The Final Countdown

Dear Mom,

I am devastated to hear about Sis. McCuen. I'm at a loss for words. I am grateful for Heavenly Father's plan for us that gives us hope in even the darkest of circumstances. Let the McCuen's know they have many prayers in Thailand.

This is the last transfer, and I'm training another new missionary, straight out of the MTC. Elder Shipp is a great guy. Willing to work, and like all new missionaries, humble.

The past few days, I've been a bit sick and physically drained, but in no time at all I'll be back up to 100%. 

It was very exciting this past Sunday where four investigators were baptized into the church and another was confirmed in the second branch. Also, a new RC was called as the Relief Society Secretary. Things are looking up in Chiang Mai. As far as our branch, it still feels like there are a lot of obstacles to the work. We're going to work hard and see miracles, after I get to feeling a bit better.

Please know that I love you all and pray for you often.

Mosiah 28:7 "And the Lord said unto Mosiah: Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites."

Pictures:

1. Elder Shipp says the food is very spicy.

2. A few baptisms in the second branch! Three of them are a family who had been coming to church for several years. They had been investigators for over 5 years, but weren't able to overcome all of the obstacles they had until now. The Lord really does have His timing.

-- 

ขอแสดงความนับถือ,                                           Sincerely,

เอ็ลเดอร์ ซัน                                                        Elder Sun

ผู้สอนศาสนา                                                                 Missionary 

ศาสนจักรของพระเยซูคริสต์แห่งวิสุทธิชนยุคสุดท้าย         The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

คณะเผยแผ่ กรุงเทพฯ, ประเทศไทย                                   Bangkok, Thailand Mission

derrikk.sun@myldsmail.net 

We Really are Instruments

We Really are Instruments

We Really are Instruments

We Really are Instruments

We Really are Instruments

Dear Mom,

Just as a surgeon uses fine tools in operations and trusts that those tools will work right, the Lord uses and trusts each of us in His work. The Lord love us and trusts us, but it is up to us on how much we will trust and love Him. We may not know how much we can do, but He does, and without Him, we really can't do anything.

The time in Chiang Mai this past transfer has been full of great experiences. I feel so blessed to be a missionary. Chiang Mai definitely has its challenges and we're working on figuring out how the Lord wants us to work. The Branch and the Lord have big plans for this area. This coming up transfer will be my last, and I'm going to try to make it the best by working my hardest at being a balanced missionary. Transfers is this Thursday, we'll see what changes are in store!!

I'd say the most important thing I've learned this past transfer cycle is to truly learn to find joy in the journey, no matter how things work out. To not let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. No matter how large of distance we may have to go or what we may have to do, we can always choose how we respond. We can choose to trust in and follow the Lord.

Chiang Mai has been hard this past transfer. Earlier this week, I had a feeling like our district of missionaries were crumbling down around me and we were feeling very humbled. Everyone had felt that Chiang Mai was being especially difficult. I can distinctively remember a follow-up call I had where the Sisters mentioned how discouraged they felt and lack of success they've seen that they felt like they wanted to cry. I really didn't know what to do. I felt like we were being tested and challenged and tried to a breaking point. I prayed in my heart during that call and promised them blessings and shared a scripture. I told them to keep doing what they knew was right, "Keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing." and the next day the Lord would do wonders among them. A few days later, we had a family call us and tell us they wanted to change religions and wanted to learn. They lived in the Sister's area and right after the Sisters had met with them that day, another couple walked in and wanted to learn and they all went to church this past Sunday. The Sisters were so, so happy and called us more than once to thank us and express their gratitude for the blessings the Lord gave them. I felt like I really was an instrument in the Lord's hands and the promise that I felt prompted to tell them was fulfilled because He really is in this work and He really is aware of all we do. The Lord has his timing, and it's wonderful. I feel like it is times like these that make me marvel at and feel appreciative towards our Heavenly Father. No matter how we may feel or what we may experience, He will never leave us and we'll never be alone. He knows and loves us.

Because we're imperfect, we often have a tendency to look past the good and the blessings God has given us and see only the bad. It's easy to be caught up in what's wrong or hard, but it's so much better to be caught up in the good/happy things. Also remember to keep loving, believing, and trusting.

Mosiah 27:36 "And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer."

Also, since the start of the transfer, our English class has quadrupled in size.

