AIT #27: May 28, 2003
Moves is here again. Yesterday Elder Bevell called the APs and found that he is moving to Bangkok, Elder Burin is moving somewhere outside of Bangkok, and Elder Vue (in Lampang) is moving to Bangkok. All four of us here have to go down to moves, which means Elder Jorgensen is either ZL or trainer (he'll get a call from President Slater today to let him know which). I'm excited to get to go to Bangkok again, even for just a few hours. :) Our train leaves sometime tonight around 10:00 and will arrive in Bangkok early tomorrow morning. If my new companion is the ZL, we'll stick around for ZLTM and come back to P-lok by midnight Thursday. If he's not, then we'll leave immediately and arrive by late afternoon/early evening. I realized that my group should be going senior pretty soon -- within two or three moves.
Root was baptized on Wednesday! :) He was confirmed on Sunday, too, and everything went without a hitch. Hurray! And Boi came back yesterday, which is really good. We have another good investigator named Ohe and a few families we're teaching. I hope nobody slips through the holes during this moves. We're also seeking out a bunch of old members who have become lost (moved away, usually). Within the last few weeks I've noticed a leap in my ability to read and write Thai. I was rather surprised at that, to be honest, since I hadn't been focusing on either, but I can't really complain. :)
We had zone conference last Friday up in Chiang Mai. Left Thursday night and arrived with twenty minutes to spare (our train was an hour late). When we got to the train station Elder Bevell realized he'd left his briefcase at our house, which meant he didn't have his scriptures, his notebook, his zone lesson, or the goals/results for his ZL report. But the train pulled up right then and so we couldn't really do anything about it. Everything still turned out okay. He taught a good lesson on desire (what do we as missionaries really want?) which foreshadowed President Slater's lesson. President talked about value systems and priorities -- for example, would I walk across a tightrope between the Twin Towers if I were to receive five baht for it? Anyone in their right mind wouldn't even consider it. Ten baht? Still no. A thousand baht? No. A million dollars? No way -- I wouldn't do it for any amount of money. But suppose that my baby brother was on the other side and was about to fall off. Then yes, I'd sprint across to save him. To me, my life is worth more than money, but my brother's life is worth more than my own. President then talked about how our choices reflect our value system -- we give up 15 or 20 baht for a plate of rice without any whining, since the food is worth more to us than the money. When we wake up in the morning, we decide whether obedience or sleep is more important to us -- if obedience is, we get up before 6:30; if sleep is, we sleep in. If the Spirit is the most important thing to us, then we'll willingly give up whatever prevents us from having the Spirit. Successful people evaluate their decisions in light of their goals and eliminate whatever obstacles are in the way of reaching those goals. Being conscious of that and making the decision to place the Spirit at highest priority in my life has really made a difference, especially in being glad and willing to eliminate imperfections and blemishes that keep the Spirit away. President Slater had every companionship teach (only my district taught him at the zone conference, during lunch; everyone else had taught him the day before at interviews). I was the pianist, as usual. It was really nice to play a real piano -- we have a little electronic keyboard at P-lok, and I must admit that I've rather missed playing a real, rich-sounding piano.
"For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." (Alma 34:32) I really like this scripture, because it applies at so many different levels. Each day we live is precious; each day could be our last. There is a fierce battle between good and evil going on every single day, and time wasted is time given to the enemy. If we wait to repent, wait to change ourselves and be better people, we may find that time has run out on us. And "behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed." This life is the testing ground, the proving stage; once the test is over, we can't improve our score, no matter how much we want to. Don't wait, for the coming of the Lord is nigh. As a missionary, this verse takes on new meaning. This mission of mine is the time for me to prepare to meet God; yea, behold, these two years are the day for me to perform my labors. We only have two years here in the field, which at first seems like an eternity but quickly zips by faster than lightning. I've already been out for 9 months and will soon hit my halfway mark, and I'm in utter shock that it's gone by that fast. Lately I've realized that now is the time for me to work out all the kinks and faults in my character, the best possible time in which I can get the most done. At no other time will I be able to focus 100% on things spiritual, at no other time will it be as easy to improve. If I waste away the day of my mission, when I find myself back home it will be much harder to be refined, for there will be many distractions. God is willing to take our weaknesses and turn them into strengths, if we but give Him the key to our souls.
