05/25/2014

Hello. This is Elder Osborn. Elder Osborn doesn't know what to say this week. He felt pretty useless on Friday. Why? Because he didn't do anything. What!? Elder Osborn didn't do anything.

Okay, nevermind, I can't write that style, back to normal.

I didn't do anything on Friday and it was the worst! We got a text from the Zone Leaders saying that due to certain circumstances including a mob and a coup we were to stay in our apartments unless we had an appointment. Thank goodness we had tons of appointments set up! But guess what? Everyone didn't go. So we didn't really do anything on Friday. Then we got the text for Saturday that we needed to get 72 hour kits and we could go out and work and do stuff, just no contacting. What?!!! No street contacting. I couldn't invite people to get baptized for two days! It was horrible.

I can remember we were on a bus and I saw a way nice looking guy. I smiled at him and he smiled back. I imagined him in baptismal white -- which is a technique we use while we teach and invite to increase our faith -- and thought of how great of a member he'll be. I went to grab my baptismal card but couldn't... I couldn't invite him to get baptized!!! So I said a silent but fervent prayer that we'd see him again or he'd come the the gospel soon.

Yeah, so that was the worst. Everyone who is serving please treasure up the fact that you can go contacting and invite people to get baptized.

We started planning as if this would continue on indefinitely so we've been planning ways to get more referrals so we can still baptize.

We also had a curfew at 8. So we had to be back at home at 8 every day. That was the worst too. 

But as of today we are free!!! We can contact and invite people to be baptized again! Just we have to not make a show if there are soldiers around. :)

This week was the most glorious miracle! It was the first one that I was the recipient too! 

Remember that one time when I made it all the way to Thailand without losing anything. Then on the bus on the way to my first area -- Udorn -- they lost my carry-on? Yes that happened. I lost one of my three bags, and the only one that didn't have my info on the outside, cause it was my carry-on. It had lots of stuff in it. Like letters, my dictionary, my clothes, my language materials, and my study/spiritual journal from the last few YEARS.

Yes this happened over 7 months ago. I lost my bag. This week we got a call from the Elders in Ubon. They found my bag! In Ubon. That city isn't even near Udorn or Bangkok. How did it end up there? And how did the Elders find it? It didn't have my name on it. So I'm getting my bag back!!! What on earth?!! I don't know how I'll get it from way over there, or when. But I'm getting it back! There must be something really important in that journal for God to decide to do this miracle to give it back to me.

Pic: Last night Elder Sayavong feel asleep early, so we created this monster and put it in the bathroom because he always wakes up to go to the bathroom during the night.

He told us this morning that he saw it in the dark and covered his eyes and walked towards it until he touched it, then turned on the light. We were hoping he would scream or run or something, but that's okay, it was pretty darn hilarious. We have round two in the works right now.

So, I have a question. Do you guys like emails like this one, or emails like the last one? They're both fun for me to write and I just don't know exactly what I should keep doing.

Love ya! 

Elder Osborn

05/19/2014

My dear family and friends,

This week was special. But not exactly special in the way you would think. 

I can remember my Lacrosse coach watch me bench my max, walk up to me, and add another 40 pounds and make me lift another set of ten. I can remember running up Quail road from Timpview High to the top of the hill, and back down, and back up again. Picking up a 25 pound medicine ball and running up and down the stands and doing ladders on the field. 

Nobody judges a coach because he pushes his athletes to the limit in preparation for the season, for that important game. Nobody thinks to judge him. 

Did I not like my coach when I left the gym hardly able to lift my arms? Maybe. It was hard, it hurt, but I understood why. If you don't understand why you will be filled with frustration and anger towards your coach when he pushes you. But when you can see the end goal -- being prepared for the next season -- you endure with patience. The weights aren't lighter, the hill isn't shorter, the only difference is your perception of the trial. You can see the final result. You see yourself stronger, faster. You can tell what your coach is planning for you. He is molding you into something new, that stronger, faster version of you. He knows the end goal, and you know it too. We understand each other.

Most of you probably know what I'm talking about. :)  

Who is my coach? The Lord. 

