05/25/2015

My time here in Bangkhae so far has rushed by so quickly; except this last week. It went by really slow. But we were able to do a lot of work.

On Monday we went with Brother Charlie to a seaside restaurant. อร่อยมากๆ

He then took us to a field where he showed us his remote control planes. He's so good at it!

We went to teach him during the week and he pulled out two remote control airplanes and said that they were for us! He's giving them as a gift.

"You have been working hard for the Lord for two years and I like the Lord. He whispered in my ear to do this for you. You deserve some kind of prize."

So I'll be coming home with a model airplane! He is too nice!

We went to visit the 9-year-old girl who hasn't been baptized. We taught her and set up an interview. Elder Weaver said we should make sure that she is 9 and not 8. So we called and found out that she is still only 8. Thai people occasionally will round up their age. So when we would say "I am 20" they would say "I am 21". They don't do it all the time so we have to ask for clarification.

So we didn't get to keep teaching her, but she did get baptized yesterday.

Another couple who we were teaching had a date for Sunday but they fell through as well, needing a little more time.

Our other investigator who had a date for this Sunday was forbidden by her father to get baptized. Her mom supports it - and wants to get baptized too - but they both are going to try to figure things out first.

We were sad that we lost all of them so quickly, but one miracle made it all worth it.

One of our investigators, Sister Buu and her son were still on the "I want to study this out more" boat. They came to church with a less-active family that we had been working with. We called her after district meeting and Elder Weaver talked to them. This is the conversation I heard:

"Hi Sister Buu, how are you?

Do you feel like you have faith in Jesus Christ?

Really? Wow that's great.

So is there anything stopping you from getting baptized?

Great! Can we come visit you tomorrow night and prepare you to get baptized this Sunday?

Brother Almond wants to get baptized too?

Great. We'll see you tomorrow."

Sister Buu and her son Almond got baptized yesterday. He is 11 and wants to go serve a mission. She wants him to serve too.

Yesterday there were five baptisms here in Bangkhae. Such a miracle!

Yesterday was district conference, so three branches came together and there were about 300 people there. 3 branches. Elder Weaver and I translated for it.

After the general session Elder Gong held a question and answer about dating and marriage for the single adults. It was really weird translating for that one, because the discussion applied to everyone in the room except me because Elder Weaver is going home this week.

Moves calls should be coming today, so I'll know if I'm moving or staying. After this transfer I'll be the oldest group of missionaries in the mission. That's pretty freaky.

Transfers will be on Thursday so I'll let you all know what happened next week.

Love you all,

Elder Osborn

05/17/2015

Three more baptisms in our district yesterday! The church attendance jumped up to 120.

I don't know what's happening exactly, but we're not doing it. God is.

As for the things we're learning, I really feel that I'm learning charity. I used to look at the gospel as a whole bunch of different points, faith; hope; repentance; temples; prophets; scriptures; sabbath; commandments, etc. But now I'm beginning to see that it is only one word -- love.

Charity/love is the essence, the center of the Gospel. Everything will always go back to it. It's all about reaching out to others and forgetting yourself. God did it, Christ did it, and They ask us to do it. A humble person doesn't think less of himself, he thinks less about himself.

I've been learning how to do that. To just completely forget myself. I've been good at doing good things or working hard, but I've always struggled to forget myself, put others first and above, and just lift others. I'm learning how to do that now. It's making me more patient, more faithful, more careful. All just because I'm trying to do everything for others' benefit instead of mine.

We're working with some great families. One is moving along. They have been learning for almost 4 weeks now, struggling slightly with various commandments, especially the sabbath day, but the daughter has a date for this Sunday. Her mom still hasn't accepted a date yet and we're trying to help her understand that if she just trusts in God she can do it.

We've been working with a member who is having a hard time, all of her kids are members but they are pretty rebellious, one of the teenagers refusing to pray during FHE one evening with us. Her husband is okay with them being members but he doesn't want anything to do with it. She asked us to start working with one of her struggling friends. Yesterday this friend of hers came to church and brought her daughter who hasn't been baptized yet! We're going to get to finish a family! We have a family home evening planned with them for this evening.

Love you all,

Elder Osborn

Last P-day we went to a crocodile farm! The biggest one in the world (not sure if my family has ever been here before or not...)

Here's some great pictures

05/10/2015

Well I just got off skyping with my wonderful family, and I don't know what else to say.

This week we had mission leadership council, and Elder Gong came too! I learned so much about charity, and working cheerfully.

This is basically the theme of our mission right now.

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

This week was a week of miracles. Yesterday there were 35 investigators at church here!!!!!! I've never seen anything like that before!

What was great was that our companionship had five families, so it was much easier to take care of everybody.

Brother Charlie was baptized yesterday. He is the most wonderful man in the world! He does remote control airplanes as a hobby and his living and he is so cool! He was the referral that I spoke about last week. I'm pretty sure he's going to be the Branch President here in a few years.

And he's going to take us RC plane flying next week!!! Yay!

We're going to go visit a really neat zoo today, I'll send you pictures next week.

Love you all,

Elder Osborn

This is a crazy Thai fruit called durian. It smells really bad so that it is forbidden to take into almost any public place. If you eat too much of it you will puke. And if you eat it before bed time you can't sleep because it will increase your body temperature. We tried it out.

I'm companions with Yoda!! Too bad I took this picture on the 6th of May.

We found some guy with a homemade fishingpole/crossbow chilling next to the canal waiting for fish. He posed when we asked for a picture.

05/03/2015

Yesterday Brother Buk got baptized!

Story --

Last week on Friday night we were biking back home. Elder Weaver and I would stop and talk with everyone. After getting one guy's number and setting up an appointment for the next day, we continued inviting. About half an hour later we got a phone call, it was the same guy, calling us to confirm the appointment for the next day.

During one of our lessons he told us that when he went to church the first time he just felt it, "I have faith in these things." How wonderful that going to church can increase someone's faith so quickly!

He made another comment that we thought was really interesting, "I'm starting to think that I have just always been Christian since I was born."

I feel so privileged to have been able to work with such a prepared soul.

Another miracle. Last week while writing that email about expectations one of our district leaders called, giving us a referral of a member in their branch's little brother. We met with him and he loved the Restoration. He would ask us, "So how do I know which religion is correct?" :)

When we explained what baptism was he asked, "So when do I do it?" "You're going to get baptized on Sunday." "Tomorrow?" "No, next Sunday."

He's basically amazing.

We visited him and his wife at their home as well. We're really excited for him!

The mission is going crazy. Everyone is so excited and miracles like this are happening all over the country!

Elder Osborn

Pictures:

 We went and taught the policemen English!

 Went to a Buddhist temple.

Brother Buk's baptism.