Fwd: 8 Months

Begin forwarded message:

From: Colby John Decker <colby.decker@myldsmail.net>
Subject: 8 Months
Date: April 2, 2017 at 9:20:17 PM PDT
To: Robin Decker <Robinlynnd@gmail.com>

Hello everyone. This week has been good. The 1st marked my 1 year mark since I got my call and today is my 8 month mark as a missionary and 6 months in Thailand. Time is really flying by fast. I feel like I just left the Las Vegas airport but it also feels pretty far away. I don't know it's weird haha. But yeah my week was really good. I'm still learning Australian, probably the hardest language I ever learned. It takes me a minute to realize what my companion says haha. 

Last Monday for P-Day, we went to this Board Game place called Level Up and played a bunch of games with the members. We can't really do much now because the Senior Couple isn't in Surin anymore (they had a car). It was fun though I actually really enjoyed it. Today we're doing the same thing haha. We were going to go to a Buriram soccer game but stuff happened so we can't go anymore. They were playing a team that has most of the Thai National Team soccer players. 

Our English Class was pretty big last week. Most the people are pretty good at English so we don't have to translate that much. I love English. The more I teach it the more I realize I can hardly speak it and the grammar is stupid haha.   

We teach all the potential missionaries how to be missionaries so I guess it's called mission prep. We joked with them that we had an actual investigator coming in at 1:30 and at 1:30 exactly we got a call from an RC (recent convert) that she was at the church and had a friend she wanted us to teach. The RC lives in a different province and is Less Active. So it's funny how little stuff like that happens on the mission. You see a bunch of miracles that happen because God wants to bring His children back to him in Heaven. It's so cool. They got to see a live demo haha. 

Sunday, we had 9 Less Active members at church. It was crazy it was the most people in Sacrament meeting since I've been here. Miracles are happening here in Buriram. This transfer is gonna be so much fun. We gave sacrament to a bunch of old people again. I love Old people. We gave the sacrament to my favorite member, Brother Tiam. He played his instruments for us again. When I'm old hopefully I'm as happy as him. These past couple weeks I've been the happiest I've ever been and it's pretty sweet.

So, since General Conference is coming to us in a week, I decided to read some Liahona articles in the past and I came across one from March 2009. It was an article by President Thomas S. Monson called "Come unto Him in Prayer and Faith". It was a really good. One of the stories in it was really interesting. It said.
"We live in troubled times. Doctors' offices are filled with individuals who are beset with emotional problems as well as physical distress. Divorce courts are overflowing because people have unsolved problems. Human resource administrators in government and industry work long hours in an effort to assist people with their problems. One human resource officer assigned to handle petty grievances concluded an unusually hectic day by placing facetiously a little sign on his desk for those with unsolved problems. It read, "Have you tried prayer?" What he may not have realized was that this simple counsel would solve more problems, alleviate more suffering, prevent more transgression, and bring about greater peace and contentment in the human soul than could be obtained in any other way."

Before my mission I never really understood the power of prayer. Prayer is such an amazing thing. It solves all problems, answers all questions, and increases our faith in Jesus Christ. Another part of the article I liked said "Satan trembles, when he sees the weakest Saint upon his knees." If we are feeling temptation, if we are having a hard time, we can get on our knees and pray to our Father in Heaven. Satan doesn't want us to pray. He wants us to be unhappy. He wants us to be sad and depressed because he's sad and depressed. Why ruin your chance of Eternal Happiness for a moment of pleasure. For things of the world. In the article it talks about how a family that prays together stays together. Families are ordained of God. In the family we can feel comfort and happiness that resemble what it's going to be like in the Celestial Kingdom. Family Prayer will help families get through times of trouble and hardship, increase happiness and love in the home, and strengthen each others faith. Families are a blessing to have and I know that we can only have true happiness when we follow the teachings of Christ. 

I love all of you and miss everybody! Until next time.

The pictures are from when we were inviting and came across a sick college. Also some guy on the electrical wires.

Elder Decker
เอ็ลเดอร์ เดคเคอร์
Thailand Bangkok Mission