I'm out of time. Thanks for everyone's support and prayers. Stay strong in the faith! Take care. :-)
Root was baptized on Wednesday! :) He was confirmed on Sunday, too, and everything went without a hitch. Hurray! And Boi came back yesterday, which is really good. We have another good investigator named Ohe and a few families we're teaching. I hope nobody slips through the holes during this moves. We're also seeking out a bunch of old members who have become lost (moved away, usually). Within the last few weeks I've noticed a leap in my ability to read and write Thai. I was rather surprised at that, to be honest, since I hadn't been focusing on either, but I can't really complain. :)
We had zone conference last Friday up in Chiang Mai. Left Thursday night and arrived with twenty minutes to spare (our train was an hour late). When we got to the train station Elder Bevell realized he'd left his briefcase at our house, which meant he didn't have his scriptures, his notebook, his zone lesson, or the goals/results for his ZL report. But the train pulled up right then and so we couldn't really do anything about it. Everything still turned out okay. He taught a good lesson on desire (what do we as missionaries really want?) which foreshadowed President Slater's lesson. President talked about value systems and priorities -- for example, would I walk across a tightrope between the Twin Towers if I were to receive five baht for it? Anyone in their right mind wouldn't even consider it. Ten baht? Still no. A thousand baht? No. A million dollars? No way -- I wouldn't do it for any amount of money. But suppose that my baby brother was on the other side and was about to fall off. Then yes, I'd sprint across to save him. To me, my life is worth more than money, but my brother's life is worth more than my own. President then talked about how our choices reflect our value system -- we give up 15 or 20 baht for a plate of rice without any whining, since the food is worth more to us than the money. When we wake up in the morning, we decide whether obedience or sleep is more important to us -- if obedience is, we get up before 6:30; if sleep is, we sleep in. If the Spirit is the most important thing to us, then we'll willingly give up whatever prevents us from having the Spirit. Successful people evaluate their decisions in light of their goals and eliminate whatever obstacles are in the way of reaching those goals. Being conscious of that and making the decision to place the Spirit at highest priority in my life has really made a difference, especially in being glad and willing to eliminate imperfections and blemishes that keep the Spirit away. President Slater had every companionship teach (only my district taught him at the zone conference, during lunch; everyone else had taught him the day before at interviews). I was the pianist, as usual. It was really nice to play a real piano -- we have a little electronic keyboard at P-lok, and I must admit that I've rather missed playing a real, rich-sounding piano.
"For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." (Alma 34:32) I really like this scripture, because it applies at so many different levels. Each day we live is precious; each day could be our last. There is a fierce battle between good and evil going on every single day, and time wasted is time given to the enemy. If we wait to repent, wait to change ourselves and be better people, we may find that time has run out on us. And "behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed." This life is the testing ground, the proving stage; once the test is over, we can't improve our score, no matter how much we want to. Don't wait, for the coming of the Lord is nigh. As a missionary, this verse takes on new meaning. This mission of mine is the time for me to prepare to meet God; yea, behold, these two years are the day for me to perform my labors. We only have two years here in the field, which at first seems like an eternity but quickly zips by faster than lightning. I've already been out for 9 months and will soon hit my halfway mark, and I'm in utter shock that it's gone by that fast. Lately I've realized that now is the time for me to work out all the kinks and faults in my character, the best possible time in which I can get the most done. At no other time will I be able to focus 100% on things spiritual, at no other time will it be as easy to improve. If I waste away the day of my mission, when I find myself back home it will be much harder to be refined, for there will be many distractions. God is willing to take our weaknesses and turn them into strengths, if we but give Him the key to our souls.
I'm out of time. Thanks for everyone's support and prayers. Stay strong in the faith! Take care. :-)
posted by Ben at 9:52 PM
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