Week 97 - Ayutthaya T14.W8 "I BELIEVE IN MIR'CLES!"

Dear Family and friends,

This week has been CRAZZZY. Basically the Spirit of the Lord has POUNDED down on the mission, our District, and in my life. For starters, We have been trying to achieve a "Bovember" month; or a Baptizing-November where every companionship has a baptism this month. It was totally up to our faith and Elder Watkins and I secured Sister Bah and Sister Nupe before, so we were set. But the other Elders had all their investigators fall through. Se I prayed with them and helped them see if there was a way. 

I remember back almost a year ago in December when Sister Mild was baptized out of complete faith on a Monday on the last day of the year, making the 51st baptism of the mission (a pretty good high for the number of people baptized here on average). It took patience, perseverance, and  prayer like I never had before, but we achieved, through God, what we before deemed impossible and she is still active I hear, going to church in Asoke. 

I recounted this tale to them to which they had a spark of faith and we thought of who could POSSIBLY qualify for the times at church... And as it did in Samut Prakaan,  it came down to a single candidate: Brother Five. Yep, his name is 5. 

So the Elders prayed and felt he could be baptized on the 30th, and went for it. Everything turned against their favor: his mother, Sister Phon, said there was no way; Five himself was indifferent. But the greatest challenge was our Branch President gave a hardened and a rather aggressive NO. But Elder Winsor kept up his faith, and so did I. They just kept teaching him with an eye of Faith, not looking at the other many distractions. Prayer after prayer after prayer was said. I eventually just decided to interview the kid and worry about the red tape later, so that's what I did. He was super shy but I had one of the best interviews with him as the Spirit really did teach us both that night. I called President Sowards (the Senior Missionary who is hear with his wife who is the Branch President) and told him I think it will be on Saturday for the better. He agreed without ANY hesitation. I immediately called President Senior and told him of the good news, as we had been working together for this to happen. Sister Phon spoke at the baptism and was so grateful to finally have a priesthood holder in the home. President and Sister Phon said it was truly a miracle. That makes three of our 17 Miracles. :)

Speaking of 17 Miracles, I got to watch it [the movie] with a great Thanksgiving feast with the Elders from Lopbrui (the province north of us where the great King of Korat, even His Highness Elder Wilamas is now serving). I translated for him, told him Bailey was my neighbor and he even translated some of the movie for ME in Isaan which almost made me fall out of my chair laughing. Having him so close is a miracle in and of itself. 

THEN the making Miracles four and five in our 17 Miracle caused more drama than you could fit into a whole series of High School Musicals. Basically after wading through the past of yellings at previous Elders and hard feelings even before I got into the area, getting severely chastised by an Englishman's rage, facing a series of interviews across seas, fastings, prayings, sticking a real sock in my mouth at one point, and many more minute details including dealing with the fact that the other Elders saw a cigarette in David's mouth the DAY BEFORE THE BAPTISM (which could be a whole other Email explaining how he lit it for his friend and DIDN'T actually smoke), Sister Mote and brother Boon were Baptized by Brother David Shaw - the X-Military husband of Sister Mote who was re-activated to be able to bring his family into the church. After the Baptism (for which we sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic" on David's request), I helped him get redressed and we talked. There was so much that had to go into this day that I started tearing up for this man for which I now have so much love for. This family with forever be a part of my life, and I with them. The Lord blessed me with super-human patience and abilities to both discern and handle problems. It was a great miracle and we're super blessed. Hence, four and five in our 17 Miracles. We still have 55 at church, but Tuk and Nuch came! Two girls we're trying to set up with our boy Bro Nong who's taking us to some palace today so I gtg [got-to-go] pretty soon. 

Mission tour where I got to see a lot of my mission friends and my friend Elder Wilson of the 70 as well. I snuck in an interview with President on accident (hehe whoops!) and received many a great thing pertaining to the kingdom. He is pleased with our progress and I believe the Lord is as well. I also know that none of it could have happened if it were not for your prayers and fasts. I know you do because I FEEL the influence of unity. That's what our mission was shooting for: unity, making Brother Five the 100th baptism in our mission total of 109 with 65 people back to church - the equivalence of a ward here.

