Week 49: Baptism of Sister Ratchani

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! สุขสันต์วันแม่ Love you so much!

So to start off I just want to say how hot it has been here! For the last couple of weeks it has been so hot here, like over 100 degrees everyday. To be completely honest I can't wait for the rainy season!

Anyways this week went by so fast, but was so good! Sister Ratchani (รัชนี) was baptized yesterday and has begun a new life of greater happiness by following the Savior. I'm so grateful for her desire to join the true church of Jesus Christ. She had been studying other Christian churches for the last 10 years, but after only 2 weeks of studying with 2 American boys she knew that it was true. Also the sisters got a baptism this week. And the zone leaders in my district are getting 3 next week!!

On top of that, yesterday was special because it was stake conference and Elder Homer of the Seventy came. We literally had over 400 people at church!! And 6 of them were people that we are teaching. 

Basically there are 3 people that are starting to really progress towards baptism and it is James, Nuna, and thad. They all came to church and are willing to meet with us. I have really seen a change in their countenance since they have been learning with us. James meets with us almost everyday and we have been able to teach him so much already. Nuna and thad are married and they want a change in their life. They believe that Christ can help them and we bear testimony of that truth every time we meet with them. 

I also got to conduct an interview for one of the people that the zone leaders are teaching and I'm so excited for their baptism next week! So many people in Bangkok are prepared to receive the gospel and it just blows my mind. Lastly, the mission president interviewed me this week and talking with him is always an opportunity to learn something new. I find it amazing how much love he has for me and all the missionaries. And how much more love the Savior has for us. His love his infinite and never fails! I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ and his love for each and everyone of us!

Love, 

Elder Lowe

เอ็ลเดอร์โลว์

Photos from this week:

1) Me and my trainee Elder Gantt

2) Picture of a song Thaew (pick up truck with 2 benches attached to the back)

3) Baptism of Sister Ratchani

4) Found this giant fruit hanging from a tree

5) Classic Thai dessert

6) James

7) Nuna and Thad

More photos ...

Teaching

Elder Lowe

8) Cleaning the baptismal font 

9) Elder Lowe loving his mission

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