Hello everyone!
This week was a very special one. First I'd like to give a shout out to my lady friends Em Sciam and Ashelle! I'm so excited for you and you'll love your experiences forever.
Speaking of experiences, this weekend is one I'll never forget;
In an explanation of how awesome that application was, Sister Patty got baptized this weekend. She is so cool, from a way out there corner of Thailand, but is smart, pretty, has a beautiful spirit, and is so strong. Elder Terry has been working with her since he's been out in the field and it was a great moment watching him baptize her. But to make it even better, I was able to see a family get baptized who I was working with in the neighboring area before this transfer. Sister Dan and her two of her kids (Plaa - 14 yr girl, and Ball - 11 yr boy) were so great to work with and I was blessed to be requested by Plaa herself to be the one to baptize her. To baptize a girl who's my little sister's age was very special (although her real name took a few language study sessions to master: "metliwan siriphornpat"). It was a very happy day and all rejoice at home as we all broke out the TimTams to slam to the Lord's blessings.
But as I was about to slam, we got a phone call from Don Muang – my first area!! I said hello and sure enough it was one of my my favorite persons in the world: Pres Tuwit! My joy "almost exhausted my strength to hear from him, the growth in the branch, my converts there, etc, and then I told him of our success today."So how many baptisms did you have today?" he asked.
This week was a very special one. First I'd like to give a shout out to my lady friends Em Sciam and Ashelle! I'm so excited for you and you'll love your experiences forever.
Speaking of experiences, this weekend is one I'll never forget;
In an explanation of how awesome that application was, Sister Patty got baptized this weekend. She is so cool, from a way out there corner of Thailand, but is smart, pretty, has a beautiful spirit, and is so strong. Elder Terry has been working with her since he's been out in the field and it was a great moment watching him baptize her. But to make it even better, I was able to see a family get baptized who I was working with in the neighboring area before this transfer. Sister Dan and her two of her kids (Plaa - 14 yr girl, and Ball - 11 yr boy) were so great to work with and I was blessed to be requested by Plaa herself to be the one to baptize her. To baptize a girl who's my little sister's age was very special (although her real name took a few language study sessions to master: "metliwan siriphornpat"). It was a very happy day and all rejoice at home as we all broke out the TimTams to slam to the Lord's blessings.
But as I was about to slam, we got a phone call from Don Muang – my first area!! I said hello and sure enough it was one of my my favorite persons in the world: Pres Tuwit! My joy "almost exhausted my strength to hear from him, the growth in the branch, my converts there, etc, and then I told him of our success today."So how many baptisms did you have today?" he asked.
"Well, I guess four, I think," I beamed
through the phone.
"So you had five today?"
"No, four" I laughed.
"No, I think you mean five."
I was dumbfounded. He went on to explain that Sister Dang was my fifth convert today to enter into baptism. A stubborn, divorced Christian lady. Sister Dang was one of my most stressful investigators in Don Muang. She wouldn't read the Book of Mormon but wouldn't read it. I never pushed someone so hard to just READ THE DANG BOOK! But she actually started to read than she moved to Chaig Rai. Then at transfers when Elder Osborne (my Pa - aka Trainer as Phii just means senior comp) got transferred to Chaing Rai. "FIND HER!" I begged him. Sure enough, next transfer when I saw him again, gave him a big hug, he told me that she found HIM and received a baptism date... But moved again, back to my first area before she was ready. But the Lord works in mysterious ways... Pres Tuwit said that she finished up the lessons there and got baptized. Her testimony was amazing, he said. "The Elders would always try to get me to read that book but I never listened to them," he recounted her saying. "But finally I started to read and I felt good. I hated it. I tried not to feel good, but I couldn't do it. I know the Book of Mormon is powerful and I can't believe I have this day..."
Tears could not be held back. The Lord blesses his children who read his word and who preach His word. I'm a living testimony of that - and so are the five others I worked with to receive the fullness of happiness.
I know this is true, and I love you all,
Elder Gibbons
"So you had five today?"
"No, four" I laughed.
"No, I think you mean five."
I was dumbfounded. He went on to explain that Sister Dang was my fifth convert today to enter into baptism. A stubborn, divorced Christian lady. Sister Dang was one of my most stressful investigators in Don Muang. She wouldn't read the Book of Mormon but wouldn't read it. I never pushed someone so hard to just READ THE DANG BOOK! But she actually started to read than she moved to Chaig Rai. Then at transfers when Elder Osborne (my Pa - aka Trainer as Phii just means senior comp) got transferred to Chaing Rai. "FIND HER!" I begged him. Sure enough, next transfer when I saw him again, gave him a big hug, he told me that she found HIM and received a baptism date... But moved again, back to my first area before she was ready. But the Lord works in mysterious ways... Pres Tuwit said that she finished up the lessons there and got baptized. Her testimony was amazing, he said. "The Elders would always try to get me to read that book but I never listened to them," he recounted her saying. "But finally I started to read and I felt good. I hated it. I tried not to feel good, but I couldn't do it. I know the Book of Mormon is powerful and I can't believe I have this day..."
Tears could not be held back. The Lord blesses his children who read his word and who preach His word. I'm a living testimony of that - and so are the five others I worked with to receive the fullness of happiness.
I know this is true, and I love you all,
Elder Gibbons
[Joseph wrote me a
personal note that he said he might share with everyone, and since he didn’t, I
thought I would share it with you anyway!]
Thank you so much mom - I do miss the pheasants, the birthday parties, and
everything but I had a cool realization today that this is where I am is a
great place in my life. [I love to see how his English is slipping…which
can only mean his Thai is getting better!! Ha ha!] I studied the Book of Mormon over and about Nephi;
I read 1 Ne 2:19-20 and learned that…the Lord will bring me to a far better
land of promise…I thought about the wilderness (daenturakindaan in Thai) Nephi
went through and how it was a refiner's fire and bore many many miracles
(Liahona guidance, broken bow, building a ship) that I believe Nephi NEEDED in
order to become the Prophet-King the Lord eventually him to become. I realized that my past afflictions and my
labors here in my daenturakindaan that I need to pass through to become the man
to rule my land of promise when I'm back. Mind you, Nephi had a wife and kids to raise
in his daenturakindaan who also supported him always; likewise, we work in companionships
here to raise our investigators to grow in the wilderness of life too. Today the scriptures smacked application across
my face and it felt so good. I encourage
all of you to continue to search out ways the scriptures can, too, smack you
across the face and feel the spirit speak to you the words and experiences from
the dust of these great men and women from the Book of Mormon. You've always been an example to me of diving
into the scriptures, and I will never be able to thank you enough for that.
PS. Sorry about the dud pictures [Joseph tried to send me a
few pictures last week]. It was only me riding the neck of an elephant.
[Hello!!! That is awesome!!!]
