Feb 15 2010
Dearest Family,
I hope that all is well back in Utah and in other parts of the states. It's so ironic to think that you have snow and that Sonja is in record snow conditions. Here in Thailand it's just starting to heat up. This week was really hot. I never thought I would feel hot in February but here it is - the middle of February and quite hot! But it's been a good, if not great week so far. Despite the heat, we had some good times this week and enjoyed ourselves up here in Nong Khai.
I gave my first talk in sacrament meeting yesterday. I gave it in Thai on the atonement of Christ. It was about 17 minutes. I hadn't planned on speaking nearly that long but then we found out the morning of that the counselor in the branch presidency (we only have one counselor, his name is Brother Egg) was unable to make it to Church. So Elder Peterson said if I had more to say to go ahead and say it. So I went for it, without realizing it. Thus, Elder Peterson only had to talk for about 10-12 minutes at the end of the meeting. It was a fun experience. Definitely a bit stressful because it was in Thai but I really enjoyed it.
I mostly shared scriptures and talked about what the atonement means to us. I read from the Thai Bible (which as it turns out, sounds really pretty) and the Book of Mormon. Here's a funny side note about that - I was about to quote my first scripture (Jacob 4:11) when a sister in the congregation called out and asked to repeat the reference and say what it was about. It was a bit odd since whenever anyone else quotes scriptures they don't really seem to notice but they were intent on finding out where the scripture was. It was funny coming from this Sister also, Sister Oy. Anyway, that was a funny side note that made me laugh. Everyone seemed so stressed out to find out where the scripture was and what it was about.
I think most of the fish we eat here is from the Mekong River. I really wish that everyone could try something called plaa phaw (which means burnt fish). It's just a whole fish with spices and salt on the outside. You eat it with sticky rice and a nice spicy sauce. I actually didn't like fish before Thailand but plaa phaw opened a whole new world of fish. It's delicious.
Here in Nong Khai, most of the members are fairly average Thais as far as how well off they are. Most live in pretty modest, middle class living but then we have a few that are really well off (a car is a sign of wealth) and those who are a little poorer. Basically, Thailand living circumstances are simple. Thailand is second world but has most of the comforts of the first world. Like I have said in the past, Thailand feels like a different world where the modern and ancient collide. Many times I feel like I am in the 1950s while other times I feel like I am in these modern days. Thais don't really live super complex lives to me it seems. Especially out here in the Isaan, they really live simply. It's interesting to see how people will get out their mats and sit on the ground and eat rice together with their hands. Or sit on the ground to peel papaya for somtum.
Thailand is full of specialized labor too. One member in our branch sells chicken blood, like I have said before. You see tailors, cobblers, and all kinds of people who work in very specific trades. There are lots of repairmen. Lots of people work in the food industry too. But, the thing that I have noticed is that in reality, we are all really just so similar. We all have the same needs and wants, desires, hopes and dreams. And at Church, we kind of put off the outward appearance and wear the countenance of Christ. I love that. Of course, members are people and aren't perfect but at Church we learn together to grow and expand towards God. Church trains us for Zion. We realize that we're all different but that we somehow need each other deeply and intimately. Despite the fact that we might not all get along, we can learn to love one another at Church. We're all in this together really. Life is difficult but when we come to Church and embrace one another's burdens, we feel the love of God. We feel our souls growing knit together in love.
We are still working hard to find investigators. While it's been a bit of a struggle, I remember what Elder Olinger once said to me after a long day of inviting (that's what we call contacting/tracting here in Thailand. It's a much better title!). He said "Well... maybe there was something else we were supposed to learn today." I often ponder on that as we ride our bikes around or walk down the street. What lessons am I learning today? What should I be saying or doing today? That's so often the way life works. Sometimes we have the greatest plans, and they don't work out. But when that happens, what were we supposed to be learning that day? God has a plan. He knows what his children really need. And what we really need is wrapped in a lifetime of lessons. Each day is a lesson, as long as we look for it.And good things happen still!
Jiab is doing well. She is gaining more faith and expressed that in our last lesson with her. Her prayers reflect the language of faith. She has a testimony; she just needs to realize it now. We continue to work with her and getting her ready to covenant with God. Also, Yo and Jid are doing really well. Jid really loves the scriptures. She was talking about reading them and how they apply to our lives. I see glimmers of faith in her eyes. Yo is also doing well but shows his emotions less. With all three of these people, I have come to see faith like a seed. Growth of a seed is slow and steady and at first almost imperceptible. Then we look back and see where they have come from. The faith then yields fruit which is typically good fruit. I love that. I love seeing the fruits of our labors in the small almost imperceptible ways. I know that God is watching over us and that he cares for us as we try to help sprout that faith.
This week will be Zone Conference which should be good. I guess there is a possibility that I could be moving after this moves. Only time will tell.
Besides that, I don't know that I have much else. I'm healthy, happy and loving Thailand! It's such a blessing to be here and I feel so grateful to be a part of God's work. Like I said, I learn lessons everyday and love it. So many can't be communicated in words, they are more like feelings. I love you all so much and know that our family can be together forever! Please keep doing that which you know to be right and pray for opportunities to share the light of Christ with those around you! I love you all and pray for you daily.
Elder Jacob Newman
Monday, February 15, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Love and Christ
2/08/2010
Dearest Family!
Greetings and salutations from the land of smiles! All continues to go well as the hot season approaches and we are enjoying Nong Khai. It's been a pretty good week. A bit fast and it's all a bit of a blur but it's been going really well.
It's crazy to think that in four days I will hit my 6th month mark in country! Being in Thailand is really such an experience. I feel I have learned so much but it has gone too fast! It's crazy, it's like a whirlwind. As Nicole said, you have two years to serve the Lord and the rest of your life to think about it. I thought about that this last week as I reflected on how fast it has gone. I feel so blessed to be here in Thailand at this time and to see wonderful things happening everyday. Granted, it's hot and there are lots of challenges, but that's where the fun comes in, right? Thailand is a magical place. I know I say that every week but I think about it so often here.
Thailand is full of temples. I am always surprised how many wads we see around here. Even in the middle of nowhere you will see wads that are ornately decorated with gold and unique Thai design. The other day we were riding past one and they started ringing their bells. I don't understand much of the Buddhist culture but it is beautiful and something that I really love about Thailand.
Nong Khai is pretty small and so most of our investigators right now have come through referrals. The branch here is built from referrals. They are the way missionary work works! When we introduce our friends to the gospel, it's the way that they come to see the sweet fruits of it. This branch is built from referrals from Mae Khlong (Mother Fluent) who is now living in Orem running a Thai restaurant called Thai Chili Garden. The owner, Brother Sitiwong, just returned from a trip to America. He speaks English very well and has quite a nice house in Nong Khai. He gave us a referral this week that we have been teaching named Taengthai (Cucumber). She is young but pretty interested. I love seeing the members share the gospel. It's really amazing to see how something that we take for granted like prayer is such a new and exciting concept to others. Teaching prayer to Thai people is one of my favorite things. I feel that prayer has real power.
I feel so blessed to be here in Thailand! It's way hot but I love it! I wish I could express my love for this place enough really. I have come to see these people as my brothers and sisters. I can't speak their language as well as I would like to but I love them so much! I love the beauty of their language, their smiles, their traditions. I think that as a missionary in Thailand I have come to see how as children of God, we really aren't all that different. Sure I am Christian and most of Thailand is Buddhist, they have darker skin and I am really white, but I have seen that we all have the same needs, the same desires. We love our families just the same. I love that. And that's the greatest lesson I have learned in my time here.
Anyway. Our investigators and other news! This week we did a lot of elimination of our old investigators. Pretty much we are down to our three main ones- Jiab, and Yo/Jid. Jiab is doing pretty well. She is searching for that spiritual witness. I don't know exactly how to help her gain it. I feel like she has a desire to do it but yet it is hard to see how to help her. I don't think for me it was necessarily an event that helped me understand that the Gospel was true but rather a journey. I think she, like many of us, is on that journey. She sees the positive change in her husband and wants that change to help their family. With her, I have pondered about how family prayer can be a blessing to families. I encourage everyone to pray as a family morning and night! It will strengthen us in times of trials and keep us closer as families. I know that it is a blessing to us all.
Yo and Jid are doing well but still also lack that spiritual witness. They see the good things but want to be more sure. We taught with Brother Sitiwong this week who they really look to as an authority for religious belief. It was great. In Thailand, the members CARRY the missionary work forward and I know that as they continue to step up and take their roles, they will see miracles in Thailand. They, as converts, carry the spirit so strongly. I have seen that here and I have seen that in Bangkapi. Thai people can really teach the gospel so well and in such a way that is understandable to Thai people. I love that there are so many Thai elders and sisters in the mission to help us press the work forward. They are such a valuable asset! I hope that one day they can just have zone conferences and everything in Thai because they are the bulk of the missionaries! One day!
As for other work this week, I feel that our visits to less actives and recent converts went well. I love seeing the strength of the recent converts here in Nong Khai. They are firmly rooted in the gospel and have testimonies that are anchored in Jesus Christ. I have realized that we must anchor our testimonies in Christ and in His teachings. As we do this, come what may, we will have the happiness that Christ has promised us. Bind ourselves to Christ and never let go. He is the Redeemer and He will help us. As we record our spiritual impressions and ponder upon him, I know that we will look back and see miracles. Everyday there are miracles, we just fail to look for them. Looking back, I have seen miracles in Thailand. Everyday! Whether it be as simple as understanding a conversation or the joy of finding someone who will listen to our message, miracles are all around us.
