Week #51

Hey everyone,

So this was a pretty good week here in Sisaket. Although not a lot was done due to the water festival. That was way sweet by the way.

Monday: So we moved our P-Day to Wednesday, so we could go out and play. It was an okay day. We taught like 3 lessons, but none of them turned into new investigators. There was one guy we met who attends another church, but I was very impressed by his faith, we just couldn't get him to really pay attention to the Restoration. We left him a Book of Mormon and hopefully he will read it.

Tuesday: We were able to teach a couple lessons. They turned out well. There was nothing really special that turned out of this day.

Wednesday: Ah, Song Gran, or the Water Festival. Now that is sweet. I was able to participate in probably the biggest water fight in the world. It is celebrated for 3 days EVERYWHERE! It is so much fun. There is just so much water everywhere! We spent most our P-Day in front of a members house, throwing water on the people passing by in the back of trucks and people going by on motorcycles. Too bad I only get to celebrate this in Thailand once. I was in the MTC for the first one. Oh well. We were actually able to teach a lesson.

Thursday: This was a good day as well. Elder Peacock and I did an exchange in my area.That was weird to go out working with him again. We had some success. We found a cool new investigator, and taught some other lessons as well. They turned out well. We also got wet several times during the day. It actually felt really good because it was way hot out.

Friday: We taught some more lessons. Again, I felt like I was soaked all day long. Oh well, it felt way good. We taught our investigator who was baptised on Saturday. They were some good lessons. We also met her daughter who should turn into an investigator here soon.

Saturday: Taught a couple more lessons and then our investigator was baptised. It was an excellent service and she truly has been converted to the Gospel. It has been really good to be apart of the process. Then we had to drop one of our investigators, because his grandma and his mom forbid him from being baptised. But he can continue going to church and meeting with us. It was the saddest thing. He really wanted to be baptised.

Sunday: It was an okay day. All of our investigators seemed to disappear. Oh well. We had one guy come. He is quite interesting and has lots of problems. It is going to take some time with him. But we are here always happy to help. Other than that, that was the only lesson we taught.

So that is all for this week!

Love,
Elder Ackerman

Week #50

Hey everyone!

Well, we had an okay week this week. We have been getting a lot of help from the members in teaching. It has been going really well here in Sisaket.

Monday: Just a normal Monday around these parts. Elder Grover is a great companion. Oh and this last week, actually on the 2nd, we had to go to the hospital. Go figure, another one of my companions has gotten an ingrown toenail. So that was fun to go to the hospital everyday for like 5 days to get his dressings changed. Other than that is was an alright day. We weren't able to teach any lessons. I feel like I haven't gone out finding for a couple weeks. The last 2 weeks of last transfers, we were just teaching lots of lessons with members, so not a lot of time to find. I can tell that my skills have gone down.

Tuesday: It was another alright day. We taught 2 lessons. One was with a single guy. We are not really sure why he keeps coming back. He has o problems with life. We are just not sure what his concern is. We will keep teaching him and try and find out. We also taught another lesson to Gae. She is quite the interesting person. She asks lots of questions and is in the process of trying to get everything straight. She studied philosophy in college, so she is used to questioning religion. Although she does know that it is all true. Just trying to help her keep that in mind. They are very fun lessons.

Wednesday: Turned out to be a good day. We had a district meeting by Elder Peacock. That was weird considering I was his companion like 6 months ago. Wow, I just realized how long ago that was. Then we taught a couple lessons. They turned out really good. One woman is getting ready to be baptised on the 16th. She is doing great.

Thursday: An okay day. We did our weekly planning and taught one lesson. Taught Gae again. She is really close to getting a baptismal date. It has been really fun teaching her. Other than that, not much of a day.

Friday: Turned out to be a much better day. We got several lessons with members. They were all really good lessons. Umm, not much else to say.

Saturday: Yeah! 6 hours of General Conference in Thai! Ugh. That was hard to stay awake for. It was really good and we had several investigators attend. We taught Gae again and now she has a baptismal date!! For the 7th of May. It was hard, but she agreed to the date. Then our investigator Deem was interviewed and she passed! Now we have a baptism again for this week on the 16th.

Sunday: Another okay day. General Conference was good and lots of people attended. We taught a few lessons after it was all done. It was a good day overall. I made dinner for me and Elder Grover. I guess it turned out all right. It was rice with a Thai omelet. It was good :)

That's all folks!

