S(quirrels)uriram

Buriram and Surin are a district together.
The only two areas I've served in so far has been Surin and Buriram. Yee. Suriram.

This week huh. Not a lot of time was spent here in Buriram. But we still found some ways to pick up new investigators, teach some referrals, invite. The usual. Yeee.

​Night Market in Roi-Et, looking for dinner ft. Suriram District

So yeah. Tuesday we had district meeting and then right after that our district leader elder Raleigh lets us know that we're doing a switch off. This basically means I get to go back to SURIN!!!!! So amazing and so happy to get to work with these wonderful people. The branch in Surin has been growing because of how much hard work has been put in. So grateful for the opportunity to see my Recent converts and a bunch of less actives (that are now active members) and meet a bunch of new investigators. Never stop loving the people. It will just make you and them so much more happy. Just smile a ton!

So I really got a solid work day in on Thursday...But then like we had a conference over in Roi-Et. Which is a 3 hour bus ride away....I'm practically a boss at passing out in buses no matter how cramped they are. I try to study but like....I'm weak. That's one of my many weaknesses here in Thailand. Staying awake on public transportation.

Zone Conference + Stake Training

So our training we had gotten this week had a strong focus on working together with members. We as missionaries have the responsibility to really help build the ward or branches that we serve in. Missionaries and members can run two separate paths to get the same goal. Or both can run the same path, helping the work move along so much better. It's just like in running. You can go out and run by yourself and try to get the fastest time, but really you will go faster when you have someone with you, pushing you along and making sure you stay on track. Same exact concept. Member-Missionary relationships are VITAL. Missionaries need to do everything they can to truly build up good relationships with members. We have recognized how big a difference there is when the members are there working with you side by side. Sure it takes a bit of effort on the missionaries part to gain their trust and respect, but it's always worth it. Gotta start with a strong foundation to support a large building.

Some things we do to improve member relationships:

--Me and Elder Powers in front of a members house---

*on the phone "Hey are you home?" ---"yeah"---"Okay awesome, we're in front of your house. Just wondering...you have any brooms, we just want to clean your patio and yard for you."

Or another one of our favorites here in Buriram.

"Hey can we come in and wash your dishes and share a scripture?"

20 minutes later, dishes are done, a scripture is shared and we are back out and on our way. Hah. Thailand.

Saw an albino squirrel. Didnt know they had squirrels here.

​Squirrels.

Aloha,

Elder แอลลิส

Forward Ever. Stopping Never.

WHY IS IT COLD HERE....But these are still the moments I live for

Hahah yeah. Last thing I thought I'd ever say. Apparently its been 15/16 degrees Celsius. Bone chilling cold when all you wear is a short sleeve collared shirt, a tie, and some slacks. Chilly. But on the real though.....

Visited this recent convert, he's a musician and makes these Thai instruments and sells them at the markets. Also his garden is absolutely heavenly and has all these edible fruits and leaves. Yummy. 82 years old, received the Melchizedek Priesthood. Bikes around 5 km to church every week. What a baller.

These are the moments I live for.

Out of all the things I've done, nothing. Literally nothing beats how happy I am out here in Thailand. I'm thousands of miles away from home. In a country where I still can't speak the language. But I am totally at peace. I have so much joy here. We got the great opportunity to go out and teach some amazing new investigators this week but I just want to share the story of two of them.

First- Brother Sirichai

This man is 87 years old, and a bit on the frail side, but wow. We walk in, introduce ourselves as missionaries here to share with him the gospel of Jesus Christ and he brightens up. He's had a belief in God and Jesus Christ for quite some time, but because of his condition lately has never had the opportunity to go to church. He is overjoyed every time. The happiness. I can't even handle it. He's always just wanting to learn more and more. His mind is sharp and his belief so strong. When we taught him how to pray and he learned he could really communicate with our Heavenly Father, just so much joy filled the room. Such a sweet spirit.

Second-Brother Rood

This man is 100% Buddhist but he has opened his heart to learning about Christianity. His Aunt had brought him to meet with us because he lives in another province. So on the first day we just get to know him but he had some questions about life. He feels like life here is just this daily grind. In and out. Background info on him, he is the only son in his family so after he finished schooling he works 24/7 taking care of the family farm. Not a small little farm either. It's absolutely huge. With animals. And gardens and everything. They got the works out there. Gnarly. So he's just sitting there. Contemplating about life. And we got the solution for him. The Plan of Salvation. The plan of Happiness. Teach him about this life. The purpose. What we need to do. And wow. He just goes and says "I feel like many people would reject this because it sounds too good. But no. I believe you. This all feels right. I don't know how to explain it. But it just feels right. Thank you so much for sharing this." Boom. It doesn't stop there. We teach him to pray and talk to God. And he goes and says his first prayer ever. And then he just sorta stops talking. But doesn't close the prayer "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." So his aunt is whispering the words and he just says so calmly "give me a second, this feeling. I don't want it to leave me." WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT. Oh. Ah. Ahhhh.

These are the moments I live for. Better than a sunrise session at Sandys, body surfing into a barrel that's just glistening with perfection. Better than biking down Tantalus and almost hitting 60 mph (Strava or it didn't happen). Better than sleep. As much as I love all these things a lot. This is it yo.

This is it. These are the moments I live for. The moments of people coming unto Christ and learning that they are children of God. That God loves them.

So sweet. Like a pineapple. 

Ft. Pineapple tie hahahaha who do I think I am hahah

Aloha,

Elder แอลลิส

Forward Ever. Stopping Never.

BuriramYO. Also got the computer thathasa junkspace bar...sorry.

