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| Temple in Thailand |
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| Baptism of Tim and Tugta |
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| P-Day Visit to the Waterfalls |
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| Elder Sharp's Apartment |
Udon. The time is flying by! I'm already done with my first transfers
(on Thursday). This week sped by, and a lot happened. Tim and Tugta
got confirmed yesterday, and I got to be in the circle for both
confirmations. It was a way cool experience, and it literally felt
like you could feel the Spirit descending upon them. They're both
gonna be way good members. Great news! Tugta's friend, named Nooy (a
different one), is learning from us now. She's been living and working
at Tugta's shake shop where we would teach, so she's sat in on quite a
few of the lessons. She wasn't interested at first because she was
Buddhist. But after seeing Tugta get baptized and having some great
experiences, she wants to go the same way. I really think she believes
it. She's been to church the past 3 weeks, so if she comes one more
time, she can be baptized this month! We set the date for the 14th,
but we might need to move it back to make sure we can teach everything
and she gains true conversion. We'll see. Taam and a lady named Tik
(have I mentioned her?) have dates for the 22nd. We had to move both
of them back because Taam hasn't been reading, and Tik isn't very
willing to meet and learn with us besides Sundays when she comes to
church. Hopefully we can get 3 baptisms this month (or more!). We
haven't been able to meet with Dia at all, she flakes on us all the
time. We'll keep trying though. We met with Fon a couple times this
week, and she's doing great! Taught her about the Plan of Salvation
and Atonement, and she seems really interested. She had told us she
was going to come to church, but didn't show up unfortunately. Pray
for her! On Thursday, we did switchoffs with some members. E. Raven
went with Bro. Jack and I went with Pres. Sxa. We went and taught
Taam about Following the Prophet. It was a little sketchy leading and
teaching the entire lesson myself with just a little input from Pres.
Sxa, but my language is coming along really well. The Gift of Tongues
really does work. And reading out of the Thai Book of Mormon is what
determines if I speak well that day or not. If I read, I can
speak/understand. If not, I can't. Book of Mormon really does have
awesome power. Please pray for me to keep gettign better with the
language! Anyway, after teaching Taam, we just rode our bikes down
this big road and talked to people. We didn't find anyone that was too
interested, so we stopped at a 7/11 to get a drink and head back. I
had been praying hard for the Spirit to lead me to someone, and was
pretty bummed because we didn't find anyone great. But when I walked
out of the 7/11, I saw this guy and had a strong feeling to go talk to
him. So we just started chatting and I told him I was a missionary.
Apparently he's a member already, got baptized about 10 years ago,
moved to the South and became inactive. He just recently moved back to
Udon. What a miracle! He has a son that got baptized at the same time.
His name is Sai. He's great. We visited him at the same place the next
night (he sells food outside the 7) and got his address and number, so
hopefully we can go visit him sometime. Pray for him! Such a cool
experience. The Spirit will really lead you to where you need to go
if you earnestly pray with Faith. On Saturday, we went to Kumps. Pres.
Sxa, his wife, and Elder and Sister Hart came down there too. We did
switchoffs again, and inviting with E. Hart. It started pouring, so we
just walked around this big market for a while talking to people and
handing out pass-along cards, then went around neighborhoods after the
rain stopped. It was really cool to talk to him and hear stories from
when he served here 40 years ago. He actually served with (the former)
Pres. Smith. Then we went back to the church and had a fireside with
the members. I talked for a bit about Every Member a Missionary. It
really is important, so if any of you have the opportunity to do
missionary work...TAKE IT! Members really are the best missionaries.
Oh yeah, Saturday before we went to Kumphawapi, I got to help give
Sis. Tugta a blessing. I did the annointing, in Thai. It was sketchy,
because you have to get the tones right, but I pulled it off, and it
was a way spiritual experience. Today, we're just chilling. We did
some good cleaning of the kitchen and front rooms in our house. It
needed it so bad. Felt good to do some housework haha. Tomorrow, all
the missionaries in our zone are going down to Khon Kaen to meet Pres.
Senior. Pres. Smith finished a few days ago. I'm sad to see him go,
but it'll be interesting how the new kid on the block does. Just from
meeting him at the MTC though, I think he is going to do awesome.
