Week 12 It's a natural disaster! More floods to come!

Date: Mon, 31 October, 2011
Subject: Week 12


Hey Family!
So this was my twelfth week in country! I can't believe it! I feel like i'm in such a crazy time warp where I feel like I JUST got to Thailand, but at the same time I Feel like I have been here forever. I love it though! It's so great.

The work is hard, but so rewarding and so worth it! There are definetly some funny things that happen. For example just about 10 minutes ago we were biking over to the interenet shop where we come to email. I got distracted by some kids playing in the street and didn't see a parked scooter and I crashed into it. It was pretty embarassing, but funny at the same time. I guess I just need to pay attention more! No?

Well, this week was good. We are still safe from the floods in the city, but once you get 10 Kilos out of the city I guess the floods are pretty high. We actually got two elders moved to our district from the evacuated Pakkret zone. Elders Ahlstrom and Stott! They are up in Mahasarakham, like 45 minutes away, but we get to see them at district meetings on Wednesday, so thats very fun! We are wondering if we will get some more up here in roi et. It would be very fun! And we have the room.

It's sad to see pictures in newspapers from the floods. But I guess that it's not the actual flooding that is causing the elders to be pulled out. It's the lack of clean water. No shower water, and no drinking water are causing a major problem. We are fine up here in Roi Et so don't worry.

This week was a pretty good week. The sisters had a baptism. Actually the guy who got baptized, Singha, is awesome! He cold turkeyed smoking, alcohol, drugs, and coffee and hasn't releapsed. That was like 3 plus weeks ago. It just goes to show, that through faith and prayer anything is possible!

We got some new investigators that seem pretty good too! There are these two girls B and Mammoth. B is protestant, but hasn't been baptized with any denomination yet. They say that they are friends but they might be girlfriends, so we'll just have to teach them the law of chastity. Then, last night we were teaching our investigator Bubphaa. She had two customers at her store, and they stayed for the lesson. They belong to a Christian church here, but that church publishes anti-LDS pamphleyts and things. They bring to pass the promise that Moroni made to Joseph Smith that his name would be had for good and evil among all nations kindreds tounges and people.

We also had a big service project out in a neighborhood where we teach that happens to have a bunch of the members from Roi Et, Mahasarakham, and Khon Kaen. The district president was there too! We painted a wall out in front of the school. It was fun. I felt like I was painting back at the H rock a little bit, except this time, we were using paint rollers and brushes instead of socks and brooms! It's all very fun! I'll send some pictures for sure!

Other than that this week was a pretty average week of just teaching and finding. We unfortunately had some investigators drop us. Pawn is one of them. It's sad because she was progressing well until she went out of town and decided she doesn't have time for us anymore.

One scripture that I have come to love this week is Alma 44:3. Read it and ponder Captian Moroni's words of faith. Also I recieved a lot of help from Ether 2:17
" 17 And they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly atight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish."
So this verse is a little redundant, no? But I really like it becuse of what it meant for the people of the brother of Jared. The Lord was going to bring them to the promise land in these barges that we "tight like unto a dish." The Lord new that the journey wouldn't be an easy one so he had the Brother of Jared prepare the barges for rough, tempestuous seas. Sometimes in life, we face those kinds of trials. But the Lord will never give us a trial greater than we can endure. Sometimes, He will come rescue us. Other times, he lets us ride out the trial on our own. He will only let us ride them out on our own if He has prepared us. By doing so He shows His faith in us. He believes in us. He knows that we can do these things. And we can. If we will turn to Him, and rely on the Holy on of Israel to be our support. Never forget that. Have faith and look to Him always, and in ALL things. Be quick to observe the blessings you receive from Him. Then thank Him for those blessings, and I promise you that He will pour out more blessings upon your head.

I love you all! Be safe and smart. But most of all be faithful!
Love
Elder Todd