My Week

Hello everybody!!!!!

This week was pretty good. สบาย สบาย you could say in Thailand.

Monday, we went to a trampoline park in อโศก. It was pretty fun, and I enjoyed it, although I'm not going to lie I really like Get Air back home alot more. That one is more fun for sure. Plus, Amped in Thailand Is way flipping expensive to go to. So lots of fun, to go for one time, and I'd be ok if I never went again to be perfectly honest. Besides that, we spent the rest of the day traveling and emailing. Good times. I also bought some flash cards because I really need to work on my language skills. I think I may have taken for granted having a companion that is fluent in Thai for the past couple of transfers... haha that's ok though because I'm looking forward to some awesome progression in my language this transfer and I can honestly say I've already seen alot, so I am way pumped to see where I can end up by the end!

Tuesday, we had another สบาย day. Nothing too crazy going on. We studied in the morning, and then updated the area book some and then headed out to the church for district meeting. On our way there, we stopped for lunch and met with the other elders in the district. Elder Hunt is the district leader here, and he dies this transfer. I think he's a way good, cool guy and from Australia. Elder Eckersley is from Vegas and in his second transfer right now. He's way cool too. After, we had our meeting and the zone leaders joined in just in time. Elder Hanks is from Utah, and so is Elder Brown. They are both super enthusiast and fire missionaries. It's way fun to serve with them. For district meeting, we talked about goals, and what we want to accomplish for this transfer and the next one as well. It was way good stuff. Goal setting is always way fun, because we get go raise our sights and see what we can do with the time that is given us. After that, we headed over to a dinner appointment with an investigator named Sister ระพี, and she is way good. Super awesome, just doesn't want to be baptized because that would make her and her husband different religions and split the two of them in that way. I can respect that, but I just wish both of them would be baptized haha. After that, we came back to the church to meet with an investigator before English class, but unfortunately, he never showed up. I was pretty sad about that. Then we taught English, and for some reason, I'm the English leader. Which just means, actually I still don't know what that means I need to do... anyways we taught body parts and pretended to go to the doctor to get some help from the doctor. Fun times. After that, we taught a new investigator, and he is way nice. Pretty down to learn. His name is Rugby. Like the sport.

Wednesday, we started off the day with some good ol studies. Not too many morning appointments here in บางแค, but we'll get them don't you worry! Just gotta keep talking to people and find some new investigators! Studies are a great way to start off the day though don't get me wrong. I love my personal study. After that, we updated the area book (which is on our phone and I'm still trying to get used to that haha, it's weird, but cool for sure). After that, we headed over to the church and grabbed some lunch on the way. Then we met with Brother ต้า a previous investigator that we recently picked back up because he wants to quit smoking. It was a way good meeting. I'm seeing some serious possible progress in him so long as he is as true to his desires as he says he is. He doesn't speak the clearest though, so for me, it's pretty tough to understand him, but spoiler alert, as we met with him later this week, and I've really felt the love that God has for him in lessons, I have started to pick up so much more on what he says and the vocab he uses in general. I am a huge witness to the gift of tongues, and how it works to the diligence you give it in practicing the language and being proactive in using it, and number two, how much you love the people you serve really makes a difference in how well you understand them. Listening to people has taken a whole different meaning for me when I have taken that approach of loving them first and trying to figure out what they are saying later. After that, we spent our afternoon updating records in the area book, and calling people to make appointments with. Not the funnest of things, I know, but it's necessary I guess. Anyways, we finished out the night with a nice visit to an RC and after that some inviting and then headed home.

Thursday, we began the day with studies! Seems to be a theme this week. Not bad though, not bad at all. Starting off your day with studies us a good way to do it. I love being able to have personal study in the morning and enjoying the spirit the rest of the day. After that, and getting all ready to go for the day, we headed out to the church after lunch to meet with an LA who ผิดนัดed on us. Too bad. It's alright though because we got to meet with the ward clerk, and he helped us out big time by getting us some lists of peeps that need help. We started out with the list of people over 9 that have records in the ward, but are not yet baptized. The other list was the unordained elders list. So we are looking for some good peeps to baptize, and some other peeps who need the Melchizedek priesthood! Let's go out and find them! After that we met with an LA who has a smoking problem and talked about the restoration and why it's significant in our lives. We then related how Christ had the power to help him overcome his challenges in life! Way fire stuff. After that, we had some dinner, and then went to the church, only to find that there was no correlation meeting like we thought there would be. So we grabbed บ. แทน anyway (WML) and went to Pizza Company to talk over the list with him and find peeps that need the Melchizedek priesthood. So we got two dinners, but not on purpose haha.

