Thailand Week 31: Bangkok

God is good

Made a lovely breakfast this morning. :)

This past week has been very stressful. It's not the language, but it's the work itself! Whew! 😰

So I fixed บ.ปรีชา's lighting! But I forgot to take pictures. Here in Thailand, electrical wiring hardly ever run between the walls... so that made it so much easier. We then shared a short message and left him with a big smile on his face.  That joy of helping others be happy. It's irreplaceable.

Hey. So it's really interesting being with american/non-Asian elders. All the Thai peeps here would either think that I am a foreigner just as these elders or that I am their personal translator. Haha. Yeah, me as a translator... 😏 Hehe. It would be awesome to be one though! I need to take my language up to another level!

Last P-day, we had to go to the hospital to give a member's mom a blessing. When we got there, the front desk instructed us to go to the 8th floor (We walked the staircase because Elder Christiansen is scared of elevators. Workout!) As soon as we got to the floor, a bunch of workers tried to give us directions with her awesome broken English. After a while, Elder Christiansen said, "พูดไทยได้ครับ". Jaws dropped, eyes were wide open. All the workers were first in shock but then couldn't stop laughing. We laughed with them. Hahah.😂 They then gave directions in Thai and we proceeded to give a blessing. :)

There were other things.... but I'll share them when I come home. Haha. Today I'm going to cut suits! I'm getting two sets for about 4000 baht. Whooo!!! LOVE IT!!!! 😍

2 Nephi 32: 5

"5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show‍ unto you all things what ye should do."

It's somethings hard to decide what we should do in our daily lives. Thankfully we have the Holy Ghost. I know that He will always guide us through the still small voice as long as we are worthy of it's presence. 

God loves YOU!

- Elder Santacooooooooo

PS... Again. Thanks family for all the food. I LOVE EVERYTHING!... Thanks Sis Teriipaia!

Elder Hixson is a Seahawk fan. Hahah

 

Thailand Week 30: Bangkok

:D


Oh man. I love life. I L.O.V.E. it! This past week has ought to be one of the best weeks during my stay here in Thonburi. Service and teaching opportunities are just coming from all over the place! It is amazing. Now it seems like there's no time to fit everything into our schedule! But we'll make it work!

This past week we have taught the Plan of Salvation so often that it is imprinted in my mind and has strengthening my testimony of God's love for all of us. :) Along with the Plan of Salvation we have been teaching a lot about... temples!

Ahhh. I love temples! We have also been teaching about temples along with family history and eternal families.We have been extending the invitation to all of the members to prepare themselves to enter the Lord's House for these sacred ordinances. Oh the joy when they say... "I will go to the temple! แน่นอน" Oh man. I really do miss the temple. :)

Last Saturday... We helped a member moved out and into a new home! It was fun. Our bodies are still sore and aching a wee bit but there's absolutely nothing that could have replaced that member's smile. :) Some upcoming projects this week are... Fixing a member's electricity lines and fixing up a member's ceiling! Yay! Drywall work! :) Don't worry dad. I'll be careful. Oh and this time... I'll try to take pictures.

2 Nephi 27:23

"For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith."

I know who Heavenly Father is. I know Jesus Christ is. I know who I am and I know my purpose. There's no changing that. :) Love yall!

- เอ้ลเดอร์ Sun-Taco "Yumzzzz" :)

Thanks for the wonderful foods and letters. I LOVE IT ALL!!! It feels like Christmas already. hahaha. Oh! AND this past Saturday, Uncle PJ and Aunty Nuj fed us a wonderful dinner too!!!! Thank you sooooo muchhhh! All of you guys!!!! I love you all with all my heart!

This is Dan. I LOVE HIM!

Thailand Week 29: Bangkok

Just keep swimming!

สวัสดีครับ!!  สบายดีนะครับผม :)

To summarize the entire week... I would like to share a quote that I saw basically everyday of my life. Only because it was hanging up on the refrigerator door and I had a habit of just opening the fridge hoping that food would miraculously appear.

