Week 83 - Kalasin T13.W2

Hello Everyone!

Thanks again for all the prayers as we have reaped the blessings abundantly with the Baptism of Sister แตน (Dtaan) and little ขิงๆ (King King). We taught them and they were so great. I felt so honored as King King wanted me to baptize her. Her testimony was so cute! She basically got up there and giggled for a minute long and squeaked out the word ดีใจ (or "glad") and sat down. Dtaan's was similar to King King's and my other investigator Ruamsap from Sisaket as she said she can't speak Thai very well (sometimes she just mostly speaks Lao to me in her lessons - which REALLY gives Elder Christensen a spin!), but that she wanted to be a new person. Seeing her not chew her gosh-awful blood-red sludge has really given me a joy I can't describe. 

We're still working with other people and investigators as Elder Khanakham - one of the Mission councilers who is one of my best friends who I worked with in my first area - and he blessed us with a lot of success. I love you all and I'm excited for District Conference in Roi-Et (stake conference for branches).

But our investigator, Raugh, is struggling to keep the Sabbath day holy. So we're working on that. Sister Ple (or pronounced Bun), the wife of a less-active we are working with, is probably coming to church in Roi-Et (another neighboring province) and were happy about that. The girl whom we found that had the Book of Mormon had a death in her extended family so we haven't seen her. More coming later. Until then, thank you soooooo much for the prayers and love as I have needed it! I love you and miss you all! 

Love,

Elder Gibbons

Week 82 - Training in Kalasin T13.W1

Sawatdii everyone,

Happy birthday last week, Khun Yai (Gramin)!! 

Brian, happy birthday as well!

Thank you mom for the advice to study King Benjamin. I've been struggling this week on how to get really deeply rooted in the scriptures. Where do I study? What to study? So today I got sick of sitting and just opened up to Alma 17 and found comfort there - now I will study King Benjamin's address. 

This week was very eventful as I traveled to Bangkok and happened to be campanions with Elder Wilamas again. We visited a very special member - Sister Srilaksana, the very woman who translated the Book of Mormon, the mother of  [I think he forgot to fill in this blank]. We saw her once before as a companionship at her house, so we just followed the spirit to go there again - but the servant lady said that she wasn't home but at the hospital because the day before she wasn't breathing. We came just in time. We walked into the ICU to see her - huge tubes going in and out of her mouth and nose. She was turned uncomfortably sideways so we went over to that side and Wai-ed her. Elder Wilamas then said: "Sister? Do you remember us? The Lord has called us Karat and Kalasin to come for you and answer your prayers." We gave her a priesthood blessing, shared our love - I wished her a Happy mothers day as the mother or our religion here, and left. Elder Wilamas assured me that she heard everything - a few small tears I didn't notice trickled down her face. The Lord hears and answers prayers, Brothers and Sisters. He did for this woman who means so much for the saints in Thailand, and has done for Elder Wilamas and me to be companions again to see miracles.

Thank you for his words and YOUR many prayers, because I have just felt peace as received my new companion, got back and started training. Elder Christensen (that's the first time I wrote/saw his name in English) is a native Utahan, but grew up in Georgia where he finished a year of school studying math and then came into the MTC. He's 369 days my junior, super funny, and already a great missionary, and reading skills are abnormally great which makes me excited as well. Elder Staten (one of my best friends who just finished this week along with Elder Reynolds) said he KNEW we were to be companions - because when he saw his double-breasted suit coat he thought for sure we would be.  I feel like as I have centered this transfer on just doing good, I have never once looked at him as a "greenie" (which Elder Holland forbids us from calling them). I just do what needs to be done for the most part and invite him to do it after me. And he does it! I've kind of "forgot" about the fact we're training, so we "just do" and have seen results. So I have a pretty clear conscience about how we've treated each other. We've been following the mission rules and commandments as much as we can and we've seen miracles the Lord has blessed us with.We work very well with each other. We saw an Elephant his first day in the area while eating ส้มตำ or papaya salad. ;)

I have four other events that bear witness of those miracles:

When we first became companions, we were at the bus station but has a 3 hour waiting time, so we went out and contacted. The last lady we contacted was named Noi. She was nice, but said she didn't need all the stuff [our message] because she had the most important thing in the world already - family. I got quite excited at her strange rejection and pulled out the Book of Mormon and opened up to the picture section. "Wow that's really interesting because this whole book talks about families - like this family..." She got super interested and so I taught her some more until prayer felt right to introduce. So I told her Elder Christensen was going to teach her about prayer. He didn't look as excited but told her the steps. Then she prayed with us and we gave her the book. We got her number and gave it to the Elders in that area. Last time we checked, she had been praying every day since! A cool miracle that we experienced not 5 hours after being together!

