3/31/2014

My new favorite question. "What is baptism?"

I won't answer this question for you, just give you all the opportunity to ponder this beautiful and essential ordinance of salvation and exaltation.

Speaking of baptism. Brother Jum, จุ๋ม got baptized yesterday! I love this guy. He's hilarious, so shy. He is so scared of talking to people he refused to bear his testimony after his baptism... :)

On Friday we were helping some members move out at their house way far away and we were waiting for the bus so we could go back and teach a lesson. We were standing there and a guy pulled up on a motorcycle and asked us, "You guys was away sins, right?" We said yes and set up an appointment. After we got his number and set him up for the next day he just drove away back the way he came. It was almost like he knew we were there. Really cool little miracle. He's getting baptized. He also looks like Vin Diesel. :)

We had some really cool powerful lessons with some of the long-time investigators we inherited from the Sisters before us. Basically one is already interviewed for baptism and the other two are going to get married so they can get baptized too. 

Something really cool that comes along with every baptism we get is we have to go on a switch-off with the zone leaders every time. So basically I get to be companions with Elder Wilko almost every week for a day! He still teaches me new things.

We found this one guy, during the first lesson we taught him every single commandment. That was super fun.

God taught us a lesson - or several - yesterday.  On Saturday we were writing everyone down who is set up to go to church yesterday. We had 23 people!! The next day in Sacrament meeting only two of them came. And we had a walk-in. So only 3. 23 people. Only 3 came. We were pretty frustrated. But because none of those people came we cleaned out our investigator pool and went contacting to replace all of those people we dropped. We found the real contacting wonderland. A residential area, a massive street market, and 4 7-elevens within 100 meters. Woah. We want to go back because nobody has ever really contacted there and it is a perfect set-up for some beautiful contacting. We'll see how many people in that area we can baptize this month.

We play this game called "Where's Waldo?"  Basically whenever we go contacting our goal is to find that ONE person who is way amazing and will get baptized the next week. Most of our new investigators have been this "waldo". we also found one in that one place.

We are learning lots of lessons, humility, charity, love, and prayer. 

We saw a beautiful sunset last night too. :)

A solid week.

Elder Osborn

03/24/2014

This week was the most tiring week of my life.

I was falling asleep in lessons, in between lessons, while sitting on the bus, during exercise time, everywhere! We were pretty darn tired!

Why? Because we had the most successful and productive week yet. Elder Lucas and I taught so many lessons.... Preparing so many people for baptism. We walked out of the week with 16 lessons with a member and 31 other lessons. 9 people at church but only 6 new investigators. On friday we had to go on a split so our investigators could get interviewed. So I got to spend the day with Elder Wilko again!! Then we got home at 10 from the switch-off and had to wake up at 5 for a ward activity the next morning. With over 16 appointments set up for that afternoon and evening... So we basically were running on steam and the life sustaining effects of mountain dew. Sunday was similar. As was every day this week.

Sadly no awesome stories with white people, except for this random russian guy yelling at me from across the way.

But we had a great week. Sister พิมพ์ got baptized. And we have more people set up for next week too! We built an ultra lesson during companion study because we realized we won't have enough time during the week unless we make our lessons more effective. So we tested this new lesson. We taught 2 investigators the plan of salvation, the gospel, the 10 commandments, tithing, fasting, and the law, all in 45 minutes, including a short discussion on how to invite friends to learn too and a review of scripture study.

With this new lesson style - if our member doesn't go off on a tangent - we can teach our investigators everything in two thirty minute lessons. Which gives us more time to go out and find these investigators!

Miracle:

We went out to go contacting on Friday for 10 minutes while we waited for a lesson. We walked across the street and I invited this lady with a little kid and a baby to be baptized. She said she really wanted to be baptized and wanted to be christian. So she's getting baptized this Sunday! Her little son's name is Bread. :) 

Sorry I'm not saying much... Still pretty tired from this week. But this week's just going to be better!

Elder Osborn

 This is Sister Peem. or พิมพ์... thai is way easier.

And Sister Wan's son Bread is on the left of the picture. Cutest little kid.

