and more pics
Elder Decker
เอ็ลเดอร์ เดกเกอร์
Thailand Bangkok Mission
Elder Decker
เอ็ลเดอร์ เดกเกอร์
Thailand Bangkok Mission
December 25, 2017
Fwd: Feliz Navidad
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
It's so weird how it is already my second Christmas in Thailand. Time just flies past. We had a Christmas party here and this time I was a Shepherd. Didn't have to play any piano this time. I'm getting so bad at it.
Tomorrow I get to Skype the fam so I don't really know what to say. It's been pretty cold this week so it's a lot like Christmas. It's 75 degrees and I'm freezing. Everyone is wearing jackets. But yesterday it went back to normal so all is well.
Hope everyone has a great Christmas! Have fun. Don't do stupid things. And remember the true meaning of Christmas which is our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ who was born in a Manger in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. The best gift from our Heavenly Father. He is the reason why I am here, and why I have peace and joy in my life. There is no better way to celebrate Christmas than by sharing his light and his life with the world.
We tried to invite a bunch of people next to the church to go to the Christmas party. It was fun. A lot of missionaries have done it before so it was funny some of the responses. One person was like "wait a second, wait a second, wait a second" and then went into her house and didn't come out.
A lot of people came to church this Sunday it was so cool. Met a lot of new people. Christmas is so awesome. Yay! Ate a Korean Barbecue with the crew. Good week.
A lot of people came to church this Sunday it was so cool. Met a lot of new people. Christmas is so awesome. Yay! Ate a Korean Barbecue with the crew. Good week.
Tomorrow I get to Skype the fam so I don't really know what to say. It's been pretty cold this week so it's a lot like Christmas. It's 75 degrees and I'm freezing. Everyone is wearing jackets. But yesterday it went back to normal so all is well.
Hope everyone has a great Christmas! Have fun. Don't do stupid things. And remember the true meaning of Christmas which is our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ who was born in a Manger in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. The best gift from our Heavenly Father. He is the reason why I am here, and why I have peace and joy in my life. There is no better way to celebrate Christmas than by sharing his light and his life with the world.
Love you all and miss you all! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Pics: park by our house, our apartment English class!!
Pics: park by our house, our apartment English class!!
December 17, 2017
วันคริสต์มาสเกือบจะถึงแล้ว
Hello everybody. This week was very good. I love it here in Bangkapi.
We have some way cool people here who we're teaching. Taught my first Atheist on my mission I think. We visited our blind Burmese investigator Aong and he's way awesome. He had a friend there from the same area in Myanmar. They all speak the same dialect of Burmese.
Saturday was the Stake Christmas party where they had a lot of people perform and the members from Bangkapi were the best (just saying). One of our investigators, Sister Namgawdee, went and she liked it.
It's December 18 and it still doesn't feel like Christmas and there's 7 days left. It's very interesting how there's all of these lights and Christmas decorations around but it doesn't really feel Christmasy. Well, that's what I've been thinking these past couple of days but I've realized that it's because when you're a missionary, everyday is Christmas. Your every hour is focused on Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel to those who don't know it. The true meaning of Christmas is Jesus Christ, his birth, and his life. It's not about how many presents you get🎁, or how fancy your Christmas decorations are🎄, or Rudolph, Santa🎅, Buddy the Elf, and all the stuff that goes with that. I don't know how many times I've asked people what is Christmas and they've told me Santa Claus and presents and Christmas trees. These are the things that distract us from the true meaning of Christmas, which is our Savior Jesus Christ and his humble birth into this world. Being a missionary and especially being here in Thailand has helped me not focus on those less important things and more on why there's even a Christmas in the first place. I love the church initiative Light the World. Jesus is the light of the world. He is the perfect example. He is the what and the why of missionary work. Once he becomes the center of our lives, everything else will fall into place. I just want to encourage you all to remember the Savior during the most wonderful time of the year. I love you all and miss everyone sometimes. Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Pics: Some pictures that didnt get sent last week,
We have been inviting in a lot of neighborhoods this past week. It's been a lot of fun. I met some people from my past area, Buriram who moved here.
On Friday, I switched off with my former companion who is now DL and in the same MTC group as me Elder Kekauoha. He's way awesome. Had a lot of fun, found a lot of new people, and ate pizza. Also fed some fish.
Saturday was the Stake Christmas party where they had a lot of people perform and the members from Bangkapi were the best (just saying). One of our investigators, Sister Namgawdee, went and she liked it.
She just needs work off on Sunday 😁.
Yesterday, a cool thing happened. Larry, a Philippino who me and Elder Kekauoha taught in Asoke, called me on the phone. He left for the Phillipines which I thought would be the last time I would hear from him but he's back now and he brought his family back and they want to be baptized! So cool!