I don't know if I ever told you all how much I love you. I have gained such an appreciation for everything you have done for me. Every one of you is a blessing to me and I know that you are truly angels in my life. There are people who come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn and I feel that my siblings, my nieces and nephews, the extended family and my Thai brothers and sisters and my friends, the extended family of God are all blessings in my life.
I love you all. Always have Faith in Christ!
Love,
Elder Jacob Newman
Dearest Family!
Greetings and salutations from the land of smiles! All continues to go well as the hot season approaches and we are enjoying Nong Khai. It's been a pretty good week. A bit fast and it's all a bit of a blur but it's been going really well.
It's crazy to think that in four days I will hit my 6th month mark in country! Being in Thailand is really such an experience. I feel I have learned so much but it has gone too fast! It's crazy, it's like a whirlwind. As Nicole said, you have two years to serve the Lord and the rest of your life to think about it. I thought about that this last week as I reflected on how fast it has gone. I feel so blessed to be here in Thailand at this time and to see wonderful things happening everyday. Granted, it's hot and there are lots of challenges, but that's where the fun comes in, right? Thailand is a magical place. I know I say that every week but I think about it so often here.
Thailand is full of temples. I am always surprised how many wads we see around here. Even in the middle of nowhere you will see wads that are ornately decorated with gold and unique Thai design. The other day we were riding past one and they started ringing their bells. I don't understand much of the Buddhist culture but it is beautiful and something that I really love about Thailand.
Nong Khai is pretty small and so most of our investigators right now have come through referrals. The branch here is built from referrals. They are the way missionary work works! When we introduce our friends to the gospel, it's the way that they come to see the sweet fruits of it. This branch is built from referrals from Mae Khlong (Mother Fluent) who is now living in Orem running a Thai restaurant called Thai Chili Garden. The owner, Brother Sitiwong, just returned from a trip to America. He speaks English very well and has quite a nice house in Nong Khai. He gave us a referral this week that we have been teaching named Taengthai (Cucumber). She is young but pretty interested. I love seeing the members share the gospel. It's really amazing to see how something that we take for granted like prayer is such a new and exciting concept to others. Teaching prayer to Thai people is one of my favorite things. I feel that prayer has real power.
I feel so blessed to be here in Thailand! It's way hot but I love it! I wish I could express my love for this place enough really. I have come to see these people as my brothers and sisters. I can't speak their language as well as I would like to but I love them so much! I love the beauty of their language, their smiles, their traditions. I think that as a missionary in Thailand I have come to see how as children of God, we really aren't all that different. Sure I am Christian and most of Thailand is Buddhist, they have darker skin and I am really white, but I have seen that we all have the same needs, the same desires. We love our families just the same. I love that. And that's the greatest lesson I have learned in my time here.
Anyway. Our investigators and other news! This week we did a lot of elimination of our old investigators. Pretty much we are down to our three main ones- Jiab, and Yo/Jid. Jiab is doing pretty well. She is searching for that spiritual witness. I don't know exactly how to help her gain it. I feel like she has a desire to do it but yet it is hard to see how to help her. I don't think for me it was necessarily an event that helped me understand that the Gospel was true but rather a journey. I think she, like many of us, is on that journey. She sees the positive change in her husband and wants that change to help their family. With her, I have pondered about how family prayer can be a blessing to families. I encourage everyone to pray as a family morning and night! It will strengthen us in times of trials and keep us closer as families. I know that it is a blessing to us all.
Yo and Jid are doing well but still also lack that spiritual witness. They see the good things but want to be more sure. We taught with Brother Sitiwong this week who they really look to as an authority for religious belief. It was great. In Thailand, the members CARRY the missionary work forward and I know that as they continue to step up and take their roles, they will see miracles in Thailand. They, as converts, carry the spirit so strongly. I have seen that here and I have seen that in Bangkapi. Thai people can really teach the gospel so well and in such a way that is understandable to Thai people. I love that there are so many Thai elders and sisters in the mission to help us press the work forward. They are such a valuable asset! I hope that one day they can just have zone conferences and everything in Thai because they are the bulk of the missionaries! One day!
As for other work this week, I feel that our visits to less actives and recent converts went well. I love seeing the strength of the recent converts here in Nong Khai. They are firmly rooted in the gospel and have testimonies that are anchored in Jesus Christ. I have realized that we must anchor our testimonies in Christ and in His teachings. As we do this, come what may, we will have the happiness that Christ has promised us. Bind ourselves to Christ and never let go. He is the Redeemer and He will help us. As we record our spiritual impressions and ponder upon him, I know that we will look back and see miracles. Everyday there are miracles, we just fail to look for them. Looking back, I have seen miracles in Thailand. Everyday! Whether it be as simple as understanding a conversation or the joy of finding someone who will listen to our message, miracles are all around us.
I don't know if I ever told you all how much I love you. I have gained such an appreciation for everything you have done for me. Every one of you is a blessing to me and I know that you are truly angels in my life. There are people who come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn and I feel that my siblings, my nieces and nephews, the extended family and my Thai brothers and sisters and my friends, the extended family of God are all blessings in my life.
I love you all. Always have Faith in Christ!
Love,
Elder Jacob Newman
Monday, February 1, 2010
To Bangkok and Back Again
2/1/2010
Dearest Family,
This week was a bit crazy. We started out Monday with a good P-day. Then we ended up having a meal at the house of a member family. But we first went to see a referral from another member with the other two elders. It was a great lesson that was definitely worth being there for. They are a referral from Mae (mother) Chuay (help). It is Mae Daeng (red) and Phaw Tia (short). They came to church three weeks ago with Sister Chuay and really enjoyed it. They have read a lot in the Book of Mormon actually. They have a young son and about a 20 year-old daughter. The other Elders technically teach them but we were able to join in on this lesson. Mae Daeng asked the question, "Why is there suffering in this life and how can we obtain comfort in this life for our family?" We briefly talked about how the Savior Jesus Christ knows of our sufferings and how the gospel will bring us comfort in our times of trial. Our families will be stronger and our lives, while still not perfect, will have a solid foundation. I really pondered on that lesson this week.
As we sat in their home I reflected on the humble circumstances we were in. Their house is one they built with their own hands. It's slightly in the open air with an outdoor kitchen, like many houses around here. They live a simple life. Thai people really don't ask much, they live with what they have. As I reflected on this, I felt touched to know that the Gospel can and will be such a blessing in their lives. They are very receptive and showed up to Church a half hour early this last week. While I am not the one that is actually teaching them, I was impressed by this event and really pondered on it throughout the week.
The dinner with the family of Sister Bon, Brother Therdsack, Sister Aew, Sister Phraew and then two other members Sisters Priaw and Jane was fun. We had, oddly enough, spaghetti and fried chicken with sticky rice along with pineapple (delicious) and oranges. Aew was baptized first and then the parents Bon and Therdsack followed. They are a rock of a family and really keep the branch moving. They asked Elder D to share a verse since they knew that he would be moving. He shared a good verse about the progression/ change that will be happening in Nong Khai with Thais holding the position of branch president. It was a good time and reminded me of how wonderful the branch up here in Nong Khai is with its strong members who are eager and willing to serve the Lord.
I think I mentioned that we were heading to moves meeting in Bang Khen this week. This was my first time riding the train down to Bangkok. Wow! That was an adventure. Since Elder D. was moving, the branch came to see him off at the station (a tradition for those who are in the Isaan/up North). We left around 5:30 p.m. Then the ride to the Rangsit train station in Bangkok began. The train is an adventure. There are so many people on it and lots of commotion. This time I slept on the top bunk, since they have two bunks that pull out. Turns out, the top bunk is not really comfortable at all so I may have gotten less than 4 hours of sleep. But then we arrived in Bangkok and met everyone who was going to moves meeting. My MTC group pretty much all came since almost all of us are in the Isaan/up north with a few exceptions-- namely Elder Fowles, Sister Larsen, Sister Young (who is actually now in Udorn which is about an hour away from here), and Elder Harris. Pretty much everyone else is outside of Bangkok. It was fun to see how all of them are doing in their various parts of the country. Everyplace is so different in its own special way.
Anyway, we then got on these things called songthaews to go to moves meeting. We arrived, exhausted. I played the piano and then we had a short training. It was the smallest moves meeting ever since it was only those who had to come. In the past, everyone from Bangkok came. This time only those moving or renewing visas came. Anyway, then we heard about moves and Elder Chiu (who is our new district leader and hence went Phii for the first time) got his new companion who is.... Elder Crowley from my group! It's fun to have him up here and he is way great. Anyway, after that we ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant and eventually got back to the train station after a few other things and headed back to Nong Khai. I slept much better this time on a bottom bunk. We go back on Friday, exhausted. It was a bit of an adventure for sure.
Thai food continues to be delicious. I tried Yum for the first time. It's a Thai spicy salad. I would recommend looking into it, if possible. Thai food is really so great- and eating rice everyday - heaven on earth.