2nd miracle was with Dtaan. She has been going so strong with not chewing maak. But her little grannie friends who all chew persuaded her to eat "just a bite because her missionary friends were in Bangkok and would never know..." So that next day, we got into Kalasin at 4am and were up at 6:30 and out by noon. So we pedal over to her house and she was chewing. We didn't really mention it and went away. We came back later and she told us right after she decided to have a bite - just a little bite - that we showed up and Maak out of a sudden was "ไม่อร่อย!" or not tasty! Kind of funny and a great lesson for her and us. She is still planning on being baptized this week and she really needs your prayers. But she’s progressing because she's repenting and getting better and better.

Then we were inviting and went to make a return appt with a new investigator, Dtik. Only she was in a different house with her daughter Sai ทราย and son Oven โอเว่น. We began teaching and then Sai ran out of the house and returned with the Book of Mormon I didn't recall leaving her. She then said that she got it from "her friend" 2 -3 YEARS ago and had been praying when she felt sad or sick. I asked her if it worked. She said yes. I asked her if she'd be baptized. She said yes. I asked her on the 28th to be baptized, but she wasn't sure if she was free. That's our next obstacle we need to overcome, and to get her family on board. The Lord had been working with our investigators longer than we have and this was a great blessing. 

The last example of this was when we went to find Sister Ple (Bun). but she wasn't there. I went from the busy street into another road to hear better. But I kept walking slowly. She wasn't free. Kept walking. Then I said "Yeah, I don't really know why we're walking over here," something a trainer should never say (my lesson learned), until we came to a small, shaded, yellow house. I can't describe my feelings, but I had sort-of-feeling that we were to sit at the small stone table there. A man came out (after he put a shirt on) and welcomed us to the table. The feeling of going over and sitting down was the same feeling going to your friends house to sit on his couch, but I didn't yet know we were at a friend's house. Mr. Dtam came out and was excited to see us, as his friend from England had not seen him for 12 years. [sidestory: in Bangkok I overheard Elder Appleyard, the second Englishman to serve in Thailand, talk about the first Englishman here - who taught our Branch President years ago...] Dtam kept talking about how we were bringing light to him and then he played his guitar (random - but he's good) and then asked me to play. I played and sand Blackbird, and he was so excited. Then we talked about the BoM and he asked me to play another one, so I played and sang "Tears in Heaven". The Lord helps us and then he gave us someone else to teach... We walked down that road back to our bikes knowing that we are missionaries called and sent from God to gather those who are prepared. 

My faith has been really tried and tested last transfer and we've began seeing the results of patience and what's called ความอดกลั้น or long-suffering, but in the sense where you resist what you want to say to think - in Mormon terms, it's the actual battle part of fighting the natural man. This week has been amazing and I am so grateful to you and your prayers. I encourage you to keep faith in troubled times because you'll see the results soon. Read the Book of Mormon. Don't know where to start? Just start. I suggest 3 Ne 11. I suggested that to Dtam, and I do to you. Still not feeling it? Charity - Moroni 7. Thank you for your charity for me in your prayers and support. I receive letters and love them. 

Love you and thanks again,

Elder Gibbons

PS: Elder Worthington - your letter came at just the right time. It helped me sooo much. I Oslo got the opportunity to meet Sister Packerd - or as I was on the streets with Elder Wilamas a charming looking sister came up to me with a big smile and said hello. Super fun - more about her later.