Today we woke up at 4am to see the sunrise, ate a $4 all you can eat breakfast buffet, slept with some tigers, and went to a waterfall.

ขอแสดงความนับถือ,                                           Sincerely,

เอ็ลเดอร์ ซัน                                                        Elder Sun

ผู้สอนศาสนา                                                                 Missionary 

ศาสนจักรของพระเยซูคริสต์แห่งวิสุทธิชนยุคสุดท้าย         The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

คณะเผยแผ่ กรุงเทพฯ, ประเทศไทย                                   Bangkok, Thailand Mission

derrikk.sun@myldsmail.net

As the days go by...

Dear Mom,

There have been so many great large and small miracles this past week. We had a baptism on Sunday. It was the first baptism that my companion has had on his mission and the first baptism our branch has had in three months. At the baptism, the investigator shared how she learned and progressed in the Gospel. At first, she just came to learn English and had no desire to learn religion. She had actually first learned with two sister missionaries several months ago, but since then, hadn't learned again. She learned and progressed a little at a time until the point where she wanted to be baptized, but her parents wouldn't agree to it. We visited her family, and now her parents are a lot nicer towards the church. She shared her testimony that she knew that her prayers had been answered and that Heavenly Father had softened the heart of her family. She also brought her brother to her baptism. Her parents didn't come, but we're still working with them. They are super nice people.

One of the greatest highlights this week has been able to work with members in visiting, finding, and teaching. On Monday, we did FHE at an awesome family with an investigator we invited, Tuesday we taught a new investigator where a member shared a super power, personal testimony of the love of the Savior.Wednesday, we went and visited an RC/LA who introduced us to a friend who she encouraged to meet with the missionaries and learn English. That evening, we also visited the family of an investigator who wanted to be baptized, but whose family was firm believers of Buddhism. The member who went with us played a huge role in helping open their parent's hearts. On Thursday we had two members drive us out to visit the house of another family of investigators where we ate dinner and taught a short lesson. On Friday, we visited another awesome family of four who were members. We were going to just stop by and say hi, but they invited us in, fed us pizza, and you could really feel the Spirit in their home.

On Saturday, we had a movie night activity where were watched the Joseph Smith story, Finding Faith in Christ, John Tanner, and Wilford Woodruff. We got a lot of great feedback and had many LAs and investigators so up. It was so great! We also made homemade popcorn for the activity. It was quite the cooking experience popping popcorn in a little pot in the Zone Leader's house.

We also had zone training this past week where we talked about finding investigators and service. The most powerful message there was about love. The love of giving freely. I couldn't keep from crying and all during the first half of the training, I don't think I could even say anything because of how chocked up I was. As we discussed and watched videos about this love, I kept thinking about all of the great experience I've had and people that have been great examples to me. I thought about all of my mission companions, mission leaders, family members, friends, and others. It was a super powerful training and I've attached a short video that came out in Thailand awhile ago that they showed. I had first seen in a long time ago, and I remember the first time I saw it, I was impressed by it, too.

I'll keep it short this week, but looking back, I realize that the work really is full of miracles. The Lord knows how hard we work and He is leading it.

Pictures:

1.Baptism!

2.Giving is the best communication video.

-- 

ขอแสดงความนับถือ,                                           Sincerely,

เอ็ลเดอร์ ซัน                                                        Elder Sun

ผู้สอนศาสนา                                                                 Missionary 

ศาสนจักรของพระเยซูคริสต์แห่งวิสุทธิชนยุคสุดท้าย         The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

คณะเผยแผ่ กรุงเทพฯ, ประเทศไทย                                   Bangkok, Thailand Mission

derrikk.sun@myldsmail.net 

When life flashes before your eyes...

About the love of Christ:

https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/his-grace/from-gang-member-to-good-man

Soo good!

When life flashes before your eyes...

This past week, we've been keeping ourselves busy out in San Sai. We still bike a lot. Its been hot, but sometimes it rains. I'm still continuing to learn the area and we're still trying to work hard and smart. It feels like this transfer has been rushing by and the various experiences I've had on my mission thus far keep flashing back to me. This morning, we visited a waterfall which was a bit slick. I slid and almost fell and during that moment, it like my whole mission flashed before my eyes. Luckily I didn't fall and we kept moving, which is what we're doing here in San Sai. It's a very challenging area and sometimes it feels like we slip at times, but we also catch ourselves or if we do fall, we allow Christ to lift us back up so we can keep moving.