As for other happenings this week, we managed to see Jiab. She is doing well but still lacks the spiritual witness. I will be praying extra hard for her on that. She understands so well and sees positive things since she has started learning but she lacks that spiritual confirmation. We are going to keep working with her. She's a very dedicated person and so I know it will come as she has the desire to seek God. We didn't get to see Yo or Jid but they came to Church this week. This week we are really focusing on finding new investigators since our pool has run a little dry lately. We are praying that we will find people who we are able to teach. This Sunday we actually got two referrals from members- one came to Church with a possible branch president candidate, Brother Sitiwong and the other is a family from a Sister.
In all, the week was really great. Thailand! Oh what a place in my heart it's earning every day. From the variety and contrast to the people, I cannot really get over the beauty and wonder of Thailand. And while missionary work is definitely very challenging here, we do see real changes in real people. I love to see that everyday. I love to see the way that we can become sons and daughters of Christ through His atonement. As Jack Christenson says we then have two Fathers- our Savior and our Father in Heaven- as we come unto Christ. Missionary work is very worthwhile. Come rain, come heat, come discouragement, it's all really worth it. We are reminded of that as we put forth our efforts and get out there and get to work! I know that the Gospel can change people for the better. I know that as we exercise faith in Christ, pressing forward with steadfastness in Him, we will see miracles in our lives.
If I could give any advice to anyone who wants to be a missionary, I would suggest the following: Learn how to love people. It's the only way. Missionary work is all about love and patience. You are going to meet people who reject you, who question your motives or who just aren't ready yet, but missionary work is about showing love. As a missionary, we wear the name of the Love of God -- Jesus Christ. If we want to be worthy of wearing that name, we must have love for everyone. Patience coupled with love will make up for any inadequacies we may have with the difficulties of the work. As we cleave unto God and show our love we will see the difference it can make.
Being in Thailand is an adventure. There's no place really like it on earth. And to be a missionary here is definitely quite the opportunity. Thai continues to be a fun challenge. It's a bit like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle. Since it is not Indo-European it has a different thought process for language construction. But that makes it all the more fun! I love Thai's specificness and yet no nonsense approach to language. Often words just make sense and then other times words are just perfect for what they are. I love it all. Challenges are the things that strengthen us, they refine us and bring us to a higher plane of existence.
Anyway, things are going great here. It's crazy how fast the time flies. Eight months seem to have passed by in the blink of an eye. How does that happen? It's great to hear the news from the family, keep up the good work everyone. I love you all and think of you often.
With smiles and prayers!
Elder Jacob Newman
Dearest Family,
This week was a bit crazy. We started out Monday with a good P-day. Then we ended up having a meal at the house of a member family. But we first went to see a referral from another member with the other two elders. It was a great lesson that was definitely worth being there for. They are a referral from Mae (mother) Chuay (help). It is Mae Daeng (red) and Phaw Tia (short). They came to church three weeks ago with Sister Chuay and really enjoyed it. They have read a lot in the Book of Mormon actually. They have a young son and about a 20 year-old daughter. The other Elders technically teach them but we were able to join in on this lesson. Mae Daeng asked the question, "Why is there suffering in this life and how can we obtain comfort in this life for our family?" We briefly talked about how the Savior Jesus Christ knows of our sufferings and how the gospel will bring us comfort in our times of trial. Our families will be stronger and our lives, while still not perfect, will have a solid foundation. I really pondered on that lesson this week.
As we sat in their home I reflected on the humble circumstances we were in. Their house is one they built with their own hands. It's slightly in the open air with an outdoor kitchen, like many houses around here. They live a simple life. Thai people really don't ask much, they live with what they have. As I reflected on this, I felt touched to know that the Gospel can and will be such a blessing in their lives. They are very receptive and showed up to Church a half hour early this last week. While I am not the one that is actually teaching them, I was impressed by this event and really pondered on it throughout the week.
The dinner with the family of Sister Bon, Brother Therdsack, Sister Aew, Sister Phraew and then two other members Sisters Priaw and Jane was fun. We had, oddly enough, spaghetti and fried chicken with sticky rice along with pineapple (delicious) and oranges. Aew was baptized first and then the parents Bon and Therdsack followed. They are a rock of a family and really keep the branch moving. They asked Elder D to share a verse since they knew that he would be moving. He shared a good verse about the progression/ change that will be happening in Nong Khai with Thais holding the position of branch president. It was a good time and reminded me of how wonderful the branch up here in Nong Khai is with its strong members who are eager and willing to serve the Lord.
I think I mentioned that we were heading to moves meeting in Bang Khen this week. This was my first time riding the train down to Bangkok. Wow! That was an adventure. Since Elder D. was moving, the branch came to see him off at the station (a tradition for those who are in the Isaan/up North). We left around 5:30 p.m. Then the ride to the Rangsit train station in Bangkok began. The train is an adventure. There are so many people on it and lots of commotion. This time I slept on the top bunk, since they have two bunks that pull out. Turns out, the top bunk is not really comfortable at all so I may have gotten less than 4 hours of sleep. But then we arrived in Bangkok and met everyone who was going to moves meeting. My MTC group pretty much all came since almost all of us are in the Isaan/up north with a few exceptions-- namely Elder Fowles, Sister Larsen, Sister Young (who is actually now in Udorn which is about an hour away from here), and Elder Harris. Pretty much everyone else is outside of Bangkok. It was fun to see how all of them are doing in their various parts of the country. Everyplace is so different in its own special way.
Anyway, we then got on these things called songthaews to go to moves meeting. We arrived, exhausted. I played the piano and then we had a short training. It was the smallest moves meeting ever since it was only those who had to come. In the past, everyone from Bangkok came. This time only those moving or renewing visas came. Anyway, then we heard about moves and Elder Chiu (who is our new district leader and hence went Phii for the first time) got his new companion who is.... Elder Crowley from my group! It's fun to have him up here and he is way great. Anyway, after that we ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant and eventually got back to the train station after a few other things and headed back to Nong Khai. I slept much better this time on a bottom bunk. We go back on Friday, exhausted. It was a bit of an adventure for sure.
Thai food continues to be delicious. I tried Yum for the first time. It's a Thai spicy salad. I would recommend looking into it, if possible. Thai food is really so great- and eating rice everyday - heaven on earth.
As for other happenings this week, we managed to see Jiab. She is doing well but still lacks the spiritual witness. I will be praying extra hard for her on that. She understands so well and sees positive things since she has started learning but she lacks that spiritual confirmation. We are going to keep working with her. She's a very dedicated person and so I know it will come as she has the desire to seek God. We didn't get to see Yo or Jid but they came to Church this week. This week we are really focusing on finding new investigators since our pool has run a little dry lately. We are praying that we will find people who we are able to teach. This Sunday we actually got two referrals from members- one came to Church with a possible branch president candidate, Brother Sitiwong and the other is a family from a Sister.
In all, the week was really great. Thailand! Oh what a place in my heart it's earning every day. From the variety and contrast to the people, I cannot really get over the beauty and wonder of Thailand. And while missionary work is definitely very challenging here, we do see real changes in real people. I love to see that everyday. I love to see the way that we can become sons and daughters of Christ through His atonement. As Jack Christenson says we then have two Fathers- our Savior and our Father in Heaven- as we come unto Christ. Missionary work is very worthwhile. Come rain, come heat, come discouragement, it's all really worth it. We are reminded of that as we put forth our efforts and get out there and get to work! I know that the Gospel can change people for the better. I know that as we exercise faith in Christ, pressing forward with steadfastness in Him, we will see miracles in our lives.
If I could give any advice to anyone who wants to be a missionary, I would suggest the following: Learn how to love people. It's the only way. Missionary work is all about love and patience. You are going to meet people who reject you, who question your motives or who just aren't ready yet, but missionary work is about showing love. As a missionary, we wear the name of the Love of God -- Jesus Christ. If we want to be worthy of wearing that name, we must have love for everyone. Patience coupled with love will make up for any inadequacies we may have with the difficulties of the work. As we cleave unto God and show our love we will see the difference it can make.
Being in Thailand is an adventure. There's no place really like it on earth. And to be a missionary here is definitely quite the opportunity. Thai continues to be a fun challenge. It's a bit like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle. Since it is not Indo-European it has a different thought process for language construction. But that makes it all the more fun! I love Thai's specificness and yet no nonsense approach to language. Often words just make sense and then other times words are just perfect for what they are. I love it all. Challenges are the things that strengthen us, they refine us and bring us to a higher plane of existence.
Anyway, things are going great here. It's crazy how fast the time flies. Eight months seem to have passed by in the blink of an eye. How does that happen? It's great to hear the news from the family, keep up the good work everyone. I love you all and think of you often.
With smiles and prayers!
Elder Jacob Newman
Monday, January 25, 2010
Rainy Days in Nong Khai and Faith
1/25/2010 or (2553)
Hello Family,
I imagine that everyone is doing well! This week I have had a bit of a cold. I picked it up from the Zone Leaders who came for switch off this week with Elder Peterson and me. I am getting over it now, however.
Anyway, another good week here in Nong Khai. I can't believe we are heading down to renew our visas and go to moves meeting on Wednesday! It's crazy how fast this moves has gone. This week was really great. It rained this week for two days straight which was a little rougher. Thai people don't go outside in the rain or they believe you will get sick. So we had a lot of appointments fall through on those two days. The temperature, however, felt really nice and cool. It was a little wet though.