03/17/2014

Wow. What a week!

To start I will follow up on what happened at the mini transfers this week!

I moved! To the next room. Same house, same area, new desk and a new companion. 

I actually really like this desk. It is bigger than my desk before in the other room. Also the air conditioning blows right on the spot where I sit. AND there's an outlet right next to it so I can charge my stuff with ease. It is a great desk. It also has really handy drawer in it. Plus right behind me is all of the missionary stuff, so I feel like I have this great office! And I almost forgot! My chair is a lot softer in this room too. and it spins.

Okay enough about my desk. My new companion is a champion of champions! Elder Lucas! He's way tall and so we scare all of the people away from us. His Thai is way good. He's just as old as Elder Hunsaker, the assistant, and was actually companions with him in the MTC. He contacts amazing, we both love the same food, and we love baptism.

Why did this mini transfer happen? Because we have a special mission. We have 9 week transfers, and sometimes new missionaries will come in between those nine weeks. So this week new missionaries came. One of them is being trained by Elder Winsor. He's from Laos! A convert of two years. And the only convert in his family. He has such an excitement about everything and I love it.

I never thought I would ever live in the same house as a Laotian person in my life.

Last email I wrote one very short paragraph about two investigators. I can't write a ton about every investigator because they cycle through so quickly. So I'll write more about them now.

The first I found last friday afternoon. I invited him to be baptized and we set up an appointment. Just like any other contact. So normal that I didn't even remember the person when I called to confirm the appointment. He came early to his appointment. He loved it! He loved Sunday the next day! We met with him on Monday after P-day ended too. He quit smoking in 4 days. What a boss! Actually his name is Boss! It was so hard for him he'd run out of lessons to go puke. He really struggled with quitting smoking, but he had such a strong desire it didn't mean anything. He just quit. On monday when we met him he said he had been walking since 10 that morning until 6. Why? Because it helped him not think of smoking. He also prayed the entire time. Why? Because he forgot how to finish his prayer... :)

On Monday while we were teaching the 10 commandments he asked us what happens to little children who die. His child died before birth. We told him that we didn't know when the spirit enters the body, but the scriptures explain that all little children who die return to their Father in heaven. He broke down into tears. More than tears, he was weeping. So of course, I started to cry. He apologized and said he doesn't normally cry. But he didn't know why he was crying. After the lesson I asked him how he was feeling. He tried to describe the feeling of the Holy Ghost but couldn't. We could all feel it so strong you couldn't deny it.

This boy is 22. He has had the hardest past of any person I've ever heard of. You could make a tragedy movie of his life. He was a heavy smoker, he has a massive mullet, and just looks like a punk. He's been involved in some crazy things, whether it's family, fighting, sorcery, or inter-family warfare. But he is the most genuine, pure, humble, kind, respectful, loving person I've met here. On Wednesday I had to tell him that I wouldn't be teaching him anymore. He just asked if I'd be here for his baptism. I told him I would. He was baptized yesterday. :)

It was amazing for me to find someone, love them, teach them everything, and prepare for baptism and switch companionships and watch the other Elders actually get a baptism. I set the stage so Elder Sayavong could get a baptism his first week in country. But Boss wanted me to baptize him. Such a cool experience to meet a guy on Friday and the next Friday he interviews and that Sunday is baptized.

We had a very successful week. Lots of new investigators, tons of lessons, but few contacts. We contacted so much! But with hardly anything to show from it. Except again God produced miracles yesterday. For two companionships we had 14 people at church! This is unheard of! There were 76 people at church, 4 of which were the missionaries and 14 investigators. Wow!!

And now onto stories!

1. Elder Lucas invited a white guy to get baptized. He responded, "I worship the devil."

2. I invited a very nice guy from South Africa. He wanted his girlfriend to get baptized. But wasn't willing to meet with us. So he asked if he could bring his baby the next day to get baptized. I told him we don't baptize children because they are alive in Christ. He walked away dissapointed.

3. We invited a whole bus to get baptized when we got on, then went and stood at the back. One white guy said, "Well that was really effective guys..."