I came into this mission field just like a new player joins the team. Knowing nothing, weak, ineffective. My coach has been pushing me, giving me difficulties. But the problem in this scenario is that my perception of these trials and difficulties isn't the same as the Lord's. He sees me at the end of the mission a strong, powerful, filled with the Spirit, efficient, hard-working man. But do I see this end goal? Sometimes. I can always see that end goal when things are easy but once my Coach puts on those extra 40 pounds for a week, can I still see the purpose? When I'm running up a long, steep hill, do I truly understand His purposes? There's the rub. My perspective and my Coach's perspective are not in line. He sees something I don't see. We aren't seeing eye to eye, and thus, I become confused, frustrated, impatient. I just see this hill as a hill, and I am doomed to push my stone up to the top just to watch it roll back down again so I have to push it up again. 

 But once I come unto an understanding of His great eternal purpose, I can see His hand in my life. We all know that the greatest men went to the top only because of the great resistance they met on the way. My Lord is giving me great resistance in this period of my mission. He just threw on an extra 100 pounds and told me to do 40 reps. My arms are weak, near that point where they just stop working. That point when you look at that bar and it doesn't move, no matter how hard I push, it just won't move. But that is why He is here. Just like my coach, on the ninth rep, when my arms stop working, He puts His hands on the bar and lifts with me until I finish the set. 

The beautiful thing is that I can see His purposes. Through prayer I have brought the will of the Father and will of the child into correspondence with each other. I understand why He is giving me trials, and thus I can endure with patience, even joy. Lifting my bar right now is an extremely joyful experience, because I have a near perfect perception of His purposes -- what He needs me to be. So I lift, again and again, with invisible hands adding their incomprehensible strength to mine. I feel like the more I try to come unto Him the more weights he adds to my burdens.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

"And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land... Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless -- whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people... And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings."

I feel strong. Tired, sore, but strong. But more important I feel humbled. Knowing that it wasn't I who put those weights on to increase my strength. (2 Timothy 1:6-12)

Elder Osborn

5/12/2014

ก็อาทิตย์นี้เป็นอาทิตย์ที่ดีมากๆ ก็ผมมีอีกคู่คนหนึ่ง เขาชื่อเอ็ลเดอร์สุขันธ์ ผมได้พูดถึงเขาอาทิตย์ที่แล้วแต่ผมไม่ได้พูดพอเรื่องนี้

เขาเป็นผู้สอนที่ทำทุกอย่างเก่งมากๆ เขาสอนผมตลอดโดยการเป็นตัวอย่างสำหรับผม เฉพาะเรื่องความรักและความนอบน้อม

Okay. that was fun. I think my thai typing skills are slowly improving. haha just kidding. They're still pretty bad! But hey look at that! That's thai! I can read and write those little ramen noodles! haha.

I apologize if there's a bunch of typos so when google tries to translate it it will fail! So have fun understanding that! haha.

I was thinking about doing the entire email in thai, but then I started to feel guilty because nobody would understand my email. So I stopped. :) Your welcome.

This week was way great. I'm gaining weight. So you probably know what I'm referring to. I'm eating a lot. - Hey Sky, you know what I'm talking about, I have been living your advice! I'm not only just eating a lot, I eating a lot of Thai food, which is was delicious. Unlike any food in the world. And not only just eating a lot, eating a lot, often. :) That's the trick to gaining weight. Eat a lot, often. I'm also learning at the hands of a master how to make these delicious delicacies. Elder Sukhan is 100 percent Thai, but he was born and raised in Utah, but he can still cook like a boss. So for example, yesterday we made a vegetable chicken stirfry (not exactly thai, but way good) and some mango sticky rice!!!! The ultimate dessert! We figured out how to make it! It is so good that I almost ate it for breakfast this morning! So you're all gonna love my new amateur cooking skills when I get back. :)

Okay enough about my food. Well not actually. I think my new favorite food is a food called ส้มตำ or a papaya salad! So good! The best part is it is really, really, really, spicy. As in like one of the spiciest dishes in creation. But you can order it according to the level of spicy you want. It's so good! Spicy food is a trademark of Thailand and I think when I get back I'll be 100 percent immune to spicy food in America. because nothing I have ever eaten compares to spicy Thai food. The only bad thing about this food is it gives you ท้องเสีย. So that's not too fun. But it's just life in Thailand.

