Week 47 - Sisaket - T6; W6

Hello dear family and friends,

First things first - thank you for all your prayers.  I have truly felt them and know that prayer is real.  I have felt the influence of the spirit more abundantly especially when we tought or dater ต๋อง (Dtong) and the daughter of one of the most special investigators: ก้อย (Goy, daughter of Ruamsap, the awesome 60 yr old powerhouse who is now on her 6th time through the Book of Mormon).

2nd big piece of news is that transfers is early this time around! AND I'M MOVING FROM SISAKET!!!

Other news, happy 109th anniversary of the first human flight that took place in Kitty-Hawk, NC. Besides making me thinking of Wilber and Orville, it made me think of the bevis [his nickname for his little sister] for naming our dog "Kitty..."  After the email last week we went to the Zoo here in Sisaket.  I saw my first Hippo (crazy big!) and introduced Somsak's family and Sister Boom to my ancestors in their cages, as there were Gibbons Monkeys there.  Calling people specific animals in this culture are like the different degrees of swear words, so seeing them react to that was fun.  Also, we fed them anything we wanted to (sketch?) which was fun.  Rabbits and deer eat bananas? Believe it; I saw it.

[He shared a personal story about receiving an answer to prayer that he didn’t want me to post on his blog, but I wanted to post what he said after…]  But with God, there is always a way. And usually His way is the BEST way - It just lines up with the theme of my mission life: the Lord blesses the faithful more than they can even imagine in ways they CANNOT even imagine.

Also: Thanks for your encouragement pops - it really does help.  And please know I celebrated your birthday in my heart this Friday.  Probably ate some ice cream at your favorite spot on the little red couch, :) (The Zoo also really made me remind me of Dad because all the wildlife and nature before you even walk into the zoo park. If we ever come back, dad, remind us to go there...) But this holiday season, I know I'll be able to skype and say hello, I'm teaching people why we even HAVE Christmas, and with all this in mind (and especially with the knowledge that I'll be hitting my ONE YEAR MARK next month confirming the my amount time out here is next to nothing), I haven't really been homesick. My companion, on the other hand, has - so this Christmas season, please send your love for me by sending it to him as well.

It's really been fun out here, and I'm sorry to leave.  I'm just kind of anxious right now more than anything.  I could go anywhere, but I feel good about it, wherever I go.  I had a great last Sunday as a family came back to church that we've been working on for 2 transfers now.  [We had] 84 people at church was so great and I just remember feeling love and warm and peace.  Just this moment do I remember praying specifically to feel the spirit at church more that day. and I did.

I'm going to miss all the members - some of the strongest I've ever met (or ever will meet) in my life. I'm so going to miss Ruamsap – it was so great to see her and Goy dressed so beautifully and even classy sitting together at church.  I've just kind of felt everything coming to a close lately and my experiences here have cadenced well into these last few weeks.  By the way dad and Meegs - thanks for sharing those experiences about the wonderful Amish people and sharing the greatest Christmas gift - the Restoration - with them.  The best answer, dad, about getting people to believe in Jesus Christ?  I do absolutely nothing besides helping them feel the spirit - the spirit in the Book of Mormon does the rest.  There is a senior missionary that was a missionary here from 1975-77; the Book of Mormon came out in the last 6 months of his mission.  I asked how he did any work without the Book of Mormon. "You wanna know how many people I baptized?  None," he said.  The power in the book (or the absence without it) is more apparent than you'd ever believe in the culture where Christmas is virtually non-existent.  I invite you and all who read to continue to read and ponder and pray about the book that changed the world.  This Christmas season, I invite you all to draw nearer to God by reading the way to draw nearer to him "than any other book."

I love this book.  I love Sisaket, and I love all of you so much.  Hopefully "SEE" you later! ;)

Elder Gibbons

PPS VERY IMPORTANT:
The mission is moving P-day to Tuesday, so that means I'll talk to you all on your Monday.  They discourage bringing in all friends, distracting girlfriends (which I have so many of, right?) and others.  I think that's all...

PPPPPPS Happy Father's day too, Dad.  The King's birthday was this month (and so was yours) so that was nice.

I am so grateful that his friends from Thailand post pictures on Facebook so I can copy them!!