Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2012 11:36
From: bryan.todd@myldsmail.net
From: bryan.todd@myldsmail.net
Hey Todd family!
Happy December! And happy วันพ่อ!! Or Happy Fathers Day!
Tomorrow is the King's birthday and in Thailand, Father's day is on the king's birthday and Mother's day is the queen's birthday. Interesting culture fact!
Well, as ever, I am astounded at how fast this last week has gone by! I am just loving every second of my mission! Things here are fantastic. This mission is my favorite thing that I have ever done! It’s great. There is so much to do, but so little time to do the Lord’s work.
Yesterday, Elder Patterson and I got to talk about that very topic in our Zone Conference. We were told that we’d be giving a training, but we weren’t told what our topic would be until about an hour before the meeting.
Zone conference yesterday was a special one. Let me give you a recap. We were asked last week to get everyone in our zone’s shoe sizes. Then the Assistants told us on Saturday that President was taking the zone bowling for a zone activity. So we went bowling as a zone yesterday! (24 Elders and 2 Sisters) It was way fun! I got to bowl on a team with Elders Patterson, Price and Kampanat. We didn’t do too poorly.
President was just wanting to celebrate the holiday season and the fact that our mission will be getting an increase in missionaries! That’s good! Then we headed to the Asoke chapel. We started the meeting. I gave a talk about finding investigators. After me, President Senior talked, and then Elder Patterson and I gave our training.
It was special because we hadn’t had time to prepare anything, really. But during the time that we spend traveling and doing things around the zone, we’ve focused on discussing the needs of the mission. So, we knew what we needed to talk about! And the Spirit guided us. We were on the same page. We spoke about how we need to do everything that we can to help as many people come into the church as soon as possible. It’s just like what Elder Holland said when he closed his talk at the end of last April conference. He said, “It’s getting late. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.” It truly is getting late. There is a greater sense of urgency, and we as members need to be doing everything that we can to bring the Lord’s prepared children into the church. Zone conference was fantastic!
As for the work, we’ve been shifting the ways we find investigators throughout the entire mission. From door to door contacting, to just talking to everyone, to really find “Them that will receive [us].” As we've done this, our investigator pools have dropped. But our investigators who actually get baptized has increased in effectiveness.
Right now, we don’t have a whole lot of people to teach. But I want to tell you about one of our investigators. Her name is Fone. She came through English class. We were teaching her and committing her to be baptized.
I said, “Sister, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ…” before I could finish she said “I will.” I continued “..by being baptized…” Again before I could finish she said “รับ” which means “receive” or saying she will get baptized. “..by someone holding the priesthood authority of God?” I finished. “ทำค่ะ” or “I will.” Was her answer. It just goes to show that there truly are people out there the Lord is preparing for us! That was one of my favorite experiences this week.
In closeing, I leave my testimony of the Savior with you. When I think of Him, I think of the question best phrased by Job of old when he says, “If a man dies, will he live again?”
On that first Easter morning, Mary thought she saw the gardner. She did! She saw the gardener who cultivated Eden, and endured Gethsemene, who gave us the Lily of the field, the rose of Sharon. It's all part of the Lord’s vineyard. She knew, when He so lovingly said her name, “Mary..” that He does live! I testify that God our Father lives! And His Beloved Son lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all so much. This Christmas season remember HIM.
้ด้วยความรัก
เอ็ลเดอร์ทอดด์
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