This last week we spent a long day at the Church for Elder Peterson to do interviews and have a branch presidency meeting. So that day, I got a lot of reading done. I like to spend my time writing in my journal so I can keep caught up or reading the Bible in Thai. The language of the Bible is really fun to read and it reflects Thai grammar better than the Book of Mormon. I found a really cool verse in there the other day. It was about Christ praying in Gethsemane where He says something in Thai to the effect of "Father if thou be willing take this cup from me but not according to my *heart* but according to your will." I thought that was a really neat translation. It never hit me that it could be translated that way before. Often times when we read scriptures in another language, we understand better. Thai also makes the Isaiah chapters easier because it uses different pronouns to determine when God is talking and when Isaiah is commenting. Another joy of Thai pronouns!
Church was great yesterday. We had a great talk about patience by Sister Ngek and another good talk about keeping baptismal covenants by Brother Nui. The classes were also great. We saw three investigators at Church too! We had Jiab and Yo with Jid.
We teach English on Wednesdays. About 20 people attend. Elder Chiu and I teach basic. Basic is hard to teach because it's mostly taught in Thai. But it's pretty fun. English has brought in a lot of members here in the past. Lots of members attend actually. It's a great chance for them to practice English. English is pretty fun to teach, even if basic is a little hard. It's a good chance to practice Thai, that's for sure!
We ride our bikes a lot. It's almost completely flat here. They are the cheapest and most convenient way to get around. It's always fun to see the countryside. We ride by wads and rice paddies with animal life and then we also get to see markets and all kinds of other sites.
Anyway, onto the happenings of the week. Tuesday I switched off with Elder Brown. He's a great guy. He's in Elder Peterson's group. We went and taught a less active member named Brother Tawng who works at driving a saam law (three wheeled car). The lesson was a bit distracting with his little boy but it was a good lesson. Then we went and saw an investigator who has been an investigator for 5 years named Ting. He's just not quite ready at this point. He's encountered some opposition from his wife and isn't quite ready. We taught him a lesson about Alma 32 that went well and it really gave me some new insights into faith and perceptions of how we should act on our faith. We must rely on God but we must also realize that after we pray and ask God for help we need to go out and take action. True faith is a matter of action - God expects us to put in our work too. That, in turn, will lead to the desired results in our lives. God will work miracles but we must show our willingness to act and to do the things that will bring about change in our lives.
This week we also taught lessons with the super sharp Sister Priaw and the awesome Brother Nui (a member who used to be Catholic- was raised Catholic). Those were both good lessons. They are both really great members who have such great understanding. Sister Priaw always has great scriptural insights, sharing a verse with us every time we meet. Brother Nui has a lot of great faith and really has a firm understanding of the true meaning of faith. Often faith is not a matter of miracles, faith is a matter of the ordinary events of our every day lives.
We also found out this week that Kaeg will be going south for a time to do some healing. We don't know how long it will be, he doesn't have any idea. His brothers/sisters/relatives (unclear which?) asked him to do it. So he will be down there for a time, sadly. He has a great desire to be baptized and to keep the commandments but his time is not yet come for baptism.
Yo and Jid, however, finally made it to Church. They are looking for a special experience with God. Elder Peterson taught them on switch offs and so did I when I switched off with our district leader, Elder D. We both get the feeling that they have a lot of sincerity and that God will hear and answer their prayers, it's just a matter of them expressing faith by coming to Church often. They keep commitments and ask really great questions. They are deep thinkers who really ponder the things that we teach and try to apply the things they learn from the scriptures.
Jiab is doing well. Her ultimate concern is abandoning former traditions. She expresses her concerns openly. She, however, is still expressing faith and slowly but surely, I have seen a change in her from the first week I got here. We taught her both Saturday and Sunday. She is still searching for that spiritual witness. We will keep working with her to establish a firmer faith in Jesus Christ and to see her eventually gain that spiritual witness.
And we also saw the Primary President, Sister Khraysii this week. She's a soft-spoken woman with a lot of faith. She ponders the scriptures deeply and speaks with the Spirit. She lives in an open air house where he husband raises chickens and she sells pigs blood. She told us about the scripture in Matthew about His yoke/burden. It was a great lesson with her and great to be introduced to her. Another example of a great member in Thailand. The members who demonstrate faith despite challenges and who see the eternal perspective on the world.
Anyway, besides that, everything is going well. We continue to eat delicious food and enjoy fairly good health besides my cold right now. Thailand is the happiest place on earth, as always. I hope that all is going well at home and that everyone is enjoying the Utah winter. I pray for you all daily and know that as we rely on God, He will bless us. When we exercise faith unto action, we will see great results in our life.
With love and hope in Christ,
Elder Newman
Hello Family,
I imagine that everyone is doing well! This week I have had a bit of a cold. I picked it up from the Zone Leaders who came for switch off this week with Elder Peterson and me. I am getting over it now, however.
Anyway, another good week here in Nong Khai. I can't believe we are heading down to renew our visas and go to moves meeting on Wednesday! It's crazy how fast this moves has gone. This week was really great. It rained this week for two days straight which was a little rougher. Thai people don't go outside in the rain or they believe you will get sick. So we had a lot of appointments fall through on those two days. The temperature, however, felt really nice and cool. It was a little wet though.
This last week we spent a long day at the Church for Elder Peterson to do interviews and have a branch presidency meeting. So that day, I got a lot of reading done. I like to spend my time writing in my journal so I can keep caught up or reading the Bible in Thai. The language of the Bible is really fun to read and it reflects Thai grammar better than the Book of Mormon. I found a really cool verse in there the other day. It was about Christ praying in Gethsemane where He says something in Thai to the effect of "Father if thou be willing take this cup from me but not according to my *heart* but according to your will." I thought that was a really neat translation. It never hit me that it could be translated that way before. Often times when we read scriptures in another language, we understand better. Thai also makes the Isaiah chapters easier because it uses different pronouns to determine when God is talking and when Isaiah is commenting. Another joy of Thai pronouns!
Church was great yesterday. We had a great talk about patience by Sister Ngek and another good talk about keeping baptismal covenants by Brother Nui. The classes were also great. We saw three investigators at Church too! We had Jiab and Yo with Jid.
We teach English on Wednesdays. About 20 people attend. Elder Chiu and I teach basic. Basic is hard to teach because it's mostly taught in Thai. But it's pretty fun. English has brought in a lot of members here in the past. Lots of members attend actually. It's a great chance for them to practice English. English is pretty fun to teach, even if basic is a little hard. It's a good chance to practice Thai, that's for sure!
We ride our bikes a lot. It's almost completely flat here. They are the cheapest and most convenient way to get around. It's always fun to see the countryside. We ride by wads and rice paddies with animal life and then we also get to see markets and all kinds of other sites.
Anyway, onto the happenings of the week. Tuesday I switched off with Elder Brown. He's a great guy. He's in Elder Peterson's group. We went and taught a less active member named Brother Tawng who works at driving a saam law (three wheeled car). The lesson was a bit distracting with his little boy but it was a good lesson. Then we went and saw an investigator who has been an investigator for 5 years named Ting. He's just not quite ready at this point. He's encountered some opposition from his wife and isn't quite ready. We taught him a lesson about Alma 32 that went well and it really gave me some new insights into faith and perceptions of how we should act on our faith. We must rely on God but we must also realize that after we pray and ask God for help we need to go out and take action. True faith is a matter of action - God expects us to put in our work too. That, in turn, will lead to the desired results in our lives. God will work miracles but we must show our willingness to act and to do the things that will bring about change in our lives.
This week we also taught lessons with the super sharp Sister Priaw and the awesome Brother Nui (a member who used to be Catholic- was raised Catholic). Those were both good lessons. They are both really great members who have such great understanding. Sister Priaw always has great scriptural insights, sharing a verse with us every time we meet. Brother Nui has a lot of great faith and really has a firm understanding of the true meaning of faith. Often faith is not a matter of miracles, faith is a matter of the ordinary events of our every day lives.
We also found out this week that Kaeg will be going south for a time to do some healing. We don't know how long it will be, he doesn't have any idea. His brothers/sisters/relatives (unclear which?) asked him to do it. So he will be down there for a time, sadly. He has a great desire to be baptized and to keep the commandments but his time is not yet come for baptism.
Yo and Jid, however, finally made it to Church. They are looking for a special experience with God. Elder Peterson taught them on switch offs and so did I when I switched off with our district leader, Elder D. We both get the feeling that they have a lot of sincerity and that God will hear and answer their prayers, it's just a matter of them expressing faith by coming to Church often. They keep commitments and ask really great questions. They are deep thinkers who really ponder the things that we teach and try to apply the things they learn from the scriptures.
Jiab is doing well. Her ultimate concern is abandoning former traditions. She expresses her concerns openly. She, however, is still expressing faith and slowly but surely, I have seen a change in her from the first week I got here. We taught her both Saturday and Sunday. She is still searching for that spiritual witness. We will keep working with her to establish a firmer faith in Jesus Christ and to see her eventually gain that spiritual witness.
And we also saw the Primary President, Sister Khraysii this week. She's a soft-spoken woman with a lot of faith. She ponders the scriptures deeply and speaks with the Spirit. She lives in an open air house where he husband raises chickens and she sells pigs blood. She told us about the scripture in Matthew about His yoke/burden. It was a great lesson with her and great to be introduced to her. Another example of a great member in Thailand. The members who demonstrate faith despite challenges and who see the eternal perspective on the world.
