Karsten's Adventures in the Kingdom of Thailand: Week 15 Bang Naa

Dear Family and Friends

This last week Elder Joy and I saw a lot of miracles, some were big and others were small. I tell you what we worked as hard as we could this last week and I tell you that we saw the results. The Lord works in mysterious ways. It may not be the way that we want but it is always what is needed!

In one of our lessons our investigator asked us if he could pray for thanks and pray for his family. He said well of course you can. He thought all he could do is ask. Pray is not just asking. It is showing your thanks, talking about problems and praying for others. He just misunderstood that was all, after he felt much better knowing he could pray for whatever he wanted.

One day while inviting we were getting of the trains and I was walking down the stairs when this white guy started to talk to me. He said,"Jesus, why do you find a real job." He laughed as he said that. Well that hurt me a lot! I didnt say anything to him or the two other friends he was with. I didnt say anything because what I would have said would not have been nice or what Christ would say. I just stared at him until he was out of sight. That was like a knife to the heart! I felt so bad after that I couldnt invite. Do you even know what Jesus Christ did for you? Do you know that you are indebted to HIm? I think if he knew he wouldnt have said what he did.

Just a few minutes later I met this man (who spoke English) who is a preacher of other church. He asked me if I knew his church but I said I did not. He asked if I was Mormon and I said I was. Okay yeah I know you. Well I proceeded to talk to this man and he asked if we wanted to sit down and have a drink. I told him yeah we can sit down and talk. As I told Elder Joy we would go sit down and talk to this man he asked,"So would you like a beer?" "No that is against the word of wisdom," I said. He asked what that was so I proceeded to tell him through latter day prophets who have received revelation from Heavenly Father, He was given us the word of wisdom. We will not use alcohol( of any kind), smoke, tea, coffee or illegal drugs. He thought well that is just stupid. He asked,"Where does is say in the bible not to drink alcohol?" Well Mr. I cant tell you where is says. Then he went on to ask do you know what Christs first miracle was. Turning water into wine. He bought us chocolate shakes and he drank a beer. He said look here, in this bottle of beer is 5% alcohol, in wine there is 12% alcohol. He said more than one bottle of beer is too much. I asked him why. He said,"More than one and I will not be able to control myself." Then he said well doctors say a little bit of wine at dinner will heal the body. I was like you may believe that but I believe in prophets. He told him how the prophet Joseph Smith received revelations on the matter and he got the answer through what is now the word of wisdom. He said he didnt believe in prophets. I asked if his church had prophets and apostles and he said yes but wouldnt tell me their names. We told him the names of our prophet and apostles. Then he got on the fact about the Book of Mormon. I asked,"Have you ever read it?" He said he had but wouldnt tell us what he thought. "Trust me you dont want to know what I think," he said. To make a long story short I said I challenge you to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. Do it and you will know it is true. Oh boy this guy wouldnt give into anything we said. He could know if he threw away his pride and prayed sincerely to know. From that I guess I can say someone offered me alcohol and we said NO!

Our investigator sister Lee is great! She texted us one morning to tell us she received a testimony. After failing an interview for work she went home and prayed. She prayed to feel the spirit. Well she prayed and slept 3 times and on the third time she felt the spirit. Then she woke up in the morning and read Mosiah 3:4. The Lord has heard her prayers, now she can rejoice. Members have really helped with teaching her. She is asking questions, listening, reading, praying and keeping commitments! One of the only things she is not certain about is Joseph Smith and Thomas S Monson. We had two great lessons two nights in a row! A lot of the first lesson was about prophets but the second lesson was all about prophets. A member shared how he knew the prophets were really. He said,"Those guys are old! They need to rest, but they arent. They are out giving their service to others. Prophets are really because they have warned us of the temptations of our day. Internet, technology and this changing world." Prophets are important far more important than we can imagine because all of us have grown up with prophets and apostles all around us. Yeah we can receive personal revelation but as said in Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealth his secrets unto his servants the prophets." Without them we are blind in this great big changing world. Well she understood more about prophets after that lesson. We even shared the "Dare to Stand Alone" video about Thomas S Monson. She loved that as well. Sunday after church she was interviewed for baptism and she passed! She was really happy! She doesnt know when she wants to get baptized yet but she can any day! She now has a testimony that is beginning to grow. Elder Joy and I know that is what we spent our whole transfer doing, building testimony.

On our way home last night we were walking by this abandoned market. I saw man who was sitting there and felt impressed to go talk to him. As we talked I asked if he wanted to go to church 20 yards away and he said yeah. This man is homeless but he was willing to come. We showed him around the church and asked if he liked to read. He said he did, so we gave him a Book of Mormon. We invited him to come to church this next Sunday. If he takes some time to read he will come to know that Jesus is the Christ. He was a really humble man from everything he told us. Today at church one of our investigators brought her daughter. She came up to us after and asked for the Book of Mormon so she could read it. This little 10 year old girl comes up and asked for a Book of Mormon. "I want to read it," she said. Wow! Never had that happen before. She is a really smart! In primary she listened as they read and liked it. She wanted it so we gave it to her.

As I read the scriptures I see that a lot that is said and described in the Book of Mormon is real. People harden their hearts and dont want to listen. Excuse after excuse, not keeping ones word when we set up appointments, grown adults acting like children in public and on the phone. Let us to be grown ups here and be honest please! There is a lot of great things that happen though. We had a lot of great lessons this last week and some people we hope will learn with this more! Please pray for our investigators Sister Noi and her daughter Jxng, Sister Ann, Bro Stamp, Bro Daa, Sister Lee, Bro My, Bro Mungdra, Bro Dungmay, Sister Bow, If you can please take their names to the temple.

Love

Elder Hinckley