Found as we were looking for one of our RC's houses...

Yeee Buriram. Thailand.So Sweet.Sweet. Swensen's Icecream.

Amazing to think how when I first came in here with Elder Powers we both look at what was here for us to do. Looking at it like "What do we need to do to make this ward blow up."Sat down, planned,made a mini vision. And hit the ground running. Hard. 3 weeks later and it finally feels like we are getting somewhere. What started as a humble amount has now worked to a workload too heavy for just two elders. So then what? Obviously enlist the help of members. MEMBERS ARE THE KEY FOR IT ALL. Two elders cant visit every single LA family. Two white people won't understand every single problem. But these members can. And these members are amazing! Sure it took some work to get the members stoked, but it was worth the effort. Members have been so crucial in the work here. Finding LA's,giving us referrals. Buriram is Blessed.

Blessings on Blessings on Blessings (in Buriram)

Yeah way short...sorry no time

Uh I ate 8 scoops of ice cream this week. 2 scoops of -midnight brownie, thin mint, strawberry cheesecake, and cookies and cream. Confessions of an ice cream addict.

Also P-day Today.This is called self restraint. Didn't even touch the water or stick my toes in the sand.

Chee Pono.

Have a good one!

Aloha,

Elder แอลลิส

Forward Ever. Stopping Never.

Huh. Not too sure what even happened this week...

From last P-day, we had gone out to a dormant volcano here in Buriram.  

Picture of Buriram's Ballin Companionship Ft. Thai Kids

Yeah. Like one day its Tuesday and I'm teaching English....and then its already Sunday at church. Woah. Where is time going. Why is it moving so fast. I'm running out of time!

The happenings this week: Teaching, Inviting, Eating, Studying. The usual

The not so fun stuff this week: 

Food poisoning.

So funny story....There's a certain noodle place that another missionary used to eat at every single day. And we are talking for like 3 months worth of time. Every day. Same noodle place. So we go and eat there. First time, its all goooooooddd. Way good noodles, quick service, cheap. Just the way we like it. Then our second time there. Same thing. Tastes good, quick service, and then we are back on our way working. But then night time comes. And like it just doesn't work out. And then all the common symptoms of food poisoning come along. Yup. Not fun. Yup. yeah. yeah. Guess I won't be eating there again.....

Mice.

We've got a mouse that sorta runs around and we see it but we have yet to capture it. Until we bought these huge glue traps. Like the trap was probably a good square foot. It was huge. So one night we set the traps up, the next morning we walk downstairs to see a mouse stuck on the trap squealing. No more mice problems (hopefully)

But other than that....This week was just way way way busy. Buriram normally has 4 elders but right now its just us. Just Elder Powers and me. So therefore we are taking on quite a bit of an extra workload. But it's alright. Being busy feels oh so good! Going out teaching, visiting less active members. Working hard the wholeeeee week. And then on Sunday when people start coming to church you realize how much you've really done. But is this all enough? NOPE. It doesn't matter how hard we think we worked. There's always something more to be done. There's always something we can improve on. And there will always be a way for us to become better disciples of God.

Don't settle with being "enough." Push limits. Trust in God and He will show you everything you need to do. Seriously. We are His children. He only wants the best for us. Therefore, everything that He wants us to do will help us. I know these things to be true. I have this firm testimony simply because I have gone out and done. I have done these things for myself. I just challenge you all to go out and try these things for yourself also. Find those little things that keep you from progressing. No matter how small or insignificant you may think your steps are, they aren't. Every step forward is a step in the right direction.

A few misc. images...

Hike up the dormant volcano

Not too sure how I found this word...but....yeah. To end things off on a funny note. กรุยกราย Swag.

Have a ballin week.

Aloha,

Elder แอลลิส

Forward Ever. Stopping Never.

I've literally don't know what to write because I wrote like 3 days ago so....

Hey. Yup. Still in Buriram.

Haha this seems like a sorta pointless email.

Not too sure what else to even write cause like. Yeah. I just barely wrote 3 days ago.

But everything is all good. There's a ton of work especially for two elders. 

Big things coming soon....

​Penny skateboards are a thing here in Thailand yeee

Also Elder Powers is fearless at gecko catching. He caught two of these huge geckos. And they're just nasty little things. When they go to fight and bite, their jaws lock up. So what was Elder Powers tactic? Get the lizard to bight your shoe and then turn it upside down. Also enlisted in gecko catching were the dogs at the house. Elder Powers goes from the top, the dogs from the bottom, leaving nowhere for these nasty things to run away!

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2015/12/asking-the-right-questions-in-the-right-way?lang=eng

Lately we've been putting some extra work into figuring out how to become better teachers. More effective in addressing the needs of our investigators and also in checking for their level of understanding. Happened to come across this article one day and thought "Hey. Questions are amazing things." So yeah. At the root of everything are questions. And you can also help others progress because of questions. Questions are way amazing! 

Just a quick tid bit...

-----Asking the 2nd Question---------

A common question used by gospel teachers is some variation of this: “So how important is faith in your life?”At first glance that sounds like a meaningful inquiry, but if you think about it, there is only one answer: “Very important.” Of course, faith (and any other gospel principle) is very important, but that type of question generally leads nowhere by itself because you still have to ask the follow-up question, which is something like:“Why is it so important?” or “Will you give us an example of when it was important in your life?” Those questions can get things going in class, so go right to them and skip the first question. Asking the second question first will save time and keep the discussion moving better.

Thailand is gnarly.

Aloha,

Elder แอลลิส

Forward Ever. Stopping Never.