Ties in Thailand: Into a new transfer...

Dear Mom,

We are going into a new transfer, with new experiences, a new district, new companion, but I'm still in Sakon Nakhorn so that's the same. What's also new is that I'm training a missionary straight out of the MTC, Elder Blad. I'm pretty pumped.

I'm so grateful for this new transfer. I'm very excited for the opportunity to train Elder Blad. He is so awesome. He has an amazing understanding of missionary work and a great desire to learn. I'm impressed by his courage to speak and open his mouth. He's willing to do anything. While he may be a little slow in the language and sometimes has a hard time understanding the language, which is expected, he's able to share very clear, and power thoughts. He is very humble and already a great missionary. It was very surprising and interesting to find out how similar in background we are. He's from Pocatello. He's half Taiwanese, and I feel like he is just like me when I was a greenie. I'm trying to give him plenty of opportunities to speak and teach whenever I can. Training like this is such a big change, one that I'm not entirely sure how to approach, but I feel like it's going to be great. We have all of the faith and resolve to help make Udorn a stake. We're going to focus on callings, priesthood holders, and visting/home teaching. We have set very high goals this transfer, but we know that the Lord is going to help us. This transfer is also only five weeks long because of Christmas. Christmas is almost already here, again. Oh how time flies by.

It is also interesting to hear that my last companion, Elder Noyce, is going to be going to my greenie area. I've told him a lot of stories from that area, and now he's there. It's a small world/mission.

I feel like I always have so much to learn from each of my companions. This transfer will possibly be the transfer I learn the absolute most.

As a district leader, trainer, and working with the ward the way we are, I feel like the Lord has put a lot of trust in me. I'm going to make sure I am accounting adequately to the Lord for the work we are doing as a district, companionship, and individually. I'm also excited to see what each new week holds. As I sat back this Sunday night and looked over everything we had going on and everyone we are looking after, I realized just how crazy it's looking. We have a lot of investigators we are working with as well as RC's/LA's.

There is so much going on! Also at transfers, it was announced that Sister missionaries will be coming to Sakon Nakhorn in the next two weeks. That'll be a huge, exciting change. The branch president was telling us how with more missionaries, the work will speed up even more and everyone is really excited for that. We had a period of rapid increase, then some decrease in terms of church attendance and baptisms, but we can all see that it's about time for another step in the right direction. Also at transfers, we received some new training. Each Stake/District has worked with the mission to put together a serious of special training videos to help us become better teachers, missionaries, and work with the member in each District more efficiently. It is a very new thing and an interesting idea. The training from our leaders can help us as we learn and figure out how to diligently apply it.

I was able meet up with my second trainer at transfer as well and a bunch of people that he's trained and people that they've trained. It was a great family reunion.