Love,
Elder Ackerman

Week #49

Hey everyone,

Wow, so the time has really flown by. We had a great week this week. Oh and I am still in Sisaket for those who were wondering.

Monday: Oh boy. What a fun yet tiring day! We spent 3 hours in the morning in Ubon playing some soccer. It was way fun. It was white people verses the Thai missionaries. We, the whities, barely won. It was great. We taught a lesson that evening as well.

Tuesday: Turned out to be an awesome day. We taught several lessons. Taught one woman who has turned out to be a great investigator. She has lots of questions, but shows that she is willing to act as well. Those turn out to be the best. We had a fun English class. Got to share some of the Skittles I got in the last package. A lot of Thai students didn't like them. It was kind of funny. They don't have anything like Skittles here.

Wednesday: Another fun day. Oh and on Tuesday, we found out that Elder Brix and Elder Siriphan would be moving. They are both great missionaries. We taught some lessons and spent the rest of the time packing to go to Bangkok. We had a bus come pick us up, pretty much right outside the house. It was very nice. Got to go down to Bangkok as a zone.

Thursday: Well, Elder Brix moved to Saphaan Sung (my greenie area!!! as a district leader), and Elder Siriphan moved up to Udon. Then I got a Thai companion again. Well, he is from Idaho and his mom is from Thailand and his dad is American. He never learned to speak Thai. But he is great. The name is Elder Grover, from Idaho Falls. We are going to have fun together for sure. Elder Cotrell's new companion is Elder Peacock, my old companion. Kind of weird to be in the same house again. He is a great missionary. I am excited for Sisaket.

Friday: Our finding efforts this week were a little week. We got lots of lessons with a member, but that was about it. We had to do some weekly planning and then go teach some lessons and that took up the rest of our time.

Saturday: Another baptism here in Sisaket! She will be a great member here in the church, considering here younger sister just got back from being a missionary here in Thailand. Actually 2 people came back. Brother Gongla and Sister Urisa. They were both fantastic missionaries. On Sunday, Brother Gongla went out to visit less-actives on his own time and invite them to church. It is great.

Sunday: Another great day. Got some good lessons taught. The next baptism we will have here will be on the 16th and then the next on the 23rd and then another on the 30th. This has been the most succesful time for me as a missionary. I am thankful to God everyday to be a missionary and a tool in His hands.

Well, that is all for this week!

Love you all!
Elder Ackerman

Week #48

Hello!

Well this was a pretty interesting past week.

Monday: A pretty normal Monday around here. We taught a couple lessons in the evening. Nothing too exciting I guess.

Tuesday: We taught 3 lessons for the day. One to a new guy that we will be seeing right away in the morning every time that we will teach him. We picked up an old investigator who had gone out of town and the Elder's had lost contact. She is turning out to be alright. She really wants to help here family. Then we taught the 87 year old woman named On, and helped prep her for baptism.

Wednesday: This was a good day. Elder Fowles came from Ubon to be with Elder Siriphan for a couple days. I was with Elder Cotrell, while Elder Brix went to Ubon, with the other Zone leader. I spent the whole day in the other area with Elder Cotrell. It was good. We taught several lessons and they are doing great. We also had to teach a lesson in my area, that Elder Siriphan and Elder Fowles wouldn't make it to.

Thursday: Around lunch, Elder Siriphan and Elder Fowles left to go to Sisaket. He had an interview to take care of. They were able to teach some sweet lessons before they left and found our area a new family of 6. We will see how teaching them goes. Other than that the day went down hill. No other lessons.

Friday: Spent the whole day in my area because that was were all the lessons were set up. We taught 3 lessons and visited other investigators. A pretty successful day.

Saturday: Pretty much no work got done. Elder Cotrell and I got up at 5am to get to a meeting in Ubon by 8am. The meeting lasted until 1030am or so and then we had to go each lunch and get back to Sisaket. We then had to have Coordination with the Branch Mission Leader and then Elder Brix had to interview one of our invesitgators for baptism. And then at 6pm we had the baptismal service for 3 people. The 87 year old, one person from the other area (he was 16), and then an 8 year old from the branch. It was an excellent service.

Sunday: It was a good Sunday. Only a few investigators at church. But all 3 people got the Holy Ghost. It was great. We then got to teach 3 more lessons for the week and we also had to take time to plan for the next week as well.

Sorry if it is short. I got up at 5am again to go to Ubon and play some soccer. I am very tired. Okay, I love you all!

Elder Ackerman