Karsten's Adventures in the Kingdom of Thailand: Week 14 Buriram

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week Elder Parish and I saw so many miracles! Thank you for all the prayers and fasting you do for me and my investigators. I hope you will continue to pray for the people that my companions and I teach. We taught a new investigator this week who said she was looking for the right church to go to here in Buriram. I was only able to meet her because she was a referral from my RC Sister Nooy. This new investigator was a friend of Sister Nooys friend. This lady met with us and explained how she didnt know anything really about Christianity. She is of another religion and her husband was Christian. She wanted to learned more so we taught to her needs the very best that we could. She is a great lady. We have only met with her once but she is doing well and I know that if she seeks to understand and know for herself she will receive answers!

Another investigator we taught had a bike problem this week. Well she called us and said that she had a flat. She was a little ways away from the church. So we hopped on our bikes and finally found her after about 7 min. Her bike at 2 flat tires with so many thorns!! Oh my goodness!! We helped her pull out all the thorns with the leather man I had brought with me. Its a great tool, every missionary needs one ha! Well we finished that and the next step was to get her to the church. I called a member and asked if she could come pick up our investigator and her bike. The member saved us a lot of time! We were able to go to the church and teach a wonderful lesson and give her a date for baptism!! That day was a day of miracles!! This past week our teaching pool of investigators as gone up. From about none to about 6! It it great to see that our efforts arent going unnoticed! I know that all we do doesnt go unnoticed but it i great to see success! We planned this week and we planned for about 40-45 people! Wow!! We have a lot of work cut out for us this week! We can do it! I know it!

I was able to share some thoughts with another district this last week. I was able to study 1 Nephi 8. Do you know this chapter? Oh this chapter in the Book of Mormon is so great! We talked about how Lehi desired his family to come and partake of the fruit. What could the fruit be? Also about how we need to obtain the straight and narrow path. We also compared the people that cling to the iron rod and the people that hold fast to the iron rod. How are they different? Also about what the mist of darkness could represent. Something else that I like is that many are called but few are chosen. Will you be one that is chosen? We are all called but will we hearken to the call? I had something to say just about every verse in that chapter. Such a great chapter! I really want you to think for a minute who do you know that you could share the fruit with? Do you want the fruit all to yourself ( It could get moldy) or do you want to share some wonderful fruit that could really help someone? I want you to think for a minute why you were converted to the church and if you arent yet converted think of what you like about the church. Why do you like it? Has this fruit, the church, helped you strengthen your faith and understanding about your Savior Jesus Christ? I know you all have something to say about the church. So share it with those that you love! I know that as you desire others to come partake of the fruit you will be strengthened in every way. I challenge you to read this chapter and think of those who are your family, friends and co-workers who need Jesus Christ.

Elder Parish and I had an idea this week to try and help and LA. We had a little extra time one day. This one LA doesn't want to talk to us at all. We thought that a nice note with a scripture on it, telling this LA how we want to help in anyway possible with some fruit would be a great idea. Now you cant tell me that a nice note with fruit wouldnt make you happy. Well we planned it all out. We planned just to put it on this LA's desk at this persons work and leave. This person happened to be there. Anyways we proceeded to put it on this LA's desk and the LA said, NO I will not have this. Take it away. I dont want it. We set it down for and left. I dont know what the LA did with the note or the fruit. I hope the LA read it and ate the fruit. Made me feel kind of sad that this person would just reject us without seeing what we had to say. That is okay, this person just isnt ready yet. I think about how it will take time for this person to open up. That is okay. This person has home-teachers and friends close by that can be supportive. We thought this was a great idea. We might write a note to this person every week to see if it does anything. It could fail, yeah or it is really help this person come back. I dont know. We will find out. Elder Parish and I have been working really hard to work with LA's. It's not the easiest. I know it takes a lot of work and effort! We cannot do it alone!!

Yesterday at church so many miracles happened!! We had 5 investigators at church! We had an LA come back! We had some other small miracles. I think the biggest one was that in priesthood they announced that we would be having home-teaching!! Oh boy! This made me so happy! As one brother was teaching about home teaching and what it was. They priesthood brethren were not being as respectful to the brother who put this all together for us. That same brother asked me what I had to say about home teaching. I stood up and I started to speak. As I spoke a very powerful spirit entered into the room. The brethren fell silent. I bore my most powerful testimony I could about home teaching. It is more than just going once a month to members homes to teach or hang out. It is a chance to help with their challenges, to teach from the scriptures/gospel lessons and to build relationships and to serve them! I said that they need to go above and beyond their calling and serve more than needed. When, at home, I saw the people I home taught I stopped to talk to them. I asked if I could serve them. I did all that could to help them. I want all the people I teach to know that I love them! There are so many members/families that need YOUR help. If they dont accept you then you keep trying. Why would you stop after one try. Oh they didnt accept us or they told us to go away. Dont stop there! What would Christ, our Savior do? I had a neighbor that I served every since I was about 14 or 15. She wasnt a member. I did all I could so that her life was easier. Even if it was checking the mail, taking the trash out, cutting the grass, clipping rose bushes, what ever it was, I really loved this lady. My dad came to me one day and told me that she had passed away. I was crushed! I served her till the day that she went from this mortal life. It gave me great pleasure to serve one of Gods children. It doesnt take great acts of serves to do home teaching. You first need to know why you are doing it then everything will follow! Home teaching needs to get done, every month! NO MATTER WHAT!! If you dont have time, make time. Ill be blunt. It is something that Heavenly Father as presented to us. It is something important to Him, it should be important to us! I know that if you do it, home teaching or visiting teaching you can do it. You will be inspired and know what to do.

Things are looking up for Elder Parish and I! We must be faithful and obedient still. No breaks!

Will you please pray for Boowa, Ding Doy, Day, Nuch, L, Kemtong, Um, Da, Oy, Mew and our recent converts and less actives members please?

Love,

Elder Hinckley

We made some home made french fries last night! Oh, it brought out my Idahoan side!!