Week 46: Transfers and Pan

Transfers was this past week! It brought several curveballs:

I am staying in Buriram. But, we got two more elders (very much needed). Beyond that, I am now senior companion and District Leader. I didn't see that coming. I also learned a bit about the area: Buriram is a ward that it part of the Ubon stake that was formed recently. Buriram has been falling apart for a while now, to the point where it is about to become a branch again. If that happens, the Ubon Stake is dissolved, which could potentially slow temple production and make it harder to establish stakes in the future. So we've got to do something quickly. There are a lot of components in the ward that don't function properly yet, so we'll be trying to iron those out. If you have any advice on how to work with ward leaders and fix the organization here, I'm all ears.

Elder Dunnaway was called to serve in Burma for the remainder of his mission. We were in the MTC at the same time, and we were also in the same district back in Ayuttaya. So he's there now, thus fulfilling the trend of people who served in Ayuttaya going to Laos or Berma (mentioned in week 28). There's a bit of a story there: At the last zone conference, Elder Dunnaway mentioned to president that he wouldn't mind serving in Berma. President Johnson gave him a small smile and said "That's good to know." Transfers comes and Elder Dunnaway gets assigned to go to Berma. It turns out that President Johnson had already decided that he was going to call Elder Dunnaway there before he'd said anything. The spirit's cool that way.

A lot of time this week was spent preparing for, travelling to and from, and adjusting to transfers. So, not a ton on the teaching investigators front. I did meet one woman, Sister Pan, Saturday night. I invited her to church, and she went. We taught her a lesson, and she's very interested. She mentioned how she's been learning about a lot of different religions, trying to find the one for her. She said that she felt like she'd made the right choice going to church, and that this is what she's been looking for. She even asked if she could go inviting with us to find more people and share this feeling that she had.

I don't have a lot of time today. Thank you all!
Elder Parish

1 & 2: Some street artists doing their thing.