Pictures 8.26.13

 Whoa.

 Holy nuts.

Giraffes out the yingyang!

 Got your...what do they even call those things? Antenna? Horn? Handlebars?

 Lowkey posing with giraffes.  

My stanky business...and some random picture raiding tyke.

Saphaan Sung 8.26.13

Hey Family!

This week was way sweet.  I fed a giraffe.  Get On My Level.  S. Ben was confirmed in church yesterday.  She asked me to confirm her.  Yep, I was pretty nervous.  But I didn't mess up the words or start to bless myself (see last week) so no worries.

This week we had a leadership meeting for trainers, district leaders, and zone leaders.  They talked about improving our teaching and our finding.  We had a teaching showdown!  They made a bracket and President and the assistants were judges and graded our teaching for certain criteria (giving overviews, using How to Begin Teaching points, etc.).  Well E. Campbell and I were asked to participate.  It was nerve wracking times mucho teaching in front of a panel of judges but we won!  Woohoo.  There wasn't a prize or anything though.  

After the meeting I exchanged with E. Marshall, who is a new district leader.  They are opening a new unit in Lat Prao (middle of Bkk).  The space they are going to use for church meetings is above the overflow for a massage place.  Yeah...true story.  They had district meeting while I was there, but the door for the 3rd floor (the floor the church will be on) was locked.  So we had district meeting in an extra massage room.  Probably the weirdest place possible for a district meeting.

Thoughts from studies: We learn precept by precept, little by little.  Baby steps.  Part of that process is applying the knowledge we have already received.  Sometimes we expect the Lord to give us some new secret that will help solve our problems or make our life easier when we have not completely applied what the Lord has already taught us.  I can't expect the Lord to give me further guidance until I have applied the guidance already given to me.  That's why recording revelations and impressions is so critical so we can review them and work on applying them fully.  I am not sure why I was so impressed by this today, but I felt like the windows of heaven opened and lit my mind up like a Christmas tree.

The Church is restored.  The priesthood authority of God too.  The Book of Mormon is proof.  We have a prophet.  What a blessing.

Much Love Family!

Elder M. Riley Creer

the only

Pictures 8.19.13

 YES! Best birthday present ever!  POP TARTS!

Baptism!  YES.

21 baby and still Slurpin!

 This paper was at transfers meeting...I couldn't resist.

Saphaan Sung 8.19.13

Hey Family!

This week we are emailing early.  We are going to hit up Safari World.  Yeah buddy.  Pics coming soon.

Good news:  I didn't get a new companion!  E. Campbell and I are going on round 3!  ADRIAN!  We got 2 more elders in Saphan sung!  And one of them is a district leader!  No more double duties!  Woohoo!  E. Barfuss (I was companions with him in Nongkynonks) is the district leader and E. Angkam (from Laos) is his companion.  We went into transfers with a zone of 16.  We came out with a zone of 26.  Yeah...it's getting crazy up in here.

From Zero to...Baptized:  We had a baptism.  15 days after she called us asking about church, Sister Ben got baptized.  Her original date was the 24th.  Last Sunday it was apparent that she was ready.  When it comes to eternal salvation, why wait?  So we taught her everything she hadn't yet learned in 3 lessons and had her interview on Friday.  E. Barfuss said she knew everything.  Yeah buddy.  She was baptized after church on Sunday.  I loved her testimony after she was baptized.  She talked about when she received a spiritual witness that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.  She is sponsored...by God.

#Thatembarrassingmomentwhen: you give a man a priesthood blessing but accidentally bless yourself.  Ouch.  True story.  Last night we visited this less-active brother named Somgiad.  We encouraged him to  come back to church and begin praying again.  The spirit was there.  He was fighting through a migraine so we asked if he would like a priesthood blessing.  He agreed it was a good idea and asked me to seal the anointing.  Well I started off just swell, getting through his name and stating my authority with no problems.  When the "give a blessing as the spirit directs" part came up it went down hill.  Somehow I mixed up 2 words.  Just 2 words: I and You.  For some reason I thought the Hi-so word for I was you and started blessing myself, that my own migraine would go away, that my own health would improve.  I caught myself after 2 sentences, realized what I was doing and paused.  I opened my eyes for a split second and saw E. Campbell looking the other way fighting off laughter.  I was in shock.  I had just blessed myself.  As hilarious of a mistake it was, the Lord helped me keep control and give a spirit-led blessing that his health would improve and that he would have the courage to come back to church.  If the Spirit wasn't burning in my heart as we said goodbye, I would have felt like an idiot.  But I knew the Lord was pleased with our ministering, even if I looked like amateur hour stuff.  I learned that we, by ourselves, are amateurs, but through the Spirit and the priesthood we become pro status.  The Lord takes amateurs and gives them tools to be pros.  How blessed are we.

Thanks for the birthday goodies!  They rocked.  For real.

Safari world is calling.  Much Love

Elder M. Riley Creer

The Only

Pictures 8.12.13

 We helped 2 older woman in the branch move some stuff out of this house.  It got thrashed by the flood that hit a year and a half ago.  Most of the furniture was in pretty bad condition...aka I would have thrown almost all of it away.  And yes, that outhouse is sank into the swamp. 