Miracles happen. Why? Because God is a God of Miracles and loves those who love Him enough to have faith in him. Thanks for everything. Keep up your gratitude books! I will work on mine. 

Love you all, 

Elder Gibbons

Thanksgiving in Thailand

Their cute decorated cleared-off Thanksgiving table.  :)

They sure have become great friends!!  "The King of Korat" - Elder Wilamas

Elder Wilamas and Elder Gibbons site-seeing on P-Day

A Temple somewhere near Ayutthaya??

Not sure if this is some kind of fruit shell???  It would be so nice to get descriptions with these photos!

Elder Wilamas and Elder Gibbons

Elder Gibbons and Elder Wilamas

Not sure why...but its a cute Monkey!  :)

Elder Wilamas playing some musical thing!!  Of course, Joseph would be ecstatic!! :)

Week 96 - Ayutthaya T14.W6 Two More Miracles!

Hello Family and Friends,

This week has been great with two baptisms down in our 17 Miracles! We also had 68 people at church - which was amazing seeing that we had 39 when I first came in. I feel your prayers and your thoughts.

At 5 in the morning on Sunday, we woke up to pouring rain. We knelt there in our beds and prayed for the rain to stop as we were going to have a baptism with many people who most likely wouldn't come if the rain was bad, like Sister Nupe who got baptized had to ride Brother Jamnong's three-wheeled motorcycle to come to church. It was very special to wake back up at 6:30 and see it had stopped. 

Sister Bah almost didn't come, but she did and got confirmed. I translated for that Sacrament meeting with the District President (like the Stake President) and actually cut him off on my way over to church (taught me a lesson for sure!).

I helped translate a piece we're playing for the Christmas program and even helped a girl come back to church by doing so. Ja was less-active until she came to an activity and found out I played the Viola. "I'll bring my violin to church tomorrow!" she said! That was 4 weeks ago and she’s been ever since and is now playing for the event. But there was one passage that was hard and she couldn't "shift up" or move your hand to a higher position. So I practiced with her and got a glimpse of her playing for Sister Sowards. She heard it in the high register and I saw a sneeky peek of her getting so excited. Ja caught my glance and smiled, knowing that we had accomplished that. Sister Phon also came back when I invited her to hear me sing. Now SHE has a part in the program. President Satid (the District Pres) actually acknowledged the both of them in Sacrament Meeting as coming back strong. The Work is great and it keeps coming. I love ya all and I'll leave you with a story my mom sent me about the 500 grateful things before I finish my mission I asked everyone to do. At least 50 before Thanksgiving!

“O Remember, Remember” Elder Henery B. Eyring, October 2007:

When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day. Let me tell you how that got started. I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.

He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.”

I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn’t have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.

I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened.

The years have gone by. My boys are grown men. And now and then one of them will surprise me by saying, “Dad, I was reading in my copy of the journal about when …” and then he will tell me about how reading of what happened long ago helped him notice something God had done in his day.

My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies. You may not keep a journal. You may not share whatever record you keep with those you love and serve. But you and they will be blessed as you remember what the Lord has done. You remember that song we sometimes sing: “Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”²

Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him. I testify that He loves us and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized. I know that is true, and it brings me joy to remember Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love ya'll and I'll be here all week! Another thing from my dad: 

“I find when we focus on what we have instead of what we don’t have that things go better and we are happy.” 

Love Elder Gibbons

Week 95 - Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya T14.W4 Bah's Baptism and much more!

