November is passing Fast!

Some of the girls from the music/English class we teach. They
are beautiful.

Sister N has been attending for a several months
and was baptized by our SS president who
introduced her to the gospel. Also pictured is Elder Gibbons
and Watkins who taught her.

Our Wednesday English music class of 9 year olds is very enthusiastic for learning. We added a few new songs including Silent Night. As we explained the meaning and sang through it, I thought it ironic that we were teaching this special Christmas song at Buddhist temple school! They have asked Joan to teach the students to sing in parts. They are mostly 9 years old – this is a challenge in any school but even more to teach them in a foreign language for them.

We visited one of our members that I home teach. Joan had not been to her house, about 50 KM out of town, so she went with me. Her parents have never been very friendly to the missionaries. They seemed to accept us since we are more their age – they are both 70. They asked a lot of questions about our family and we just happen to have the picture of our family with us- taken last March on the AZ temple grounds. We had used it earlier in the day to introduce us at the school. Joan asked to take some pictures of their beautiful Thai (teak wood) house. The mother was thrilled. Using our iPad Joan showed the mother the pictures. We also took some of the couple and their member daughter. We had a great visit and I am sure we will be welcomed again.

One unusual part of this visit was
that the night before, the member had called me, knowing I was coming, and asked that I bring her some spaghetti. Joan had made spaghetti for the Sunday branch potluck luncheon a few weeks ago. This member really liked it. I have never had a member request that I bring spaghetti as part of my home teaching visit. We didn’t have the ingredients to make it but promised it next month – a Christmas gift.

Sunday was Branch conference (like ward conference). I had to conduct the meeting and also give a talk about the branch goals and accomplishments. I am not sure which is harder – trying to pronounce a lot of new Thai full names – leaders from the district or give a talk about what we have done when I haven’t even been here the whole year. It all worked out and no one shot me for saying a name incorrectly. We had 67 people attend on Sunday – our highest number ever. Among those attending were about 13 investigators. We also had a baptism after church – two this month. The mission goal was for us to have at least two. 

We bought a portable oven today. It was expensive but now we have an oven through no stovetop yet. We also bought a small artificial Christmas tree. Joan says we can’t decorate it until December but we have a tree. We also bought a turkey for Thursday. There was only one store in town that sells turkeys--Norbest, right out of Utah.

Two of our missionaries went to teach a man from Myanmar (Burma) who speaks some Thai and some English. His (ESL) sister took them to a room where about twenty Burmese people had gathered to have a prayer group. They are Christian and the minister was there, too. They asked the missionaries to share their message. The elders talked about the Restoration. They taught in Thai and a person would translate into Burmese. At one point the elders asked for a volunteer to read the 1st vision story to the group. They had brought a copy of it in Burmese. The people told them only the minister talks/reads for them, so they had the minister read the 1st vision. They said the whole meeting was filled with the spirit, and no one argued. We hope good comes from it. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all.