Week 6 Bang Naa

Dear Friends and Family 

In one of my teaching appointments we were teaching this sister who is doing well but not as active as she might want to be. Before I start any lessons, right after the prayer, I always ask if they have any question about anything or any concerns. She asked a question or two about commandments. We had already planned a lesson for this sister but I know that we needed to address her concerns more. It was a good discussion about some certain commandments. When coming to the end of the lesson I had a feeling come into my mind and heart. I told the sister that she may not understand right now why keeping this certain commandment(s) is important. I told her that she will be able to see the effects and blessings for keeping the commandments in the future. How does obedience to the commandments bring blessings? When will the blessings come? The Lord promises that if we keep the commandments, we will prosper in the land. We may not see immediate blessings but we can in years to come. I told her that I saw blessings from paying tithing; just as an example. I said as I paid my tithing I saw many little blessings. To be a missionary we have to use a lot of money. I told her I saw a blessing this last week, "My mission is paid for, no one needs to pay more." I said I know this a blessing for keeping that commandment when I was younger till now. I saw blessings after years of keeping a commandment. Heavenly Father just doesnt give us commandments for fun. He gives them to us so we can live happier and safer lives! 

One day this last week Elder Noyce and I found that all of our appointments did not come through. We looked at our schedule and said we have nothing to do. Well I will tell you what I didnt do. I didnt put my head down and give up. We prayed right there and asked for guidance on where to go and what to do. Right after that we went inviting. We had a feeling to go somewhere we havent gone this transfer. We invited for a good chunk of the day. We ended up meeting a man and his wife who ended up coming to the church later that day so we could teach them. Maybe this was supposed to happen so we could meet these two people. Dont think for a minute that all is lost. Pray and ask for guidance. You will be guided where to go. 

Elder Noyce and I visited a member at there home yesterday. I didnt know the circumstances of this member. When we got to there house we found that all the member had was just a room with a pillow, a blanket and a few other items. This member has been happy week after week as I see them at church. They didnt let their circumstances get to them, you know why? They have the gospel and that makes them so rich. You dont things to make you happy! The gospel is all that you need! It will fill holes in you that you didnt know that you had. 

In my person study this week I came across 2 verse of scripture that I came to admire. In the Words of Mormon it talks about King Benjamin and how he along with others spoke words of boldness to the people who were stiffnecked. In the 18th verse it says," laboring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul..." I really like this saying! As missionaries, members, bishops, deacons, behives, presidents are we laboring with all our might and soul? This work means a lot to me. Since being a missionary I have found that this work is more important to me that anything else. It took me a while but I am figuring it out. This work needs to get done! Can we all be like King Benjamin and do what he did? Of course we can, who said we cant? If you need to speak boldly do it, but do it in a kind, loving way. Not in a way that would hurt others. All I know is that we are all instruments in the Lords hands, no matter who we are or what position we hold. I want you to take a self evaluation, how hard are you working? How much to do you love the Lord? 

In Sunday school yesterday we read from James in the New Testament. It was a really good lesson. Something that I liked from that was a verse about our "tongue". What do we use it for? To eat and talk right? Those would be the 2 biggest reasons I would say. The discussion came up, How are you using your tongue? Many responses were given. I want you to ponder how you use your tongue. If we didnt have a tongue we might not say something hurtful. We might not be able to express our feelings like we want to, right? Are we smart with our speech? Do we use slang? Is how we speak in harmony with what Christ would say? I want to say that thinking about what we are going to say before your tongue says it is smart. As a side note I will say when I was learning Thai I had to use my tongue a lot differently than I was used to ha. 

Putting on a white shirt and tie has become so normal to me. I really dont have to think about what I am going to weartomorrow. Oh yeah a white shirt with a tie ha. I thought about what if I didnt wear that, wore normal clothes and I was still a missionary. Would I be as affective? Maybe, maybe not. As missionaries we are different. We stand out! As a white boy from small town Burley, Idaho yeah I stand out like a sore thumb. We are seen as religious teachers and many people dont want to hear what we have to say. Many people will be able to recognize us as servants of the Lord. I do stand out, am I glad? Yes, because I am a representative of the Lord, Jesus Christ. 

Love 

Elder Hinckley 

 

Street food!

Roast fish!

Roasting chickens! Yummy!

 

Week 5 Bang Naa

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week we found out who was moving and who was staying. I am staying in Bangnaa where I have been for the last 6 weeks. I received a new companion, Elder Noyce, who is younger in the mission. He is great! He is a great motivation to me! I love when you get a companion who wants to get work done. We hope to do great things this transfer. This transfer is 1 week shorter because of Christmas. 

