Hello Everyone!
"Today is a great one. Why? Because I made it so. Elder Kunz helped me understand that at the amazing zone conference.... It's also great because the Spirit taught me today why I wake up in the morning: I now wake up for someone else. And if I play my cards right in this life, I will always: today for my investigators, at home for my wife, and after that for my children. If we always see the day ahead of us for someone else, it becomes quite a task to sleep in. My mother has been a great example of this for me my whole life. For some reason, I've felt an increased level of peace in my life, my area, and my work, and I didn't know why at first. But from my family's email just now, I know that it's because I have the best missionary mother I could ever ask for and more. She has been praying for me...to fulfill my purpose in bringing others to come unto Christ - especially for my being a new leader in the mission."
This was a portion of my letter to President Senior and it sums up well what's going on these days. We got to hear a super cool zone conference up in Udonthani (which is 5 hours away from here and almost to Laos). Being a missionary leader is super fun when I thought it would be stressful. But thank all of you for your prayers – especially my angel mother and father (both of them). I feel the influence of friends, family, and their love daily. I feel the presence of Max daily as Elder Sae-dan in him as a Northern Thai. Oh my he's super funny and smart. "USE YOUR BRAIN, ELDER SCHAD!!" He yells at Elder Schad often. Sometimes when he speaks (when he's SUPER Sarcastic) he'll mess up his tones or stretch them mercilessly - that's totally funny to someone who speaks in tones so I don't know if that's funny or not.... He's super good at listening and is perhaps one of the 5 of the 65,000,000 Khon Thai (Thai person(s)) who correct Thai well. The rest just laugh, make you feel stupid, or both at the same time. He's patient and a blast to work with.
This week we've experienced miracles one after another. Time's restraint only allows me to share one or two.
We have a new baptismal dater named "Boo" (Crab) and her 1 year old daughter is cuter than you'd believe. We're working with her in-laws who are a big part of the branch that aren't active. But we've been working with many people who are less active like Sister Dtoo - a 200+ lb Issan lady through and through. Good thing I can sort of pick up on this crazy dialect people speak over here. She is "Super less active" as Sister Wiganda would say, but we helped her take off of idle-worship necklace and she's praying again. We found another less active by completely following the spirit. We were going to go to one place after giving Boo a date, but we just rode on. "I want to park at that building" I found myself saying. So we got there and wondered around but then saw this lady sitting at her shop. "She looks like she's going to reject us," I thought. So we went up to her and said hello. Then she asked if we were Mormon (a SUPER rare question) and we found out that she was in a family who were almost all members in another province in the Isaan. She was rather cold but explained when she saw us wandering around, she prayed they (us) wound come talk to her. And while we were talking, Sister Wiganda and her mom showed up out of nowhere. It was a miracle indeed and we will continue to work with Sister Yaa and her sister who is not yet a member to find greater peace.
Speaking of Sister Wiganda, she came back home (OUR BRANCH) for some medical reasons and is going to head back out. She and I were น้องเขียว (Greenies) together in Don Muang and we've been great friends ever since. We've been working with her wonderful mom (Sister oot) and when Sister Wiganda cane back home everyone was excited. She's hilarious too and will be in our district for just a bit, but it was a blessing to see her again.
The Lord’s more that aware of His children here, and He is aware of you. Thank you for your faith and don't you give up on inviting your friends to investigate this gospel. I promise with all the energy of my heart and soul that it's the avenue for greatest happiness. I know that because I've seen it clearer than day while serving here. It’s not just another religion that teaches to be good. But it teaches us to FEEL GOOD as we repent and feel the peace that can come from nowhere else.
I love you all and until next week,
Elder Gibbons
