Thailand Week 60, 5 Oct 2014

So this week was pretty good, but it wasn't really what we wanted.  We worked, taught new investigators, received some referrals, and some other good things.  But It was still disappointing to get only 3 investigators at church.  None of the people we contacted came to church and so we don't have very many new people to work with.  That's going to be one of the focuses this week.  Especially because the 18-19th we will be in Khon Gaen for a tri-district conference of the whole Issan area of Thailand!  Then that Monday is our mission tour! President Gong the area president will be here!  And we're thinking...this is a big meeting. They don't usually combine the districts like this.  And the last time President Gong came he created a new stake in Bangkok!!! :)  That's what we're hoping for!!!  

Mom I'm sorry I've been so bad at it...and still am...but here's a couple pictures!  There was a frog in a basket outside and there are a few cows that like to graze across the street.  Elder Evans likes to step outside and moo at the cows until they look at him.  Then the staring contest is on. ;)

Matt I bet you would like the frog, it wasn't like a little toad, it was a frog frog!  One day me and Elder Osborn came home and there was one stuck to our front door!

Natalie I don't know if you would like the Issan very much.  There's a ton of bugs and spiders.  There's snakes and geckos too.  I've only seen one snake so far but I've seen a ton of geckos.  

Nate we played soccer the other day for sports day and there were a bunch of Thai guys that came and played with us.  They wrecked me...they were so good.  I was so sore after that day haha.  Like my entire body hurt.  

Dad I just found out Elder Osborn loves snow machining!  Have you heard of a place called Tower Mountain?  You should look it up!

Mom our house is super nice here.  It's perfect too because all the walls are concrete and you can throw all the balls you want without a problem!!  ;)  We actually cleaned today too!  My desk looks so organized it's a miracle.  We made this kind of pork called waterfall pork the other day with the branch president here and it was pretty easy!  I'll have to figure out how to make it work at home.  

Love you all!

Love Josh

sunburn/tan line

Water buffalo crossing the street

Thailand Week 59, 28 Sept 2014

Suh go-n nuh kon (say the last o like in the word 'gone')

So that's how I would try and spell it (the name of the town where I live) in English so you can say it right.  Fun fact: in Thai the name of this town is spelled with all consonants and has implied vowels.  สกลนคร

This last week was a week with some trials and some tests of our faith for sure.  We started with some good goals and some promising lessons.  One investigator has been investigating for a little bit and we can tell that she is super humble and full of faith!  But she's also scared and timid.  We're going to teach her on Tuesday, maybe watch "Lord I Believe" by Jefferey R. Holland with her.  That talk works miracles.

Then we met taught this guy after church who is feeling guilty for something that happened like 10 years ago.  He hasn't been able to shake it!  He took our message and he loved it.  He was so willing.  We told him one of the things he has to do is come to church.  He started off nervous cause of his job but really without persuasion decided he would do it!  He said "I'll try.  Not. I'm going to be there! I'll go for sure."  We're so excited to teach him this Wednesday!

We got a video message from President Senior today, it was a call to repentance and a summons to more repentance and faith.  Our mission kind of faded for the past little bit but now we're back and ready to go!  I promise I'll take more picture this week...

Love you all!

Love Elder Keller

Thailand Week 58, 21 Sept 2014

Hey Family!
 
So like pretty much everyone guessed, I moved out to the wilderness of Thailand to the rural town of Sakon Nakhon!  There are cows everywhere, a mix of dirt and pavement roads, we ride bikes again now, it doesn't smell like Bangkok does, there's waaaay more nature, and not a McDonalds for a couple hundred Kilos.  I love it here!  

The city definitely grew on me, there's definitely energy there from all the business and everything but this is a lot more like home for sure.  And the small branch of 70 or so feels like a home as well!  They love each other so much!  They take care of each person with so much care, anyone who comes in will feel so welcome.  The branch president is a great guy too!  He's like 5'3" and 200 pounds with a little mustache.  He is such a cheerful guy!  He leads this family here with so much sincerity.  

I'm with Elder Wiliams who came in the same group as Elder Wright!  We have a young district of 4 here and are 3 hours from the nearest missionaries!  I love it!  We don't have as much time today because both keys to the bike lock broke...like bent in half or literally snapped.  So the ripped old member down the street walked out in his garments and grabbed a hammer to come help. (he put a shirt on first)  We set the bikes down and smashed the lock with a hammer.  

Okay cool scriptures, The bible dictionary definitions of prayer and miracles are so good!  And then read the talk "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" by Gene R. Cook!  It's taught me so much about faith and miracles and how it all works together.    

Love you all!

Thailand Week 57, 14 Sept 2014

This was the best week I've ever had in my mission!!  Or at least way up there!!  

Elder Wright and I took the training from Steven Allen to heart and just opened up so many more aspects of missionary work.  We had a ton of recent convert lessons which turned into a total of 3 referrals this week and a lot of progress in the ward.  We have a ton of great potentials for next week and there will be a couple people baptized for sure!  The Lord has provided us with so many new opportunities to teach.  