Friday, we started off the day with studies and then headed over to บ. น้ำ's house. He's an RC of our companionship, and straight fire!! He will be a bishop in the future for sure!!! I'm way pumped for him. Anyway, we got to his house and he wasn't awake yet, so we went and grabbed some lunch real quick and then visited with him after. It was good stuff. He sure likes to talk too. It was a fairly long lesson haha. Good times though. He chewed some people out at church for using their phones in meetings. Ok, not realy chewed them out, but he was like if church is so important why are so many people playing games and on Facebook during church?? Food for thought. After that, we headed back to the church, and the LA from yesterday ผิดนัดed again... sad times. But it was ok, we went and did weekly planning instead since we didn't get around to it yesterday. After that, we came to the church for sports night. It was ok, not nearly as fun as sports night is in บางเขน, but it was alright. I shot some hoops with the members, and passed a soccer ball around for a bit. Unfortunately, the people we wanted to meet and teach with never showed up though, so we did not get to see them... :(

Saturday, I had a way good day! It was lots busier than last week, and I went on a switch off with Elder Brown! He is a ZL here in บางแค and a way fire missionary! It was way fun to serve with him. And today, we planned for success, and found it! First, we visited a Sister LA who has been crazy stressed lately, and she's kind of crazy herself, and so it was an interesting lesson. Apparently she quit her job the day before, and was super stressed and her bosses were making her feel like she has no worth. There may have been a couple of tears from her in that lesson too. So we shared about who Heavenly Father is and how much she loves her and shared D&C 18 where it talks about the worth of souls. It was a good lesson. After that we went into her neighborhood and invited her neighbors with her. Way cool stuff. We found a new investigator! She's excited to share the gospel haha. After that we headed back to the church to meet with the Sunday school president and try and find some of his friends that are LA that we can go and visit. It was way fire. We found some good potentials. Then he helped with teach บ. ต้า and turns out he had a smoking problem too! So it was perfect! He bore a powerful testimony and I know that ต้า can quit! We also shared the fire Easter video, Because of Him. I love that video. After that we grabbed some KFC for lunch and did some studies. After that, we met with the elders quorum president to go and see if he can help us find these peeps that need to get the Melchizedek priesthood. He's way nice too, and willing to help. After that, we went with the Sunday school president (บ. ธีระยุทธ) to go and visit an LA friend of his who used to be a bishop and ธีระยุทธ was his counselor. It was a good lesson. Maybe a little long, but good. After that, we had a switch off review and then headed home. Elder Brown committed me to speak more in lessons, to reach for the 50/50 in there, and to really listen carefully to the investigator. It's way awesome having leaders like him in the mission. It was a way good day.

Sunday was great per the usual. Such a good meeting. I have really come to love sacrament meeting. My love for it has really deepened as a missionary. I'm grateful for it every week and the spirit that is there is always incredible. After normal meetings and things, we had the typical after church lunch that people here in Thailand always do. It's good stuff. Gotta love ข้าวผัด. (Fried rice) After that, we sat and visited with บ. น้ำ our absolute fire RC, and unfortunately we did not get to teach him today, but he got the priesthood today and seems pretty excited about it, he's just not sure how it all works just yet haha. He's way good though. After that, we met with ต้า again. It was pretty good. He told us that he promised God he would quit smoking. He also said he has a specific day he wants to quit by but he won't tell us what day it is. Fun times. He seems pretty confident that he can do it though. I think he can too! After that, we met with an LA who works at night and so it is hard to come to church. We followed up on his reading and praying and encouraged him to do those things every day because those are the things that give you strength to work throughout the day! And it's so true! I know it to be true! After that, we had a similar lesson with our LA who we are working on to stop smoking. He's doing better. He told us that he honestly has never really felt the God loves him though. He says he knows that God is real, the spirit has told him that much, but he doesn't know that God loves him. And so we told him to go home and ask God if he lives him and we promised that if he went and did that, that he would receive an answer that God loves him for sure! I know he will! After that, we came home and ate dinner, and had a สบาย evening doing studies and bedtime!

So for this week's spiritual thought, God's love seems appropriate to address since it seems to have been a theme in this week for me. So out of Sister Joy D. Jones talk from this last conference in the general women's session I would like to share a few thoughts because it is a WAY fire talk. Her talk is called "Value Beyond Measure".

Truly knowing that you are a daughter [or son ก็ได้] of God will affect every aspect of your life and guide you in the service you render each day. President Spencer W. Kimball explained in these glorious words:

“God is your Father. He loves you. He and your mother in heaven value you beyond any measure. … You are unique. One of a kind, made of the eternal intelligence which gives you claim upon eternal life.

“Let there be no question in your mind about your value as an individual. The whole intent of the gospel plan is to provide an opportunity for each of you to reach your fullest potential, which is eternal progression and the possibility of godhood.”

And...

As President Brigham Young taught: “The least, the most inferior spirit now upon the earth … is worth worlds.” No matter what, we always have worth in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.

Despite this marvelous truth, how many of us struggle, from time to time, with negative thoughts or feelings about ourselves? I do. It’s an easy trap. Satan is the father of all lies, especially when it comes to misrepresentations about our own divine nature and purpose. Thinking small about ourselves does not serve us well. Instead it holds us back. As we’ve often been taught, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” We can stop comparing our worst to someone else’s best. “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

What a blessing it is to have a Father in Heaven who loves His children beyond what they can understand. He knows you better than you know yourself and if we will trust in him, then he can make so much more of us than we can of ourselves. I'll close with one last verse from the Book of Mormon.

1 Nephi 22:25

And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture.

He knows His sheep! And in Christ we can find peace. I testify that he is the bread of life and if we put Him first, all other things fall into place. As we lose ourselves following Him and doing what he would do, we find ourselves, and our own infinite worth. I know this to be true.

Love you all and have a great week!!!!☺☺🇹🇭🇹🇭

Elder Ellsworth - เอ็ลเดอร์ เอ็ลสเวิร์ธ

for perfect love casteth out all fear

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Thailand Bangkok Mission