From: bryan.todd@myldsmail.net
Hey!
Isn't life so great? Things here are going well. Just as always, it's going really fast. I remember this time last year, I got a letter from Nate while I was in the MTC. He had just finished his first year and he told me how fast it went. He told me that everyone says the second year goes even faster. I didn't think that could be true. But it is. We're here to make the most of our time and do the best that we can.
This last week was a really solid week. One really special experience happened as we were leaving from e-mailing you last week. We paid the owner of the shop and then he asked us what we were doing. He thought we were students. So we told him that we were missionaries. He seemed interested, so I asked if there was some time that we could share our message with him. He looked at his empty shop and said, "How about right now?" So we did! We sat there and taught him. It was a good reminder to me that even though it was preparation day, that we are still on the Lord's time. There is no such thing as "my time" or "my day." It's all the Lord's. It was a blessing. And he is really good. His name is Joe. So That was awesome!
Then we headed up in the evening to Mae Fa Luang University to teach Ja. It was a good lesson for her. It was about the plan of Salvation. Ja is very strict Buddhist now, but is interested in how the Plan of Salvation works. The reason it works is because of the Atonement. Really, the plan couldn't take place without Christ saying "Here am I, send me," and saying "Not my will, but thine." He is the perfect example in all things.
Then on Tuesday we were able to go teach Form. He is doing well. He is going to church and progressing. He has a baptismal date for the 4th of August. So, please keep him and all of our invesigators in your prayers. We talked to him all about the Book of Mormon, and its importance. How we all need to know if it's true. I heard Joseph Fielding Smith (I think) say that no member of this church can find themselves approved before the judgement bar without a serious study of the Book of Mormon. Then also, at English class on Tuesday night we had a lady show up who was willing to let us teach her. Her name was Oi. She is good. She liked the Restoration, and committed herself to read the Book of Mormon! So that was good!
Ta is doing well also. He had to move his baptismal date back to September because he is a minor and has to go to church for 3 months straight before baptism. But it's for the best. We have to make sure that they won't just disappear. We also tired to teach his parents, but they will not change. It's sad. To reject the ability to change in our lives is to reject the central doctrine of the plan of Salvation-- the Atonement of our Lord and Savior. Please, never forget Him, and what He did for us.
Also we have Ice back. He got Sundays off from work! So now we're going to review everything with him, and help him come to church. His date is for the 11 of August. So that will be really good! He is funny. We were following up on his reading and praying. I asked him if he prayed he said Everynightsometimes. He said it really fast, but we were just like, "come on Ice." Then he said he would try to pray each morning and each night. He's good though.
Then we have this new girl we found, well, refound. She was once taught, but we have no record for her. Her name is Ni. She lives in what Elder Haughton and I call, "Le Favella." It looks just like one, so yeah. She is doing well, and she came to church! She likes it and knows some of the members already!
It's sad though. She is my age and already has an almost 2 year old daughter, and no father. It breaks my heart to think that so many of God's children are born into these circumstances. But we have the gospel and we must be the watchmen for our brothers and sisters like we are told in Ezekiel 3:19 "Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." That sounds fairly grim but we must remember to be the watchmen for our brethren because we love them. If we love our fellow men, we will raise the voice of warning for them. Be they member or non-member. 3:20 says, "Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered (not enduring to the end); but his blood will I require at thine hand." Love your fellow men enough to open your mouths and let the Lord fill them by His Spirit. I know that as we raise our voices of warning we will be found spotless at the last day.
We also did exchanges with the Zone Leaders this week. It was good! I was with Elder Thompson, he is friends with Zach Gardner from BYU. We had a good time. He asked me really good questions and helped me to realize how I can better consecrate my performance and become a stronger servant of the Lord.
One other funny thing happened. We were sitting in a lesson yesterday and guess what happened to me? Yeah, my classic bloody nose. But the guy didn't even notice. We had to close it out. Lucky we were close to the church. But that was my first bloody nose in over a year! It's a record.
Well, I love you all! Be safe, read, pray, seek the will of the Lord for you. Do your best.
Love,
Elder Todd
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