02/28/2015

Dear Family!

This week was pretty fun. We've been having a blast doing lots projects for transfers... 

A few weeks ago I contacted a young woman. We gave her to the sisters after the first lesson because we felt like they would take better care of her. Last night I interviewed her! She passed!

It was really cool to be able to invite someone, then not teach them, and in the end be the interviewer. I was able to see so much progression in what felt like no time at all. She'll be baptized tomorrow.

This week I've been learning a lot about thinking. Thinking twice before everything, especially speaking. Doing this has been helping me to be sure that my conversation administers grace unto the hearers. It has also helped me to be more aware in general.

Brother Yut told us that his family felt really good when we went to visit him. They'll be coming to church tomorrow!

Elder Osborn

02/21/2015

Dear Family! And others...

This week we did work.

We did a project called priority zero for two days. We visited members. We're pretty tired. When we're done emailing we're going to go nap at the house.

I got the chance to spend time with missionaries who have taken off their tags for good. I was able to glean a lot from these wise missionaries. I've learned the importance learning from others and of role models.

On Monday I went with the same brother who is preparing to serve a mission to visit his family. It was the second time his mother had seen the missionaries, and the first time his father had seen us. Due to business I was on a switch-off with him. The only thing he wanted was for his parents to stop drinking. The entire way over to his home he asked me questions, and the entire way back he thanked me and asked me more questions. At his home we ate dinner and for dessert was a cake, which on it's face written on frosting was, "Thank you, Elder Osborn". 

I took the opportunity to teach a principle while we walked back to return me to my companions. I asked him if he'd read the Book of Mormon yet. He has.

I began to talk about heroes. I asked him, "Why do you think Mormon named his son Moroni?" "Why did Helaman name his sons Nephi and Lehi?". I attempted to unfold the principles of heroes and leadership to him. Because as a new member, he hasn't grown up with his parents teaching him the words of eternal life. But the Lord is the perfect example for all of us.

How grateful I am that I've had powerful role models in my life. Especially my parents, my mission president and wife, the prophets, and the Lord. 

Elder Osborn

Here's a bunch of pictures!

Yesterday we made thai food!!! 

Also, this member has the cutest dog in the world.

Sister Sai got baptized on Sunday!

02/13/2014

Happy Valentines Day everybody!

But more importantly, today is the day that I enter the fourth quarter of my mission. It's a pretty scary feeling; realizing that my mission is moving towards the end. I don't like it. It's moving way too fast. 

One thing about the church in Thailand is that pretty much everybody is a part-member family. It is hard to come by a family where everyone is a member.

This week we've had some very interesting experiences. Sister Senior has asked us to share personally meaningful scriptures when we visit members instead of the usual verses. As missionaries we love to share verses that we feel will increase their faith or assist them in repentance. Sister Senior said to just share meaningful verses. Ones that are special to us.

We lucked out and managed to get in on a family home evening with several families in the branch. They invited us to share a spiritual thought before we ate.

It was my turn to share something so I opened up to Enos and we read the first six verses.

This is basically what I shared:

"When I was younger I remember going on a campout with the neighborhood boys. We went out for about a week and we were given a special assignment while we were there. We were invited to read the book of Enos three times a day; morning, midday, and evening. I didn't read it everyday, nor did I read it three times a day. But this chapter has stuck with me ever since. I still have very powerful feelings every time I read Enos.

I grew up in the church, so my dad was very much like Jacob, speaking often of eternal life and the joy of the saints. He taught me in his language and he taught me of the Lord. But not much of this really meant much to me until I was older. I didn't go into the forest to hunt beasts, but like Enos, I began to feel weighed down by my sins and mistakes. My soul hungered for forgiveness. My dad's words sunk deep into my heart. I went through the process of true repentance and the Lord answered my prayers. I began to have faith in the Savior."

One of the members present spoke up and shared a piece of inspiration she received while I spoke. She told us how right now her children may not understand why she is a member of the church or want to do anything with it yet, but as she countinues to speak of eternal life and teach the Gospel to her children, she can hope that one day they will understand and those words will have an influence.

During the meal another member invited us to her home the following week. Another member invited us to his home to visit him and his family.

The next day we were trying to think of who else we could go visit, when we got a call from a young man preparing to serve a mission. He invited us over to his home to meet with his family. Of which only he and his sister are members.

On Sunday Elder Jeng made a connection with some Japanese members in the international ward. We'll be visiting them this evening.

Sister Senior told us that as we shared personally meaningful scriptures the members would trust us and our calling and would want their families to learn with us. She was right!

