eclairs...

Sent May 18:

...are delicious. Just found out that there is a shop downstairs that sells eclairs for 50 baht.. who knew? Delicious

Well it was fun and fantabulously trunky talking to you on monday.. just kidding (but kind of). I enjoyed it.. Josh, you are jacked. Chaz.

Fun week. After i talked to you we went to Khon Gaen and that was a blast. I was with Elder Leyva from my MTC experience and it was the first time we have gotten to work together in the mission field. Its also his second to last week. Hes doing good and hes a great example of faithfulness and hard work.. also hes super ripped.. his 8 pack is kinda ridiculous. Also everyone flirts with him. We went and taught this referral at the university (taught in a library conference room haha) and it went really well. As we began to testify of the Restoration and that we have a loving Heavenly Father, she started to tear up... im not one thats afraid of slience at all, and so we let her cry for a bit and asked her if she could describe what she was felling right now. She couldnt, but she felt like the past few months shes felt really lonely and has felt like no one is ever around to talk to.. good opportunity to help her get addicted to praryer rather than missionaries (cause that happens a lot) and she cried a little more. When she got it together we began to teach about the Godhead and when she heard that they were separate beings she exclaimed a little bit in agreement. Shes had experiences with other churches before and they always tried to drill it in her that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost were all one person.. but she had a dream not too long ago where she KNEW that that was not true! How cool is that? So basically she got a nice confirmation there and to back it up we got to the Joseph Smith story... she felt like Joseph Smith and when we were about to recite the first vision for her, I asked her to close her eyes and just follow my speech and try and picture it: "I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually untill it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me, i saw two personages whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, This is my Beloved Son, Hear Him!"....

.....That hit the waterworks.. as she opened her eyes, i held a picture of the first vision that i carry with me everywhere, in front of her. Another confirmation that her dream was both preparation to meeting us, and personal revelation. She cried for a while... I would say those were tears of joy as she started to fight off confusion that has come upon her in the last little while. It was a really good experience and man.. everytime i get to recite the first vision, especially in an atmosphere where its quiet, and nothing is interrupting things, its just pure bliss. We know she got her answer and we committed her to begin to pray out her feelings and her doubts with God; to pray right now for strength and then pray without stopping especially in times where she is not "afflicted" or needing something special. I really hope she continues to progress up there.

The rest of the week was way hectic and crasy...everything just seemed to hit the fan, thrice and fice (thats five times). I wont even get into it, but on the bright and brightest side, we taught Brother @ twice, and 11 thai missionaries came back from the Philipines MTC. They are an extremely fired up group and the coolest thing is that i have worked with every single one of the Elders, minus one. In Don Muang was Elder Dawin (Wisan's son). In Ubon was Brother Ice (Now Elder Wilamas) and then in Buriram was Brother Bom (Elder Saa Nguan Sak). In Asoke there was a Sister named Sophia from Cambodia, and she is now a full time missionary. While here in Pakkret we went up to Chiang Mai and i got on this one brothers back often about being a missionary.. well, he came in too! Its been surreal. I remember President Smith saying earlier in the mission that we couldnt have picked a better time to be a missionary... that statement is true at ALL times. Theres never a better time to be a missionary then RIGHT NOW! Just Nike it. Im almost jealous for some of the new missionaries who get to work with this huge group of thai missionaries, cause thats the future of Thailand.. they are serving right now.

Brother @ is doing fantastic... he loves to talk, but man, everything he says is just so good! Our lessons go over cause he talks so much, but its rarely ever about nothing.. by that i mean he always relates things to the Gospel. Crazy. Hes good, set for baptism and i very confident in the 30th of June. We are constantly asking the questions, "okay, what is going to STOP him from being baptized?".. that may seem like a pessimistic attitude, but hey, we gotta anticipate things that could jeopardize his "salvation and stuff!"... nacho libre moment.

Sister Jiab.. well, we are working with her. We havent seen her since last week and we should see her tonight at a bpatism. Speaking of Baptism, Tam and Noke over in Asoke.. remember them? With their adorable kids? Yeah they both passed for baptism and they are getting baptized tomorrow... Tam asked me to baptize them both.. so im significantly excited for that.

K, Kae nii gaun na jaa! Rag khun ja dai. Im gonna go spend money for you haha. Also cut a new suit. Any suggestions? Too late, bye bye! Love you all! Thank you so much for your support! The Restoration is true.. werd.

Elder Gudmundsen