It said...

"I never said it would be easy. I only said it would be worth it."

Being a missionary is seriously hard. The feeling of having appointments falling through and being rejected by a billion people is pretty poopy. It doesn't feel good at all. Me no likey.

Then I read this! พอดี!!!
 “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven”

I just got to keep swimming! I am going to recommit myself to the Lord and continue giving it my all! This past week was definitely better than our first week in Thonburi. But I know that this week will be better! I'm so excited into seeing how this week turns out... I'm going to do miracles! :)

Cool story. I found a dusty folder of Former investigators hiding in one of the vacant rooms and started calling them up. Many weren't interested, but there was also many that were interested and wanted to meet with us Elders. We managed to meet with a bunch of them last week and were happy to see their desire to trust in the Lord to bring peace into their lives. :) We'll be meeting more of these precious souls this week. AND we'll definitely will be getting in contact with Uncle PJ again this week! Hahah! :) Hope Mei does well her singing tonight!!! :)

I love you guys. Everything that happens in my life builds my personal testimony that God really loves us. My family. The Gospel. This beautiful world. The Book of Mormon. My Savior Lord Jesus Christ. It's all proof that God really wants us to be happy. <4EvahBrah

- เอ้ลเดอร์ ซัน

- The most expensive deodorant that I have ever bought.

- Checking out a member's place. :) Beauuuuutttt!

3 confirmations and 2 baptisms yesterday! :) But they weren't our investigators. Haha. But it was such an honor that they requested me to baptize them. :) 

Thailand Week 28: Bangkok

The Ability to Have Happiness


Alohhaaaa \^.^/

I am still alive and well! Haha.

Ahhh this past we fell short a lot on of our goals. It hit me pretty hard yesterday, just knowing that a week quickly flew by with little progression made. It really is a bummer. But after reviewing the week's work, I eventually knew what I needed to work on in order to become a better and a much more effective missionary. While doing so, I felt at peace knowing that the Lord will help me achieve what He wants me to do.

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with my relatives in Thailand; Uncle PJ, Aunty Nuj, Mac and Mei. I seriously love them. Families are the best<3 I am so blessed for the opportunity to visit them and share God's plan for them. I really do want the best for them just as I do for everyone else. Their lesson alone has helped me have a greater desire to become a better disciple of the Lord.

It's so amazing how much God loves us. Everything that this Gospel has to offer allows us to become more and more like Him so that we can prepare ourselves to return to Him.

I love this parable by Elder Dallin H. Oaks...

“A wealthy father knew that if he were to bestow his wealth upon a child who had not yet developed the needed wisdom and stature, the inheritance would probably be wasted. The father said to his child:

‘All that I have I desire to give you—not only my wealth, but also my position and standing among men. That which I have I can easily give you, but that which I am you must obtain for yourself. You will qualify for your inheritance by learning what I have learned and by living as I have lived. I will give you the laws and principles by which I have acquired my wisdom and stature. Follow my example, mastering as I have mastered,and you will become as I am, and all that I have will be yours.’”

God loves us so much that He is willing to give us all that He has and become everything that He is. He want us to have happiness, joy, peace in this life and for eternity.

I love the work. I love the people. I love the Lord and His Gospel.

ขอบคุณมากกกนะครับผม

- เอ็ลเดอร์ ซันเทโก :)

LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!! <3 :)

I do need to mention. Mac and Mei are SUPER TALL now. Hahahha. :)

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1996/05/finding-joy-in-life?lang=eng

I love this talk. BE A CORK and don't drown in the pool of problems! :)

Sorry didn't take ANY pictures. Haha. But here's some from Elder Hanson!

He is an awesome greenie. Brave. Hardworking. Super Beast at Thai. This past Saturday he blacked out and fell down the stairs. Then got checked out at the hospital. In the end, he's still good! What a beast.

Thonburi got 3 baptism  yesterday! :) Yayayayayayyay!!!!