This last week has been quite interesting. It was transfers week which means that we spent a lot of time in the office doing all of the random stuff for the mission. I got to see the transfers board several times before it was completely finalized, so I was very excited when I first got to see where I was moving. In our mission we don't normally find out where you're going until the transfers meeting. But there are great perks of being in the office! It's like a spoiled Christmas!
On Wednesday night after dinner with the new missionaries, President pulled me aside and said that he was going to change my assignment. I said of course. He explained where I was going and who I'd be with.
Then later that night (quite later, after in his room with the Assistants for a long time) President called me into his office.
He had me sit down and asked, "Do you remember what I told you after dinner? I'm going to change your assignment again. Will you train in Chonburi?" ( for all those unfamiliar, Chonburi is an area that currently has no missionaries. It is a massive area as well. Nobody really knows exactly why there are no missionaries there. So when President asked me to train in Chonburi, it means not only would I be opening a brand new area, but also training in the process.)
I was stunned but I answered, "Yes".
President Senior said, "-- Or you can be zone leader in Bangkhae." To which I answered, "Yes". He said lets take the latter.
As it turns out the entire thing about Chonburi was just a joke, but I was pleased that in that circumstance, when faced with an extremely difficult assignment, I was still able to say "yes".
During transfers the Bangkok west zone leaders in Thonburi white washed out and Elder Tanner moved to assistant, while president moved the zone leaders from Thonburi to Bangkhae.
Here we are now! Elder Weaver and I white-wash opening the zone leader area in Bangkhae! We don't know exactly why there are now eight missionaries in Bangkhae, but there are. The church building is beautiful and massive, so we're gonna fill it up with people.
Elder Weaver is my พี่ or in the group just older than me. He has been zone leader before and is way solid! This is the first time in almost a year that I've been junior companion, and it's great! I learn Thai from him, I learn how to contact from him, etc. It's so nice!
We're also in the same house as two other companionships, both of which are training.
It's really fun to white-wash again! Especially because we both are experienced missionaries, but we have no idea where anything is, so we just walk around and talk to EVERYBODY. We almost got balanced key indicators in three days. It's way fun to just work and work. I'm also out of the office which means we're out working all day now! We've seen lots of miracles and it's much hotter out in the streets than in the office.
Bangkhae is on the outskirts of Bangkok, so it's just as busy, just a tiny bit more spread out, so instead of walking 5 minutes to get places, we walk 15-30 minutes to get places. It's fine though, plenty of people to talk to.
Everyone in our area just feels an excitement in the air. We all just know that this is going to be a special transfer. We're going to do some serious work here for the next six weeks.
A couple days ago we were teaching about family history when Elder Weaver shared a verse from D&C 138.
I beheld that the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead.
This was the first time that this verse meant anything to me. I was lost in thought and realized that my Grandpa Osborn is still preaching the gospel of repentance. I felt so much love and unity when I realized that we're doing this work together. That both sides of the veil -- Grandpa and Grandson -- are working together for the redemption of those who are in darkness and under the yoke of sin.
When the testifying influence of the Holy Ghost faded enough for me to speak, I told these recent converts that one of the reasons that they have been brought to the church right now was because their ancestors may have accepted this Gospel of redemption and are ready for the ordinances to be done in their behalf.
I've been wondering, Has Grandpa Osborn been teaching my investigators grandparents?
How wonderful!!! This work just goes on and on. After my mission I'll still be doing the same work, maybe just in a different way. And when I pass on, I'll just keep declaring the Gospel of repentance. I couldn't hope for anything better than that.
I love all of you,
Elder Osborn
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