This week was
really good. At the end of last week, Sister Embley and I made a goal
to work with the church leaders better - aka make them more involved and
all that fun stuff. We already have a good relationship with the
leaders but it could always be better and more organized. So we made a
plan and started to put it into action. Then on Friday we had zone
training which talked about a lot of things that we had discussed. It
was really nice because we were already prepared and zone training just
enlarged and improved our plan. It was soooo nice because we were able
to get a running start on everything they asked us to do.
So
I guess I should remind everyone what is going on in Thailand. The
vision/goal: a temple. the plan: 4 stakes. Requirements: more members
(baptisms!), more faithful tithe-paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders (baptisms! and
reactivations), more temple workers (baptisms!, reactivations, and
member strengthening) So yeah...running theme: baptisms. It's great. The
mission standard/goal/aim/vision/whateveryoucallit is one a week so 4
this month (4th of July--haha). How is that going to happen? Inviting
everyone you see to be baptized and going inviting for at least 2 hours
everyday. "Would you like to be cleansed from your sin?" We say it so
much during the day that I would be surprised if we weren't saying it in
our sleep. I love it.
Things that we
learned at Zone Training plus things that Sister Embley and I
discussed: the first is a world-wide change. All investigators must learn
lessons 1-5 before baptism. After baptism, missionaries have to still
take the lead reviewing lessons 1-5. I really like it actually -
especially the lesson 5 prebaptism. It helps them see the bigger
picture. In Thailand, we focus a ton on baptism. President Senior calls
us missionary baptizing machines. We are really good at it now. We find,
teach, baptize. Now we are refining our retention. Teaching lesson 5
before baptism helps the investigators truly understand that baptism is
just the first gate. Next you have to go to the temple. If you
don't go to the temple, you are still not fully saved. President Senior
and the other Thailand leaders are pushing really really hard on more
unity between the wards/branches and the missionaries. That unity will
help the retention. At transfer meeting, the new stake president talked
to us and compared this work to a relay race. It doesn't matter how fast
you run the first part if the baton gets dropped and time is lost. He
asked us to run with the second runner (the members/leaders) for a
little bit while handing off the baton to ensure success. Members are
sooooo important in this work. Without members, this work is nigh
impossible. Yeah we can baptize but what's the point is all the fruit
is lost. So yeah, we are focusing more and working harder at working
with church leaders.
We are soooo
blessed to be here in Bangna because the leaders here are
soooo amazing. Obviously there are always things to improve because we
are all human and not perfect but whatever. Bangna is doing sooooooo
amazingly well. The members are really supportive of the work too. In
other areas I been in, a lot of members have complained to me about the
fast baptisms. Here in Bangna, the members are really good at helping us
keep the fruit. They are soooo good. They come to activities. They
actually talk to the new members. They make sure the new members (and
investigators) feel welcome and know that if they have any questions,
they can ask. They are just sooo helpful. Retention rate in Bangna has
gone up recently which is great.
One thing I
love about the church in Thailand is how many activities there are.
Granted, they are mostly all missionary run but that will change with
time. Monday we started FHE for the single members. Tuesday is English
class. Wednesday is Book of Mormon class (to help new members and
investigators gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon). Thursday is your
night off. Friday is Institute and Seminary. Saturday is Sports Nights.
Sunday is church and a lot of members stay from around 8:30am to about
8:30pm - especially the new members. The new members have really
fellowshipped each other. They come to basically every activity (I
promise we don't force them but we do highly encourage it and call them
and invite them). And by a lot of members come every night, I mean like a
couple of long-term families and mostly the new members. Other members
come to activities every once in a while. It's still really great. I
love how much the church feels like family here.
What else?
Oh!
A perfect new investigator. She is actually a referral from a long-term
member here. She is really a dry Mormon. Her parents were sealed in the
temple but they live really far away from the church. Her father passed
away when she was little but her mom still raised her and her brother
with the Book of Mormon and all the commandments. So she only goes to
church like once every couple of years but she prays and read the
scriptures and keeps all the commandments (even tithing). So she is up
her for a couple of weeks for a country-wide YSA activity. A member
called us up and basically commissioned us to baptize her as fast as we
could. It was really funny because long-term members aren't always
supportive of the fast baptisms. But yeah, so she is literally one of
the easiest investigators I have ever taught because she already knows,
believes, understands, and keeps everything. So she is getting baptized
this Sunday.
Speaking of baptisms this
Sunday, did Diego's date change or is he still getting baptized this Sunday? What about those other two investigators of the Sisters? Did
they ever come back? Are baptisms happening more frequently at home
now?
What else? So
we teach a lot of group RC lessons because our RCs have just become so
close to each other. Yesterday we went in-depth about the plan of
salvation and the temple. We taught them about the 3 levels of the
celestial kingdom. They were all very surprised about the whole marriage
thing. It was super funny. I'm glad we taught them that so that they
will start factoring that into their future. It was good for them. It
was also good to remind them that they aren't "saved" just because they
were baptized. You have to remain faithful and continue growing and
processing.
So
yeah. Everything here is good. I love being a missionary. I truly just
love it sooo much. It is so fulfilling. Thank you for getting so
involved with the missionary work back at home. It truly does make our
life so much easier when we know we have strong members we can rely on.
LOVE
YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!! Good luck at Young Women Camp, Mom! Have fun. Sorry about the rain
in the house. Tell everyone at camp that I say hi. I invite everyone to
consider serving a mission. It is literally the best decision in my life
so far. You think you understand the gospel pre-mission but let me tell
you, you could understand so much more. Your mind is truly opened and
enlightened about the purpose of this life, about the gospel, and about
the converting power of the Book of Mormon and the Holy Spirit, and of
the Atonement. I am so grateful for the Atonement. I know it truly has
the power to change lives. I have seen it change my life and the lives
of my investigators. People truly can change. Good people made better.
Terrible people made good. The lost are found. They truly are kept from
the truth only because they know not where to find it. It's true. It all
is so true. There is no way you can deny it. Everyday I see people
change their lives. For some, it is a drastic change. Others, only
slightly. Either way, everyone is planted more fully on the path to
eternal exaltation. I love declaring repentance unto this people. It's
all I want to do. It is truly the one of the most fulfilling things you
can do. Either at home or in the mission field, every one can share the
gospel. Everyone can be a watchman on the tower. Everyone needs to be.
It is our sacred duty as Latter-day Saints. We need to share the good
one. We need to save our loved ones - our family, our friends, our
neighbors, and even those random people you pass on the street everyday.
It's true. And I am so grateful to be apart of it.
LOVE YOU ALL and I hope you have a great day and week and everything. Stay safe.
~Sister Slaugh
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