Hey Everyone!
Wow, we had a pretty crazy week I guess you can say. Put that is pretty normal around here. So this last Monday, we just relaxed at the house and cleaned some. We taught a couple of lessons and had time to do some inviting as well. I am slowly getting better at speaking and having others understand me. Mainly it is just a confidence issue.
Then Tuesday was a good day. Those days are great because we get to teach English, which is an awesome break. It is so much fun! And plus we get some very good investigators from the class as well. Although we didn't teach any lessons. We had a lot of time for inviting. Plus on Tuesday we created our vision as a District this moves. That was great and an excellent way to show our faith to the Lord. Elder Elwood is the District Leader and is doing an excellent job. He is very diligent.
Well, Wednesday was probably our most excellent day this week. We got 11 new potentials and taught 4 lessons. Plus I also did a whole invite by myself! I sat down next to the guy, introduced myself, talked with him about families, got his address and phone number, and set up a return appointment for on Sunday. It was awesome!!! I felt so good after wards. Elder Elwood said I did a good job. I will talk more about that family on Sundays paragraph.
So then Thursday. We had a lot of inviting time that day too. Then we long planned for the week. It went well and then later in the day, we taught 2 lessons. We have on investigator, Ohn that came from our English class. He is about 23 or 24 years old and way smart. He is way interested in the gospel and in learning. That was about all that happened on that day.
Friday was an awesome day. I went to Sinakerin to do switch offs with Elder Narin, a Thai elder. It was way fun. I found out I can speak more Thai than I thought! All day just ended up being inviting time. All of the appointments got dropped on us. But it was way good. I also tried Thai ice cream for the first time. I have to say, it is pretty delicious. Put some sticky rice with it and it is quite good.
Saturday was another cool day. Elder Elwood got to interview 5 of the Zone Leaders investigators for baptism. It was a whole family! And they will be baptized this next Sunday!! It is so cool to see how the gospel changes peoples and families lives for the better. We also found out from the ZL's that the mission as a whole had 350 new investigators for the week! Not counting Sunday. That is a record breaker right there. The Lord is truly pouring out His Spirit here in Thailand.
So Sunday, we had 8 investigators at church. A family came and several other people! It was so great! And then we got to go teach that family that I invited! They are way awesome, although we will probably give them to the Sister's because it is the husband and then all girls. We feel it would be better for the Sister's to teach that family. But needless to say, it was a great day.
Well that is all I have for this week!! Thailand is an awesome place and the people are so ready. I love you all!!
Elder Ackerman
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Onto moves number 2!!
Hey one and all!
What can I say. Thailand is way awesome! Well, I did not move. I am still in Saphaan Soong. But I have a new companion! Elder Wilson moved up to Chaing Mai by the way and is now a Zone Leader over all of the city. There are 4 areas and like 12 missionaries. It is so cool. He is such an awesome guy! Well my new companion is... Elder Elwood from Delano, MN!!!! Crazy I know!! He is way cool and a very diligent missionary. These next couple of moves are going to be way awesome. He has lived in Minnesota all his life, and in the same house. Consider how much I have moved around the US, I think it's kinda weird. I guess I am just used to moving around.
Well, I am not sure what to write about this week. Sunday had a lower attendance this week than usual. Only 52 from the usual 65 to 70. Plus we only had 2 investigators at church. Kinda of a disappointing day. This last week has been pretty crazy too. Moves was first going to be on Friday and then it got switched to Thursday at the last minute. All thanks to a canceled flight at LAX. The flight got rescheduled, but the new missionaries arrived Thursday morning, with the moves meeting that afternoon. They just got thrown right into the work. I feel kinda bad for them. We got to spend the first night in President Smith's house. I can't imagine how tired they were. That's the life of a missionary. Always tired.