Elder Lucas: It was pretty effective. We now know that no one on this bus wants to be baptized.

Him: No it wasn't

Time passes and he sits there awkwardly until he decides to say: You got up in our faces so I'm going to get up in your face a little. When you grow up you're going to look back at this and think of how silly it was.

We just laughed at him and he sat there in anger the whole ride. Until he got off. Then he mumbled something against us as he got off. I said, "wait sorry! I didn't catch that! Can you say that again?" and put my hand up to my ear. 

He just scowled. 

We saw him at the store 30 minutes later and we said hello. He was still grumpy.

4. We met some other american who went off about how the government is corrupt and taken over by the devil and so is everything else and how the end of the world is coming and all of that junk.

He spoke of the "new world order". Crazy guy. He talked our ears off about all of these conspiracy theories for forever!  He liked us and wanted to learn what the mormons think of the end of the world. We told him about the church in Asoke so he could go there.

What a fun week!

Elder Osborn

 This is Brother Jack!!!

And Brother Boss.... :)

03/10/2014

This week we had no baptisms... But we found many people who want to be baptized. We did some contacting with some of the young women recent converts who are working on their personal progress. They killed it! Not only did they help us contact, they brought their non-member friend. And she helped invite too! In an hour and a half of contacting we had 26 numbers and 14 appointments set up.

We did a lot of contacting, sometimes with amazing success, sometimes with nobody interested. But yesterday God taught us a lesson. We had an unusually slow week, few lessons, few new investigators, and hardly nothing coming from our contacting. In our whole district only two solid new investigators were found. (these investigators are awesome! But for the sake of making this story sound more epic I'll talk about them afterwards. :)  )

So God taught us that He can do His own work. During Sunday school yesterday two families walked into the church. Both gave the same reason for coming. They both were just walking past the church and "felt" like they should go to church today. The other Elders taught the first family the restoration and they all have baptismal dates for the 23rd. Right when the lesson finished, the second family walked into the church. They received the same lesson and they have dates for the 23rd also. One family has a 7-year-old son and the other an 11-year-old son. 

Then, we found out that one of the men sitting in sacrament meeting wasn't actually a member and had been coming by himself for three weeks. He also accepted a date for the 23rd. 

God knows how to do his own work. We - no matter how good we are - have no idea what we're doing. God leads people to Him. We go out and try to find them. No matter how hard I work all week long, I can never get someone to walk into the church. Only the Spirit can do that. We all learned yesterday that our job is simple: work hard. Work smart. And let God do the rest. He'll bless us with miracles when we work for them and have faith.

Speaking of the other two super solid investigators. They are both awesome! I found one talking to everyone. Elder Winsor found the other while we were in a songtao. Still talking to everyone. This is how our mission works. We talk to everybody we see! Everyone!

They both have a very strong desire to be baptized and we've had some powerful lessons with them. Some of the most strong spiritual lessons I've ever had. One of them always takes notes on what we say. Especially with the commandments.

Oh, and we figured out why President Senior told Elder Winsor and I not to "get too comfortable". I'll explain next week, but basically I'm moving.

I should take more pictures of this area. It's a way cool area.

Elder Osborn

เอ็ลเดอร์ ออสบอร์น

AHHHHHH!!!!!! I almost forgot about the coolest miracle ever!!!!

I got a phone call a couple nights ago from my trainer and my current zone leader, Elder Wilko, giving me an update of Udon. :)

Remember Brother Jack? there were two of them. The one that I lost to his parents, and the one who just disappeared before his baptism. The one who passed his interview one saturday in Udon, but we never heard from him again, was found. The Elders in Udon ran into him and he passed his interview again this week and was baptized yesterday! I almost died when I heard this. He was special to me. One evening I just saw a guy running with his headphones in. I stopped him, invited him, and watched him overcome everything to prepare to be baptized. He was so solid I was excited to teach with him even before he was supposed to be baptized! Then the day of his baptism he just never showed up. We never knew what happened to Jack.  

Now I know that he found his way back. :)

Ah man... I'm gettin' teary eyed just writing this....