My favorite of the week: We had an appointment with the recent convert and young mother with 2 kids.  We were exited to teach her, she's doing great so not a lot of pressure.  And then she brought a friend!  At first her friend was reluctant to come into the lesson but we convinced her.  Me and Elder Wright went to grab teaching pamphlets and had no idea what to teach about so we just grabbed one of everything and went for it.  We started with a prayer and used that to jump start on God and from there we just asked questions as guided by the Spirit to get her to open up and understand what she needed.  She is one of those people who has so many deep questions and we were able to help her understand so much more, particularly about the plan of salvation. We'll be working with her and we know that she'll be baptized soon!  So many people are looking for the truth and just don't know where to find it! :)

This is the greatest work ever!  

This week is transfers! My companionship will definitely be moved around somehow.  Training is over and honestly I feel like I'll get sent out to the boonies but who knows haha.  It's never what I think it will be.  I'll keep you updated! :)

Love Elder Keller

PS I'll have some cool wax museum pictures next week!

Thailand Week 56, 7 Sept 2014

So first question.  Nathan where the heck did you get a battle ax???? It's massive!!  Natalie are you over your fear of knives and stuff yet?  If not...โชกดี (good luck)  ;)  Nathan where did you get all the money?  And what all do you have now?  I need to see a picture of your armory next week okay?  I could get you some pretty cool stuff here to add to it.  Police batons, swords, axes, daggers, just let me know ;)

Natalie you have Mrs. Wilson the lady with the white hair right?  I had her from Trig something junior year.  What other teachers do you have?  I saw the pictures of the new tennis courts and I'm way jelly.  I leave Gruening and they get a new track.  I leave Chugiak and they get new tennis courts.  And now I'll leave Thailand and they'll get a temple soon.  What is this crap.... ;)

Matt how have you been?  What have you been doing in your free time? In my free time lately I've polished my shoes, cleaned my desk, played with the lock-picking set I bought, and thrown a dart at the bottom of an upturned mattress.  I'm going to assume that you are engaged in equally if not more fulfilling activities.  Oh and I promise that this is only after proselyting hours are over. ;)  Love you!

Mom I think I could cook you this one dish called stir fried rice.  You cook some rice and get all that ready.  Also have some chicken mostly cooked.  Then you put vegetables in a pan with some hot oil and stir them around.  Then you gradually add rice and chicken.  It's a Thai delicacy. ;)  I'll be sure to bring back more secret recipes as well. ;)  Just kidding we actually are planning on learning how to make Cashew chicken! :)

Dad we got creative this week and made a sauna out of one of our bathrooms.  (I promise that any shenanigans are only done in appropriate hours)  It involved an extension chord, a rice cooker, an electric hot pad with a pot and some water, and a bunch of the menthol smelling stuff Thai people love poured into the pots.  It was successful.  We also rubbed some of the menthol stuff into our skin and so that combined with the steam pretty much meant we felt like we were on fire.  Mission successful.  

Love you all!

Thailand Week 55, 31 Aug 2014

Hey Family!

I've gotten so many pictures of Denali this week haha.  It's such a cool place to be!  But I'm gonna have to vote that Thailand is cooler. ;)  One thing I get to see here is lightning!  It's one of the few things Alaska is missing.  There are some Way intense thunderstorms that happen here.  I was SO close to catching a lightning strike on my camera....I got a flash and the ridiculous cannon noise that comes after it but not the actual bolt..  The other night some lightning struck way close to our house and the thunder crack woke us all up!

This week blended together so much I can't even remember what we did for a lot of it.  Lots of street contacting, quite a few lessons, and lots of prayers for sure.  We also had another baptism this past Sunday!  

Sister _ is so prepared and loves the gospel so much.  She's a young mother of two. We haven't met her really young son but her 5 year old daughter comes to the lessons and sat next to her at church.  She loves being at the church and is so happy there.

We also met this guy who is another of those people the Lord prepares!  We met him like we meet most people, walking around on the streets.  He's actually learned with missionaries one lesson before and apparently it stuck with him because he keeps the Word of Wisdom, Law of Chastity, has read to Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, prays every day, and can keep the Sabbath Day Holy!  Such a blessing to get to walk into these people's lives and see their experiences.  I've learned so much over the last little bit that me going on a mission will bring to pass much good in the lives of others, but that I'm actually here to become truly converted myself.  The Lord does all the real work and I have the priceless opportunity to see the miracles.  

Alma 26:14 Yea, we have reason to praise him forever, for he is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the chains of hell.

15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.

16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

Love you all!  We're going to a huge aquarium and wax museum today so I don't have a ton of time, I'll send you some cool picture next week! :)

Love Elder Keller

Thailand Week 54, 24 Aug 2014

Hey Family!!  

We're doing a zone sports day today so not a ton of time!  

One of my favorite scriptures to use with investigators is 1 Nephi 7:12.  "Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him."  

This verse helps investigators understand that their problems aren't problems for God.  So all they need is faith.  I'm always so impressed with how far the Thai people will go with simple faith!  One Sister quit drinking coffee in like 2 days from 4 cups a day!  And she is now baptized!  She's from the Western part of Thailand in Ratchaburi.  She didn't have an education but can speak Burmese, Galleon, Thai, and her western dialect.  She has the craziest stories.  Like how she caught lobsters from age 13-16 to support her family and would guide her boat back home with the stars.   She has so much faith and conviction I feel like I learn from her example as much as I teach!

Mom I scored a fujifilm XP 70 for 5900 baht and it's perfect.  Everything proof and 16 mega pixels.  It's really good and I'm going to be way better at pictures!  Here's one from this week and then I have to go!  Sorry!