So this week, we had some pretty good lessons. We have a few investigators that are progressing really well. We are very excited for them. The only thing hindering a lot of our investigators, is going to church on Sunday. They say they will go, but don't. It's very frustrating and hard. But we keep inviting and stressing the importance. We also have a ton of time on Sunday's to find more potentials. All of our appointments usually get dropped and we are left with a lot of walking. And it is very hot out. But, I am getting used to the heat more. And I have to say, I have gotten pretty tan. We get a lot of sun. And a lot of rain. Although, apparently, northern Thailand is in a drought. I didn't know that was possible in a country like this.
This last moves, President Smith gave us a scripture that can help combat the phrase, "Every religion teaches us to be good." It is in Moroni 7:16. The Spirit of Christ is given to us to judge good from evil. We have to use that knowledge and find out for ourselves, not just go with the flow of society. I thought that was a really good point. We do hear it a ton around here.
Well, that is all I have for this week. I am loving it here in Thailand! I love and miss you all!!
Elder Ackerman
What can I say. Thailand is way awesome! Well, I did not move. I am still in Saphaan Soong. But I have a new companion! Elder Wilson moved up to Chaing Mai by the way and is now a Zone Leader over all of the city. There are 4 areas and like 12 missionaries. It is so cool. He is such an awesome guy! Well my new companion is... Elder Elwood from Delano, MN!!!! Crazy I know!! He is way cool and a very diligent missionary. These next couple of moves are going to be way awesome. He has lived in Minnesota all his life, and in the same house. Consider how much I have moved around the US, I think it's kinda weird. I guess I am just used to moving around.
Well, I am not sure what to write about this week. Sunday had a lower attendance this week than usual. Only 52 from the usual 65 to 70. Plus we only had 2 investigators at church. Kinda of a disappointing day. This last week has been pretty crazy too. Moves was first going to be on Friday and then it got switched to Thursday at the last minute. All thanks to a canceled flight at LAX. The flight got rescheduled, but the new missionaries arrived Thursday morning, with the moves meeting that afternoon. They just got thrown right into the work. I feel kinda bad for them. We got to spend the first night in President Smith's house. I can't imagine how tired they were. That's the life of a missionary. Always tired.
So this week, we had some pretty good lessons. We have a few investigators that are progressing really well. We are very excited for them. The only thing hindering a lot of our investigators, is going to church on Sunday. They say they will go, but don't. It's very frustrating and hard. But we keep inviting and stressing the importance. We also have a ton of time on Sunday's to find more potentials. All of our appointments usually get dropped and we are left with a lot of walking. And it is very hot out. But, I am getting used to the heat more. And I have to say, I have gotten pretty tan. We get a lot of sun. And a lot of rain. Although, apparently, northern Thailand is in a drought. I didn't know that was possible in a country like this.
This last moves, President Smith gave us a scripture that can help combat the phrase, "Every religion teaches us to be good." It is in Moroni 7:16. The Spirit of Christ is given to us to judge good from evil. We have to use that knowledge and find out for ourselves, not just go with the flow of society. I thought that was a really good point. We do hear it a ton around here.
Well, that is all I have for this week. I am loving it here in Thailand! I love and miss you all!!
Elder Ackerman
Sunday, June 13, 2010
"Every religion teaches us to be good"
Hi all!
So wow, I have been in Thailand for one whole transfer. The time has just gone by so fast! Well, this week we actually taught a few more lessons than usual. We also had a lot of time to go inviting. We usually can find a lot of people, but here in Thailand, a lot of people feel "obligated". There's a word we use for it, but that is the closest translation. They also say whatever will make us feel good, so most of the time they aren't interested. It would make our lives a lot easier if they told us right up if they weren't interested. Oh well.
This week, we had an investigator ask which of all the churches are right because there are so many. That was the perfect question for us to answer! We are way excited to keep teaching him. This week at church, we actually had investigators come! 6 people! It was way cool! The past few weeks, we have been only having 2 or even just one person come. Hopefully this can transfer over to next week. We also had another baptism this last week. It was one of the Sister's investigators. The branch here is so excited to have more members.