In other words, or more important words. We had a really cool week this week. We found a way cool investigator who asked if he could bring his wife, then the second day he brought his daughter too, then they brought a friend to church as well! 

We also saw one of the biggest leaps of faith I've ever seen on the part of an investigator to put all of her trust in the Lord and be baptized, no matter the consequences or the trials it will bring into her life. I am so proud of her.

Elder Osborn

Pics:

Last week's baptisms. Sister Jane and Jan.

Beautiful cloud that I just had to take a pic.

This guy up in a tree cutting it down in the middle of a torrential torrent of rain and lightning.

Elder Sukhan and I found 67 snails while we were waiting for an appointment. When it rains all the people go in and all the snails come out.

Sister Nun got baptized yesterday. Such a special day!

5/5/2014

1 And now, behold, my beloved brethren/sisteren. This is the next email from Elder Osborn, who has been called to the ministry staying in Srinakarin but with some more strange companion switches.

2 For behold, I will show unto you what happened at transfers last Thursday, and how Elder Osborn's ministry continued in the land of medium-tall sized buildings. And how it was successful. For I say unto you that two more souls were brought to the knowledge of their savior and were baptized for the remission of sins.

3 But there were trials in the land - it seems that Elder Attasit, due to a wound from a previous battle in the North lands, he was released from the ministry and went home to rest from his labors and support the ministry in the land of Asoke.

4 Due to this confusion Elder Osborn continued his work with Elder Sayavong and Elder Winsor in the land of Srinakarin - which is about a 30 minutes taxi journey through the wilderness of taller buildings to the land of Asoke in the West.

5 But in other words, Elder Osborn met success with his new companions, or I should say they were not new, for he had worked with them before, he just returned to working with them.

6 But I will show unto you, that the Lord of Abraham, and of Jacob, continues to do marvelous works among the children of men. For behold, on Saturday morning Elder Osborn awoke and left his tent (or rather the bottom bunk) and discovered a device of curious workmanship, which had a message from the assistants.

7 This curious director was in the hand of Elder Winsor, who interpreted the voice which came out of the device, saying: Behold, ye Elders in the land of Srinakarin, ye have been called to preach the gospel two by two and thus ye are expected to travel to the land of Asoke by 9 o'clock to pick up another Elder who has come down from the land of Chiang Mai in the North to serve with ye in the land of medium-tall buildings in the South, which is the land of Srinakarin, which is near the land of Asoke. 

8 For behold, the Lord loves his people in the land of Srinakarin, and has called Elder Sukhan by revelation, through his servant President Senior, to serve with ye in that land.

9 And it came to pass that Elder Osborn suffered much affliction of thought, saying to himself: why must I have so many companions?

10 And the voice of the Spirit came unto him saying, Peace be unto thee, for it is wisdom in me that ye shall have many companions in the land of Srinakarin.

11 And it came to pass that Elder Osborn was comforted.

12 And it came to pass that Elder Osborn and his companions were quick in obedience to travel to the land of Asoke to receive his new companion.

13 And it came to pass that when they arrived in the land of Asoke they came unto the house of the assistants, when Elder Osborn met his new companion, he embraced him saying: What's up bro!?

14 And it came to pass that when they had returned to the land of Srinakarin they found that their investigators had all but been lost. For seven people had dates to be baptized the next day, but many had lost their way, so that two souls were baptized unto salvation.

15 And it came to pass that there was much joy and rejoicing in the church in Srinakarin for the souls that had returned unto their God.

16 Behold, I have shown unto thee that the Lord God loves his children in every area in the land of Thailand, Burma, and Laos.

17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that all that believe in Him, shall have eternal life. I say unto you that He lives and has risen from the dead in glory to save the children of men. He knows his people, he knows their trials, their sorrows, and their difficulties. And when men shall come unto Him, they shall find peace in their souls. For I know that he lives. And I say unto you again, that whosoever shall repent, be baptized, and become as a little child, shall have eternal life.

18 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

With love,

Elder Osborn

PS: believe it or not, some of that I actually wrote myself, the rest came from the scriptures. :)

 Elder Attasit. I love this guy... :)

 Baptisms! Sister Jan and Jane