Transfers!

สวัสดีครับทุกท่านนะครับ

This week is transfers week, and so I'm just going to spoil it right now and say that I'm in the office here in Asoke, downtown Bangkok and my new comp is Elder McClellan from Payson Utah! Good times right here, I am excited for this transfer.

Monday was pretty sweet. We started off the day by sending in a letter to the office real quick, and then we went and visited with an LA and his family. We sat and talked with his grandma for a bit, and she's a nice lady, used to have a restaurant in Asoke where she sold rice foods. Your typical fried rice and stuff. Gotta love it. She was also kind of savage, because her grandson (the LA that we are working with who is 20 years old) is a little shorter and small, and she said (while he was sitting right there) that he's still small and hasn't grown up yet. Ouch.... After that, we headed to the church with him to help him with a project real quick, and then we studied and had lunch. After that, we had a couple of ผิดนัดs and then our backup plan LA ผิดนัดed as well so we ended up doing some inviting in the local university and inviting to come to English as well. After that, dinner and then we had a way fun YSA FHE activity. It was fire! We had food and all kinds of fun stuff to do.

Tuesday, we got up and moving first thing in the morning and headed down ซอย 81 to go and track down some LAs down there. Sadly, we didn't find the person we were looking for. We found his house though and his mom, but not him. Hopefully we can work with him in the near future though. After that, we had some time left over and so we decided to go and track down a coupe other peeps, but they were not home and so we left some nice notes in their front entry way inviting them to come to church and all that good stuff. After that, we studied, and then had a pizza party before district meeting because its the last one of the transfer! It was so much fun haha. Then a fire district meeting, and then we got English class ready to go and then we finished studies and tried to track down another investigator the ZLs gave us, but no luck.. he wasn't home. But I found a super cool belt buckle at a ตลาด on the way back! I'll be sure to send a pic. And then yeah, we had English class and then transfer calls and all that stuff.

Wednesday, was pday! And boy was it an adventure!!!! Elder Eckersly and I ran to the sea! Haha ok not all the way, but we ran most of the way there. We probably ran 7-8 miles today, which is the most I've probably run an a year plus... so that was painful. My calves are really killing me haha. I don't really know what else to say except that it was an adventure and it was super fun. And exhausting, but we got some great pics!!! After that, we headed home and enjoyed a KFC dinner with some members. Then I was up a little late packing. Haha good times

Thursday, was my first day in the office! It was way fun! Unfortunately, we didn't get to teach anybody, but it was still a fun day. Office work for the win! First off, we helped everybody get stuff ready to go for transfers. (Managing the bike shed, getting packages and inviting cards and stuff all sent off and all that good stuff) Then the greenies came in and we got the pizza for lunch and got to talk with them and the trainers and president for a bit. Good times. After that, we did a quick weekly planning session and then we studied as well. After that, we had some dinner and then we had some office work to do that night. Fun times. The office can be a little spooky at night too, when it's all dark and no one else is there.

Friday, we had studies first thing and then met with a FIRE RC in the morning that has plans for us to go and eat with all of his friends. We will probably eat out a bit next week with some of his pals and teach them a bit, so that's pretty cool. After that, we finished studies, and then grabbed some lunch which was sooo good. The market by the house is less expensive than we thought it would be. After that we had some office work to do. What is office work you ask? It entails entering baptismal records into the computer and fixing and setting up phones for missionaries, preparing training for zone conference, and managing other records and stuff like transfer boards. Fun stuff. And yes, we are expected to have a full teaching pool as well. So we are busy. But struggling with invitees. We need more peeps to teach. Anyways, then we taught someone over video, and invited, and then dinner, and the correlation, and finally we finished up work at the office and headed home. Good times.

Saturday, we spent the day at the office watching conference!! It was actually pretty fun stuff. And conference was sooo fire!! I don't have time to write down everything i took away and learned from it and so I'm just going to invite everyone to go and read (or watch if you haven't yet) all the talks! Wow it was s powerful meeting. Anyways, after conference and some dinner, we didn't quite make it to an appt with an RC, but we needed to get some stuff done in the office anyway, so that's ok I guess.

Sunday, we had a fire day! First off, we had a fire session of conference in the morning where I really learned a lot. I love the power and confidence with which president Nelson has fit into the mantle of prophet. He is so good. After that we had a potluck dinner with the international ward because the bishop here is leaving this week to go back to the states, and so this was last Sunday here. And boy was it some good food. อร่อยจัง after that, we had the second session which was soooooo fire. President Nelson is the prophet!! I know it! I can feel it when he speaks. He truly speaks with the power and words of God! It was powerful. I love the focus on the individual and in ministering in this session, but I will mention that more in my spiritual thought. After conference, we taught a quick lesson, studied, and then we headed over to visit an LA, who ended up not being home... :/ sad day. So we headed back home and the Johnson's had us over for dinner. So much fun. It was fun to be with them in a less formal setting. President Johnson is so fire. He will be an apostle one day, I know it. After that, we headed to the office with the APs and helped them with key indicators and things. My favorite thing so far about the office so far is listening to follow up calls with the APs and the ZLs. The APs are sooo fire, and so loving. True disciples of Christ 100%. So good. Anyways it was a bit of a late night Sunday, but that's ok.

Ok spiritual thought for the week comes from the Sunday afternoon session of conference. I loved Bishop Caussé's talk; it's all about people. He talked about people. And it lined right up with feelings and thoughts I've been having about missionary work, and things I've learned as well. This work is all about INDIVIDUALS. That's who the Savior was focused on, and that is who we as missionaries need to focus on. I love how he said:

I promise you that as you strive to be on the Lord’s agenda, nothing will become more important than finding those people you can help and bless. At church you will focus on teaching individuals and touching their hearts. Your concern will be to foster a spiritual experience rather than organize a perfect activity, to minister to your fellow members rather than check a box for the number of visits you have made. It will not be about you but about them whom we call our brothers and our sisters.

So fire. I know the Lord is at the head of this work, and he loved all us as His children. What a miracle. So fire. I know Christ lives and President Nelson is his prophet on the earth. These things I do not know of myself, but because if the Holy Ghost has told me, and feelings I cannot deny. It is true.

Have a great week!!!

Elder L