  That hurts the team.  We saw this havoc and had to take a pic.  A member lives in that building (amazingly, he wasn't home at the time).  Everyone was trippin out about it.

 New perspective.  The crane folded around the building.  Nuts, huh?  I don't think anyone was injured.

Today is mother's day in Thailand (love you mom!).  Yesterday after sacrament meeting the young women sang a thai song (way cool) and then all the moms sat in chairs as their kids kneeled and gave them flowers.  It was cool to see the love for moms.  I had to choke back some tears (I guess I really am related to Dad).

We were leaving the hospital (E. Campbell had an ingrown toenail removed) when I saw these champs washing the pavement with that monster.  I asked if I could have a turn.  

It was an uncontrollable beast!  

Saphaan Sung 8.12.13

Hey family.

You guys rock...realtalk.  Thanks for the birthday wishes.

Man, being a missionary sure is marvelous.  This week was sick.  Highlights: Mr. Pump and taco night, Benny progressing like a maniac, and 13 investigators at church.

Mr. Pump at taco night: B. Suchard and his family invited us over for taco night.  He helped with the retranslation of the Thai Book of Mormon.  To get to his house we went to the market in Minburi to board a van or something that would take us to his neighborhood.  We asked this random cat where in the market we needed to go to get there, he didn't know so he asked truck driver for us.  We thought the truck guy said he could take us (apparently he didn't) so we jumped on.  As the truck was pulling away the random cat jumped on too.  As we drove along, E. Campbell started chatting with the random cat, turns out his name is Pump.  He invited Pump to taco night with us.  Pump accepted.  Well soon after the truck driver's wife gets out and asks where we are going, then starts yelling at us for getting on the wrong truck (easy lady, your husband said he'd take us).  So we get off and take a taxi to B. Suchard's house, in the meantime we learn that Pump is Christian already and studying a master's degree at a nearby university.  At first Pump felt pretty awkward, but he opened up as the night went on.  After enjoying the delicious tacos, we taught Pump the Restoration and B. Suchard shared his conversion story.  He told Pump that God had prepared a way for Pump to meet us.  B. Suchard told him it wasn't coincidence that we met Pump at the market and that he got on the same truck for unexplainable reasons.  We gave Pump a Book of Mormon and invited him to study for himself.  He showed genuine interest.  There is no way he isn't getting baptized.  Then we ate brownies and ice cream.  Nutshell: He went from Random Cat to Mr Pump at taco night with a restoration lesson in between.

Benny: Benny is progressing at space-rocket speed.  We met her 3 times this week, everytime she showed greater faith and understanding.  The last time we met her she told how she was thinking that morning and decided that prayer has to be two-way communication (Buddhist prayers are more like wishlists chanted into the air).  She realized that she needs to listen as she prays for God to answer her.  She just gets it.  She is ready, so I think we are going to move her date up to this weekend.  She, like Su, has faced lots of opposition.  She said her friend, the one that originally got her interested in Christianity just 9 days ago, has given her tons of anti-mormon crap.  She has also seen some stuff on the internet.  But her progress isn't slowed by the opposition at all!  She is great.

We had 13 progressers at church.  True Story.  We helped S. Ooy, who was just baptized, invite two of her neighbors to church.  They came, the only problem is they come from the mountains between Burma and Thailand and don't speak Thai very well.  But nothing stops those who have faith, so no worries.  This 15 year old kid, Non, who is friends with one of the Sisters' recent converts came too, we are trying to meet his dad.  Sawaeng and Bua didn't come, neither did the scooter family.  But we finally got a hold of the eternal marriage man who we couldn't contact for weeks and he came.  This nice woman who sells coconut ice cream on the corner who we started teaching came for the second time.  Then Su and her family came.  Ladies and Gents even the Burger Master came.  Nutshell: Sunday was great.

The Burger Master is hilariously eccentric.  He downloaded the Book of Mormon in German on his tablet.  It was in pdf format though so he couldn't choose books and chapters.  It was side-splitting watching him try to flip from 1 Nephi to Alma during Sunday School.  He didn't make it in time.  He also thinks that by downloading a teacher's manual for Gospel Doctrine class that he downloaded the secret edition of the Book of Mormon that only we, missionaries use.  Although he is a crack up, he has great faith in God.  We just need him to marry Su so they can be baptized.

Everything is great.  When I write these letters I feel like Mormon trying to abridge hundreds of years of records.  I can not write even a hundredth of what happens in a week here.  I guess it's good I don't hae to engrave my letters on plates...if  I did I'd limit it to this summarizing statement: Thailand is either hot or rainy. จบ.

Dad, I think it is sweet you are getting into family history.  Since I've been a missionary, the Spirit of Elijah has been hitting me pretty hard.  I want to do family history so stinking bad!  At taco night I talked to B. Suchard's son, B. Ice about doing a FH activity in the branch.  I guess helping others get stoked about it will have to suffice for now.  Yeah I just used suffice in a sentence #sponsored. 

