My Thai Missionary: Laboring in the Spirit, plus Eating Food!

A Buddhist temple we visited.

These past few weeks have been full of events and travel. I got to switch of companions with some Sister Training Leaders, who helped me know what I can do to be a better missionary.

Eating corn on the road to Chompaa

The view all the way to Chompaa

Then the next day on Saturday, we went to go visit a less active member who lives an hour and a half away from the church in a place called Chompaa. When we were there, she introduced us to all of her friends who weren't members and we got to share the gospel with them.

A member's home in Chompaa

A little pavilion where we taught a member's friends

In other news, I am also beginning to understand how laboring in the spirit can be an affliction, as mentioned in Alma 17:5. The verse reads this:

"Now these are the circumstances which attended them in their journeyings, for they had many afflictions; they did suffer, both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and also much labor in the spirit."

I believe it's truly an affliction to teach investigators that don't heed invitations. I pray and hope for them, try to help them understand the gospel, and in the end they don't make the right choice. It hurts inside, mainly because by then I love them and want them to have success. It's an affliction that has really made me reflect back to the feelings our Savior had while suffering in Gethsemane. Jesus Christ suffered for everyone's sins knowing that not everyone would use the atoning gift He offered. This week investigator after investigator didn't read, didn't pray, didn't want to go to church, etc. It was difficult to hear this, knowing that only hearing our message but not applying it wouldn't provide the spiritual benefits they sought. I still have hope that they will eventually make the right decision.

Through all this, I am grateful for these experiences though because they help me to understand the Savior more. Even though I'm always afflicted every time someone we teach doesn't do the things necessary to repent and follow Christ, I know that everything happens in the Lord's wisdom. I also had the opportunity to read a story about some sunflowers, which reminds me of this experience because it gives me hope for those who aren't yet ready to make commitments.

At first these sunflowers were carefully planted and looked after, but they weren't ready in time for the wedding bouquets. In fact, they bloomed right after the wedding. But they were strong and beautiful and once they bloomed you could watch them as their centers followed the sun the whole day.

In terms of our investigators, hopefully they will one day "bloom" and be ready to commit to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe right now they aren't ready and we still have work to do. As missionaries, we can't change the time church starts in order for our investigators to come. But perhaps they will be more faith-filled and committed in the future, and when they are, they will be strong in all things as they focus their attention on the Savior.

Everything happens in the Lord's time. Or in other words, "But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day." (Alma 26:7) For now, I just need to keep declaring repentance to all, teaching those who will receive our message, remaining hopeful that they one day too will receive eternal life.

But despite all that, this week was also the funnest week ever!