AIT #20: April 9, 2003
It's definitely getting hotter. :) Since I arrived in Thailand during the cool season, I'd completely forgotten just how hot Thailand can get. In a few days we'll be able to cool off a little, though -- Songkran starts on Sunday. Songkran is the huge water fight that goes on for several days. In fact, everyone says people will start playing on Saturday or even Friday. Everyone rides around and throws water at everyone else. I think we, being farangs, will be extremely obvious targets. :) It's a tad bit dangerous (bucketfuls of water could easily knock one off one's bike), and the transvestites apparently like to try to pinch and kiss the missionaries, so pray for us. :) Today at breakfast Elder Bevell dumped a cup of water on a teenager at the raan (restaurant) we ate at. It'll be so much fun. :) We can't go out and play with everyone, but even in the course of our work I think we'll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy Songkran.
A lot of people have been mentioning the SARS virus (though they call it "flu/cold disease"), saying people die within seven days or so. I don't know much about it, though. All the news we get is secondhand from the people on the street. Lately not many people have said anything about the war, so I guess it's getting better. When we ask people where they're from, a lot of them grin and say, "Iraq," then start laughing.
So, General Conference was last week, I hear. Outside of Bangkok, we don't get to see or hear it or anything (we have to wait for the Ensign/Liahona). Oh well, time passes fast enough that the Ensign will be here before we know it. I ate rambutan for the first time last week -- it's pretty good. I also got a harmonica, but I haven't had much time to practice. I've been in-country five months now -- weird. :) Elder Segsan and Elder Burin moved into our house last night. There's construction on the road that their house is on, and they won't have water for another month or two. Our house was originally a four-man house, so there's plenty of space. It'll be a lot of fun.
On Saturday we went out with Love (a 23-year-old guy that got baptized a year ago and brought his parents into the Church) to teach. Our appointments phidded us, though, so we did some inviting. Love kept asking us to go teach his older brother Root, and finally we gave in and he drove us over to their house (they live far away, near Lotus). We taught Root a second discussion and committed him to baptism for April 27. He's sooooo golden! His whole family is LDS already (his dad's in the branch presidency, his mom is incredibly nice and feeds us every time we go over) and so he'll have a good support system. We've been back to see him two or three times since then, and I'm amazed at how ready he his. He's wanted to be Christian for a long, long time. For the last while he's been in Bangkok, but two weeks before I got here, he moved back (for good). The Spirit was there very strongly when we taught him about repentance and baptism. Golden investigators are the best! :)
In these troubled times, the only real source of peace is the Savior. "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." (2 Nephi 4:34) Man is fallible; God is infallible. "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." (D&C 6:36) If we place our hearts in the Lord's hands, all will be well, even if all is not well by the world's standards. Time is swiftly rolling to a close, the last notes of the final act are vibrating in the air, and the second hand is on the verge of midnight. "Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end." (Alma 34:33) If there is anything not right in your lives, fix it now, for it will soon be too late. Don't wait till tomorrow -- we live in a time in which there may not be any tomorrow. Trust in the Lord, follow him with all your heart, might, mind, and strength, and then you'll have no need to fear, no matter what happens. The world may collapse around us, but if we stand firm on the rock of our salvation, we will emerge victorious. Take care! :-)
A lot of people have been mentioning the SARS virus (though they call it "flu/cold disease"), saying people die within seven days or so. I don't know much about it, though. All the news we get is secondhand from the people on the street. Lately not many people have said anything about the war, so I guess it's getting better. When we ask people where they're from, a lot of them grin and say, "Iraq," then start laughing.
So, General Conference was last week, I hear. Outside of Bangkok, we don't get to see or hear it or anything (we have to wait for the Ensign/Liahona). Oh well, time passes fast enough that the Ensign will be here before we know it. I ate rambutan for the first time last week -- it's pretty good. I also got a harmonica, but I haven't had much time to practice. I've been in-country five months now -- weird. :) Elder Segsan and Elder Burin moved into our house last night. There's construction on the road that their house is on, and they won't have water for another month or two. Our house was originally a four-man house, so there's plenty of space. It'll be a lot of fun.
On Saturday we went out with Love (a 23-year-old guy that got baptized a year ago and brought his parents into the Church) to teach. Our appointments phidded us, though, so we did some inviting. Love kept asking us to go teach his older brother Root, and finally we gave in and he drove us over to their house (they live far away, near Lotus). We taught Root a second discussion and committed him to baptism for April 27. He's sooooo golden! His whole family is LDS already (his dad's in the branch presidency, his mom is incredibly nice and feeds us every time we go over) and so he'll have a good support system. We've been back to see him two or three times since then, and I'm amazed at how ready he his. He's wanted to be Christian for a long, long time. For the last while he's been in Bangkok, but two weeks before I got here, he moved back (for good). The Spirit was there very strongly when we taught him about repentance and baptism. Golden investigators are the best! :)
In these troubled times, the only real source of peace is the Savior. "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." (2 Nephi 4:34) Man is fallible; God is infallible. "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." (D&C 6:36) If we place our hearts in the Lord's hands, all will be well, even if all is not well by the world's standards. Time is swiftly rolling to a close, the last notes of the final act are vibrating in the air, and the second hand is on the verge of midnight. "Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end." (Alma 34:33) If there is anything not right in your lives, fix it now, for it will soon be too late. Don't wait till tomorrow -- we live in a time in which there may not be any tomorrow. Trust in the Lord, follow him with all your heart, might, mind, and strength, and then you'll have no need to fear, no matter what happens. The world may collapse around us, but if we stand firm on the rock of our salvation, we will emerge victorious. Take care! :-)
posted by Ben at 8:26 PM
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