Well I love you all.  A bunch.

elder m. riley creer

the only

Pictures 8.5.13

 We tried to tour the Wall's factory and score some free Magnums...apparently they don't let random people walk in and tour the place.  Who knew?  We thought since B. Bas works there we were golden.  Well we weren't.  Well wasted that P-day.  Nuts.

Yep, I ate that.  What up.  I cooked it too.  Get on my veggie level.

Saphaan Sung 8.5.13

Hey fam.

What's up?

Sam.  The picture of you diving out of a tram in the alps is the most epic picture I have ever seen.  Hecka Dayz epic...I'll be raving about how epic it is for Hecka Dayz.

The Burger Master family: To clarify, the Burger Master's wife (Su) is the same woman that picked her Book of Mormon out of the trash.  She is pretty stellar.  Their family is really struggling though.  Andreas (the Burger Master) and Su are having marital problems.  Andreas doesn't particularly like Thailand (on the real, he hates it).  He doesn't hide it either.  So with him ragging on Thailand all the time it causes a lot of contention in the home.  We finally got a Book of Mormon in German though so we are praying that he will read it with an open heart so it can change his life.  Su, on the other hand, loves the Book of Mormon.  She has read to Alma already.  At first she was really struggling with all the new aspects of the church and new doctrine.  She had a ton of questions.  We helped her see that she would need to pray to know.  She said if she received an answer she would follow it 100%.  Yes.  That's what they call real intent.  E. Campbell and I fasted for her last P-day so she would receive her answer.  Well Tuesday, after English class she was talking to some members and met the branch president's wife, S. Gaaw.  She used to be a member of the same church that Su just left.  That's what they call money in the bank.  It doesn't stop there.  We gave her a Plan of Salvation pamphlet.  She was studying the pamphlet and the Book of Mormon until 3 AM.  She said she had tons of questions and concerns and was about to write them down for us to answer when she asked God to them.  She said God answered her, "Why do you doubt me?"  After that she couldn't think of anything to write down and went to bed.  The next day we visited them and she told us about it.  She is so great!  We just need to help Andreas get hooked on the Book of Mormon.

The Money Call(s):  Friday.  E. Campbell and I are doing comp study.  The phone rings.  I answer it.  It is this man that was supposed to meet us the day before but didn't.  He is trying to find the church...right now.  So we tell him where it is, forget about comp study and rush to the church.  We meet the guy, Sawaeng, and his wife, Bua.  Sawaeng had the baptism pass-along card that I gave him weeks ago.  While chatting we learn that he wants to be cleansed from sin.  We invite them to be baptized.  They both say yes.  So we give them a date for the 24th of August.  2 new daters and it isn't even 10 AM yet.  Yeah buddy.  Saturday.  We are leaving our apartment when the phone rings.  E. Campbell answers it.  This woman named Benny wants to come to church on Sunday.  She has never been before though.  He tells her to meet us at 6 at the church so we can explain how it is.  She meets us.  We find out that 2 days ago she decided she wanted to be Christian.  So we taught her what she needed to do to be Christian (aka be baptized).  Then we invited her to be baptized on the 24th of August.  She accepted.  She believes that God guided her to us.  The next day she came to church.  Everyday the Lord really is preparing his children to receive the Restored gospel.

Turn!:  E. Campbell and I were riding to a park for some Dan Jonesing.  While riding through this intersection I had a quiet feeling to turn left.  But I was too slow and was already through the intersection.  I kept riding a little ways and then decided we needed to go back.  So I slowed down and told E. Campbell we needed to go the other way.  He had the same thought.  So we whipped around and headed back.  We turned.  We rode for a few minutes when this man passed us on his scooter and yells hello while crossing his chest.  That's why we turned, that man right there.  E. Campbell chased him down and told him we wanted to visit his house and leave a blessing on his family.  He accepted and we followed him to his house.  We met his wife and kids and prayed for their family.  Turns out we met him weeks ago while visiting a Less-active but he peaced before we could get his name and number.  The Lord led us to him again!

Awkward Business:  We set an appointment to meet the family of this 13 year old girl that comes to English class.  We took 2 members with us.  We meet the girl's mom.  From the get go she starts ranting about how awful her daughter is.  We would try to say her daughter, Urn, could change but she wouldn't really listen and keep ranting.  I hated it.  I tried to share a scripture about how we can have the love of God in our hearts through living the gospel (4 Nephi 1:1-16) but in the middle of it she starts whining about how her daughter is a liar.  I wanted to freak out.  I wanted to yell at her and tell her she was the worst mom I had ever seen, that she needed to grow up and love her daughter.  But I didn't think it would help.  She wasn't listening to anything we said.  I asked why she only saw the bad in her daughter.  She answered, "Because there is no good."  It was awful.  I was grateful for parents that praised my pros as they helped me correct my cons, not just gripe about how bad I was.  Thanks mom and pops.  You two are one in a million (maybe two in two million sounds better...but you get the point!).

Well the gospel was restored.  I know it.  The Book of Mormon is the evidence.  It is true.  Through the Holy Ghost, my Heavenly Father told me so.

Much love from the Far East,

elder m. riley creer

the only

P.S. I think I am going to wait on the suit until after transfers just in case I get moved.