Elder Christopher Osborn's Mission Blog: 01/12/2014

I love Thailand. Cause I live more than 500 years ahead of everybody else! haha

So, sadly, nobody in our companionship has been baptized this month yet, but we do have 5+ really solid daters set up for the 19th.

I have some cool stories!!!!

We have an investigator and met with him and watched finding faith in Christ. We spoke of miracles and healing. We made a plan for him to quit smoking because he hasn't been able to. Two days later we met with him again, he told us that he went from 15 cigarettes a day down to two, and was going to not smoke at all that day. He is preparing to be baptized on the 19th. We also asked him how he's doing with talking to his boss about the Sabbath day. He didn't tell us anything more than, "it shouldn't be a problem anymore". What?! So impressed!

Elder Wilko contacted a girl a few days ago and we met her on Friday. We asked her why she wanted to meet with us. This was basically her reply: "I've made mistakes in life and if there really is a way to wash all of those away I want to do it." We gave her a date for 9 days later and taught her the Word of wisdom, sabbath day, prayer, book of mormon, and the law of chastity on the spot. She has no problems with any of them. Yesterday we called her to remind her to come to church. She said she was sick. We told her that if she came to church today she could get baptized on the 19th, and if she didn't she'd have to wait for the 26th. She came.

A few days ago I met a really nice man. He is an author. And he has already found my blog.... So he may or may not read this.... hahahaha.

He came for his first lesson with us and came with an old translation of the Book of Mormon. He had watched "God's Army" about 6 years ago and was curious about the missionaries. He came to english class and got a Book of Mormon and nothing came of it until I ran into him this week. He came to church and we have another appointment with him. We asked him how much of the book of mormon he plans to read in a day, he answered that he can read a 300 page book in 3 hours. I expect him to finish within a week.

Last night I found a woman who spoke amazing english. The sisters used to visit her family years ago when she was 18. She said she can't remember much but she had a good feeling with the missionaries. I asked her if she wanted to continue learning. She said there's many beliefs and many answers for everybody. I said "No. There's not. Do you believe in God?" "yes." "If I believed that I created the world, but God actually created the world, is it possible that I created the world and God did too?" "no" "exactly! There is ONE answer for EVERYTHING for EVERYBODY. It isn't hard."

She refused to come to the church or meet with me. She said she prays to God every morning and that He has answered her prayers before. I gave her my number and said, "Tomorrow morning will you pray to God and ask, ' Should I meet with Elder Osborn?' If He tells you no, promise me that you will not call me. But, if He tells you yes, promise me you will follow that answer and call me." I'm praying I'll get a phone call from her sometime soon or she'll stop by the church. I told her that she doesn't have to believe or listen to any of the voices of all the religions fighting for her, she doesn't need to listen to me either. I told her to put it into God's hands and He will tell her what she needs to do.

The work is beautiful. It is true that a mission brings the greatest happiness. I've never felt so tired, so inadequate, so useless, so stupid, so slow, so weak. But I feel powerful. I can walk up to anybody I want to and know that I have more authority "than the kings of the earth". I have the authority to call them to repentance and guide them towards salvation and exaltation. I have never felt so supported.

"And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Hold One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it."

"Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Hold Ghost. Yea, and now behold, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors; For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God. I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; ya, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me. And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory."

Elder Osborn

เอ็ลเดอร์ ออสบอร์น

We have these things called balanced key indicators. If you get balanced. It basically means you're a good missionary. If you get super balanced... well I'll leave that up for interpretation.

These charts show all of the indicators to show how our companionship is doing in general, from lessons, investigators, to baptisms. We have been 10 weeks balanced now. We keep pushing our goals even higher every week.