03/03/2014

This week we baptized Brother Win. He is awesome! Such a happy man. After his baptism one of the members asked him if he felt excited. He said no. We were really confused until he told us that he just felt peaceful. That made my day. The joy and peace that the Gospel brings to people is visible. You can see it in their eyes, their actions, their words. 

Just before the baptism while we were taking pictures our recent convert Sister Tipa, who got baptized two weeks earlier, asked to take a picture with Brother Win. She is an older woman and is so cute and just loves the church so much! She was just beaming with joy because of him. She was so excited for his baptism I can't even describe her excitement. She was asked to say the closing prayer at the baptism and when she went up to say the prayer she introduced herself first. It was so cute! This lady is the best.

Last night we had a meeting with Bishop Stevenson in Asoke. A good part of the missionaries in Bangkok were there and he spoke on success and how to keep "pressing forward" to higher levels whenever we are successful. He also spoke on commitments and the power of giving a commitment. President Senior spoke on "the medium is the message" and how the first and sometimes the most powerful statement of the message of the restored gospel of Christ is the missionary. How the missionary walks, carries himself, speaks, and smiles. He said to "leave them in exquisite wonder" after you walk away. He spoke of the missionaries in one area out in the Isaan and how the whole town knows the missionaries as the "clean sins guys".

Interesting stories for this week!

1. A guy came into the church for an appointment. He wanted to get baptized that day. We told him he's have to wait until the next sunday. He said no. We didn't really know how to respond. He went off about how I had told him we would baptize him that day in only twenty minutes. I told him I did not tell him that. He got frustrated. We asked him again if he wanted to get baptized. He said yes. We said that the fastest he can get baptized is next Sunday. He said no. This cycle happened a couple more times while we tried to teach him commandments but he refused everything. I looked him in the eyes, he stood up, and we walked him to the door. The member that was helping us told us that he was probably drunk. 

2. We found a guy from Scotland, we gave him everything. Somethings he even noticed were correct, but then he'd shake it off and reject again. Judgement seat is gonna be way awkward for that guy.

3. We found another guy. Elder Winsor asked this white old man where he was from, to which he angrily responded along the lines of, "why does it matter? Thailand I guess. Why? Are you from the government?" "No, I'm a missionary" Elder Winsor invited this white guy to be baptized, he turned around and started freakin' out at Elder Winsor. Elder Winsor just bore his testimony, "I know this is the only way we can be saved, by being baptized." This is the part where I noticed what was going on. I heard this guy yelling in English so I turned around to see Elder Winsor holding out his baptism card and telling this guy he needs to be baptized while this guy is literally spitting with anger. He was spraying spit as he yelled, "That's an opinion!" over and over again. I turned around and he looked at me and yelled it one more time at me. I couldn't control myself. I started laughing out loud. This ticked him off even more as he started to yell, "that's an opinion!" again! Oh my.... I started laughing harder and he just felt awkward cause he realized how stupid he looked in front of this supermarket with tons of people watching. He forced out a couple laughs but stopped pretty quickly and didn't know what to do. He yelled at us, "Go back to Salt Lake with all of your racist, homophobic friends!" I started laughing even harder - almost hard enough to start crying - and said, "Okay - have a nice day". To which he responded, "YOU have a nice day!" as he turned around and hobbled away.  Wow. I am almost crying of laughter again as I'm writing this story! This guy was out of control.

4. I ate my first sandwich in four months. It was subway. It had mustard on it. I was happy.

It is impossible to count how many people I invite to get baptized everyday. I need some kind of counter that I can hold in one hand and my baptism card in the other. If I were to guess how many people everyday - it's probably between 200 and 300.

Well, I'm out of stuff to say for this week.

Elder Osborn

เอ็ลเดอร์ ออสบอร์น

02/24/2014

This week was transfers. And a very special transfers at that. President Senior got permission from someone, I don't know, but if I remember correctly it was Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and opened the country of Myanmar/Burma to first companionship of missionaries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Now the Thailand Bankok Mission can actually serve in all three countries that are in it's boundaries. Laos, Thailand, AND Myanmar!!! The Lord's work is truly hastening and spreading to all corners of the Earth. It isn't that often that a new country is opened to the missionaries! Why? Because we're almost everywhere! 