Also, this week I have been keeping track of how many times the phrase, "Every religion teaches us to be good." Thai's say it all the time! It is crazy. They also profess to respect/worship all religions, which can't be right. I heard the phrase or variations of it 17 times this week. I am going to keep track of how many times it is said for my whole mission. That should be fun.
It is so awesome when investigators call us when they can't make an appointment. No one does that here in Thailand. It is so awesome. They also turn out to be awesome investigators. It makes our life so much easier when we know ahead off time that they can't make an appointment. Just how it is here in Thailand.
Well, not a ton else has happened. It is starting to rain more here though. And when it rains, it pours!! Streets flood and everything. Makes riding a bike way fun! This last Monday, Elder Wilson and I went to Patrunam, close to like the center of Bangkok. It was so cool. We saw one of the buildings that had been burned and we were able to buy some cool stuff. Namely 20 Baht (less than $1) ties.
Plus we rode on the "khlawng" boat. Pretty much "khlawng"s are the sewer system here in Thailand. It is really disgusting! But it was a cool experience. There is a big "khlawng" that goes through Bangkok that a lot of people ride. It's like a bus system on water with stops and everything. Way cool. Plus most the time we ride "khlawng paths". The paths go next to a "khlawng" and we ride on them with our bikes. And the paths are not very thick. But its fun and we get around much faster than taking the normal roads.
Well that's all I have. Thailand is so awesome and way fun. The work is hard, but very rewarding! I love it!
I miss you all.
Elder Ackerman
So wow, I have been in Thailand for one whole transfer. The time has just gone by so fast! Well, this week we actually taught a few more lessons than usual. We also had a lot of time to go inviting. We usually can find a lot of people, but here in Thailand, a lot of people feel "obligated". There's a word we use for it, but that is the closest translation. They also say whatever will make us feel good, so most of the time they aren't interested. It would make our lives a lot easier if they told us right up if they weren't interested. Oh well.
This week, we had an investigator ask which of all the churches are right because there are so many. That was the perfect question for us to answer! We are way excited to keep teaching him. This week at church, we actually had investigators come! 6 people! It was way cool! The past few weeks, we have been only having 2 or even just one person come. Hopefully this can transfer over to next week. We also had another baptism this last week. It was one of the Sister's investigators. The branch here is so excited to have more members.
Also, this week I have been keeping track of how many times the phrase, "Every religion teaches us to be good." Thai's say it all the time! It is crazy. They also profess to respect/worship all religions, which can't be right. I heard the phrase or variations of it 17 times this week. I am going to keep track of how many times it is said for my whole mission. That should be fun.
It is so awesome when investigators call us when they can't make an appointment. No one does that here in Thailand. It is so awesome. They also turn out to be awesome investigators. It makes our life so much easier when we know ahead off time that they can't make an appointment. Just how it is here in Thailand.
Well, not a ton else has happened. It is starting to rain more here though. And when it rains, it pours!! Streets flood and everything. Makes riding a bike way fun! This last Monday, Elder Wilson and I went to Patrunam, close to like the center of Bangkok. It was so cool. We saw one of the buildings that had been burned and we were able to buy some cool stuff. Namely 20 Baht (less than $1) ties.
Plus we rode on the "khlawng" boat. Pretty much "khlawng"s are the sewer system here in Thailand. It is really disgusting! But it was a cool experience. There is a big "khlawng" that goes through Bangkok that a lot of people ride. It's like a bus system on water with stops and everything. Way cool. Plus most the time we ride "khlawng paths". The paths go next to a "khlawng" and we ride on them with our bikes. And the paths are not very thick. But its fun and we get around much faster than taking the normal roads.
Well that's all I have. Thailand is so awesome and way fun. The work is hard, but very rewarding! I love it!
I miss you all.
Elder Ackerman
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