So my dear family,
this week was a lot like any other, except that the military took over. I don't know what you've heard in America. Probably not a lot because no one mentioned it, but it really hasn't changed anything. At first everyone was freaking out because they thought there would be big riots, and we’d be kicked out of the country, and all other bad things. But the only thing that's really changed is that there's a curfew country wide enforced by the solders. Everyone must be inside at 9, we have to be home by 8, and we can not street contact. It's hurting everyone’s numbers. The only way our mission knows to find is through street contacting. Other than that, it's the same.
There's another rule from President, that if you don't have a lesson you need to be home, but that's not really an issue for us, because we always have a full schedule here in international. But if I was still in Bangkea.... We would invite for like 5 hours a day. It would be maddening to be inside. good thing I'm here in international!
So, as I've reached the halfway point on my mission, I've realized I really need to take pictures. Yes yes, I can hear mom yelling hallelujah, and Cassandra making some comment like "well it about time Kenny!" But honestly, Bangkok, not that interesting. And also.... I may have lost my charging cable, I'll find it, don't worry.
I'm still in a tri-panionship, and it looks like I will be for this whole transfer. It's been good. There are times it's hard, but mostly it so fun. I think I'm as happy as I've ever been on my mission. And this ward is so amazing. and my recent converts just got callings! (aka home teaching) Which doesn't mean anything to y'all, but when there are Rc's that have almost been baptized for a year, and don't have callings, it makes missionaries really sad.
In other news, we taught this guy, who basically googled a ton of anti-Mormon stuff and then talked with us. It's interesting, because some of the truths we have, can be said in twisted ways, that make it sound weird, but it's true. Satan is stupidly smart. It was just a frustrating lesson. I wish there had been lot less facts, and a whole lot more spirit. But what's done is done. So Dakota's e-mail this week, sounded terribly familiar. Oh well, I know just what to do with him. Dropped. If someones heart is hard, not going to spend the time on them. There are amazingly prepared people out there.
Speaking of which, we had two people get baptized this week. I won't send the pictures, as all churches look the same. But just so you know, one of them was from Colorado. He only learned with us 3 times before he got baptized, and went to church twice. He knew it was what he wanted to do. Then the other was Zsolt. Oh Zsolt. He's from Hungary. His English is not good. It is decidedly bad. Sister du plessis would draw and explain in the most slow easy English. It was a real adventure. We had to print off the baptismal interview questions in Hungarian for elder Watts (our district leader) to interview him. He's been coming to church for months, but we didn't think his English was good enough. But it was, and now he's baptized. I'll tell you though, his law of chastity lesson was the roughest I've had yet.
Yep that's all I got for this week!
Culture lesson: Lights in Thailand do not turn on when you flick the switch. It takes them like 20 seconds to flicker creepily on. Sometimes, mostly at night in the bathroom, it scares the ever living stuffing out of me. If you imagine a horror movie, how the lights On, off almost on, off, on, off, then settles on on. I don't know if that makes any sense. I thought it was just the apartment that I lived in Bangkea that did it, but no, apparently it's all lights in Thailand.
Spiritual lesson: Conference is good. and undervalued. Too often we watch it when it happens, then forget about it till next conference. I am also guilty of this. But the members in my ward here have been speaking on them, reminding me of the amazing stories, and talks that I heard, and wanted to study, but then forgot. President Monson's talk on love, so good. Elder Uchdorf's talk on being grateful not just for things, Defiantly needs a thorough reading and pondering, Elder Bednar's talk about the lord. Fantastic! And I'm sure there's more. I think I've given you this challenge/ spiritual thought before, because it's important. We have prophets! isn't that amazing!
I love you all, I hope everything’s good in TX and AZ love you lots!
Sister Barber
this week was a lot like any other, except that the military took over. I don't know what you've heard in America. Probably not a lot because no one mentioned it, but it really hasn't changed anything. At first everyone was freaking out because they thought there would be big riots, and we’d be kicked out of the country, and all other bad things. But the only thing that's really changed is that there's a curfew country wide enforced by the solders. Everyone must be inside at 9, we have to be home by 8, and we can not street contact. It's hurting everyone’s numbers. The only way our mission knows to find is through street contacting. Other than that, it's the same.
There's another rule from President, that if you don't have a lesson you need to be home, but that's not really an issue for us, because we always have a full schedule here in international. But if I was still in Bangkea.... We would invite for like 5 hours a day. It would be maddening to be inside. good thing I'm here in international!
So, as I've reached the halfway point on my mission, I've realized I really need to take pictures. Yes yes, I can hear mom yelling hallelujah, and Cassandra making some comment like "well it about time Kenny!" But honestly, Bangkok, not that interesting. And also.... I may have lost my charging cable, I'll find it, don't worry.
I'm still in a tri-panionship, and it looks like I will be for this whole transfer. It's been good. There are times it's hard, but mostly it so fun. I think I'm as happy as I've ever been on my mission. And this ward is so amazing. and my recent converts just got callings! (aka home teaching) Which doesn't mean anything to y'all, but when there are Rc's that have almost been baptized for a year, and don't have callings, it makes missionaries really sad.
In other news, we taught this guy, who basically googled a ton of anti-Mormon stuff and then talked with us. It's interesting, because some of the truths we have, can be said in twisted ways, that make it sound weird, but it's true. Satan is stupidly smart. It was just a frustrating lesson. I wish there had been lot less facts, and a whole lot more spirit. But what's done is done. So Dakota's e-mail this week, sounded terribly familiar. Oh well, I know just what to do with him. Dropped. If someones heart is hard, not going to spend the time on them. There are amazingly prepared people out there.
Speaking of which, we had two people get baptized this week. I won't send the pictures, as all churches look the same. But just so you know, one of them was from Colorado. He only learned with us 3 times before he got baptized, and went to church twice. He knew it was what he wanted to do. Then the other was Zsolt. Oh Zsolt. He's from Hungary. His English is not good. It is decidedly bad. Sister du plessis would draw and explain in the most slow easy English. It was a real adventure. We had to print off the baptismal interview questions in Hungarian for elder Watts (our district leader) to interview him. He's been coming to church for months, but we didn't think his English was good enough. But it was, and now he's baptized. I'll tell you though, his law of chastity lesson was the roughest I've had yet.
Yep that's all I got for this week!
Culture lesson: Lights in Thailand do not turn on when you flick the switch. It takes them like 20 seconds to flicker creepily on. Sometimes, mostly at night in the bathroom, it scares the ever living stuffing out of me. If you imagine a horror movie, how the lights On, off almost on, off, on, off, then settles on on. I don't know if that makes any sense. I thought it was just the apartment that I lived in Bangkea that did it, but no, apparently it's all lights in Thailand.
Spiritual lesson: Conference is good. and undervalued. Too often we watch it when it happens, then forget about it till next conference. I am also guilty of this. But the members in my ward here have been speaking on them, reminding me of the amazing stories, and talks that I heard, and wanted to study, but then forgot. President Monson's talk on love, so good. Elder Uchdorf's talk on being grateful not just for things, Defiantly needs a thorough reading and pondering, Elder Bednar's talk about the lord. Fantastic! And I'm sure there's more. I think I've given you this challenge/ spiritual thought before, because it's important. We have prophets! isn't that amazing!
I love you all, I hope everything’s good in TX and AZ love you lots!
Sister Barber