The only thing, the companionship in Myanmar isn't a proselyting companionship, just the same as Laos. They are there to strengthen the members in the country and serve and open the path for proselyting missionaries in the future. Way cool and exciting.

In the same transfers meeting I left my first area. That was hard, because I loved Udon with all my heart and we were about to get 3 baptisms on Sunday. In the meeting I was assigned to be companions with Elder Winsor! This kid is a boss. He is only 4 months ahead of me in the mission, but he is a boss. We are serving in the area of Srinakarin. (I actually don't know how to spell it... :/  )

In the East Bangkok Zone, whose new zone leader is Elder Wilko!! Only a few months ago this area was only sisters. Now it is only 4 Elders. Plus it is in the only Stake in Thailand so we have a ward!!!! The other two Elders in the house/area are Elder Lucas and Elder Pyne. We're already having a blast! 

Finally got moved to the Tabe. (The Thai word for Bangkok is Grungtaeb, spelled something like that, I can't spell thai words in English, but "The Taeb is the slang word we use for Bangkok. And I think it's easier to read if I spell it Tabe)

Haha, just remembered. When they announced that Elder Winsor and Elder Osborn were together and we went to give each other a hug, President Senior warned us something like this... "Don't get too comfortable." What?! What is that supposed to mean? President Senior would do that to me.

The members found out I played the piano..... and the secret is already out! So I had to play the piano for ward conference and the baptism. During the baptism I switched the setting to organ for the closing hymn, but I had accidentally bumped the volume pedal, so when I played the first chord to "Let the Holy Spirit Guide" the organ blasted everyone's ears out! hahahaha woops.

Oh. Speaking of baptism. Elder Winsor had set up the area for two baptisms yesterday! See what I mean by he's a boss? Sister Cartoon and Sister Mamijang got baptized! They're sisters (well of course they're sisters, we call everyone sister, but they are sister sisters, as in they are siblings. haha) and they are so awesome. 

Yesterday one of our recent converts brought a friend to church. He seemed to be way confused and had to leave before we could teach him. When we taught her a lesson and asked about what her friend thought about church, we were pretty worried because she said he was confused and didn't really know anyone or anything. We were scared that he'd be afraid to come back to church. 

Just barely just before we left the house to come here we got a call from Sister Na, the recent convert. She told us that her friend Go had a great experience at church and really loved a video he watched in the investigator sunday school class about the atonement. She told us he wants to learn more today at seven. !!!! When Elder Winsor hung up the phone and told us what happened I literally jumped for joy and fist pumped the air. We're meeting them today and he can get baptized this Sunday! So so so happy. 

We pray for miracles everyday, and you just have to be patient and trust that they will come. Then they do. They always come. 

Elder Osborn

Baptism! I love this ward. Everyone is so great.

02/17/2014

Question: What happens when you put four 18 to 21-year-olds in the same house?

Answer: Baptisms

This week seemed so slow.... Maybe it was because all of our investigators are out of town. Thai people love their families. So they travel back home at least once a week. For 2 or more days every time. Sometimes I feel like they are at home with their families more than they are in their current city working or going to school. So yes. Two different investigators went to Bangkok this week. And two went home for the weekend. So... We only had one investigator at church. That was rough. Balanced streak. Over. This guy's name is Tap. He is a boss!!! He goes to school over at the college right next to the church. He is learning to be an english teacher so his english is amazing!! One evening I am sitting in my chair in the hallway while Elder Wilko is interviewing for baptism again and the Sisters ask me if we have an investigator supposed to be there. We always have appointments at the church so I asked his name and looked through my book for his name. Don't have it. I said it was probably the other Elders. A couple minutes later they come back and say he wasn't theirs either. Who is this guy? Elder Hunsaker sits in the chair for a minute while I go investigate. I walk into the room and this guy says in perfect english, "It was you!" Okay, I guess he's our investigator. haha.