Anyway, besides that, everything is going well. We continue to eat delicious food and enjoy fairly good health besides my cold right now. Thailand is the happiest place on earth, as always. I hope that all is going well at home and that everyone is enjoying the Utah winter. I pray for you all daily and know that as we rely on God, He will bless us. When we exercise faith unto action, we will see great results in our life.
With love and hope in Christ,
Elder Newman
Monday, January 18, 2010
Zone Conference and Other Happenings
January 18, 2010
Greetings from the land of smiles!
I hope and pray that all is well with the family. It's crazy how fast time is passing. I can definitely tell a difference in my language comprehension from the day I got here to now. It's funny because occasionally I will hear people from Bangkok who will come here to vacation and I will think to myself- wait... That's Thai! For the most part on the street we hear Laotian or Isaan. But actually like I have said in the past, everyone speaks Thai. It's just a matter of when they will speak it. But that's the adventure of Nong Khai! Being so close to Laos, we meet a lot of Laotian people and see a whole new side of Thailand.
Another good but tiring week here in Thailand. We have a dog that lives outside of our house that will start barking in the middle of the night so that disturbed my sleep yesterday and made me a little more tired today but we will have some good time to relax today. That's the thing about missionary work - very tiring for sure. Worthwhile but very tiring. This week went by very quickly and was full of good things.
Here in Nong Khai, we ride past open air markets where they sell fruit, meat, clothing, noodles, and all kinds of different wares. We ride past 7-11s though not as frequently as in Bangkok. Here we will see buffalo and cattle grazing on the sides of the road, big open fields and pastures. The river is pretty prominent but we actually only drive by it every once in a while.
We had Zone Conference last week. We stayed in a really fancy hotel that was about 700 baht per room. The night before Zone Conference, however, I went on switch-offs with Elder Brown (a zone leader in Udorn) and my Phii from the MTC, Elder Hollowell. We went to see Elder Brown's exchange student that he had right before he came to Thailand. He was a nice kid and gave us great Thai food. Then we taught a short lesson with him and his father. It went pretty well but the dad isn't quite ready. He works in the construction of Buddhist temples. It was a good time, however. Khawn Gaen is pretty big; it's closer to the size of Bangkok than most cities out here.
Zone Conference's focus was the Book of Mormon. We were all given a new copy of the Book of Mormon and asked to read it and only mark the names of Christ in red. As it turns out, there are many more names of Christ in the Book of Mormon than I thought. So far, Nephi's principal titles that he likes include: the Lamb of God and the messiah along with the Holy One of Israel. It's a fun time to see how the Book of Mormon bears witness of Jesus Christ and points to His atoning sacrifice. I have really seen the power that the Book of Mormon can have in the lives of all those who read it. And I have seen how members here in Thailand offer new insights every time we ask them to share. I remember on one of my first nights here in Nong Khai, we went to visit a great member, Bro. At. He has been a member for 5 years but always pulls things out of the scriptures that I have never seen before. Then Sister Priaw, a fairly recent convert, also always shares a great verse from the scriptures when we teach her. I have been amazed by the testimony and understanding of the members here in Thailand. They truly have insights that I have never thought of and have such strong testimonies of and faith in the Savior.
On Wednesday we saw Brother Somluck who is doing very well as always. We also taught English which was pretty fun. Then on Thursday we planned and saw Khaeg, who is doing really well. He reads so frequently, prays daily, and attends Church weekly. He really has a desire to find healing from the Savior and from God. He works to develop his faith and desires to be baptized. Despite his physical limitations, he works to press forward.
On Friday we went to correlation with our brand new ward mission leader, Brother At. He is going to do a marvelous job. He has a desire to help the Branch grow and to strengthen the membership. I didn't really have any concept of ward missionary work before I came to Thailand but now I see how the ward level/branch level can be an effective tool to help bring others unto Christ. It's been good to see how it works in Thailand to apply for future use!
On Saturday we had a whirlwind of a day! We saw a man named Ting, who has been an investigator for years. He shared with us his concerns about Church and his concerns about baptism. He has faith but still wonders how we will acquire faith once we are on the path. Then we went to see Khaeg and shared a short explanation of the atonement which he understands fairly well. Then we saw Jiab, Brother Somluck's wife who is doing really great. We saw her actually on Saturday and Sunday. She is expressing faith and trying her hardest to gain that spiritual witness.
On Sunday it's quite an experience to sit in a room with only about 40 people and take the sacrament. It's so short but the time of reflection brings our thoughts closer to the things of eternity. We ponder upon the Savior and His ministry and the things he has done for us in a place where 70 years ago it would have been insane to think that we would be. We saw many less active members attend Church also. We saw Brother Tawng come out for the first time in a long time. He is a member who hasn't been out for quite a while. Last time we taught him, we asked him to pray for a testimony. And we saw him come to Church. I felt pretty shocked.
Then after Church something a little bit out of the usual happened. A member named Sister Leg brought someone inside the Church who had been circling on her motorcycle for a while. She invited her in and she said she was interested in English. So I talked to her about the English program but I was a bit confused because then she started asking questions about what we were doing right then. Church was just over and we were eating. We had rice porridge with some papaya salad and sticky rice along with some Thai treats. It turns out that she wants peace in her life and a friend told her that Christianity can bring that. She decided to come to the closest place to her house, which is our Church. I was shocked. We made an appointment for this Tuesday. We will have to see what happens with that. I was amazed at this little miracle. I hadn't really expected that to ever happen. But yet, there it was happening. Despite the fact that missionary work is often very difficult there are miracles. There are miracles that take place in the simple things. Life is often like that- miracles in the everyday occurrences. We often overlook the things that are truly miraculous, expecting grander things. God, however, works in a much smaller way than that. God works through the simple things of the world to bring to pass the great and marvelous changes. God works through the words we speak, the steps we take. Oftentimes we will pray for a miracle and be blinded by our own vision of what a miracle should be like. But as we take a step back and look at the smaller things, we will see that miracles do happen, when we believe. Faith, however, is not built by these miracles but often miracles can confirm our faith.
God is watching out for us and mindful of us. Often we will pray for things that we desire and obtain an answer in perhaps an unexpected fashion. This, however, does not mean that God did not hear our prayer. What we come to realize, however, is that often our desire is not God's desire. Prayer allows our wills to align. I have seen this often in Thailand. Yesterday we visited Elder Thiraphong's mother in the hospital. She is doing better after surgery for the tumor but as we walked the halls of the hospital there was so much suffering. I came to realize, however, that while I don't understand the reason for the suffering, I know that God loves us and even if He doesn't answer our prayer as we wish, He still watches out for us. And in the end, I know that Christ took upon himself that suffering. I have never felt the power of the atonement more strongly in my life until I became a missionary. I have seen that as we rely on God, we will feel the power of Christ in our lives. We will be able to conquer all things and be succored by our Savior. Even though life is hard, the Savior stands ready with open arms to comfort us in our sorrows.
Thailand teaches us everyday in everyway we can imagine. I leave you with a wish for us to be more like the Savior and to make the power of his atonement known as we stand as witnesses of him and comfort those in need of comfort.
I love you all and send you all my blessings,
Elder Jacob Newman
Greetings from the land of smiles!
I hope and pray that all is well with the family. It's crazy how fast time is passing. I can definitely tell a difference in my language comprehension from the day I got here to now. It's funny because occasionally I will hear people from Bangkok who will come here to vacation and I will think to myself- wait... That's Thai! For the most part on the street we hear Laotian or Isaan. But actually like I have said in the past, everyone speaks Thai. It's just a matter of when they will speak it. But that's the adventure of Nong Khai! Being so close to Laos, we meet a lot of Laotian people and see a whole new side of Thailand.
Another good but tiring week here in Thailand. We have a dog that lives outside of our house that will start barking in the middle of the night so that disturbed my sleep yesterday and made me a little more tired today but we will have some good time to relax today. That's the thing about missionary work - very tiring for sure. Worthwhile but very tiring. This week went by very quickly and was full of good things.
Here in Nong Khai, we ride past open air markets where they sell fruit, meat, clothing, noodles, and all kinds of different wares. We ride past 7-11s though not as frequently as in Bangkok. Here we will see buffalo and cattle grazing on the sides of the road, big open fields and pastures. The river is pretty prominent but we actually only drive by it every once in a while.
We had Zone Conference last week. We stayed in a really fancy hotel that was about 700 baht per room. The night before Zone Conference, however, I went on switch-offs with Elder Brown (a zone leader in Udorn) and my Phii from the MTC, Elder Hollowell. We went to see Elder Brown's exchange student that he had right before he came to Thailand. He was a nice kid and gave us great Thai food. Then we taught a short lesson with him and his father. It went pretty well but the dad isn't quite ready. He works in the construction of Buddhist temples. It was a good time, however. Khawn Gaen is pretty big; it's closer to the size of Bangkok than most cities out here.
