Sunday, April 2, 2017

Finders


We've spent the most of our time back in the middle of nowhere. Feels good to be back in the country side.

The area, Udonthani, is pretty big. It's interesting because it's very evenly spread out across the whole city area. There really isn't like one area that's just super heavily concentrated with a ton of people. So we have to get creative and go out finding in different areas during the day and then just sorta guess and feel where we need to go at night to go and talk to more people.


​We've been finding. Just like hours and hours of being out in the sun talking to people and staying stoked. With the occasional picture break for 5 minutes. Gotta keep work at a steady pace and take breaks when necessary.


Story of our lives this week. We've been biking around and like for some reason could not find a place to eat food so we went to 7-11 and bought some stuff to microwave. S/O to my comp for being so Chinese that he eats spaghetti with chopsticks.

And by eating I mean Elder Rawlinson bought some food, I bought some cookies and a liter of soda. That's been my dinner almost every other night.


The church here in Udorn is massive, I need to get a side view pic of it also. It's got a volleyball court, futsal, and then a basketball hoop.


Went out 35 kms to go share about why we wanted to be a missionary and what blessings we have received. The members gave us a ride out, but because they needed to stay their for the youth activity we had to try and find a way back into the city. So we chilled under this little hut and tried our best to wave down any thing that looked like public transportation.

Eventually flagged down this oversized truck with benches. Bad choice. LITERALLY THE SLOWEST POSSIBLE THING TO STOP. It took forever. Buses and like ​mini vans were zooming past us. But we made it back to the city so that's what counts.

Oh yeah, so back in the country side people like to speak Thai....a little different, with a bit of an accent. I've been in Bangkok so long that coming out here, I am shocked when people start breaking out into this accent cause in Bangkok it was pretty inapporpriate and most people got annoyed. But then I stop, remembered where I was, then let it go. I feel like a new missionary again cause sometimes they'll just go off in Lao and then I have no idea what to say. So throwback to my days of being that awkward friend at a party. I'm at it again ahahahahah.


I think they were going for like a golden gate bridge thing? but the bridge was blue.

So this Sunday we had a bunch of people confirmed to like come to church. But then it's 8:45 am church starts in 15, and none of our investigators showed up. They all called and said that they had something else or that they were sick.

So we prayed. And just used a little faith, asking that some door somewhere would be opened for someone to come to church that day. And then we went up and sat through sacrament meeting. We get out of sacrament meeting not sure what to think, but then we see a guy. We're not sure who he was but he was talking with a bunch of members. (Turns out the members didn't know him either, but they just do a really boss job at fellowshipping people and making them feel like they've been friends forever)

The prayer was answered. A less active member brought her husband who is not a member. Bam. 1st person.

Then we start the 2nd hour of church. A lady walks in and sits down in the class. #2. Then 15 minutes later another lady walks in and sits down. #3.

We swoop in, get their numbers, set up a time to meet them, and just like that what we thought was a mediocre Sunday got pretty good. Taught some of our other investigators and they're down to get baptized soon. Then Sunday night came. As a district we are working to achieve a goal called "Balanced." At night we weren't that close. But then when we saw how close we were to achieving the standard, me and Elder Rawlinson decided that we will try and get back out into the area as fast as we could to work and try to hit the standard.
So we did. Finished studies and planning then got out with 2 hours left in the night. We tried our hardest to get everyone else in the district stoked but they had just decided it was Sunday night and chill time. Which is alright. But yeah. A missionaries day doesn't really end until 9 p.m. and even then, the day isn't done.

But it was ok. So me and Elder Rawlinson go out and just start inviting and finding and teaching people in this park and getting return appointments and finding people that are pretty determined to get baptized this month.

It was epic. Met so many cool people, and also found this bridge.

"Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."
Back story, the apostles are going about doing their apostolic things then some people come and command them to stop. These people use all sorts of worldly methods to stop and gain control over these people. But this was their response. To obey God rather than men. 

Obedience to God's commandments will bring blessings and miracles. I know that's true. People are so confused as to why and how we as missionaries can go out teaching and talking to people in this Buddhist country. But we do it for love, because we love God we want to obey His commandments. Love. Obedience. Miracles.


Chilling.

Aloha,
Elder แลลิส
Forward Ever. Stopping Never.

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