Dear Family and Friends,

I'm so grateful for all of you, as that was the topic of my talk this Sunday in Sacrament meeting. I was so excited to hear that Anna spoke about the same thing! Oh how the Lord works!! He is ALL knowing and ALL powerful and ALL loving, as Elder Wilamas [one of his favorite former companions] is sitting on the chair next to me as I email this letter. He came down with his companion and we are going to see all the ancient temples (so I haven't a lot of time because we need to go and I put most of the good details with President Senior’s letter). I'm up to number 30 or something out of 500 (out of a sudden?? Who said that?)  Anyway, it was very powerful as we are plowing out the way to achieve our 17 Miracles and 70 at church. I'm praying for it and not giving the Lord a timetable - perhaps we are having so much success with 11 investigators at church in our district and 57 at church. When I came here, it was at 35+. Thank YOU for all your prayers and keep 'em coming as we need ALL the help we can get! 

I'll close by sharing you my President's email which contains "a greater fullness" of this week:

This week was great as we had a combined training, a service project in Ang Thong Province, a balanced district, and a baptism. Sister Bah (ปอ) has truly been a miracle. When I got to the area, I heard about a less active lady who was from the Isaan and so I called her and set up an appointment right then and there. Turns out, she only likes to speak Isaan a little because she's really from here, but she was impressed that we would take the time to write down when we were seeing her in our planners during that next appointment and began to trust us more. Then gradually her [12 year old] daughter Bah began to trust us as well, until they decided to set a [baptismal] date for the 17th. At the baptism however, her mom was stuck with work and little Bah began to cry and sob that her mom wasn't there on her special day. But relentlessly, she fought through tears and decided to do it. She also asked if I would baptize her. President Senior, the moment before she went into the water was the time I felt the Spirit the strongest in my entire mission (second only to the time I prayed to get an answer the way my investigator do in Samut Prakaan). We also cast the spirit out of that woman we talked about and it worked. Thank you for the advice as I'm kind of new at that stuff. I'm very grateful for all that's happening here (as that was the subject of my talk in Sacrament meeting). Service up in Ang Thong was great, as we served at the home of the Future Branch President's house. Building a roof is hard. I'll stick with building the Kingdom cuz I know how to do that better. The Lord prepares my path as I cry out unto Him daily and in many times, hourly. 

Thanks so much, President, and we love you. 

Elder Gibbons

 

 

Here are a few photos that Elder Wilamas sent me (he always "copies" me when he sends photos to Joseph...except when he writes, he writes in Thai so I don't have any idea what event these photos are from.)  But they ARE from Thailand!!  SO beautiful!!  :)

 

 

 

 

 

Week 94 - Ayutthaya: T14.W4 "100 DAY CHALLENGE​"

Hello everyone!

This week has been one of those that feels like a month because SOOO much was packed up in it. We got to visit some monuments and temples on Monday, and a good district meeting on Desperation on Tuesday. I called Elder Davies [a friend of his from High School who entered the MTC on the same day]  - who I don't know if you know or not that he is one of our assistants with Elder Creer, my first companion in the MTC - and he gave me permission to show a sick-awesome movie that's almost as inspirational as Mike Schlappi called "How bad do you want it?" about an ancient Greek philosopher re-told by one of my brothas in da hood, man. Here's the link if you're interested: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV0Ia-9zewg>.

Elder Worthington was our guest speaker as [I] had us all read his letter about doing what it takes to be desperately reliant on the Lord. English class was booming that night as well.

Wednesday we got rejected pretty hard from a member's referral but taught some of our peeps and homeys on the phone which made up of it. Tuk and Nuch are two younger ladies (I mean like 25-30 year olds) we're teaching and they are hilarious. I feel really weird turning my attention to seek out and invite pretty girls to learn, but we're really trying to boost up our YSA [Young Single Adult] population so that Borther Nong, who's like one of the coolest members here, can find a nice young lady. It's working as we're also trying to find nice stable young men for our other single sisters.

