Finding people in Chiang Rai

Date: Mon, 7 May 2012 09:39:48 

Subject: 
From: bryan.todd@myldsmail.net

Hey Again!

 

I feel like I just emailed you yesterday. It's crazy how fast the time is flying! 

Things are getting rainy here in Thailand! It's rained for the last few days here, but things are still going along. I'm doing great and am absolutely loving being here. The reason why I am emailing you a little early today is because we have to go down to Chiang Mai today to interview with President Smith. Tomorrow is his last zone conference. It's actually pretty sad to think that he is going home. But I'm sure President and Sister Senior will be just fantastic!

   So this last week was really good! One really interesting thing happened on Tuesday. Actually, it was just kind of a crazy day in general. But we were out tracting, and we were at the front of this one house.  This little boy saunters over to me and just stares up at me. I say hello and he asks what were doing, if he could do it too and get paid. I told him we don't get money--our service is all volunteer. He then proceeds to tell us about how he could see ghosts. It was actually pretty funny, he is from Austrailia and speaks English and Thai (his mom is Thai, his Dad from England).  Anyway, It was just really interesting having him talking to us about how he could see ghosts because he took green slobber from a black dog, and rubbed it on his eyes.

   But apart from that crazy moment, Tuesday was a really great day. We found this one guy, who got in a car accident about 5 months ago. He is trying to find a religion for himself. He just quit being a Buddhist monk. About Buddhism, he said, "it doens't make any sense." In Buddhism your sins are always with you. You just try to do good, and by doing good, "Tham Boon" you offset your sin. 

We then explained to him how the miracle of the Atonement works--that through Jesus Christ's infinite sacrifice, all sin that may be upon us at this time can be taken away through His divine grace and by  obedience to the laws and principles of the Gospel. The Atonement really is so amazing if we all think about it. It is such an awesome gift that has been given to each of us that we are able to repent, and recieve and retain a remission of our sins. I love that we can retain a remission of our sins. I love the quote by President Howard W. Hunter in Preach MY Gospel  at the end of chapter one. I callenge you all to read that.

   Then one other really cool thing happened this week.  We found a way sweet investigator. Well, more accurately, she found us. She has been coming to English class and she asked us if she could learn about the message of Jesus Christ. So, of course we said yes! She is really good, and really nice. She works at Sizzler. Yeah, they have Sizzlers ALL over in Thailand. (Sizzler makes me think of how Cate always wanted to go there when she was younger, according to my recollection).  Anyway, this new investigator is really good. And she is really interested. She even brought a friend to church yesterday! It was was sweet! 

English class is a really good way to find people to teach, because it allows them to come to the church in a non threatening way. They come to learn English for free, and they get more than that. They get a gospel message each lesson. Our purpose isn't to be Englsih teachers, but to find people to teach, baptize and prepare them for the temple.  The end goal is for people to enter into Gods presence permanently after this life.

I love you all. And I hope all is well! Take care, Be safe!

Forward in Faith!

 

Elder Todd