I woke up this morning to a phone call from our Zone Leader. It was about 1:30ish in the morning. My companion answered the phone. It was Elder Smith and he said that he had some news to tell us. The first thing my companion says is, " We have to evacuate Chaing Mai, dont we?" That wasnt the case. He said that he got a call from President Senior saying that a TEMPLE will be built in Thailand! I said in an almost sleepy voice, The church is true! I was so tired. So we said a prayer of thanks and then went back to bed. Well at least I did. Elder Tamang couldnt sleep. He said as he was saying a prayer about 10 min later it didnt really hit him that a temple was going to be built here. So he had to call the Zone Leaders back and ask a bunch of questions. After we woke up we started to call all the members and recent converts in the ward and tell them but it was too late. They already knew because of Facebook ha. Looks like Facebook travels faster than the phone.
What Elder Tamang and I are going to do now is go to all the members in the ward who dont know about this. We are going to tell all the less actives in the ward. I know there is one man we are going to tell. He wanted to go to the temple back in the day but had a problem with visa stuff. He will be so happy! I know that we and all the missionaries here are going to help so many less actives come back to church. We will be able to have so many more baptisms this year then what we had last year. The numbers will sky rocket! People will come back to church and faith will be spread like wild fire! I know that God wouldnt have told President Thomas S. Monson to say there would be a temple in Thailand if it wasnt ready! Something has changed. The Lord is really hastening his work! A temple here will greatly bless so many countries, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, India and so much more! I know that the church will grow so much more now that there is a temple here. I am so thankful President Gordon B. Hinckley! He said that there would be a temple here in Thailand and his prophecy came true! We have been preparing for this for a while. We have been do as much family history work as possible, helping members get temple recommends and just telling people that there would be a temple! I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here when they announced this.
When I was back at home before my mission I had a dream. It wasnt a fancy dream or anything. I had a dream that I was up high on some beams of some sort. I was sitting down with a saw in my hand and I was building a temple. I didnt really think much of it. I know that dream was a vision to me that I would be here to help build the temple of Thailand! If I really get to help build the temple or not I know that I am building it in other ways. Thailand will be blessed!
In my scripture study this past week I read some of my favorite chapters from Alma! Alma 28-31. I love Alma 28:14, 29:9, 13-17, 31:37-38. Some of those scriptures relate to me as a missionary. I received a call to come to come here because of my diligence. The Lord knew that I would do all that I could here. When I think of my friends I think of 29:9, 13-17, we are instruments in the hands of God. I am so grateful for the service of my friends in other parts of the world. I know that my friends are having success in other parts of the Lords vineyard. I remember telling Elder Pilling how much work we could do if we (as all my friends ) were in the same mission. I remember Elder Pilling telling me that, the Lord knows how well we would do but He needs to separate us so that our good works and our talents could go to all four corners of the earth. It is so true. I remember how well 5 team players can play amazing together but if they get split up they will be able to influence so many more lives! I remember another experience with Matt Cook. He said," If you can do missionary work the same way you sell you will have thousands of baptism". Selling isnt easy but it is possible if you will not give up. I thank Matt for his kind words of encouragement to me. I will not give up on the Lord! The Lord has more than 84,000 missionaries on his team to help him with his work. I know that temples will be built, lives will be touched and the church will grow in ways we never would have thought. I am so thankful for the labor that my friends put into the vineyard of the Lord. I know that they cant see the fruit of their labors right now but in time they will turn around and see how much they have reaped!
I encourage you all to go to the temple this week if you havent had the chance in a while. I challenge you to invited a friend to church you havent invited yet.
I love you all! The video is my companion Elder Tamang walking on his hands. He loves to do this.
Elder Hinckley
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| A motorcycle garage. |
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| Chiang Mai at night. |
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| One hot sweaty Elder working hard! |
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