Week 81 - Kalasin T12.W5 "We do not doubt...our Mothers KNEW it"

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

Or Everyone in Thailand at the very least. Today, August 12th, is Her Majesty's birthday - which means it's mother's day. Everyone is off school and work, buying gifts and doing Buddhist stuff for their แม่ (Mae, or Mother). All these festivities have made me think of one of the greatest people in my life - my แม่ Mae! But oddly enough, it makes me think of my Father - my Heavenly Father. 

While talking about Mothers Days and Fathers Days with a member who we're trying to get back to church and trying to help his wife investigate the church, he said that every Sunday could be Father's Day - why? because the Sabbath Day is the Father's Day, right? Kind of funny... His name is X (or changed to Pat) and his wife's name is Ple (like the second syllable of "ApPLE"  but Thai people can't say Ls at the ends of word; they say Ns and thus it's pronounced "Bun"). Buster is their cute little devil-baby who is the epitome of terrible twos. Getting them back to church is something we've been working on, but didn't happen this week. In fact NO ONE came to church this week whom we and the sisters worked with. It was sort of sad, but we must keep the good in mind, because the rest of this week have been miracles.

I mention Mother's Day specifically because of the Faith of my mother. I love her so much. To me in my mind, she is the greatest example of a missionary, because she gave her all for us kids and loved us more than she loved herself; I try and try and try to be like the kind of "missionary" she was then to me then and is now. As Helaman recalls (and as I apply to myself) the Stripling Warriors were only stripling because of the mothers who raised them. Because of my mother, it could be written that,

 [I] did think more upon [my investigators] than they did upon [my life]; yea, [I] had been taught by [my] mother, that if [I] did not doubt, God would deliver [me]...saying: [I] do not doubt [my] mother knew it. (Alma 56:47-48)

If I may be so bold as to give a specific example, I would mention her power testimony of prayer that was made manifest this week. 

Remember Sister Dtaan and her grandaughter King King? Well we gave her a baptismal date for the 21st of September, which was a bit shaky from her part. But then after this week, the week I asked us all to pray for her, she told us (not asked us) if she could be baptized by the end of THIS month! 

She has been doing sooo great and been chewing less and less - even some days she doesn't even chew at all! Her gospel knowledge is growing and growing in just the space of a week. I KNOW with everything that is within me that this miracle came to pass because MY mother knew it - she knew that Sister Dtaan could quit and get baptized to experience the true and lasting happiness that comes from this restored gospel. Her progression is a direct result of your prayer and faith, mom. Thank you so much for helping. I thank you and all who read this last letter for pouring your heart and soul into mighty prayer to trust in God, or in other words, to "[rely] wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save" (2 Nephi 31:19). 

May we all on this wonderful mother's day rely on him who is mighty to save through the power of prayer is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Love,

Elder Gibbons

PS: I will need to rely on His saving merits especially this next week as President gave me the call this Saturday and asked me if I could accept the assignment as Trainer for this next transfer. Thank you for your prayers, but now I ask for some more that I might be able to catch up the work my mother's prayers are giving me here in Kalasin Province!

Week 80 - Kalasin T12.W5 Who's it for?

This week as been great and not so great as I apply and don't "apply my heart to understanding" as Abinadi said. Last week was hard because I kind of had to accept that I have not been the best of missionary as I could be. Elder Martin and I have really been trying to focus on investigators - meaning, getting out of my head and studying Dtaan and King King, Rah, Gob and Nii, Brother X and Sister Bun. Last letter I also made mention how my companion was "a Jerk." My dad asked me to clarify, so I wrote him this: 

"I feel like Elder Martin is training me again, which is really hard on my pride, but it is good that I'm growing. I don't have the youth of a new missionary, so I sometimes get sloppy here and there and he keeps me in line. He's a jerk because he doesn't let me be less that my best self, and doesn't baby and pamper me, but he loves the people more than himself and WAY more than me, haha! So it's a good kind of jerk and I wish I could stay here longer with him as I have been learning so much with/from him."