Zone Conference's focus was the Book of Mormon. We were all given a new copy of the Book of Mormon and asked to read it and only mark the names of Christ in red. As it turns out, there are many more names of Christ in the Book of Mormon than I thought. So far, Nephi's principal titles that he likes include: the Lamb of God and the messiah along with the Holy One of Israel. It's a fun time to see how the Book of Mormon bears witness of Jesus Christ and points to His atoning sacrifice. I have really seen the power that the Book of Mormon can have in the lives of all those who read it. And I have seen how members here in Thailand offer new insights every time we ask them to share. I remember on one of my first nights here in Nong Khai, we went to visit a great member, Bro. At. He has been a member for 5 years but always pulls things out of the scriptures that I have never seen before. Then Sister Priaw, a fairly recent convert, also always shares a great verse from the scriptures when we teach her. I have been amazed by the testimony and understanding of the members here in Thailand. They truly have insights that I have never thought of and have such strong testimonies of and faith in the Savior.
On Wednesday we saw Brother Somluck who is doing very well as always. We also taught English which was pretty fun. Then on Thursday we planned and saw Khaeg, who is doing really well. He reads so frequently, prays daily, and attends Church weekly. He really has a desire to find healing from the Savior and from God. He works to develop his faith and desires to be baptized. Despite his physical limitations, he works to press forward.
On Friday we went to correlation with our brand new ward mission leader, Brother At. He is going to do a marvelous job. He has a desire to help the Branch grow and to strengthen the membership. I didn't really have any concept of ward missionary work before I came to Thailand but now I see how the ward level/branch level can be an effective tool to help bring others unto Christ. It's been good to see how it works in Thailand to apply for future use!
On Saturday we had a whirlwind of a day! We saw a man named Ting, who has been an investigator for years. He shared with us his concerns about Church and his concerns about baptism. He has faith but still wonders how we will acquire faith once we are on the path. Then we went to see Khaeg and shared a short explanation of the atonement which he understands fairly well. Then we saw Jiab, Brother Somluck's wife who is doing really great. We saw her actually on Saturday and Sunday. She is expressing faith and trying her hardest to gain that spiritual witness.
On Sunday it's quite an experience to sit in a room with only about 40 people and take the sacrament. It's so short but the time of reflection brings our thoughts closer to the things of eternity. We ponder upon the Savior and His ministry and the things he has done for us in a place where 70 years ago it would have been insane to think that we would be. We saw many less active members attend Church also. We saw Brother Tawng come out for the first time in a long time. He is a member who hasn't been out for quite a while. Last time we taught him, we asked him to pray for a testimony. And we saw him come to Church. I felt pretty shocked.
Then after Church something a little bit out of the usual happened. A member named Sister Leg brought someone inside the Church who had been circling on her motorcycle for a while. She invited her in and she said she was interested in English. So I talked to her about the English program but I was a bit confused because then she started asking questions about what we were doing right then. Church was just over and we were eating. We had rice porridge with some papaya salad and sticky rice along with some Thai treats. It turns out that she wants peace in her life and a friend told her that Christianity can bring that. She decided to come to the closest place to her house, which is our Church. I was shocked. We made an appointment for this Tuesday. We will have to see what happens with that. I was amazed at this little miracle. I hadn't really expected that to ever happen. But yet, there it was happening. Despite the fact that missionary work is often very difficult there are miracles. There are miracles that take place in the simple things. Life is often like that- miracles in the everyday occurrences. We often overlook the things that are truly miraculous, expecting grander things. God, however, works in a much smaller way than that. God works through the simple things of the world to bring to pass the great and marvelous changes. God works through the words we speak, the steps we take. Oftentimes we will pray for a miracle and be blinded by our own vision of what a miracle should be like. But as we take a step back and look at the smaller things, we will see that miracles do happen, when we believe. Faith, however, is not built by these miracles but often miracles can confirm our faith.
God is watching out for us and mindful of us. Often we will pray for things that we desire and obtain an answer in perhaps an unexpected fashion. This, however, does not mean that God did not hear our prayer. What we come to realize, however, is that often our desire is not God's desire. Prayer allows our wills to align. I have seen this often in Thailand. Yesterday we visited Elder Thiraphong's mother in the hospital. She is doing better after surgery for the tumor but as we walked the halls of the hospital there was so much suffering. I came to realize, however, that while I don't understand the reason for the suffering, I know that God loves us and even if He doesn't answer our prayer as we wish, He still watches out for us. And in the end, I know that Christ took upon himself that suffering. I have never felt the power of the atonement more strongly in my life until I became a missionary. I have seen that as we rely on God, we will feel the power of Christ in our lives. We will be able to conquer all things and be succored by our Savior. Even though life is hard, the Savior stands ready with open arms to comfort us in our sorrows.
Thailand teaches us everyday in everyway we can imagine. I leave you with a wish for us to be more like the Savior and to make the power of his atonement known as we stand as witnesses of him and comfort those in need of comfort.
I love you all and send you all my blessings,
Elder Jacob Newman
Faith
January 11, 2010
Dear Family,
Greetings from Khon Kaen! We are here because we are going to be having Zone Conference tomorrow. Today we will be interview by President Smith. We will stay the night in a hotel, have Zone Conference tomorrow and then return home around 8 p.m. It was about a three hour ride here. We also managed to find ourselves picking up the Elders in one of Elder Shill's old areas, Gumphawapi. That's also where Brother Sakhaa is from. It's really a small town. We drove up and saw the one and only 7-11 swarmed with pedal-cabs (three wheeled cars that are really common to get around here but we actually don't use them that often) and with lots of people shopping. Gumphawapi is really quite out there but it was fun to see it and think back on what Elder Shill told me about it. Right now it has two Thai elders there.
It's been another good week here in Nongkhai. I can tell it's starting to finally heat back up again after a nice long spell of cool weather, but it did rain earlier this week. It was picturesque that day - there was a light mist of fog over the rooftops of the city. It was really pretty. We saw some great things this week as we do always.
This week we had a chance to see Khaeg (which means guest or Arab in Thai). He's doing really well. This was the first time I actually taught him. He had a stroke earlier this year and so he has a hard time walking. But he faithfully reads the Book of Mormon and goes to Church. He was sharing with us his feelings about prayer and how he knows that Heavenly Father listens to his prayers as he gains his strength back and feels his spirit refreshed at Church. He's from the South and actually is Muslim but we gained permission to teach him. When he was sharing about his physical ailment and how it has brought him to a belief in God, I thought of the song Amazing Grace for some reason "I once was blind but now I see." I have often seen how a physical impairment can bring some of the greatest faith. Often the physical impairment causes us to reflect on the spiritual nature of our lives and ponder those things which are of more importance.
We also saw Jid, who is an investigator who has been taught everything with her husband Yo, another investigator, but has yet to come to church since I have been here. They were dropped because they went out of town before I was here but then picked back up by Elder Peterson. Jid has faith in God and in the Gospel but we are still working to get them to Church. The problem is that Jid and Yo only have one car and live about 12 kilometers from the Church, so transportation is definitely an issue. But she expressed how she loves reading the Book of Mormon and loves to pray to God. I think she has faith to press forward but the issue of Church will present some problems. I have yet to meet Yo.
This week we also met Jack and Awhm. They knew the first missionary from here, Elder Thiraphong, who is now serving in Chiang Mai but came back to NongKhai for a time due to his mother's illness. She has a tumor on her brain. Jack and Awhm have desire to see how the Gospel can help them but don't really have the time to commit yet. He shared that one of his triplets was ill and that the one thing he wanted in this life was for his child to be better. It was rather touching to see the love of parents. It's a universal theme.
And for another great happening, we saw Brother Somluck's wife, Jiab another two times this week. She is really doing great. She faithfully attends Church is praying often and is starting to get more into the scriptures. She also has a deep understanding and desire to be baptized. She has expressed how she feels different since she has started learning with the Elders. We rescheduled a baptismal date with her for the 21st of February. She also brought her son from her previous marriage and he has expressed a desire to be baptized as of yesterday! His name is Nice, pronounced more like Nay. He's 12 years old. Jiab is doing great and I can't wait for the day when she gets baptized. To see the entire family of Brother Somluck in the Church will be a great thing. They will be such an asset to the branch.
Sundays we spend most of our time at the Church while Elder Peterson, being the champ that he is, spends his time figuring out everything for the Branch. He's so dedicated and does a great job. He was told when he was made the Branch president to work himself out of a job and that he will DEFINATELY do. He has worked to establish everything for a smooth transition to a Thai Branch President, which is ultimately the goal across Thailand. He's a great companion! As of right now, Thailand now only has about three places that have missionary branch presidents, Surin and Buriram (both of which are close to Cambodia) and Nongkhai.
Lessons from the week- Faith can be built as we experience trials. Life is often very difficult, but as we experience the trials that come from mortal existence, we often find the deepest trust and faith in God. This trust and faith will carry us through the harder days and through the times of frustration. Another lesson- listening carefully is a skill that we all must truly work on our entire lives! I have noticed that listening is something that is very important especially when it's not your own language. If you truly listen, you will actually feel someone's soul rather than the words that are coming from their mouth. It doesn't really matter what language we speak or what cultural background we are from, in the end we are all children of God who have the same needs. We all desire to feel loved and to feel valued. As we truly listen with our hearts, not just our ears, even if we don't understand every word we hear, we will see the power of words and the power of our influence.
