Week 50: Our District is on Fire

So this week was “way” good and my district is doing so good - we are on fire. For starters, I had the opportunity to interview four people for baptism this week!  So far I have interviewed nine people for baptism in the last two transfers! The success in this area is amazing.  It feels so good knowing that one by one we are sharing the message of Jesus Christ’s gospel with the people in Thailand and inviting more joy and happiness into their lives.

This week we taught a bunch of people and got to teach with Elder Khanakam (member of the Quorum of the Seventy). We had the opportunity to teach with him before, it’s such a spiritual experience.  He is incredible when he teaches. I have learned so much from his example about how I can become a better missionary and show more love to those I teach! 

We had seven people at church this week and the people we are teaching are progressing more and more. For example; Somsak and his daughter are really starting to accept the message of the gospel.  I am so happy for them.

This week both Min and Ratchani received the Holy ghost and became members of the true church. They radiate with a light from within.  It’s so incredible to see the changes they have made in their lives.  

Lastly, I went on a switch off with our zone leader, เอ็ลเดอร์เอกนิรันดร์. He is on his last transfer and he is Thai. He was such a good missionary and used these insane analogies that only Thai people would understand! 

Well that's it for this week. Sorry this is all over the place I just had no time … more to come next week.

Robert bikes this narrow concrete passage

Robert had fish for dinner at Sister Issaya Inlee.  He says she is the nicest lady.

The sisters in Robert's district and Him and his companion.  Robert is the district leader.

Week 48: Brother มีน (min) got baptized!!

Another GREAT week in Thailand.

This week has truly been one for the books.  About 2 months ago I was told that I would be training and opening up a new area, meaning that my companion and I had nobody that we were teaching. And now, this week, we got to see our good friend, brother Min, be baptized and change his life around. He bore such a strong testimony after he was baptized. He talked about how he used to be a bad kid, he smoked, broke so many laws, and way more. However, he woke up one day and wanted a change in his life so he came to the church! I'm so glad that we met Brother Min and helped him to "be born again." 

Robert, ?, Min, and Elder Gantt and Min's baptism

Those that came to support Min

Robert, Min and Elder Gantt

We have more and more people on baptismal dates every week, however some of the people we had been teaching were just not progressing. We have been teaching this family, Nuna and Tad (หนูนา and ทัต), but lately they have not had any time to meet with us. We were able to meet with them this week and we learned that they had so many problems going on - work problems, money problems, and Nuna was extremely sick (she can't even leave the house). We were able to get tad to church and we gave Nuna a blessing, and the spirit was so strong I can't explain it. They want to be baptized so bad next month!! I'm so excited for them!

กิตติ(Giti) is being difficult as usual. He believes the Book of Mormon to be 100% true. He also believes that Joseph Smith is a true Prophet, however he won't come to our church. He told us that the Baptist and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are the only true churches in the world. He is so close, he just needs to open his heart a little more. 

We have been teaching Ratchani for some time now and she will be getting baptized next week!! She has asked so many questions that she has really converted herself. She knows almost as much stuff as I know because she reads the book of mormon, prays, and asks questions all the time! She is so fire!!

Over the period of this week, my companion and I visited this one particular family with another member multiple times. To say the least, this family is a little crazy for several reasons. It was a great opportunity to build them up and invite them to church because they have lost their faith in Jesus Christ. 

Miracle:

Sorry this is a little long but there is one more person we are teaching. Her name is Rose and her story is incredible. About 2 months ago we were inviting and having no success. As we continued to try to talk to as many people we could, we found someone that was only a little bit interested. I sat down on this bench to put in that person's information, however at that moment I felt prompted to talk to the person next to me on the bench. When I started talking they were like "no no I can't speak Thai." She was a Filipino and after we started talking for a little bit she opened up so much. We shared the message of the restoration which left her in tears. She loved it and she knew it had to be true. At the end of our conversation I had asked her if we could meet again but she told me she was moving back to the Philippines the next day. I couldn't understand why we would have an experience like this and then after that we would never see her again. That was so disappointing until I got a text from her this week saying that she is back in Thailand and she wanted us to call her. Miracles are real - let me tell you. We called her and she told us how much she feels the spirit when we talk with her. She has such a strong testimony it is incredible; words can't describe it!

Well that's about it for this week! I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Lowe 

เอ็ลเดอร์โลว์

Elder Gantt and his trainer, Robert!

Week 45: Songkran and General Conference

Subject: Week 45: Songkran and General Conference

This has been a week like no other let me tell you! To start there is this amazing festival called สงกรานต์ (Songkran) and it is basically a weekend of water. There are water fights with buckets, water guns, and water balloons. I don't know why we don't have it in America!! It's honestly so fun. Ok moving on from that, this week was also filled with miracles and awesome experiences. 

We have continued to see brother Min progress so much. He has almost stopped smoking entirely and he brought his girlfriend to church this last Sunday.

This week we also got two more people on a baptismal date (Tad and Nuna). Tad approached us about a 2 weeks ago telling us he wanted us to learn and we then began to teach his wife too. They believe the Restoration to be true and have accepted to be baptized on the 26th of May! 

กิตติ is gradually getting closer and closer but is still too scared to come to church. He has been a Baptist for over 60 years and is scared that if he goes to our church he might believe it to be true. 

A funny experience was while we were teaching 2 of our investigators in a lesson, one of their friends joined in the lesson and seemed maybe more interested than the other 2  He was reading the entire pamphlet and then he grabbed a Book of Mormon and began to read it as well. I got a call from him saying that he loved what we said and that he would be coming to church!!

So many things happened this week I can't put them all in this one email. But I was so grateful for this general conference! I got to watch it throughout this week in Thai and in English. I loved so many things and just want to say that Christ is our light in this world! As we look to him and "have Christ in our homes" we will be protected in these last days! I'm so grateful for the words of the apostles and prophet. I know they are called by God to teach the fullness of his gospel!!

Love 

Elder Lowe 

เอ็ลเดอร์โลว์

Week 44: Teaching Appointments

This week has been full of appointments with people we are teaching and with members. We were able to meet with a bunch of people and commit them to church, unfortunately only 2 came to church. 

This week I have been reading a lot about the apostasy, reformation, restoration, and the plan of salvation! I have learned so much, and understand that God has a plan and divine insight to everything that happens in this world. I know that everything that happens really does happen for a reason. In this life we all have trials. I read that those that have more trials in this life are trusted by God. It is a way to see if we will continue in faithfulness and endure, or if we will fall away and distance ourselves from God. 

"7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."

We were able to share this scripture as well as Alma 38:5 with one of the people we are teaching. They are so stressed and are a single mom with many kids. She lives in this tiny room with 6 other people, and says she cant come to church because life is too hard. We promised her that she would be blessed as she puts her faith in the Lord. 

มิน has continued to progress. He has a smoking addiction so we have made a plan to help him stop. He used to smoke 10 cigarettes a day, so we made a plan to help him completely quit by the 22nd. He has almost quit already and has shown remarkable faith in Jesus Christ. 

I know that the Lord Jesus Christ lives and loves us. I am grateful for a living prophet and apostles! This next week I will have the opportunity to hear from our living prophet and I encourage all of you to listen to God's words through his chosen prophet. 

I love you all!!!

Elder Lowe

เอ็ลเดอร์โลว์