Sup

Sent Dec. 12, 2011:

So another week has gone by.. and i dont know what happened.. im actually being serious, for some reaosn i cant seem to rembmer anything that happened. lemme think...

Okay got a little bit.. we had a fireside yesterday! A senior couple from Thailand who is serving their 2nd senior couple mission came and spoke.. very straight forward, and very moving. They showed that one video of the Church growth since 1830 played to the spirit of God.. pretty epic. Then they showed a video clip about a family that got baptized 2 years ago and just went to the temple to be sealed forever.. very moving. I think everyone got the idea. They were very simple in their speech and basically said what the Prophets have said all along: "It is not the job of the missionaries to be out finding people to teach.. it is really only their job to teach and baptize. It is our job to be finding people for them to teach and baptize." WERD!

As far as investigators go, Nog and Tam are doing okay.. its the end of the year, so his work has gone up quite a bit.. Tam works late and comes home to take care of the kids and usually just doesnt get to eat and continues working at home.. they didnt make it to Church so we gotta move the date so they can make it to church again.. its not big deal, because they still want to go so bad. When we went over there to talk to them after Church we wanted to make it clear that it wasnt okay to just not go to church.. of course we understand that his work is heavy right now, but church has to come first.. we kinda did say anything because once we got there the first thing that he said was that he felt pretty bad and guilty that he didnt go to Church... oh man! What are we supposed to say to that?! Well, actually we just kinda agreed haha.. hes trying to finish all his work load as quickly as possible so nothing will get in the way of going to church and preparing for baptism. No wurrs.

Sandy.. well, still golden as ever. She cried. A lot. She gave in a little bit and drank a glass of coffee.. before we started the lesson we of course opened with a prayer.. wetted the floor with her tears.. we felt so bad! Ive never seen anyone feel so bad about that before! WE almost felt bad in telling her to repent.. then of course when she prayed at the end, she cried. So sweet. She loves church, she loves the Book of Mormon (really, she still says that everytime we talk to her on the phone.. also in particular, Jacob. She read chapter 2 over and over again haha.) and even wants her daughter to go to BYU haha. Well, we pretty much said she might as well be a member BEFORE she goes, cause once she gets there, it will take not ime before she is one. Lulz. But seriously. Her daughter is just way busy right now. We shall get her.

For other people.. Tuk... shes doing better. She is still so confused because she always hears something that she doesnt like.. well duh! If you want to you can always find something that you dont like in anything. Trying to help her look at the good things only. She is progressing and she wants an answer so bad.. theres not much for us to do except just show love for her and keep praying for her. Thats really all she needs. A little bit of charity can go such a long way. Also watching your mouth.. ก็ดี she is really sweet and all she wants is an answer.. we of course cant explain why it is taking so long to get an answer, but all we have been promising her is that it will come.. we will talk to her about fasting in the coming weeks and do a special fast with her.

What else is going on.. well, uh time is something that we never have enough of... there has been this fatty service project over at the new church which is kinda of a mish to get to.. and it just takes forever.. so many blankets! The entire cultural center is just filled with stuff thats going to people in the floods.. apparently somewhere around 10000 packs that we are doing. Its fun, just time consuming. Its nice to see that our efforts actually make dents in the pile haha.

The mission is about to get a huge change.. Elder Furrs group is just hugantic.. 17 missionaries will finish in that group.. whoa! Right now they are taking up all the leadership positions and so President Smith is trying to figure out what to do with all them, plus who will be getting calls in the not to distant future. Its gonna start changing this transfer. Speaking of people finishing.. my sisters! Ahhh! Sister Itow and Sister Eyestone are daed already! Way weird transfer meeting when you are staring your sisters in the face for the last time (before you yourself are dead!). The last 6 months went by supa fast and the next 6? Dont even wanna guess. Craysay. Really does fly by. Oh well, lets not think about that then no?

Another highlight was Elder Tom.. my old companion up in Warin? Yeah, he died and came back to his ward, which is the ward im at! Yay! It was way cool to sit with him in sacrament and with his younger sister and younger brother.. both very nice, but a little shy. Brother Tom bore a short, but very moving testimony.. he just stood and said thank you in a way that was just.. sincere.. you could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice the conversion that took place in hist heart over the last 2 years. He is going to be a great member for the future of thailand.. i know that President Smith absolutely loved him and wants to make sure that he is in a leadership position to help the church grow here. Thailand needs him too. Him, Elder Komgrit, and Elder Gambanat (all of my old companions) are being trained right now to be powerful members in the future. Cool to see. Really.

So anyway, i think my time is up. Love you all. Hope everyone is having an enjoyable Christmas season. Do i miss Christmas? Does a bear go to the bathroom in the woods? But i lvoe it here. I ride north!

Love Elder Gudmundsen