So how is everyone in good 'ole Utah? It sounds like you're all doing
pretty well! I'm glad to hear that Brooke and Laur got back from
Oregon safe and sound. Sounds like it was a fun trip (poor Linc
though)! The family reunion is in two weeks? It's coming! Totally
confident that mom and dad will have the house ready though. You HAVE
to send me pictures though! I wanna see whats going on! And maybe you
could all write me a letter for one of the activites! (Haha just
kidding).
Mom - I bore my testimony! Did you? It sounds like everything is going
great at home! I'm glad the White Reunion turned out so well, that's
gotta be good for Grandma and Grandpa. Tell them I love them! And I'm
glad the RS social turned out well. With you in charge, how could it
not? Our ward is so much fun. So about me and Car (and maybe the other
sibs) singing at my homecoming...yeah...maybe just have the rest of
them sing again haha. Ok so transfers is this week. So crazy! I've
been here almost 6 weeks already. If you're going to send letters or
packages or anything, just send it to the mission home, then they send
it out to all the areas. Letters get sent around once a week, but have
to get picked up by the missionary or someone in the same area at
transfers meeting, or if someone has to go down to Bangkok for some
reason (rare). So if you're going to send a package, I'd probably do
it like two weeks before transfers, then I'd get it pretty much right
when it arrives and not have to wait 6 week. So just give the mission
home address to the ward bulletin. Oh and if you do ever send a
package, will you send some more of that collar soap? I'm running out
quick. Thanks! And thanks for the quote. That is what gives me a lot
of motivation out here. Not just baptizing one person and have one
more member, but baptizing one person and having possibly thousands of
more members. I can't wait to meet them all in the next life. I love
ya momma! I'll always be a momma's boy.
Dad - Great to hear from you! Yeah, that needle was the worst! I
couldn't imagine having to do it more than once. It sounds like work
is going great. That's awesome that you have a lot of the ward boys
working for you. Our ward definitely has good picking when it comes to
finding hard working boys. BIG HOUSE! That's so sweet! And right after
I get home! We gotta go. If Coach Whitt comes in again tell him "Go
Utes!" for me. So glad the Yanks are stepping it up. They just need to
keep cruising on through the post-season. Haha Derek has got to be in
Wonderland and Britt in a world of hurt. I'm so jealous that you're
golfing so much. Keep it up, because I wanna go with all of you when I
get home! I love you Dad!
Laur - So glad that the trip to Oregon was so awesome, and that you
all got home safe. You definitely got the answer to your prayer.
Sounds like your school is going to be awesome! Send me some pics of
it and the Summer Camp! And that's sweet that you went on a blind date
and had a good time, even if it might not go anywhere. Blind dates are
sketch, but usually turn out fun right? Not sure if we'll teach Tugta
and Tim the follow-up lessons. I think it'll be more of the ward, but
we'll probably help out some of the time. Love ya Laur!
Car - Hey Twin! How are you? Bear your testimony today (I'm sure you
did)? That's sweet that you're working so much and making some money.
Ready for school up at USU. Living out of the house is a little
different, but it's fun too! Thanks for the e-mails, they're some of
my favorites. Haha does my chain look any shorter? Make sure you get
those pics sent please! Love ya Car! :)
Rest of the Fam - Brooke, that's so sick that you're going to be in
the Ivory Homes (I know I've already said it, but yeah). 8th ward
right? That's Karlissa's ward, so that'll be sweet. Rhett, I heard you
won a golf tournament! That's so sweet man! Keep it up! Ryan, you're
baptized! That's so sweet dude! It feels so cool to be a member of the
church and have the Holy Ghost huh? Just remember to always listen to
the still, small voice. Everyone else in the fam, love ya! Hope to
hear from you soon!
Friends - Hope you're all doing good! Prest and Lando, do all you can
to prepare to serve a mission. Read and study Preach My Gospel. Most
importantly read from the Book of Mormon and pray every morning and
night (that goes for everyone). Hope to hear from you all soon!
Well, I love you all! Hope to hear from you all again soon. The Church
is True! Jesus Christ is our Savior! I know it, and so can everyone
else if they just ask.
Love, Elder Sharp
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