Hey champs
This past week was mission tour. Elder Larry W. Wilson
of the Seventy came. It was awesome. It was fun. It was
exhausting. And now it is over. Relief.
E. Davies and I were the schleppers for the week. We
hauled the microphone equipment, projector and Book of Mormon arch all over
Thailand. We also translated all the meetings for the Thai missionaries.
It was hard work and stressful too. But we had a blast.
Translation nightmares from the week: movie trailer, chiasmus, law of
undulation, radioactive core. After the first conference we figured out
movie trailer but for the other words we were done for. Sunday night we
flew up to Chiangmai for the Monday conference. Monday night we flew back
to BKK. Tuesday morning we drove to Northern BKK for the West and North
zones' conference. Wednesday morning we flew to Udorn (we woke up at 4
AM...yep, it hurt the team). The bonus there was the lunch: Thanksgiving
turkey, homemade cookies, yeah buddy. That night we flew back to BKK.
Thursday morning we flew to Ubon (another 4 AM day). There we also
had a Thanksgiving lunch complete with pies. Then we flew to BKK
again that night. Friday we drove to East BKK for their zone conference
then took Elder Wilson and his wife to the airport. It was the most
flying I've ever done in my life! Each time we checked 2 bags, one had
the microphone equipment and one was the BOM arch pieces. The keystone
piece wouldn't fit in the bag so we carried it on and forced it into the
overhead compartments. People gave us some pretty strange looks as we
trudged through the airport with a giant cardboard sign that read "The
Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ". Classy business.
The conference focused on using the Book of Mormon with our
investigators. Sister Wilson talked about reading 1 Nephi 1 with
investigators and reteaching the Restoration while you do it. Elder
Wilson had us make movie trailers for 1 Nephi 2-4 to help investigators want to
continue reading (they were hilarious). I learned that I need to do more
to help investigators and new members read the Book of Mormon. It truly
is the iron rod. If they don't grab hold of it they will be lost
in the mists of darkness. We and they cannot make it through this life
with all its pits, obstacles, and temptations without the Book of Mormon.
It is our anchor to righteousness. Elder Wilson shared an
experience that he had before he moved to Hong Kong where he read the Book of
Mormon from start to finish with a recent convert in his ward. He said
the change that took place in the recent convert was remarkable and that he,
himself gained a lot from reading with this man. Now the recent convert
is returning the favor by being a reading mentor for another recent convert.
It helped me see that the Book of Mormon changes people for the better.
When we study the Book of Mormon, likening it to our lives, we grow.
We understand who we are, who God is, and what He wants us to do.
And we will want to do it. The Book of Mormon is the word of God,
it is spiritual bread that we must eat or we'll spiritually starve to
death.
Other than mission tour not much else happened...Psych!
Our mission had over 100 baptisms this month! (Last year the
highest month was 72) And 70 out of 86 companionships have seen a
baptism. It is amazing. The Lord has performed miracles all over
the country! The mission is more unified, we are now all on the same
team. I'll tell you how we found out. Sunday morning. E.
Davies and I were counting up all the companionships that were expecting a
baptism that weekend. We thought we'd be at around 95 by that night.
Well when everyone started reporting the companionships that had a baptism
we saw that it was 98! I was freaking out! We called to tell
president the news and he told us that the tiny branch in Myanmar had someone
get baptized so it was 99. I was losing my mind I was so excited.
Two days later, after Tuesday's zone conference we were in the office
working on some reports. That's when we found out the Laos elders had a
baptism that past Sunday. We had broken 100 baptisms and didn't even know
it. Our goal was 86. Not 86 baptisms but 86 companionships who felt
successful by baptizing 1 person. In the end we got 70 companionships
with more than 100 baptisms. E. Davies and I were speechless as we drove
home that night. We were reflecting on what a great accomplishment it
really was. This month has been an inflection point. Now the
missionaries know that we can do it, we can follow the Spirit, we can teach
with convincing power and we can see miracles. I love this work.
And I know it is God's work. And He is helping us do it.
To celebrate that night we slammed some TimTams with the
others in our house.
Well I love you all!
Elder M. Riley Creer
The only
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