So I feel like a true Thai person now. I went out and harvested rice! There's a partly active family we visited earlier in the week and we found out they were going to harvest on Saturday and we offered our help! It was way fun! I'll send you some pictures. They also fed us some frog from their pond! It might have been what gave me diarrhea that day but that's just a normal thing now so it's whateves.
Dad have you ever read the King Follet sermon? I haven't read it all but it's from Joseph Smith on the nature of God and stuff like that. There's one section that talks about the organization of intelligences and it talks about how God was amongst them, saw that he could help them become exalted as he was, and so he established order. Gave them rules and a plan that would help them all progress and become as he is. I'm thinking about this because the Zone Leaders came and trained us on consecration and obedience in preparation for our 2 baptisms per companionship per month goal. No rule is without purpose, whether it protects us or simply is for our own growth and blessings. When we are obedient we bind Heavenly Father with chords of righteousness for he is "bound when [we] do what [he] says."
That's definitely something I've learned as a missionary. That obedience is for our own benefit. I regret all the little things I neglected before I came on my mission and I definitely will do everything I can when I get home.
This last week we've been working some more with the members and it's been a blessing to see the people more. On one trip we went past an elementary school and stopped for a second. This was in the middle of nowhere and all the kids were just playing with a beat up soccer ball or a volleyball or something like that. But they were having so much fun! They were so happy with the little things they had. There's this sport called Tai graw which is a little bit like volleyball with your feet. There were a couple kids playing it and I got to go and play with them too. It taught me that it's important to immerse myself in the people as well as the work. That's one of the greatest joys of a mission.
We have a goal for a baptism next week! A member brought a friend to church yesterday. They've been friends and sold stuff together at the market for like 10 years. The member has for sure been inviting her friend to church for the 4 months or so since she's been baptized and she finally decided to not sell on Sunday so she could come to church. Already a big step of faith! The Lord is preparing people left and right!
Nate I have a request. Because I won't get to eat a normal thanksgiving dinner, I need you to eat twice as much as you usually would. Can you handle that? I'm sure you can, you could destroy me in an eating contest...and still stay in shape.
Natalie would you ever eat a frog? or chicken feet? or a bug? or sketchy soup with coagulated blood in it? If we ever get to come to Thailand I'll have to take you to eat all the weirdest things there are. But nothing is as gross as all the meat in the supermarket here. Just out in the open (and some packaged up) they have fish, giant squid wings, giant squid fillets, pork, chicken carcasses, pig intestines, pig uterus's, and all kinds of other gross meat. It smells awful...
Matt mom shared part of your talk with me! It's really good! I'll be all grown up and 20 years old when I get back so we'll have to go out and do some camping trips together. Will you find some new places to hike and camp before next summer? Hopefully I fit in all my old boots and stuff.
Love you all! I'll send pictures too!
Elder Keller
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| Harvesting rice |
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| Dinner |
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| Bring on the rain! |
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