Last night we had a special lesson. We've been a little short on investigators recently because we've been devoting less time to finding on the streets. But we had a first lesson and we taught the Restoration. It was very different than usual. At the end this wonderful investigator asked each of us to share our personal experiences of receiving an answer about the Book of Mormon. It just so happened that this brother who is waiting for a mission call was helping us teach. When it was his turn to share he began to speak but then put his head down and I could see his eyes begin to water. He asked to pass. Everyone else shared their experiences and it came back to him. He had gathered himself and began to speak. He told this new investigator that he had sent in his application to be a missionary like us. He said that he was about to do something very wrong, but hadn't done it yet. But when he felt the Holy Ghost testify during that lesson the Holy Ghost warned him to not do that wrong thing.  He confessed that he was about to cancel his mission papers and not be a missionary. The Spirit had told him very powerfully to go on a mission during our lesson.

Afterwards we sat down and talked to him. He told us why he was about to cancel his mission. And he told us why he was now determined to serve. We gave him a few mouthfuls of advice and told him to just remember that feeling he had and everything will be okay, because the Lord does not abandon His servants.

He'll be getting his call in the next two weeks.

We may never know the effects of that one small lesson. One investigator willing to get baptized, and one missionary redetermined to serve.

The Lord is very good at what His work. He's been working on this since the world began. Yet He does most of the work through small experiences like that. We'll never know what influence this Brother's mission will have in others' lives, let alone his own. We'll be waiting excitedly for a call in the mail.

Elder Osborn

An investigator that I interviewed asked if I could baptize him. This is Brother Tam.

This is our first family home evening. If you look closely you'll notice many things about Thai culture and living.

And we found this at a bakery. Of course the following joke was cracked, "ye cannot serve God and mamon" 

#thingsthatmissionariesthinkarefunny

02/06/2015

Dear family and friends,

Our mission is changing again. What's so neat about the Thailand Bangkok Mission is that it is always changing. Evolving to follow new revelation and guidance received from the Lord. 

2014 was a monumental year for Thailand. There was a new stake creation in Bangkok. Districts were consolidated in the East in order to prepare for another Stake. Rumors of a temple began to spread. Missionaries were trained on how to prepare a country for a temple and the doctrine behind stakes and temples. Through becoming true Preach my Gospel missionaries, by becoming challenging and testifying missionaries, the TBM (Thailand Bangkok Mission) brought 1981 people into the waters of baptism in the year 2014. Tripling previous high tides. Miracles were seen across the country as the missionaries invited everybody, taking the phrase "Talk to as many people as possible" as literally as possible. I've seen miracles, almost everyday. And the days that I don't see them, I know that my faith is influencing missionaries across Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. We unified the country with a vision of a temple. As missionaries we created unity in the mission and obedience as a vital piece of mission culture. 2014 was a special year. Ideas were given of raising an Ebeneezer to remember "the year". 

President Senior started off 2015 by visiting each district across the country to give a special training to the missionaries. He and Sister Senior trained us on the importance of what happened in 2014, and how that was just step one. 

The commandment of the Lord to the saints during the Restoration of the fullness of the Gospel in Doctrine and Covenants 127:4 has become a commandment to our mission.

"And again, verily thus saith the Lord: Let the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they persecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven."

We're not looking back to what happened in Thailand. We're not going to pat ourselves on the back for what we, the members, and God did. We're going to walk forward and not look back. Thailand is still preparing for a temple. God's eye is focused here. 

The next step is very simple. Prepare the people of Thailand for the temple. So that when angel Moroni can be seen amongst the buildings of Bangkok, the halls of the Lord's house will be filled. Not with just a whole bunch of young-single-adults -- which were the majority of the converts in 2014 -- but families; being sealed together for eternity. We're using something called conversion; personal conversion. First the missionaries will be converted, then we are taking the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the families of all of these wonderful recent converts. We're going to help the Spirit of Elijah along and turn the hearts of the children to the fathers. We're taking My Family booklets to the recent converts to help them feel God's love for families as they do family history work and prepare specific names for the temple.

We're following revelation given to President Hinckley in 1999 when he said -- speaking of the world and not just one mission -- "Last year there were approximately 300,000 convert baptisms throughout the Church. This is tremendously significant. This is the equivalent of 120 new stakes of 2,500 members each. Think of that: 120 new stakes in a single year! It is wonderful. But it is not enough. I am not being unrealistic when I say that with concerted effort, with recognition of the duty which falls upon each of us as members of the Church, and with sincere prayer to the Lord for help, we could double that number. The big initial task is first to find interested investigators. So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members of the Church. Whenever there is a member who introduces an investigator, there is an immediate support system. The member bears testimony of the truth of the work. He is anxious for the happiness of his investigator friend. He becomes excited as that friend makes progress in learning the gospel."

Last year we had nearly 2000 baptisms. But it is not enough. Each of those recent converts have parents. 4000. Many have siblings. 6000. And they all have a friend. 8000. That's a lot of potential investigators! That's not even counting the people that we will find on the way to these members homes as we continue to talk to everybody, or the members who have been here since before 2014. God has laid a foundation for His work in Thailand. And His work cannot be stopped. "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God." The Thailand Bangkok mission has seen these miracles popping up already! And this only started this week! We just received a training on it this morning!

I'm excited to see what's in store for Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar next. And I'm determined to play my part.

Elder Osborn