Just kidding.. but not really, everyone above and around us in all directions are starting to get flooded. Yay! For the most part, we are all doing fine.. except for the HUGE fact that i dont have a companion! Yeah, things went down this week.
Contrary to popular belief, and by that i mean most of bangkok, including myself, the water is actually going to make it into central, downtown bangkok. Obviously not nearly as much as up north, but it still will none the less. So, not many people prepraed that well.. so now eveyrone is starting to scramble and its been pretty cool to walk into any major shopping store.. all the food is gone. Water is impossible to find already.. everyone has just sucked it dry. Elder Peacock has pictures of it, but thats the other thing that went down: Their group got sent home on friday! Yeah, the major airport was predicted to flood this coming week around wednesday, so from up top, President Smith decided to get them out of the country before it did get flooded.. yeah, talk about a slap to the face for us. Ive been with different companions everyday for the past few days. Everything is messed up, and now ive got a zone with 35 people in it, camping out in the old church for a couple days. We had over 20 Elders in our DISTRICT yesterday and over 40 at one ward (our ward). It was pretty insane. Its a prime opportunity for Elders to get lazy and just not do anything, OR go out and go shopping (yeah.. prime time this time of year to buy lazer pointers.. did you know?). So we made up a big list of exchanges and just threw every elder out into downtown Asoke to work.. yeah, that worked quite effectively actually.. while i was planning out the exchanges, it was pretty cool to see how many people who are from different areas actually know this area enough to just get out that and drag someone else with them. Pretty cool. On top of all that
Baptism! Ice and Nang both got baptized amidst all the confusion and chaos... it was a nice spiritual experience and it was started off by Richard G. Scott and Bishop Burton... way cool. Richard G Scott is so sweet.. he really loved his wife and whenever he talks about her its kinda hard to keep those tears back.. like Brendon Fraser at a sun set. Apple didnt get baptized this week, but she did pass her interview, only because she wants her family to be able to be there too.. which she hadnt told them yet. Shes doing well and is still committed. She didnt make it to Church... MY BAD! I forgot to tell her it wasnt at 1 in the afternoon but at 10 in the morning! hahaha.. i s**k again!
Ice and Nangs baptisms were so good.. Sister Nang was crying and she looked soooo happy.. it was way good. Ice was superb.. very stoic, reverent and just.. powerful. He had the opportunity to go teaching with us this past week and man.. it was way good. He just took over the lesson and one point and was just bearing down powerful, pure testimony. Like, i dont want to say i was suprised, but man i was suprised! I knew he had a testimony but i didnt realize how powerful it was until he was teaching someone else. Stud. At one point during the conference, before the baptism, he just stopped and said, "You know.. im really glad i met you guys.". In english too. It was pretty cool and then after that, that Elder that was speaking at Stake conference talked about how everyone needs a missionary, whether that missionary is full time, or a member (cause every member is a missionary). I have lots of pictures from this past week.. i mean LOTS. SO much happened and you will love them.. but unfortunately this internet cafe is less than good and the SD card readers arent working.. yeah, bummer. Next week no?
So as for Nong hes doing better.. he was impressed by Elder Scotts talk about pornography.. Nong realizes that it is such a plague as Elder Scott described it.. he was impressed how straightforward he spoke and how it was excatly what society needs to hear... even if they dont like it. Its true.. its pretty bad and SO rampant.. walking down streets and seeing it everywhere is pretty bad.. its also pretty terrible when we walk past a street vendor selling regular american movies like Captain America and Transformers, and the first movie he brings up to you from behind his back is a pornographic film.. he just shoved it in our face as we were walking by asking if we wanted to buy it.. like, SERIOUSLY?! Why is it so bad? Like, they arent even ashamed about it.. selling it in public too.. i know its bad whether in private or in public, but cmon.. where did everyones shame go? I nearly smacked it out of his hand.. they just laughed.. i still love the guy and know hes grown up in a terrible world, but its really sad. Anyway, Nong sees why Elder Scott was so passionate about it. STAY AWAY!
I think my favorite thing this week was not that we had 2 baptisms, nor was it the awesome stake conference, nor was it the fact that Elder Komgrid is AP now, but it was the person who baptized Nang. As we were doing the program (or rather I.. Elder Peacock was gone already.. stress! Not really.. its fun!) I was thinking about who could baptize her.. I asked her who she was good friends with at Church and she said the WML and a ward missionary.. and then the Elders Quorum president.. immediately i knew it had to be him.. i didnt really know why exactly but i felt it was a good idea. So after we chose him and she agreed, we were talking to him and it came to light that he has NEVER used his priesthood authority to baptize anyone. Not that he isnt worthy or anything, but because he simply has never been asked. I know for a fact it was one of the best days for him to use it. So.. like Elder Holland always says: sanctify yourselves ye elders of Israel (and priests)! Be prepared to use your power. Thanks Dad for bringing me up unto the Lord to use the powers of the priesthood to bring salvation to his children.. the power of godliness was indeed manifest in the ordinance of the priesthood.
All i got today. Love you all so much.. this week was way fun and although a little crazy (i mean a lot) its been good growth. Running a zone is fun... didnt you train at the same time stinko? Speaking of which, where are all my friends? You all married already? Thought so. Well, take pictures of your babies (this is a hint to write me.. dont be lazy hahah). K, seriously, love ya. Have fun, stay safe. Dont worry about the flooding.. its only up to my knees.. haha im just kidding (but really, my socks are wet).
Love, Elder Gudmundsen
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