I have learned to put the people here first, and I love the people more and more. Like Sister Dtaan: a 65 year old grandma whose husband died not a year ago and is raising her granddaughter by sewing clothes. Each job she does is ฿50, or roughly $1.50. At yet, she made dinner for us twice and I was almost in tears, knowing that she couldn't afford this hospitality. She is also fighting หมาก Maak, or a chewing substance that turns a combination or herbs into a blood-red juice that dribbles down many old lady's mouths out here in the Isaan. PLEASE send your prayers out here for her as I love her so much. I love her and she reminds me a bit of my Grandma Holker in a way, so I've been thinking of my Grandmas lately.

Also, Brother Gob has been in my prayer. Lately. I entered in his wife's baptismal record (นี Nii) and son's (โอเว่น Oven) and I have fallen in love with this family. Brother Gob wants this for his family, but has just not come to church or accepted a baptismal date, until one day he said a prayer that he wants all his family to be members. He wants it but will just not come to church! He works SUPER hard and when not at his job, he's in his rice field. When not at his rice fields, he's at home with his adorable kids. He's just this shy, but jolly man who is so great. In the pic: neighbor kid behind him, then Mickey on his lap, Sister Liew, Brother Oven, Sister AAH (have no idea how to write that) and Nii.

Last for today, is Brother Manad - a retired soldier that one of my best mission friends, Elder Staten, taught and help convert. When I was with Elder Staten, I heard all about him until I thought he was one of my own investigators. He is so great and I love him so much for his integrity and faith. His wife Sister Hoy, is so sweet and funny. Sister Oom (the younger girl) was just baptized and I'm teaching Sister Ling (older sister) how to play guitar again, after Elder Tzanis - another one of my great mission friends who helped us greatly in the office while he served as a ZL - taught before he went in with the first group in Laos.

Now I can say thank you again for all your support and love, as I am learning help people better their life’s through the grace "of Christ which strengthens me" as Paul explained. The grace of Christ is sufficient for all who with accept him. It is by grace we are saved. But is it by grace that we are CHANGED? I have learned that the Atonement of Christ isn't just for getting to heaven, but LEARNING heaven and how to show gratitude to Christ by keeping His commandments. 

Well, I love you all, and I ask you to please help these people overcome their fears and addictions so that can experience the joy that you do. Or at least so that I can have more joy - because MY joy is full when I see these people embrace Christ's atonement. But it's not about me. It's about Him and His investigators. 

Love,

Elder Gibbons

P.S...And thank you about the Christmas situation - it has been on my mind a little since I was so close being January 25th [his release date]. However, with this new transfer schedule [every 9 weeks now], everyone heard rumors that people would get sent home earlier or later. I want you to know that I prayed at that time and got my answer: I'll be leaving a month later on February 21, 2014. I'll be home on February 23, 2014. Pretty crazy, huh? Time has gone by so fast...

Sister Nuch นุช (not present, but getting baptized soon) and Jib จิ๊บ, two of our English students gave me a super sweet basket of goodies my last day in Asoke. Also, Brother Yute, was one of my favorite members and one of my great friends in Asoke.

Brother Gob made a Thai - Isaan delicacy: crickets. As you can see, the plate is almost empty. Let's just say the plate was full when he fried 'em up with some sticky rice... One of MY favorite delicacies. ;)

Inviting scenery

Sister Madsen making her own  ส้มต่ำ Som-tam (westerners call it papaya salad) at a place our great branch president helps out.

Super funny - Mom, something Gramdpa would call "Too damn helpful" as we were helping this lady who wanted happiness. That is until I hit her in the face with one of the reeds... Yeah, I didn't see it happen (because they're pretty long), but we just kept going at it even after she went into her house. Awkward and funny. Story of my life. Or maybe the story of my life is just the first part...

"A FEMUR BONE???" [from the movie "The Burbs"]

(Please forward this to Uncle Brian, as he would appreciate my observation)

Week 79 - Kalasin - Back on our Feet for the First Time

Dear Family and friends, 

Thank you so much for all the support, love, prayer, and email. I have felt an increased outpouring of love. But I think the most important thing was the love Heavenly Father sent me this week as I expressed in my email to him:

Dear President, 

Just when I thought that the office was hard, I am starting to come to a greater reality here. This has been my "hardest area" because of a subtle enemy Elder Martin helped me discover something that has literally altered the course of my life.

