have been reading from them everyday along with my lovely scriptures. :)

After reading one of the articles, My Mother's Testimony of the Book of Mormon, I have gained a greater appreciation for the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. :)

"Gratitude for Scripture Will Inspire Our Study

The year 2005 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and many stakes invited members to do a special project to memorialize the life of the Prophet. My mom decided to copy the Book of Mormon by hand. She spent months doing it.

Halfway through her project, her stake held an event in which everyone displayed what they had done. The night before, my mom carefully wrapped the pages she had copied and took them to the stake center. She couldn’t bear to leave the pages there without her protection; only she knew the work and care that had gone into them.

She later told me that on that night she gained a greater appreciation for how the Prophet Joseph Smith must have felt about the priceless words that were under his protection."

I love the Book of Mormon. I love this restored gospel. As we learn of the gospel and apply it in our lives, we develop the ability to have more peace, happiness and joy in our lives. Ahhh, blessings. :)

I love you guys. Mahalo Nui Loa!!!

- Elder San/Tesco

#FamiliesTogetherForever

Here's another talk if you are interested... haha

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2016/02/young-adults/what-can-the-book-of-mormon-teach-us-about-happiness?lang=eng

-I like rice fields. They are beautiful.

-We took a ride in one of these MEGA ตุ้กๆ hahah. It's really slow.

I have a rainbow tooth. (I think there's some rice stuck between my teeth as well)

This is Sister ดาว and her kids. :) They have a bap date for next transfer!

This is one awesome mini car. Yes. It's functional. Ohhh yeahhh. My rideee

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Thailand Week 25: Korat

Losing myself in the Lord's work

This past week has been a blast! We have been working our butts off and miracles just keeps occurring!

I realize that my potential to be better should not change because I currently don't have functioning hearing hearing aids. I can still do the Lord's work! It may have gotten harder, but it doesn't change the fact that I am still able to bring others to come unto Christ. :) It's fun.

Remember that family that I had an accident with? I finally met with them! They are awesome. :)

At the end of the road, is a small house... In this house is a wonderful family. There's a grandmother, father, mother, 2 sons (7 and 14 years old) and a grandson(10 months). In our first lesson with them, we've introduced God and committed them to try pray. We could tell that ซ. เอ๋ and her family wanted to try out this "praying" thing. :) I was excited for them.

When we visited them for their second lesson, the mother, ซ.เอ๋ welcomed us in... :) As we began to began our lesson, ซ.เอ๋ requested her son to say the opening prayer. IT WAS AN AMAZING PRAYER! :) He spoke freely from his heart. They obviously have been praying. :D We then did the Restoration with them and introduced the Book of Mormon. Afterwards, we read the introduction together... As we began to read the Book of Mormon together, I saw the best thing ever. The grandma holding her grandson, sitting on a nearby bench, ซ.เอ๋ 's 7 years old son sitting on her lap, both holding the Book of Mormon, and the 14 years old son exploring and reading ahead in the Book of Mormon. This is the family. I want this family to be together forever. Today, we'll be teaching the Plan of Salvation to them. I'm sooooo excited!!!

I love this gospel. The more I learn about it, the more I keep telling myself... "This person needs the gospel..." It's amazing. I'm anxious to see how the Lord continues to shape me and those around me. :)

Mosiah 16:6-9

" 6 And now if Christ had not come into the world,speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption.
7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.
8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.
9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

Ahh. Jesus Christ.. :) Because of Him, we'll be resurrected. Because of Him, we can repent of our sins and prepare ourselves to enter the kingdom of God. Because of Him, we are able to have eternal families and everlasting happiness. Because of Him, I am HAPPY :)

Love you all! :) I miss you guys! Enjoy the beef stew for me!! Haha

- Elder Santeco

That day I entered the Hospital :)

Elder Gardner and his pro selfie skills... Brother แบงค์ and Sister แอน!

This is another family that we are teaching... :) THEY ARE AWESOME! Huge amount of faith and willingness. They leave their house at 4:30 am just to come to church at 9 am. :) Cute kid.

This venomous snake came into our english class last week. Haha. Brother ต้อง is a beast. :)

One of our members did not like the intense heat, so he improvised this! YEAH!

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Thailand Week 24: Korat

Biking is FUN
This pass week was filled with lots and LOTS of biking.

Last P-Day, we went to the Zoo and road a two-seat bike (Tandem?) around the park. It took a while to get used

to, but once we knew how to pedal and steer... we were flying around the park like bosses. It was a fun day. :)

Then we had multiple days where we biked over 30 kilos just to visit members and recent converts. It's tiring... but it's fun! I love biking. :) I think that I may need to buy a good bike when I come back home. Hehe.

Hehe. One of these bike trips, I got into another bike accident. I flew over my handle bars and became one of those famous "flying missionaries". It was weird, the accident was playing in my mind very slow... yet it happened quick. While "flying" I told myself that I should do a tumble to break my fall, but I didn't. Tell Brother Pere that I'm sorry. I didn't apply the basic tumble this past week. Haha. I fell on my shoulder, stood up, dusted myself off and continued to bike home. My arm was still able to move around, so I thought I was okay. It wasn't until I got home that my arm(elbow) started to swell and ache like crazy. The next day, we went to the hospital, had an x-ray and found a possible fracture. So they put my arm in a splint(For 2 weeks).

It's crazy hard to do everything with my left arm... brushing my teeth, eating, showering, TYPING... EVERYTHING. But, I'm grateful that I am still able to teach and service others. It's funny... my arm being in a sling seems to be helping with getting people interested in learning about us missionaries and our purpose as missionaries. :) Ahh blessings.

We've been doing a lot of reaching out this week... and I have to say, I love the results!

It's amazing how much God loves us.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland commented on how this question helps us understand the true nature of God and His unceasing efforts on behalf of His children:
“After digging and dunging, watering and weeding, trimming, pruning, transplanting, and grafting, the great Lord of the vineyard throws down his spade and his pruning shears and weeps, crying out to any who would listen, ‘What could I have done more for my vineyard?’

God has so much to offer us, yet is sad when we don't accept Him in our lives. So let Him in.

He has already given me countless blessings. It's an amazing feeling knowing that God is still raining blessings upon all of us. :)

My favorite lifetime goal is developing Christ-like attributes of charity and love. IT'S THE BEST. I'm so happy. :) Hehe

I love you all. Take care! Reach out to others, serve them, love them just as the Lord would.

- Elder Santeco

Love you Donovan and Tafua Family! Remember that families are together forever.

D&C78:17,18

"17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;
18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours."

- Past week's swtich off.... With Windy and the Elders