Another valuable lesson: Patience is something that when developed will help us everyday! Patience brings us comfort, peace and love for those we work with and serve. As we learn that we are all human with imperfections and flaws, we come to realize that we are all in this together. Patience will build our faith and help us to feel of the love of God. Patience and understanding are the key to resolving conflict and avoiding offense. As men, we often feel that our way is the right way. In the end, however, when we put ourselves in other's shoes, we see the variety of experiences and ways that others think and come to realize how valuable working together is. Patience with ourselves, however, might be the most valuable thing of all. Often we become so frustrated with our imperfections that we miss the mark and fail to see that the atonement doesn't just apply to those around us, it applies to us too. Brother Sakhaa taught us once that we need to stop thinking that the atonement can help everyone except for me. We need to start thinking about how the atonement can help us and then how we can in turn help others. I have seen that time and time again in the lives of members, other missionaries, and myself. When we realize that Christ is waiting with open arms to receive us and He stands ready to receive us, we will realize that the atonement will and does help us.
And Thailand continues to be great. From the days where we mostly hear Laotian being spoken around us, to the street venders selling their wares, to the most delicious khaaw man gai thawd that I have ever had, Nongkhai's environment is great. And sacrament meeting is an experience with so few members. The songs are sung softly with so few people but that doesn't mean that they aren't song with joy. It's pretty amazing to think that here, in the middle of Northeastern Thailand there are saints who are striving on the path that leads back to God. They may be few in number, but that doesn't diminish their contribution. They sacrifice for the Gospel. (They also serve in many callings!) I love the Thai saints. They truly are the children of God. I think when we sacrifice the comforts of home and go out to serve, whether it be in Thailand or in Idaho, in Africa or in Argentina, our hearts expand and we realize the true meaning of love. I didn't know how much I could love a culture, a people, a way of life before I came to Thailand. I am so grateful for them. They teach me everyday, more than just language, but the importance of the eternal things. I love Thailand and its people!
We just got a new ward mission leader, Brother At replaced the famous Brother Arm whom every missionary loves but I have yet to meet since he is in Bangkok doing an internship. He is the Sunday School president but will be a great ward mission leader along with our great ward missionaries. Elder Peterson got the missionary program working with the ward here really strong. Let's hope that strong tradition continues long into the future!
I pray for you daily. I know your prayers help. You are all wonderful and I love your support. Thanks for all you do. God be with you till we speak again!
With love,
Elder Newman
Dear Family,
Greetings from Khon Kaen! We are here because we are going to be having Zone Conference tomorrow. Today we will be interview by President Smith. We will stay the night in a hotel, have Zone Conference tomorrow and then return home around 8 p.m. It was about a three hour ride here. We also managed to find ourselves picking up the Elders in one of Elder Shill's old areas, Gumphawapi. That's also where Brother Sakhaa is from. It's really a small town. We drove up and saw the one and only 7-11 swarmed with pedal-cabs (three wheeled cars that are really common to get around here but we actually don't use them that often) and with lots of people shopping. Gumphawapi is really quite out there but it was fun to see it and think back on what Elder Shill told me about it. Right now it has two Thai elders there.
It's been another good week here in Nongkhai. I can tell it's starting to finally heat back up again after a nice long spell of cool weather, but it did rain earlier this week. It was picturesque that day - there was a light mist of fog over the rooftops of the city. It was really pretty. We saw some great things this week as we do always.
This week we had a chance to see Khaeg (which means guest or Arab in Thai). He's doing really well. This was the first time I actually taught him. He had a stroke earlier this year and so he has a hard time walking. But he faithfully reads the Book of Mormon and goes to Church. He was sharing with us his feelings about prayer and how he knows that Heavenly Father listens to his prayers as he gains his strength back and feels his spirit refreshed at Church. He's from the South and actually is Muslim but we gained permission to teach him. When he was sharing about his physical ailment and how it has brought him to a belief in God, I thought of the song Amazing Grace for some reason "I once was blind but now I see." I have often seen how a physical impairment can bring some of the greatest faith. Often the physical impairment causes us to reflect on the spiritual nature of our lives and ponder those things which are of more importance.
We also saw Jid, who is an investigator who has been taught everything with her husband Yo, another investigator, but has yet to come to church since I have been here. They were dropped because they went out of town before I was here but then picked back up by Elder Peterson. Jid has faith in God and in the Gospel but we are still working to get them to Church. The problem is that Jid and Yo only have one car and live about 12 kilometers from the Church, so transportation is definitely an issue. But she expressed how she loves reading the Book of Mormon and loves to pray to God. I think she has faith to press forward but the issue of Church will present some problems. I have yet to meet Yo.
This week we also met Jack and Awhm. They knew the first missionary from here, Elder Thiraphong, who is now serving in Chiang Mai but came back to NongKhai for a time due to his mother's illness. She has a tumor on her brain. Jack and Awhm have desire to see how the Gospel can help them but don't really have the time to commit yet. He shared that one of his triplets was ill and that the one thing he wanted in this life was for his child to be better. It was rather touching to see the love of parents. It's a universal theme.
And for another great happening, we saw Brother Somluck's wife, Jiab another two times this week. She is really doing great. She faithfully attends Church is praying often and is starting to get more into the scriptures. She also has a deep understanding and desire to be baptized. She has expressed how she feels different since she has started learning with the Elders. We rescheduled a baptismal date with her for the 21st of February. She also brought her son from her previous marriage and he has expressed a desire to be baptized as of yesterday! His name is Nice, pronounced more like Nay. He's 12 years old. Jiab is doing great and I can't wait for the day when she gets baptized. To see the entire family of Brother Somluck in the Church will be a great thing. They will be such an asset to the branch.
Sundays we spend most of our time at the Church while Elder Peterson, being the champ that he is, spends his time figuring out everything for the Branch. He's so dedicated and does a great job. He was told when he was made the Branch president to work himself out of a job and that he will DEFINATELY do. He has worked to establish everything for a smooth transition to a Thai Branch President, which is ultimately the goal across Thailand. He's a great companion! As of right now, Thailand now only has about three places that have missionary branch presidents, Surin and Buriram (both of which are close to Cambodia) and Nongkhai.
Lessons from the week- Faith can be built as we experience trials. Life is often very difficult, but as we experience the trials that come from mortal existence, we often find the deepest trust and faith in God. This trust and faith will carry us through the harder days and through the times of frustration. Another lesson- listening carefully is a skill that we all must truly work on our entire lives! I have noticed that listening is something that is very important especially when it's not your own language. If you truly listen, you will actually feel someone's soul rather than the words that are coming from their mouth. It doesn't really matter what language we speak or what cultural background we are from, in the end we are all children of God who have the same needs. We all desire to feel loved and to feel valued. As we truly listen with our hearts, not just our ears, even if we don't understand every word we hear, we will see the power of words and the power of our influence.
Another valuable lesson: Patience is something that when developed will help us everyday! Patience brings us comfort, peace and love for those we work with and serve. As we learn that we are all human with imperfections and flaws, we come to realize that we are all in this together. Patience will build our faith and help us to feel of the love of God. Patience and understanding are the key to resolving conflict and avoiding offense. As men, we often feel that our way is the right way. In the end, however, when we put ourselves in other's shoes, we see the variety of experiences and ways that others think and come to realize how valuable working together is. Patience with ourselves, however, might be the most valuable thing of all. Often we become so frustrated with our imperfections that we miss the mark and fail to see that the atonement doesn't just apply to those around us, it applies to us too. Brother Sakhaa taught us once that we need to stop thinking that the atonement can help everyone except for me. We need to start thinking about how the atonement can help us and then how we can in turn help others. I have seen that time and time again in the lives of members, other missionaries, and myself. When we realize that Christ is waiting with open arms to receive us and He stands ready to receive us, we will realize that the atonement will and does help us.
And Thailand continues to be great. From the days where we mostly hear Laotian being spoken around us, to the street venders selling their wares, to the most delicious khaaw man gai thawd that I have ever had, Nongkhai's environment is great. And sacrament meeting is an experience with so few members. The songs are sung softly with so few people but that doesn't mean that they aren't song with joy. It's pretty amazing to think that here, in the middle of Northeastern Thailand there are saints who are striving on the path that leads back to God. They may be few in number, but that doesn't diminish their contribution. They sacrifice for the Gospel. (They also serve in many callings!) I love the Thai saints. They truly are the children of God. I think when we sacrifice the comforts of home and go out to serve, whether it be in Thailand or in Idaho, in Africa or in Argentina, our hearts expand and we realize the true meaning of love. I didn't know how much I could love a culture, a people, a way of life before I came to Thailand. I am so grateful for them. They teach me everyday, more than just language, but the importance of the eternal things. I love Thailand and its people!
We just got a new ward mission leader, Brother At replaced the famous Brother Arm whom every missionary loves but I have yet to meet since he is in Bangkok doing an internship. He is the Sunday School president but will be a great ward mission leader along with our great ward missionaries. Elder Peterson got the missionary program working with the ward here really strong. Let's hope that strong tradition continues long into the future!
I pray for you daily. I know your prayers help. You are all wonderful and I love your support. Thanks for all you do. God be with you till we speak again!
With love,
Elder Newman
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Welcome to 2553! (Formerly Known as 2010)
Dear Family,
First of all Happy New Year 2553! (Otherwise known as 2010). We see signs heralding the new year all over the place. The Buddhist year is 2553 but you see signs for both everyplace. Everyone here is so friendly too that all throughout this last week we heard holiday greetings "Happy Christmas and Happy New Year" from both Thais and tourists. There are a lot of tourists here because of the proximity to Laos.