One thing I've learned on my mission is that we cannot do it alone. We really can't do very much, especially His work, if we try to do it alone, without our companion, the members, or the Lord. We need Him in every aspect of our lives. I loved the article in the most recent Liahona "Only with the Help of God". It is only with the help of God that we can accomplish true miracles in our lives and in the lives of others. It's only with His help that we can find true happiness and find the strength to overcome the obstacles that we face everyday. I find that every time I think of Him and of Jesus Christ's Atonement, I'm honestly filled with a sense of peace and the assurance that everything will work out for our good. I'm thankful for the Gospel and the opportunity to take this message to all of God's children.

We're very excited for a few of our investigators who have been making slow, but steady progress. One of which, Sister Faang, told us that she would be baptized this coming up week. It kind of took us by surprise, but we've seen how much she's changed and how far she's come. She believes that God lives, the Book of Mormon is true, and that Christ really did Atone for us. However, she is faced with the big obstacle of her family not supporting her in her decision to follow Christ. It's a hard obstacle to meet for a lot of people, especially since family is such an important thing in our lives. She has the desire to return to live with God with her family, but wants her family to accept it as well.

Despite many trials, we've also seen many blessings. We've been able to see many less-active members begin to return and have a desire to help build the Lord's kingdom as well as a few good investigators that we are continuing to hold onto. The single best thing to help others is to help them feel the Spirit, feel of the love of God. That is the single most powerful thing that can change our hearts.

The Lord will help us, enable us, guide us, teach us, and walk beside us as we do all we can.

Pictures: 

1) It's a rainbow!

2) The highest point in Thailand!

Chiang Mai - Out in Sunny Side

Dear Mom,

This past week has been full of great experiences. when I first got here, I thought everyone was actually saying Sunny Side or Sun Side, but I quickly learned that it is actually called San Sai. It means sandy ridge.

We've had some great miracles and trials in the work in the past week. We've been facing a lot of good trials and have had a lot of good experiences to learn and grow. We've seen the Lord helping us a lot. Our first week we felt very good like we were doing good work and seeing results. This past week, we've been tried a bit and have faced several obstacles, but we are still trying to keep up our faith and enthusiasm.

Being able to talk to the branch leaders and district leaders some more, it seems like the big vision is to form a Stake (in the distant future), but in order to do that it we need another branch in Chiang Mai and then some wards. We sat down with the Elder's Quorum President and we're on track. There are less active members starting to come back and a few a good investigators and Recent Converts who can progress and get the Melchizedek Priesthood.

This past week, we've had two investigators really impress us. Sister Faang didn't know anything about Christianity before, was taught twice by the missionaries in the past, but never made much progress. She stopped coming to church and the missionaries never had much chance to teach her. These past weeks we've been able to meet her regularly, she's picked up her scripture reading, and has come to church every Sunday. She told us she wouldn't be able to come to church this past Sunday, but then she called us on Saturdayand said that she decided to come to church instead of going out with her family. It's cool that she chose to come to church, but a little sad for her family, but she seems much, much more willing to act than before. She regularly comes to our English class and has been coming to the regular Family Home Evening activities as well.

As I approach the end of my mission, things seem to be speeding up. There's no time to wait. Just like what Jacob says, it's time to prune and dig the vineyard one last time so give it your all and work with all diligence because soon it'll be time to gather the fruit and when we see all that has been done, we will have joy.

Alma 27:27 "And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end." -We need zeal!

The picture of the hedgehog is actually a porcupine. It was drawn by the greenie who is unofficial my daughter because her trainer or mom is the other sister missionary in our branch. Also because I haven't changed my hairstyle.

-- 

ขอแสดงความนับถือ,                                           Sincerely,

เอ็ลเดอร์ ซัน                                                        Elder Sun

ผู้สอนศาสนา                                                                 Missionary 

ศาสนจักรของพระเยซูคริสต์แห่งวิสุทธิชนยุคสุดท้าย         The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

คณะเผยแผ่ กรุงเทพฯ, ประเทศไทย                                   Bangkok, Thailand Mission

derrikk.sun@myldsmail.net