Sup. Hey did you know it was conference weekend? Oh you did? Cool. Well just letting you know it was. So how was it?
Well while you were all lazy-ing it out (just kidding.. but you were all in your pajamas werent you) we had a pretty sweet week. Lets get right into the investigators.
Ice is doing great as ever... hes got a super strong testimony and is preparing for baptism nicely. He went home to visit his family and got the opportunity to talk to them a little bit about changing religions and all that jazz. They said they were cool with it as long as he would still come home for family traditions and honoring the family.. ERRR.. yeah, road block. Not really, he took it just fine. We read Mosiah 18 with him about what it means to be a latter day saint and to "be a witness" of him at all time, in all things and in all places... he was ready; he was willing and he was desirous. After we helped him see that he had a testimony we read him the 10 commandments so that he would understand that being a member of the church you cant take part in those ordinances and things like that... He was fine. Sweet. He said something cool again: "A collection of minds and interests is pretty powerful... but actually i think God is more powerful haha".. and he said that in English.. yeah i know right? Doesnt he speak english like a boss?
Next is the cambodian family.. doing swell. We are having family home evening at their house tonight and they are just so adorable.. the whole family is into it and they will have a date (they accepted the invitation to be baptized) but we dont know what day to set it for because they are yet to be legal citzens. Teaching them and having them come to church is fine, but we cant baptize em yet until they are refugees. Its kinda strange using thai to translate into another language... usually its thai to english, but in this case the thai is OUR primary language of use. Weird. cool
After that we have these 2 new investigators.. both named Nang. They are friends from WAY back when.. i dont know. To put these 2 simply: One of them got up and bore her testimony in sacramanet meeting.. OOOOOO.. yeah i was super surprised because i was in the back translating and then didnt realize that she was our investigator until she stood up. She basically confirmed everything we have been teaching her by getting up there. She wanted to set her own date.. she did, but it was a little too early. Shes still so good. After meeting us, 2 days later she read 15 chapters in the Book of Mormon.. yeah, that may not seem like a lot to some, but thats quite a lot for thai people. Shes golden.
Then we have Nong. Hes a long time investigator now and we actually thought he wasnt all that committed.. hes always been good, but we were worried that he might be grengjai.. i know you have no idea what that means, but there is no literal translation for this word from thai to english. In other words, we thought he was like.... nervous to reject us, or was just doing it because we asked. But it turns out hes way good. He wants to get baptized super hard, but he wants his family to be there. The real test of his faith was getting him to fast about moving apartments.. yeah, if someone does that you know they are committed. He has yet to move just because hes still looking for a place, but he will. Hes a way nice kid.
Another woman we are teaching is named Apple. She is also a long time investigator who is finally doing things herself.. we have been meeting her once a week to build her faith by reading in the BoM, and now shes coming out saying that she wants to be baptized soon. Basically, to sum up this week, people are flocking to us to get baptized. I dont really know why.. actually i do, because we've been obedient and the Lord sees fit to do it that way. We've seen a lot of blessings from the Lord this week and even though we are both feeling kinda sick (yeah dont be worried, we're fine) things are working out.
So a little insight from studies this morning.. i dont know if this is like a super common understanding of scripture comparisons for everyone, but i thought it was pretty cool. This comes from Mosiah 2. Pretty cool that it was conference weekend because thats what i thought about. But when King Benjamin gets up to speak, what happens? Well everyone gathers together: "they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family...that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them." Yeah.. uhh, everyone sits on the couch with their family to listen to President Monson? The other prophets? All the King Benjamins of our day. After that: "the multitude being so great that king Benjamin could not teach them all within the walls of the temple, therefore he caused a tower to be erected, that thereby his people might hear the words which he should speak unto them.". Hmmm.. sounds like a pulpit with a microphone :) Next: "they could not all hear his words because of the greatness of the multitude; therefore he caused that the words which he spake should be written and sent forth among those that were not under the sound of his voice, that they might also receive his words.". Lets see.. the Liahona Conference issue? Internet? Cable? Satelite? Pretty cool.. so, with this, i hope everyone had a great conference and that you spent it with your families listening to the word of God.. because thats what it is. I sure hope you got to see every session too because missing a beat of conference is like skipping a page in the Book Of Mormon, and that is NOT VERY WISE. Im stoked to watch it. I know that all those that spoke received inspiration from God for YOU and me. If we will but listen, our lives will improve. I know that almost everything they speak has its roots from the Book of Mormon.. the book is true; every page, every chapter, every verse. Peace and love for this week.
Love
Elder Gudmundsen
PS: I believe you have my stapler.
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