Thursday we took the 40-45 kilometer trip out of our Province of Ayutthaya to Ang Thong and saw our other dater, Sister Nube, who's a 60 year old woman who fights with her husband who used to be Buddhist then Christian and then Buddhist again... So we're glad to help them out. But who REALLY helps us our is Brother Jam-nong. He's this crazy short man with a few teeth missing who is one of the strongest members I've met in my life. Also one of the funniest. He gets to church on a three-wheeled cart that's hard to describe. There are two wheels in front that hang under a flat bed. He then sits on a long motorcycle seat in the back; he steers by grabbing the long bar in the back of the flat bed which gives the image of what would happen if you smashed together a horse and buggy and a pod racer [from "Star Wars"].

Friday we weekly planned after I got off the phone with Elder Wilamas, who helped me a lot. I'm glad he's so close in Lopburi. 

We're also teaching Mote and Poon still, but on Sunday I wasn't compassionate enough with Sister Mote and her husband, who is a great LDS man from England, gave me a talkin' to. I needed it, but it still shook me a bit, but we're just going to kind of let her come to US now instead of making appointments. 

Sister Bah is doing great except her mom wouldn't let her go to church for the full 3 hours. She's a great lady but she needs a lot of TLC (tender loving care)... Please pray that faith in Christ with fill her soul so that little Bah will be able to be baptized next week. Excited for that, but needs FAITH - next District Meeting's topic for sure. 

I encourage you all to pray to have your faith increased too as we are coming into the last days sooner than expected. I heard that a huge typhoon hit the Philippines. Is Elder Zach Johnson OK over there?? And Elder Nick Alvarez? Storms prowling over the seas is but a small part of the things we are to face in the near, I dare say, very near future. The scriptures don't say "if" but "when."  Helaman councils his sons to "remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" (Helaman 5:12, a favorite verse of my mother's). In my studies of the Doctrine and Covanants, I learn that prayer builds that faith to withstand the trials that await us. The Lord counseled Joseph Smith to "Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work....Behold, they have sought to destroy you; yea, even the man in whom you have trusted has sought to destroy you" (D&C 10:5-6).

But when we put our trust in the God that gave us life, then do the "hope for a better world" (Ether 12:4) flood into our lives and into our souls. May we all pray always and not faint under the pressures of this world is my prayer this week, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

P.S. From another quick email he sent me... HIS 100DAY CHALLENGE:

Mom,

I sent this to max, but I thinks I would like you to add it to the blog as a celebration for the last 100 days of My Best Two Years. I especially want McCrae and Mitch and Anna and Gramin to do this challenge with the family. Of course, I'd LOVE for you to do this with me as it will be the last activity we could do together on my mission.

Today, I have 100 days left. CRAZY!!! It's also Sister Madsen's birthday (she was of my best my "district leaders" in Kalasin), and my Dad's 34th anniversary of getting shot. A lot has happened today. But I'm going to go out with a last sha-bang - with my list of 500 things I'm grateful for. My mission President's wife was talking to one of her sons on Skype once for Christmas here and he was sad or complaining about something. Then he asked if they wanted any Christmas presents. She thought and then responded: "I want a list of 500 things you're grateful for." Surprised, he agreed. The next time they talked he had nothing but great things to say as he showed her the list in its completion. I challenge you to do it as well. If you start TODAY you'll have to get 5 a day, which is actually pretty hard for me, as ungrateful as I am. But I think it'll be something fun and worthwhile. 



Brother Nong, our BOOS member took some of these pics...Me at this last Transfer, getting picked up by Elder Watkins - who's the greatest ever.

This is Payapa Salad DEEP-FRIED! WAY to good to even begin to tell you...



This is our fantastic four: Elders Winsor, Watkins, yours truly (very truly after bing in Asia now for forever), and Elder Smith.

This is how I work out in the mornings.

The other half of our district... J

 

 

Week 93 - Ayutthaya: T14.W3 "ทำอะไรจ๊ะ​"

Dear Family and Friends,

I would like to begin by saying how grateful I am for my Savior. This week has been fantastic and hard as usual. But we have really been striving to plow ahead for our district vision that I had and that Elder Watkins really drilled home: 

17 Miracles means the seventeen convert baptisms needed to make our total membership from 133 to 150, thereby qualifying to be a ward in the next stake created in Thailand.

