Elder Christian Warner's Thailand Adventures: March 28th Letter

The street outside our house during the floods.

Mom and Dad,

So some good news, this week we had another two baptisms. Way exciting. It has been so awesome to see how much one branch can get excited about missionary work. We didn't find out until Saturday night that we were able to baptize them on Sunday. It is always quite a surprise for the branch when we have baptisms, but they are loving it. The two that were baptized this week was Oiy (i can't spell it in English) and her son Gang. Oiy is Pawns daughter and Gang is pawns grandson. It is so cool to baptize families, especially these guys. They keep bringing more people to learn and get baptized. This week we are going to start teaching Oiy’s brother and he should be able to get baptized in about four weeks. That is pretty awesome. Oiy’s baptism was pretty difficult actually. It took 4 times before they got it right. She just could not get her whole body under the water. Way funny, but she was a good sport. She didn't seem too shaken by the experience.

My companion and I didn't baptize any of these people. The President Smith has asked us not to baptize people because it is a good opportunity for priesthood holders in Thailand to use the priesthood. Last week with Pietune we needed to have someone hold him in the water while the other brother baptized him. Elder Merrill stood in the water and I had to stand outside the water to carry him in and out, but It has been the members the whole time that have been doing the baptizing. I am personally really grateful for it. The day we called up a brother too ask him to baptize. He said he had just prayed and asked how he could help the elders baptize. How amazing is that. I'm pretty sure that is what it feels like to be an instrument in God’s hands. I don't feel like I'm doing anything. I just feel like the Lord has done it all himself and has just put us here because we have to be here.

This week has been a really good week though. We had a bunch of lessons and taught a lot of new investigators. I can remember one lesson in particular that I really liked. We started to talk about how their reading was going and their praying. They started to say how they hadn't done things like we had been asking them to do. So I started to explain that our purpose is to come to them to help them change there lives so they can be pure enough to be baptized, and that is called repentance. I told them the story in Ether chapter 2 how the brother of Jared repented for not praying, and that he had to repent because it was a sin not to pray. I also told them that after he repented he continued to pray because he could sin again. I then committed them to repent and pray always, it was such a good lesson. I am way happy with this family, but they can't go to church because they work so if you wanted to put them in your prayers you are welcome to, their names are Mee, Pat, Pierat, and Priaw.

Ok, One of the movies this week is outrageous I have no Idea. The guy in the theatre, but the other one is the Saint. I love that movie so much.

How cool is the sports illustrated. You didn't comment on my Jimmer joke. I thought it was hilarious. I got my package today. Man, I'm so excited to eat all the food in there. It all looks so good. I don't know if I’m leaving yet, I will find out tomorrow morning. Everyone thinks they are going to whitewash this area; however, I don't know. Thank you so much for your stories. I loved them all. It will really help me to help investigators start keeping the commandments. If you two can think of any more over the next year be sure to send them, plus I like to hear.

I am going to be sending a mothers day gift home for you mom. Don't open it until Mother’s Day. I think you are really going to like it. At least I hope so.

Please tell Maren sorry. I have very little time today so I won’t be able to email her back. But I thought about her and Andy and Judd and Jessie and Riley.