This past P Day Elder Raleigh and I decided that we needed to clean the apartment. Let me say that it was dirty! We took everything out of the room we sleep and study in. We opened the windows and aired it out. Swept, mopped and reorganized! When we got done and put everything back I felt really good. That next day while I was studying I could just feel the spirit a whole lot more since we cleaned. In the scriptures, it talks about how we need to do all things in cleanliness before the Lord. I tell you what, if you can't seem to be finding investigators or things aren't going well it could be that you need to clean your room. Your room is where you start your day and end your day. If it is dirty and filthy you may not get what you need to learn that day. So clean it! Throw away what is not needed, sweep and mop. Do whatever you need to do to feel the spirit. I testify that being clean is one way that we will feel the spirit even more in our lives. So if you need to clean something, clean it (house, car, desk).

I find great satisfaction in this work! I find that when I am working hard and trusting in the Lord is when I feel the happiest. I just don't teach to drag people to the Celestial Kingdom, even though sometimes I feel like I am. I teach so that people will make changes in their lives to come unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. One investigator that we have been teaching is so close to getting baptized! In our last lesson we taught about fasting. I told the brother that if you really want to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, you can fast. Fasting is a way that can call special blessing from our Heavenly Father. It is a way that we can become closer to Him. Sometimes I feel as if we need to show Heavenly Father we dont need temporal things to help us receive answers, like food or water. I feel as if we need to completely submit ourselves to Him and seek divine assistance by relying on Him. If you want to get answers to anything your first source is your Heavenly Father. We really committed him to fast. We will find out what happens. 

Speaking of fasting, we were given a talk this last week that we read. It was titled The 40 Fast. In the talk it talked about a young missionary who when he taught couldn't feel the Holy Ghost. He asked the person who gave the talk what he should do. Now I forgot who gave the talk. In the talk the man who talked to the young missionary asked many questions, Are you obedient to mission rules? Do you get up on time? What do you think about when the opposite sex walks by? The man encouraged the young missionary to take a 40 day fast. Before that make a list of things that pokes at his spirit. Then throughout the next 40 days do all he can not to do those things on his list. At night in his prayers be accountable to Heavenly Father. Tell him what you did well and ask for strength on the things that you need help with. Our whole mission was asked to read this. I have found that since I started this fast I have become even more consecrated! I challenge you all to make a list of things that poke at your spirit and committed yourself to Heavenly Father. You will be able to have more power and authority in the Lords work. 

We were sitting down waiting for our investigator to come to the church who wasn't able to make it. I thought to myself, "I don't want this! We are getting a new investigator!" I looked through my planner and found a number I got from another missionary. I called this man and asked if he was still interested and he said yes. He only had a few minutes. We taught very simply the God Head and about prayer. We committed him to pray everyday and speak to God. I have never met this man and dont know anything about him but he was willing and had faith to try. I have never seen God or Jesus Christ but if they called me on the phone I would listen to them. We may not see them but we can talk to them. Prayer is the way that we do that. We fold our arms and close our eyes, we say, Heavenly Father and then express our feelings and ask questions. When we finish we say, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. You can pray anytime anywhere. He will listen and answer our prayers in His time and in His way. How simple is prayer? How often do we overthink it? Prayer is the only way we can communicate with Him. Say a pray if you need to. Have a prayer in your heart always too. 

We had a baptism!! Oh boy was I happy for this brother. His name is brother King. He is great! Every time we taught him we asked him to go home and pray about what we taught. He did and each time he said he got an answer. After he was baptized he gave a short testimony he said that he knows this church is true. He has prayed about it and knows it even by coming here. I can tell that he was prepared. God has prepared those that will receive us. I know it! Have faith in Him because He is in charge. We are just His servants or His instruments. I am excited to see Brother King progress in the gospel!

I do have to say that those people I helped baptize are doing well. Some of them have been to the temple. Some of them have great callings and are progressing right along. God is going to do so much work through those who I helped to baptize. All the glory goes to Heavenly Father. All I did was His work. I love each and every one that I have been able to help. One man since I was in Samut Prakaan still hasn't gotten the Holy Ghost but I think that is one reason why I am here in Bangnaa, to help him get it. 

Well that is missionary life ha. 

Love 

Elder Hinckley

A beautiful day in Bang Naa.

Elder Raleigh and I gathered with a few of the beautiful Saints of Thailand.

A bright can of green paint.  What might we do with this can of bright green paint?

Paint a wall of course in my white shirt.  My mom would die if she knew I was doing this in my clean white shirt.

Look mom, there is no bright green paint on my shirt, slacks, or shoes.

My baptism of King.

This is a pretty neat young man.