Testimony of a Missionary

Elder Volk's latest from Thialand. Bits and pieces of it anyway.......

BTW- Amanda is my niece who is serving a mission in Kentucky, and the can't vs won't is from a conversation that Megan and I had after/during a talk on Sunday. "I can't, I'm Mormon" perpetuates the stereotypes that the world has of Latter-day Saints , whereas "I won't, I'm Mormon" sends a whole different message.

Mom and Dad,

You rock! Haha. Every email I get from you two just makes me more grateful to have been raised by such champions! Hopefully I can live up to the standards you two have set. (thought I'd leave this little pat on the back in there for you all to see that at least one of our children appreciates us. hint, hint to the rest of you offspring)I never even thought of the can't vs. won't concept. Someone should probably let that kid know that he needs to change his approach. He has good intentions, but he is unintentionally communicating incorrect doctrine and perpetuating stereotypes. As Amanda has stated, sometimes it would just be easier if agency was removed from the issue, but, oh yeah, then we would be living the adversary's plan and not Heavenly Father's. The growth that we are all so clearly experiencing lately through various trails and tribulations would not happen. Since we are talking about the Plan of Salvation here, I'll throw you a little tidbit that came to me during conference last month: This life is the opposition we need to experience in order to understand and enjoy eternal life. If we didn't come here and experience pain and sorrow, a life without it would have absolutely no meaning... Not sure if that plays directly into the agency issue we just chatted about. Probably does. Going to think about that later...

As far as how well the ward is doing, I must say that after leaving for school and coming back to visit, it seemed like the ward was shrinking. People were moving out and no one was coming to replace them. Fortunately, it sounds like this year and the last you all have been cranking out the missionary work. That is one thing we are trying to help our branch here realize: They may not have missionaries here all the time, and if they don't learn to go to work (took me a minute to think how to say that... the Thai phrase is all that came to mind - "put hands down"), continued growth won't happen. Some people are prepared and request membership without the aid of friends or missionaries, but generally that is not the case. We have to go get them and help them understand that the thing they desire most, whether they realize it yet or not, has been restored to the earth, never to be taken away again. Nuts. It's preparation day again and now I'm all pumped to go find people! Why does this happen every week!

Well, lets see... regarding investigators, the first three weeks of this moves were full of miracles, and last week and this are starting to get hard. We are becoming very aware that getting these people to enter the waters of baptism and receive the Holy Ghost is going to be harder that it first appeared. For example, last Sunday night during our last appointment for the week, we found out that Sister Sumali is only letting us come back every week so that she can gain our trust and sell us life insurance. We talked to her about her expectations, saying that it is very important for us to understand our investigators expectations so we can determine whether or not to continue teaching/what to teach. When it was her turn to speak, she started asking if we have work permits and if we have ever set aside money for the future, saying how great it would be if we bought into the company she works for since it is an American company and would still be in effect when we return to the States... I was absolutely crushed. It took every quantum of self control I have to force myself to not get up, grab Elder Law by the shirt collar and drag him out the door with me. However, it is also very clear to us that we still need to keep up relations with her because both her daughter and husband are Christian already and most likely willing to meet with us. No matter how devastating it was to discover insincere motives, we understand that we may have been led to her for a purpose other that teaching her specifically. Interesting how things work sometimes. One of our newer investigators, Nu, is coming along great though. We taught him the Restoration yesterday and he is going to pray to know it is true. He had tried prayer before, as we had asked, and he was wondering what the source of all the good feelings he had is. Oh man, I love when investigators ask questions like that!We also set up a way sweet vision statement regarding what we want to see happen with the branch in the future. I'll send it to you all to check out. We have steps in place to make sure every missionary who serves in Lampang catches and works toward the same vision. So stoked. Have I told you all about the American guy here named Troy? He is from California, but he has live here about as long as I have been alive. He came for gemology school and after graduation decided he hadn't enjoyed Thailand enough so he started traveling and decided to stay. He has a Thai wife, and it is clear to us that he didn't just marry her and stay here because he got rejected from the marriage scene in his homeland (as is the case for a lot of the weirdos here from other countries who can't even communicate with the woman to whom they are married). His family is the most important thing in his life, as manifest by his actions. He won't learn with us, but he lets us come to his place all the time. He makes a living just doing a little bit of everything. For example, a few weeks ago, he showed us this big ol' bread oven he found and refurbished himself. Yesterday he stopped us and told us he had started baking and delivering bread. We went to his house today and got fresh made sourdough loaves... Best bread I've had in my life. Hands down. No bones about it. (I'm not even really sure where that phrase came from or what it means exactly, but I needed something to intensify my feelings about this bread and I think that phrase is appropriate.) Now I hope I stay here in Lampang for another moves so I can get fresh, homemade bread two or three times a week!

Hmm.... well, two days ago, Elder Law was sick so I had an entire day to read in the Book of Mormon. Goal for the current read was to be done by 22 June, but I finished two days ago. I'll second what Amanda said in I think the patience email. READ THE BOOK. That's not a suggestion. That's not a request. Joseph Smith said, and I will add my witness, that a man will come closer to God by reading the Book of Mormon that by any other book. If you are true in your intent and desire and read after having prayed for understanding and a witness of the truth, the Spirit will bring it to you. And as you read daily and pray to receive that testimony often, it will come continually and through that testimony you will be motivated to obey and follow the will of the Lord. I had heard a lot of people say that before, including the prophets who wrote the Book of Mormon, but I never really understood it. I still don't understand how it happens, but I'll tell you that it does. I was struck by the fact that our choices for literature are so limited as missionaries. Think about your favorite book (other than the Book of Mormon) and think about only reading that book for two years straight. What will happen? I'll tell you what will happen. On the third time through, you will shut the book, set it down, and never want to read it again. That doesn't happen with the Book of Mormon. The more you read it, the more you will want to read it. I hate closing it up after a little extra reading during meal times. Closing the Book of Mormon up and having to move on to something else is becoming one of the most difficult things I have to do. I have no idea why this happens. All I know is that prophets have testified that it will happen, and seeing this promise fulfilled is just another witness that it is true. READ THE BOOK. Don't ever tell yourself it is hard or you don't have time. Make the time and read the book. It will get easier and more enjoyable every day. Your understanding of the Plan of Salvation will increase as it is taught so clearly. Your ability to feel the Spirit will increase. Your desire and ability to follow your Heavenly Father will increase. You will feel His love no matter how hard life may appear to be. So that's all I have for now. I think I am way over the time limit. Things are going great. I am very, very satisfied with the choice to serve a mission. In the mean time, enjoy the sweet picture of a Thailand sunset I took last night.

Love,Aaron