Split: I'm teaching with Elder Cahoon and this guy says that he's always seen us over at the college but has just avoided us. He told us he felt bad after ignoring me again yesterday so he came to the church.

Fast forward. This guy is at the church 30 minutes early for sacrament meeting. He stays for the baptism, and we teach him a lesson after too. He loved it! We're meeting with him again at six today. He was at the church for 6 hours!! What a champ! 

Haha I feel like we didn't get enough new investigators this week.... We got nine. But we always want to get more. If we can get 10 a week we will baptize people every week. That is cool.

The past three days they have had a huge music festival at the lake. So we went contacting there! Everyone was moving quickly and it was definitely not quiet, so we went with the simple contact, "Do you want to wash your sins away?" This is the easiest phrase to use to invite someone to be baptized because in thai it only uses 5 sylabbles. Way fast! I'm pretty sure I invited over 200 people to be baptized yesterday.

On friday we went up to Nong Khai to sing for a wheelchair donation ceremony. They always love to make huge deals out of everything. The Church donated 40 wheelchairs up there and so 40 disabled people made their way to this building where we were to donate these wheelchairs. They never showed up! The truck with the wheelchairs left bangkok yesterday but never made it to Nong Khai. So all of the speeches went along this line, "We are so grateful you all came today. We know you expect to ride your brand new wheelchair home today, but we apologize because you don't have one to ride home. We'll get them to you when they get here."

It was so sad that 40 disabled people came expecting to get a new wheelchair but went home without one. Oh the irony.

We went up to a famous statue garden in Nong Khai last p-day too! Way cool! Everything was massive and really interesting.

I found an inactive member yesterday. He was telling me how he wasn't ready to go to church. Then he told me how we wasn't going to be ready until he went to church. Not to be rude, but that is stupid. So I told him it was. He said I spoke too boldly and too straight to the point, then he started correcting my thai by telling me I didn't use the correct words, but he couldn't actually give me an example of my bad Thai. He asked me how long I've been in the mission. I said it didn't matter. He asked if I was a greenie. I said it didn't matter. He asked me how old I am. I said 18 as I looked him in the eyes. He looked away and said, trying to one me up, that he is in his 40s and has been a member for over 20 years. I told him to look me in the eyes and I said, " But you still don't understand. Do you remember the gospel of Christ? Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.? Do you remember?" I told him that right now he is failing to endure to the end. I told him that if he doesn't endure to the end, he does not have the Holy Ghost, his baptism meant nothing, his repentance wasn't real, and his faith does not exist. He was silent. I told him I wasn't impressed. I told him his family - who are all great members - are disappointed and sad because of him. I told him he had no excuses to not go to church. He agreed. I told him to repent. He said he wasn't clean enough to go back to church but that he would repent at home. I told him he would never be clean until he went to church. 

I can't express my feelings about less active members. I just know that in the last day it's going to be very uncomfortable for them.

I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he CANNOT be saved.

I speak boldly because nothing else works. 

In more positive words there was much rejoicing because of 3 more souls coming unto Christ yesterday through following their Lord and Savior into the water. (wow, that was a really dramatic sentence! haha) Sister May decided that she wanted me to baptize her on Friday. But she was worried because I was sick. (i wasn't sick...) And since I would have felt really bad if I had faked and said I wasn't feeling well I ended up baptizing this girl. The other Elders just let it go because they thought it was hilarious. those punks...

I started a video journal because I can say things much faster than I can write them, plus there is a lot more emotion in it that I can't write effectively.

Transfers are this week, so I don't know if I'll leave this area or not. I've been here for 4 months so it's pretty likely I'll leave. But whatever happens I'll leave tons of daters for the next Elder.

Elder Wilko is still a boss. :)

Elder Osborn

Way cool statues!

 And they are huge!

 And some have very interesting details... Why does this giant statue have to be stepping on a baby one!?

"Hey you frog!!! Spit that out or I'll cut you!"

 These guys didn't want to get baptized, but they wanted to take a picture.

BAPTISM!!!