I hope that all is going well in your side of the world. It's starting to heat back up here a little bit but the weather is still pretty nice. I can't remember if I told you but apparently when it hits the hot season, we are going to go out and proselytize for the beginning of the day and then study during the middle of the day. Apparently during the middle of the day there isn't really anyone outside and so it makes more sense for us to stay cool.
This week was really good despite a rougher start. Elder Peterson and I were both sick at the beginning of the week. We didn't sleep very well because of it but now I am feeling back to my chipper old self. Lots of bed rest coupled with fluids and good mild food helped me to get over it pretty quickly.
I saw my first elephant this last week! It was at the place we ate dinner on Monday night. There was a man going around with his elephant selling sugar cane to feed it. It was a pretty small one and it was playing a harmonica. That was pretty exciting if I do say so myself.
This past week we met with Brother Somluck's (a recent convert) wife, Jiab, and taught her Saturday and Sunday. She's doing so well. She really has a desire to see how Brother Somluck could change his life so much. Last week he gave a talk on how his faith caused him to give up drinking. She saw this and was curious as to how the Church could help him change so much. They have a little three or four year old daughter who is adorable beyond belief named Bella. Jiab is doing very well. She is gaining more faith and is progressing towards baptism. She actually bore her testimony yesterday about how the gospel has blessed their life as a family. In our lesson with her yesterday we taught with the incomparable Brother At, who is a member of less than 5 years, but knows the scriptures like a pro, and he taught how family prayer will be a blessing to their family. It was a great lesson and I think Jiab will be praying with Somluck on a regular basis.
Yesterday during Testimony Meeting it was really good to hear from the members. The older members talked about how the branch coming back to Nong Khai has been a blessing in their lives. They talked about how quickly the time has passed since the branch came back. The branch is growing and will soon be under the leadership of a member branch president. The branch only has about 40 to 50 members who attend actively but there's definitely a sense of family among them. Everyone really watches out for each other and there's a lot of great love one for another. It's almost like they are all just one big family. It's also pretty amazing to see how long some of the members have been members up here. It will be a really great day to when this branch will be a ward and part of a stake in Udorn! I don't know how long that will take, but it is possible with the faith and work of the members.
As for other happenings, we saw a member who has been a member for a long time but is only recently starting to come back to Church, his name is Brother Rid. He works as a DJ and is married. We taught a really great lesson with him about the restoration/the first lesson. He has good understanding and will be such an asset to the branch once he becomes fully active. I really have seen so many great stories with working with less active members. It's been a great experience to be able to work with them and see how as we do the simple things like reading our scriptures, we will feel the love of God and see how the gospel will be a blessing to us.
Nong Khai continues to be a wonderful experience. I have grown to have a lot of sympathy for bishops and branch presidents since being here. It's an awful lot of work. Elder Peterson handles it so well and does a great job too! They have seen some great things going on here since he has been Branch President.
As for spiritual thoughts/reflections, this week I think I really realized the importance of keeping a good journal. I have fallen behind since I came to Thailand. Journals allow us to express the feelings that come to us from God and to remember the precious moments that we have had. Granted, I think my new goal for the new year, is to keep a much better journal to remember this magical place with all of its adventures and to remember the feelings that I have had as I have taught about the love of God. I also learned a lesson of priorities this week. When it comes right down to it, life is full of a lot of priorities that seem really important to us but actually aren't. I have seen in Thailand how family and faith are much more important than I can imagine. I have seen how the influence of righteous parents leading their children can change the lives of their children and how in the end, life will change, but our faith will be like the anchor of our souls. I was reminded of a scripture in, I believe Ether 12:4-6, that discusses that. Faith, hope for a glorious and bright future, will sustain us in times of trail, doubt or heartache. These things are the things that are truly important. It's a blessing to also know that through Jesus Christ, families can be together forever. Even though circumstances may separate us, we cannot be separated in the end from the love of God and from the love of one another. This love will sustain us in the harder times. What a great knowledge to have!
I feel so grateful to think that almost a year ago I was called to come to Thailand! It feels just like yesterday. The magic of that special moment in February still hasn't faded as I continue to be here in Thailand working to help God's children. I know that God is watching out for us. As we reflect upon our blessings this year, I don't know what next year will hold but I do know that as long as we press forward with gratitude in our hearts and with a smile on our faces, showing our love for everyone, we will have a great year!I pray for you all daily and hope that all goes well for you all. May God bless you all in your various pursuits!
Love,
Elder Jacob Newman
First of all Happy New Year 2553! (Otherwise known as 2010). We see signs heralding the new year all over the place. The Buddhist year is 2553 but you see signs for both everyplace. Everyone here is so friendly too that all throughout this last week we heard holiday greetings "Happy Christmas and Happy New Year" from both Thais and tourists. There are a lot of tourists here because of the proximity to Laos.
I hope that all is going well in your side of the world. It's starting to heat back up here a little bit but the weather is still pretty nice. I can't remember if I told you but apparently when it hits the hot season, we are going to go out and proselytize for the beginning of the day and then study during the middle of the day. Apparently during the middle of the day there isn't really anyone outside and so it makes more sense for us to stay cool.
This week was really good despite a rougher start. Elder Peterson and I were both sick at the beginning of the week. We didn't sleep very well because of it but now I am feeling back to my chipper old self. Lots of bed rest coupled with fluids and good mild food helped me to get over it pretty quickly.
I saw my first elephant this last week! It was at the place we ate dinner on Monday night. There was a man going around with his elephant selling sugar cane to feed it. It was a pretty small one and it was playing a harmonica. That was pretty exciting if I do say so myself.
This past week we met with Brother Somluck's (a recent convert) wife, Jiab, and taught her Saturday and Sunday. She's doing so well. She really has a desire to see how Brother Somluck could change his life so much. Last week he gave a talk on how his faith caused him to give up drinking. She saw this and was curious as to how the Church could help him change so much. They have a little three or four year old daughter who is adorable beyond belief named Bella. Jiab is doing very well. She is gaining more faith and is progressing towards baptism. She actually bore her testimony yesterday about how the gospel has blessed their life as a family. In our lesson with her yesterday we taught with the incomparable Brother At, who is a member of less than 5 years, but knows the scriptures like a pro, and he taught how family prayer will be a blessing to their family. It was a great lesson and I think Jiab will be praying with Somluck on a regular basis.
Yesterday during Testimony Meeting it was really good to hear from the members. The older members talked about how the branch coming back to Nong Khai has been a blessing in their lives. They talked about how quickly the time has passed since the branch came back. The branch is growing and will soon be under the leadership of a member branch president. The branch only has about 40 to 50 members who attend actively but there's definitely a sense of family among them. Everyone really watches out for each other and there's a lot of great love one for another. It's almost like they are all just one big family. It's also pretty amazing to see how long some of the members have been members up here. It will be a really great day to when this branch will be a ward and part of a stake in Udorn! I don't know how long that will take, but it is possible with the faith and work of the members.
As for other happenings, we saw a member who has been a member for a long time but is only recently starting to come back to Church, his name is Brother Rid. He works as a DJ and is married. We taught a really great lesson with him about the restoration/the first lesson. He has good understanding and will be such an asset to the branch once he becomes fully active. I really have seen so many great stories with working with less active members. It's been a great experience to be able to work with them and see how as we do the simple things like reading our scriptures, we will feel the love of God and see how the gospel will be a blessing to us.
Nong Khai continues to be a wonderful experience. I have grown to have a lot of sympathy for bishops and branch presidents since being here. It's an awful lot of work. Elder Peterson handles it so well and does a great job too! They have seen some great things going on here since he has been Branch President.
As for spiritual thoughts/reflections, this week I think I really realized the importance of keeping a good journal. I have fallen behind since I came to Thailand. Journals allow us to express the feelings that come to us from God and to remember the precious moments that we have had. Granted, I think my new goal for the new year, is to keep a much better journal to remember this magical place with all of its adventures and to remember the feelings that I have had as I have taught about the love of God. I also learned a lesson of priorities this week. When it comes right down to it, life is full of a lot of priorities that seem really important to us but actually aren't. I have seen in Thailand how family and faith are much more important than I can imagine. I have seen how the influence of righteous parents leading their children can change the lives of their children and how in the end, life will change, but our faith will be like the anchor of our souls. I was reminded of a scripture in, I believe Ether 12:4-6, that discusses that. Faith, hope for a glorious and bright future, will sustain us in times of trail, doubt or heartache. These things are the things that are truly important. It's a blessing to also know that through Jesus Christ, families can be together forever. Even though circumstances may separate us, we cannot be separated in the end from the love of God and from the love of one another. This love will sustain us in the harder times. What a great knowledge to have!
I feel so grateful to think that almost a year ago I was called to come to Thailand! It feels just like yesterday. The magic of that special moment in February still hasn't faded as I continue to be here in Thailand working to help God's children. I know that God is watching out for us. As we reflect upon our blessings this year, I don't know what next year will hold but I do know that as long as we press forward with gratitude in our hearts and with a smile on our faces, showing our love for everyone, we will have a great year!I pray for you all daily and hope that all goes well for you all. May God bless you all in your various pursuits!
Love,
Elder Jacob Newman
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