Monday, November 5, 2018

Week 22: "อ้วนฟุดๆเพราะอะไร"..."why are you so fat?"

This week has been a short week since we just had transfers! I will be staying in Phuket with my companion, Elder Tu. I am so grateful to be in this beautiful area another several weeks. We are about to cop some baptisms this month!

My companion is a little less motivated at this point in his mission. So I plan everyday with the people we are visiting, set up all the appointments, lead lessons, and do pretty much what the senior comp is supposed to do. It has been a good experience already and I am grateful for the opportunity to help my comp out in this struggling time of his mission. I continue to love my companion despite our differences and I know that good things are to come this next transfer!

So we have a couple of cool investigators but communicating with them is very difficult. First วนิดา is a Chinese lady that is probably over 70 years old. She can barely hear and can barely speak Thai. So the lessons are half in thai and half in Chinese. She can't read any Thai either so it's been an adventure! I do my best to talk very slow and loud. So our lessons take a little longer and are not as interesting and every time we visit her my comp falls asleep on the couch and it's just me talking to this lady for about 40 minutes!! Gotta love missionary work!

The Thai people, like I've said before, are a little ruthless. By that I mean they say whatever they are thinking even if it doesn't make sense or isn't true. I have been fed so well on my mission, and as a result I've maybe gotten a couple more pounds. But recently one of our investigators keeps calling me fat every time I see them! They say I have a พุง which basically means fat belly! I'm really not fat at all mom and dad, so don't worry! But it's just funny that the Thai people love to feed me and feed me and when I finish all the food they go on and on for a solid 30 minutes on how fat I am!!! 

This week one of the members started teaching me piano which was pretty cool and now I can play a lot of the hymns (the easiest ones). It may take like 5 minutes to do one verse but I get it down eventually. I feel like as a missionary I can learn things and pick things up so much quicker. But, I know it is all because of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

When we we got to church this Sunday we were so excited because I had committed like 6 people to church. Well eventually it was time to start the meeting and none of them came. I began praying and asking why does this keep happening? Not too much longer two of them walked through the door and I knew that God had heard my voice! He answered my prayer and I know that he answers everyone that calls on his name. At the end of the third hour of church I saw my Aunt standing outside the church, which was so funny. The branch president said go grab her because he thought she was an investigator! But it was my aunt Linda! She lives in another area in Thailand and she was just visiting Phuket. Anyways that was super funny and coincidental. 

For Halloween we had a bunch of activities for the English class and we have been getting more and more people at these activities. We had 14 people come to the scripture class and 5 of them were investigators! The Lord is truly blessing me and the people here in Phuket!

I know that things take time and that I have to be patient. A lot of people have told me that this place isn't accepting to the gospel and that people won't listen to our message. But, I know that the Lord has softened so many hearts already and that it is time to harvest! 

Love 

Elder Lowe (เอ็ลเดอร์โลว์)

Photos

Elder Thuu sleeping during an apointment
Elder Thuu sleeping again

"God is Good"




Robert with the Squad

The Branch president with Robert and his companion Elder Thuu

Elder Lowe with Watt Phutho


Robert plaing the piono

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Quote for the Day

"Happiness is found along the way ...
... not at the end of the road.
- Cowabunga Bay (7/30/10)