Thanks you again for all your
prayers and support. This week has been up and down for our district. The
Sisters got sick at different times, and Elder Christensen has been discouraged
because of the language. He tries really hard and then just gives up. It's
hard to see that even amid all this I've been much more patient than I thought
I would've been. I think it's because the Lord has been helping me a lot. For
example, I've had a great experience even today. While we were reading 2 Nephi 3 in
Thai together, he asked what the tone on ที่ and ท่าน
were, which is "that" and "you" - two of the most
frequently used words in the scriptures. I didn't say it, but I thought:
"We're in SECOND Nephi and you STILL can't say these two words right that
we've said over 300 times each?"
Well, we'll come back to that as we
recap this morning. I forgot to pay our power bill which you can usually do at
any 7-11 (which includes 7000 different locations all over Thailand; yes,
that's an actual number; they came out with a book about it too), but now it
was overdue a week and we were going to get our power cut if we didn't pay
(SOOO been there)... So this morning we went out, found the place out of the
city a few kilometers, but then decided to get some food... then get a milk for
this guy... and then ate it... and then paid and were late to studies. By the time we were getting later
and later I got more and more anxious until I got stressed - knowing this was a
big week and we had a lot to do, and getting off track today could throw us off
this week. But not getting to time just made me feel disappointed and like I
let my companion down - I showed him that disobedience is now an option. Elder
Holland talked about his perfect trainer in a training we had about setting a
pattern of perfect obedience and I felt like I let Elder Christensen down, I let President
down, and I let the Lord down. Then thought came into my head: "You've been a missionary for
NINETEEN MONTHS and you STILL can't get to studies on time and keep my
commandments on my timetable?"
I then remembered where that thought
came from - is was the previous study where I was aching that my comp couldn't
remember the easy little things after doing them for what I thought was a long
time. I wonder how the Lord felt as I failed to perform at the level not only
expected of me, but my level of performance. I felt like a mini Enos as I
poured my heard to God the whole morning long, asking for forgiveness at many
different times. As I read the scriptures during the personal study I was late
to, I noticed the faithfulness of Ammon and Lamoni's wife the Queen and felt a
new sense and hope to improve. I felt the cleansing effect of the atonement
slowly wash over me for the remainder of the morning as I continued to read. I
read in Alma 19. I pictured myself there; Ammon watches a miracle unfold
before his very eyes as the King awakes to find his faithful wife by his side.
He tells her of the cleansing effect of the Atonement in his life and sinks
down to the floor with her in joy. Then I read when Ammon SAW it - that he SAW
this happen "after the manner of his prayers" is what is says in
Thai. I couldn't read on. As tears started to stream down my face in the middle
of this verse, I too felt the power of bringing repentance to this people who
need it - to ME who needed it today. The Lord accepted my plea and I
know that Jesus lives - because there's nothing else that could make me feel
this way or of a great ancient king with his beautiful queen sink down to their
palace floor - being filled with unspeakable, redemptive joy.
Thanks for letting me share that with
you. I want to also say a special congrats to little Dani [Joseph's cousin, Danika Easton] for getting baptized!
"This is the way," Nephi reminds us, "and there is no other way
whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God."
I encourage you to reevaluate your
life and have the faith that Jesus SAVES because He does for all those who
repent and believe. Please repent and have the faith you'll see results. I
promise you that sooner or later, if you do it with true intent you will see a
difference you can't imagine.
I hope Grandma Holker is feeling
better. I hope Dad is as well. I love you all. Thanks for the support. Now my
the Lord support you as you repent and come unto Him this week, in the name of
Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
Elder Gibbons
