Dear Family/ friends,
Hmmmmm ..... what happened this week? Well, we had a switch-off or companion exchange for one day. That was pretty fun, even with: a surprise downpour (right after my poncho flew out of my bike basket) and Sister Downs (my companion) having to stay in the house because her companion for the day came down sick. It was just a mess, but all turned out for the best. It was so chaotic.
Sister Downs and I have been on what we call a "number drought." By that I mean we got terrible key indicators (which I don't really care about), but it means we don't have anyone to teach really, and it also means we are contacting every day - all day. :-\
I don't hate contacting anymore, but when you do it 5+ hours, and don't get any numbers, it is really disheartening. But! I developed a method of thinking that usually gets me through the day: When things are hard, when I reallllllllly don't want to contact, I tell myself that's SATAN, and he knows there's someone in the parking lot that wants to be baptized, and wants to stop me. So then I'm on a hunt to beat Satan. It makes it kinda fun.
Oh, also, on Sunday there was a returned missionary that came to visit Nong Khai with his family, and (you actually don't know them,) but his dad was the 2nd councilor in my bishopric at BYU. It was funny because I remembered that his Dad told me his son was on a mission here. I figured he would not remember me, because it was like two years ago; but they walked in and were like, "Hey! I know you!" What? He remembered my name, and that I was from Texas, I was thoroughly impressed. I, however, neglected to get a picture with them, but I did get a picture of one of our recent converts in his cowboy boots. That will have to suffice.
Speaking of which, I need to tell you how much of a boss Dii is (that's my recent convert's name.... but not actually, because it's extra hard to pronounce.... I won't try to explain. Too hard.) But he was a monk for THREE YEARS, when he was 13 to 16. He also won national competitions for knowledge of Buddhist stuff. He met the missionaries five months after he finished. His boss is a member, and asked if he was free on Sunday, and invited them to come to church. The Elders dropped him because he wasn't keeping commitments. Then the sisters came in, and hounded him, and talked him a ton. In his own words (*translated*) : "I was a bad investigator, then the sisters made me read the scriptures, and I knew it was true."
He is so good. He has not missed a Sunday since he was baptized three months ago. He almost missed church this week, becausee of some school thing, but due to a miracle, he got to church. (: And he helps us all the time, he knows the lessons as well as I do. He's so great! There are so many great members here.
Yup, that's about all, our investigator "I," is progressing, but he needs to get permission from his parents to get baptized, so pray for him!
love y'all lots!
Oh dear! I forgot the spiritual lesson and the cultural moment:
First off, Thai people hate rain, which I already told you, but it needed to be re-said.
Also, many many Thai people, have houses which double as a store of some sort. I've seen it a couple ways, but the most usual way is either their porch is a store, and their house is right there, or the downstairs is a store. Yup, maybe I'll send pictures.
Spiritual thought: http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/videos/hold-on?lang=eng This song is amazing. I remember seeing it in the MTC right when I needed it. It's true that "this too shall pass." All our problems in life are temporary, even if they are only alleviated with the end of our life. So what we must do is have patience, which is made 17428034783% easier if we have faith that God is there, and does not give us more then we can handle.
loves,
Sister Barber
p.s. I still don't cook a thing. I eat fried rice, cashew chicken, garlic fired rice, yellow curry chicken, suki, fried chicken and rice, curry soup, and many other yummy things.
pictures:
Dii in cowboy boots
Sister Downs and him switch helmets for a bit
Me
A wad or Buddhist temple in the middle of a neighborhood
Hmmmmm ..... what happened this week? Well, we had a switch-off or companion exchange for one day. That was pretty fun, even with: a surprise downpour (right after my poncho flew out of my bike basket) and Sister Downs (my companion) having to stay in the house because her companion for the day came down sick. It was just a mess, but all turned out for the best. It was so chaotic.
Sister Downs and I have been on what we call a "number drought." By that I mean we got terrible key indicators (which I don't really care about), but it means we don't have anyone to teach really, and it also means we are contacting every day - all day. :-\
I don't hate contacting anymore, but when you do it 5+ hours, and don't get any numbers, it is really disheartening. But! I developed a method of thinking that usually gets me through the day: When things are hard, when I reallllllllly don't want to contact, I tell myself that's SATAN, and he knows there's someone in the parking lot that wants to be baptized, and wants to stop me. So then I'm on a hunt to beat Satan. It makes it kinda fun.
Oh, also, on Sunday there was a returned missionary that came to visit Nong Khai with his family, and (you actually don't know them,) but his dad was the 2nd councilor in my bishopric at BYU. It was funny because I remembered that his Dad told me his son was on a mission here. I figured he would not remember me, because it was like two years ago; but they walked in and were like, "Hey! I know you!" What? He remembered my name, and that I was from Texas, I was thoroughly impressed. I, however, neglected to get a picture with them, but I did get a picture of one of our recent converts in his cowboy boots. That will have to suffice.
Speaking of which, I need to tell you how much of a boss Dii is (that's my recent convert's name.... but not actually, because it's extra hard to pronounce.... I won't try to explain. Too hard.) But he was a monk for THREE YEARS, when he was 13 to 16. He also won national competitions for knowledge of Buddhist stuff. He met the missionaries five months after he finished. His boss is a member, and asked if he was free on Sunday, and invited them to come to church. The Elders dropped him because he wasn't keeping commitments. Then the sisters came in, and hounded him, and talked him a ton. In his own words (*translated*) : "I was a bad investigator, then the sisters made me read the scriptures, and I knew it was true."
He is so good. He has not missed a Sunday since he was baptized three months ago. He almost missed church this week, becausee of some school thing, but due to a miracle, he got to church. (: And he helps us all the time, he knows the lessons as well as I do. He's so great! There are so many great members here.
Yup, that's about all, our investigator "I," is progressing, but he needs to get permission from his parents to get baptized, so pray for him!
love y'all lots!
Oh dear! I forgot the spiritual lesson and the cultural moment:
First off, Thai people hate rain, which I already told you, but it needed to be re-said.
Also, many many Thai people, have houses which double as a store of some sort. I've seen it a couple ways, but the most usual way is either their porch is a store, and their house is right there, or the downstairs is a store. Yup, maybe I'll send pictures.
Spiritual thought: http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/videos/hold-on?lang=eng This song is amazing. I remember seeing it in the MTC right when I needed it. It's true that "this too shall pass." All our problems in life are temporary, even if they are only alleviated with the end of our life. So what we must do is have patience, which is made 17428034783% easier if we have faith that God is there, and does not give us more then we can handle.
loves,
Sister Barber
p.s. I still don't cook a thing. I eat fried rice, cashew chicken, garlic fired rice, yellow curry chicken, suki, fried chicken and rice, curry soup, and many other yummy things.
pictures:
Dii in cowboy boots
Sister Downs and him switch helmets for a bit
Me
A wad or Buddhist temple in the middle of a neighborhood