Karsten's Adventures in the Kingdom of Thailand: Week 7 Chiang Mai

Dear Friends and Family,

Elder Tamang, who is my new companion, and I have been working so much! We visited a lot of less actives in the ward. This past transfer meeting we got training on family history work and also this past week we had training on it again. It is something that that Lord wants us to talk about with all that we meet.

In the last meeting we talked about the spirit of Elijah. Why is it important? It is a welding power between us and those people in the spirit world. This is very important why because we can receive help from the other side. I can tell you that family history work helps. D&C 128:18. So after this meeting Elder Tamang and I got on our bikes and we biked to the nearest person who needed to hear the message. We talked about family history work and how this is important. Then we went to a restaurant where there are 2 less actives who we shared the message with. With all the people we talked to that day we all told them that a temple is coming to Thailand. They all asked when? We told them we dont know but how great would it be to take family names to the temple to do. We shared personal experiences and I shared about how my mom went crazy on family history work and just recently she got to do temple work for names she had found. I think it took a few months but it all paid off. My mom said that she could feel the spirit so strong! Then we went over to another members house to share the message of family history work. About half way through the message her son who speaks English said, " My mom is the family history consultant in the ward" ha this was great! We shared out thoughts on it. We want to have a great big meeting so everyone can get involved. That is a work in progress.

Then this past week we were able to talk to the district president and our Ward Mission Leader. We talked about Temple recommends. We told them we have a vision for all people who are 12 years and up to have a temple recommend. There are two, one for baptisms and one for the more special ordinances. We told them that we want everyone to have one. Right now to get a temple in Thailand we need to have at least 1000 members hold a temple recommend and right now we only have about 700. We all need to get to work on this here or we wont have a temple!

Right now in the mission this is what we are pushing for! I encourage you all if you havent had the chance to do some family history work and take those names to the temple. If you dont have a current temple recommend I encourage you to get one as soon as you can. It is a great privilege to go to and through the temple! I can sure tell you I miss the temple with all my heart! Elder Pilling, Elder Hosteen, Elder Cook, Elder Downs and Elder Bean and I would all go all the time. They new it was important and so did I. That is why we went every week. I dont have enough time to tell you our temple story but just know that for a temple in Thailand would bless this county.

This past week Brother Jade told me that he had to go to Bangkok for some school stuff. He said he wouldnt be able to come on Sunday and get the Holy Ghost. So he went to Bangkok and then called me about a day and a half later and said he was coming home. I had no idea why but I knew there had to be a reason. He made it back on Friday. When I asked him why he came home he said I had revelation to come back. His first bus to Bangkok crashed and the second had a person with drugs. He said he prayed to know what to do and then he read 2 Nephi 32:3 where it talks about the words of God will tell you what to do or something close to that. So he left his school thing and bought a airplane ticket and flew straight home. He said I had to get the Holy Ghost on Sunday! Wow this guy has the spirit with him guiding him everyday! He got the Holy Ghost on Sunday and I can tell you he is a power house already! I love this guy with all my heart! He is great!

Well do work this week everyone!

Love Elder Hinckley

This is Jade and he is holding a lantern. We have over 40 people at our English Classes. My companion and I got on Jades Motorcycle just for fun. I found this centipede in my sink and my companion got a spatula and cut its head off and it started to crawl away and then we washed it down the sink. It was freaky!!

Hanging out on the back of a Songthow with our newest convert Jade.

40 people show up for our English class.

Another Elder comes with us for dinner. Elder Tamang on the right is from Alpine Utah.

Yummy food.

Centipedes are extremely dangerous in Asia. They have fangs and with one bite can kill you. They raise up like a snake and strike. Be afraid, be very afraid!

This is Jade. He has a lantern that we are going to light and send off into the beautiful sky to celebrate his conversion and baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.