70 at Church will help us get the actual number of people here back up and give us a super-functional branch that could be a ward and support the future temple.

OFF (Operation Find Fan แฟน) is in full effect to find all the cute YSA people to come to church and find a fan (a boyfriend/girlfriend) - especially for Brother Nong, a sweet member who's pretty much the Bomb.com and taking us to go see cool stuff today pretty soon.

Some of those miracles have been emerging as our district is working smarter and more efficiently. This week we've been helping little Bah get ready for baptism. This week she prayed aloud to her Heavenly Father for the first time - tears rolled down my face to hear her sweet, fervent prayer. The next lesson, she volunteered to say the opening prayer and then she shared a scripture about faith with us. The tears came back. She also came to the activity we had for youth and made good friends with another investigator, Cake, whose a little sassafras. Elder Watkins also overheard Sister Bah invite Cake to her baptism on the 17th of this month. So sweet, and I think it made Cake a little jealous that SHE didn't yet have a baptism date hehe! Unfortunately Bah didn't come to church this week, but just to see the improvement from her mom being inactive to her teaching her daughter the Restoration without our asking is breathtaking when I think about it. THAT's why I love my Savior: He changes the things that seem impossible, and makes them a reality right before our eyes through the power of His Atonement. 

Speaking of His power, we have seen many more miracles happen. Old investigators have dates, members have been doing missionary work and finding those prepared for us to teach, and we've been seeing people waltz into church wanting to be baptized and change their lives. We found a family who was super receptive and came to an activity that the mission office couple, Elder and Sister Jones, put on for us. It was a tender mercy for me because I love them so much when I worked in the office and they are leaving this month. 

It seems as if all is going really well, right? Well, it is. We are just being blessed by the Lord in great abundance. I also got a DearElder letter from my mom (and if any one else would like to send one off to me that'd be great!! ;) ) with Elder Kaiden Worthington's experience of walking into the church and stepping through sewage buildup that flooded the church. He talked about giving it your all no matter what circumstances appear. What I really like was his focus on being desperate in GOOD circumstances. His mission president talked about the early missionaries who had nothing but the shirts on their backs and an occasional Book of Mormon in hand. They were desperately dependent on the Lord, Elder Worthington pointed out, and that it was because of the desperation that they relied on the Lord and saw miracles. They saw them because they relied on the grace of the Atonement. The Lord told Moroni: 

 

"My grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27).

Elder Worthington mentioned that sometimes we as missionaries forget to be desperately reliant on Him because we really don't need to in the way that they needed to of old because of our money we get monthly or our warm apartments (our I would change Elder Worthington's words here to our "air-conditioned apartments").



Joseph's cousin, Elder Worthington, (left) serving a mission in Yekaterinburg, Russia

 This week in district meeting I'm excited that we will have a great guest speaker who's a Zone Leader in Russia as I share some of Bates' experiences to fuel our expanding vision with humility and reliance on the Lord.

May we all allow the Lord take our weaknesses and make them our strengths is my prayer this week. Love ya all! Please pray for Bah and her mom and for Thailand to be filled with the Love of the Lord because there are rumors of unrest here. This world needs love. May we fill it with Charity - the love that never faileth!

Love Always,

Elder Gibbons

PS: Remember Ruamsap? The sweet little Grandma I baptized in Sisaket? She is now a member for a year today! She's as strong as ever and still love the missionaries. And Somsak, Ribbin and Biew? They hit their year mark the week before. Still strong as ever and even sent me cashews and flower treats that taste kinda like burnt ear wax... You'll love 'em someday... ;)



This is Bah!  :)



This is Sister Saaw, our Relief Society President, with Sister Bah and her mother Boo!





These are little geckos that are EVERYWHERE. I'm glad I didn't come here when I was little or I would be catching them always and not focusing on anything!!!  I think Eden Cope also said she loved to catch them too! [If you can't find the gecko...look on top of his ear!!]

I think this is his companion with a gecko friend!