I didn't even know I was afflicted with it until just after three weeks, half the branch hated me and all three of our daters were pushed back. Long story short, this Th or Fri, it came to the point that Elder Martin and I just sat down and had a talk because we were not unified - something Sister Senior stressed last transfer meeting. After talking for a while, he just said, 

"Dude, you've just got to stop thinking about yourself! The most important people in your life shouldn't be you - it should be your investigators." 

I responded that how does that relate to Jesus Christ? Shouldn't we be focusing on Him? His response, President, changed my life: 

"But, you see, that isn't the right thing. If we want to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who did He think of - Himself or His investigators?" 

It was then that the Holy Ghost descended upon me and confirmed the words he spoke.

"Yeah, did I just blow your mind?"

"Yeah, you did," I responded. 

"Elder Gibbons - you are a great missionary. Your desires and right, but your heart isn't. When I bless my food, I pray for Sister Dtaan. You see? This isn't about you. This is about your investigators."

Once I started to apply this, everything got better literally overnight - to do everything with the question in mind: "Does this help my investigators or the branch?" If Yes, do it. If no, don't. If not sure, well it can wait until you decide that it does.  We have been happier and unified in a way I can't express these past four days. President, THIS is what the mission lacks. THIS is what I knew, but didn't understand and apply. THIS is what is to be done if we are to have your 1000/1000 this year. THIS is what I have done for just four days and the branch's love for me as doubled. We went from 55 people at church to 71. President, that's seventy-one. Our district taught 25 RC/LA lessons and will achieve balanced next week with our 6 investigators who were at church. Also President: it has been raining for over 50 hours. Do you know what that means? It means that 70 people came to church in the pouring rain in Thailand because I thought of others before myself. I'm not stressed about being a leader anymore. If I just think of my investigators and focus on helping the sisters do the same, miracles happen  because true charity is at last made manifest. Miracles have literally SHOWERED down here and on myself during one of the hardest weeks of my mission; the last week I will ever do things for myself. The first week I started to ask myself what Elder Martin does in his prayers: "Lord, have you accepted my work today?" For the first time this transfer, we both agree that He indeed has.

Elder Martin has helped me and I do everything he says because he is a jerk, but one of the most charitable people I've ever met. Thank you for helping me learn these lessons with him now so that my last quarter of my mission can end on a high no matter where we're going to next. Charity never faileth, and I've seen it here and I will forever continue to do so.

Love,

Elder Gibbons

PS: SOOOOO jealous for Banff... [our family vacation this year]

Schlappi reunion [next summer with all our missionaries back!] will be great! Gibbons reunion will be missed, but please send Grandma and Ray my love. [Grandma Gibbons got married on Saturday to a great man, Ray Poulter, from CA!] As for the gift...ask dad ;)

Alex Denning! Hahahahaha! that's SOOOO great! I KNEW he would serve in their home ward [our friends from France, the Fiquet family]!!!!! And "Ported" for 5 hours - that really made me laugh because my 3 years of Latin taught me that "Porta" means gate or door - we as Thai missionaries use similar Thai wards that we Americanize into this pigeon-slang that missionaries understand... Funny.  Great to hear from him. Tell him to get Douglas back to activity.

Week 78 - 32 emails; T12; W3

Thank you everyone! As I opened my email to see 32 in my inbox, I was so overjoyed. I love you all so much and hope all is well, because it is getting much better for me. I wish to share with you a special experience I shared with my mom about the Adversary:

"He's been working EXTRA EXTRA hard. I had a hard day yesterday too, so I just went downstairs and ate some food (I didn't buy any the day before), and read the Book of Mormon. It was as if the Lord himself knew where I was at and then spake to me. I then said one of the best prayers of my life to not just defend truth, but to attack evil - to take an offensive approach on the sin and darkness that so easily oppresses me. It's not enough to endure. Being a saint in the covenant is a lot more on my part. It's to fight against the adversary which as Joseph Smith recounted, was an unseen force from the unseen world."

Opening up to 32 new emails was a surprise I'll never forget. I need to remember that there are others who are supporting me too from the SEEN world. I love you all so much and cannot thank you for all your support. 

Love you so much.

Elder Gibbons