Week 102: I am Iron Man

This week was pretty good. The Laos elders spent most of the week here in Nongkhai and it was a blast. They spent a good amount of time contacting and finding new investigators and it was fun to have them around.

Both of them served in San Sai after I was there and we reminisced together about that area. Apparently Brother Jackie's doing well and prepares the sacrament every week. LA Brother Pii (Week 63) is fully active and attending all three hours of church, and is preparing to receive the Melchizedek priesthood. And then some potential I had contacted told me to call him back in a month, so I put it in the calendar to call him. Then I left, and Elder Cheney called him. He became a way solid investigator and very nearly got baptized before moving to Bangkok and they lost contact with him (but the foundation is there!). It's nice to see some things that I did in Chiang Mai had lasting influence.

We taught a few investigators and some LAs. One thing that strikes me about less-active members is that their testimony is often not very far away. For the large majority, it doesn't take long to help them recall the feelings they once had contrasted with how they feel now. I just don't see how a fairytale could make such a deep, lasting impact on people.

We met a new investigator who is interested in learning about Christianity. He's actually learning with the Jehovah's Witnesses right now too, which is interesting. The other day we went to our appointment at 3:00 and as we walked up we saw that he had just gotten out of a lesson with them as well. He told us as we sat down that he'd almost gotten in a fight with them just then because of some of their beliefs, like the limit on how many people can get into heaven and some other things (I'm not trying to bash on the Jehovah's Witness or anything though). But we suggested some points of doctrine as they were restored and he seemed a lot more pleased with them. At the end of the lesson, we challenged him to ask God what He would have him do, and watched it click in his mind "Yeah, if I want to follow God, it makes sense that I should ask Him how I should do it." I love that we can promise that: ask and ye shall receive. So we'll keep helping him along.

I'm getting a little short on time, got to go! Thank you all for your support!

Elder Parish

1-2: With a little sacrificed sleep and journal writing time, and a lot of biking to find appropriate materials, I finally fulfilled my dream of making a wearable arc reactor. Just in time for the branch party. Happy Halloween!

3: In process.

4: We had some monks show up to English class. And one of them wants to learn about Christianity!