It's December 18 and it still doesn't feel like Christmas and there's 7 days left. It's very interesting how there's all of these lights and Christmas decorations around but it doesn't really feel Christmasy. Well, that's what I've been thinking these past couple of days but I've realized that it's because when you're a missionary, everyday is Christmas. Your every hour is focused on Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel to those who don't know it. The true meaning of Christmas is Jesus Christ, his birth, and his life. It's not about how many presents you get🎁, or how fancy your Christmas decorations are🎄, or Rudolph, Santa🎅, Buddy the Elf, and all the stuff that goes with that. I don't know how many times I've asked people what is Christmas and they've told me Santa Claus and presents and Christmas trees. These are the things that distract us from the true meaning of Christmas, which is our Savior Jesus Christ and his humble birth into this world. Being a missionary and especially being here in Thailand has helped me not focus on those less important things and more on why there's even a Christmas in the first place. I love the church initiative Light the World. Jesus is the light of the world. He is the perfect example. He is the what and the why of missionary work. Once he becomes the center of our lives, everything else will fall into place. I just want to encourage you all to remember the Savior during the most wonderful time of the year. I love you all and miss everyone sometimes. Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Pics: Some pictures that didnt get sent last week,
December 12, 2017
December 11, 2017
อีเมลของเอ็ลเดอร์เฎฃเฆอร์
Hello everyone.
Something I want to share this week is from Zone Conference. Sister Johnson talked about how her favorite song is the Drummer Boy and I never really thought too much about the song until she explained it. It's when a drummer boy gets asked to go with people to see Baby Jesus and they were all bringing gifts for a king but he didn't have a gift fit for a king. All he had was his drum. When he got there he said that and asked Mary if he could play for her and she said yes and he played the best he could do. In the end Jesus was happy and smiled.
It's a way cool story. Sometimes we feel like we aren't good enough. We never measure up. If we try our best, that is enough. The way I see it is, we do all we can, and the atonement of Jesus Christ makes up for the rest. Through Jesus Christ, all thing are possible. We don't need to be the best there is, we just have to be the best we can be. Doing so will make God and Jesus Christ happy. I'm excited to share about the true meaning of Christmas to the people here in Thailand. I know this church is true and that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Redeemed. Love and miss you all!
Pics: my man Joke, Adam who looks like Eli, waterfall
It was a great week in Bangkapi. This ward is so cool. We had a Christmas Zone conference this week which was a good reminder that it is Christmas time. We watched the best two years and played down Christmas games. We also had a training and we got phones. Today we went to a waterfall in Nakorn Sawan.
This week, We had someone walk up to us who was invited to church before and ask us about our church. We told her where and when church was and Sunday she went. She speaks English really well and has been going to Christian church for 2 years now. She has now found the truth. Very awesome. Her name is จำปูน.
In this area we take the bus a lot and taxis and Song Taews. Everything is so far away.
In this area we take the bus a lot and taxis and Song Taews. Everything is so far away.
Something I want to share this week is from Zone Conference. Sister Johnson talked about how her favorite song is the Drummer Boy and I never really thought too much about the song until she explained it. It's when a drummer boy gets asked to go with people to see Baby Jesus and they were all bringing gifts for a king but he didn't have a gift fit for a king. All he had was his drum. When he got there he said that and asked Mary if he could play for her and she said yes and he played the best he could do. In the end Jesus was happy and smiled.
It's a way cool story. Sometimes we feel like we aren't good enough. We never measure up. If we try our best, that is enough. The way I see it is, we do all we can, and the atonement of Jesus Christ makes up for the rest. Through Jesus Christ, all thing are possible. We don't need to be the best there is, we just have to be the best we can be. Doing so will make God and Jesus Christ happy. I'm excited to share about the true meaning of Christmas to the people here in Thailand. I know this church is true and that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Redeemed. Love and miss you all!
Pics: my man Joke, Adam who looks like Eli, waterfall
December 3, 2017
Pics Ayutthaya to Bankapi
Pics: A river and a boat which is Thailand, A big grasshopper, Transfer 10 of mah mission, the road up to the temple on the island, the temple, and the view of the summit
Elder Decker
เอ็ลเดอร์ เดกเกอร์
Thailand Bangkok Mission
Ayutthaya to Bankapi
Hello everybody!
We taught a blind Burmese man the other day. He's really cool. His name is Aong (Awe-ng). We're teaching another person who is from Laos. Her name is Pam and we teach her at the university by our apartment.
This week for I want to talk about the first verse, in the first chapter, in the first book, in the Book of Mormon. 1 Nephi 1:1 It says:
1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.
I've read it so many times but it's such a good start to the Book of Mormon. Nephi was taught by goodly parents to trust and obey God. I'm assuming the other brothers (Sam, Laman, and Lemuel) were taught by his father also but it doesn't say so. Laman and Lemuel are the disobedient children but they also were taught by their father, Lehi. Nephi became a prophet and Sam was just kinda there but he was also righteous and obedient to the teachings of his father who was the prophet. No one blames Lehi for Laman and Lemuel's transgressions and disobedience to the Lord's commandments. They were taught the right things but they just chose not to follow it. Lehi was way sad when he had the vision and saw that Laman and Lemuel weren't going to partake of the fruit, but he still continued to love them and teach them the commandments and bless them.
This past couple weeks have been awesome like usual. Last week was transfers and we went to an Island in Chonburi. It was fun. I went there before.
Sari came to church last Sunday and his wife walked in during the prayer and threw keys at him.
Transfers came and I moved to Bangkapi. It's in Bangkok, and there's a lot of people. We live in a one room apartment. It's so small. It's right behind the big mall here. The mall has Christmas lights so it's cool. The guards are dressed up like Santa Clause. Not a lot of people know what Christmas is actually. I guess that's all around the world. My companion is Elder Bevan and he's from Nephi, Utah. He's been on a mission for a year I think.
The church is a 45 minute bus ride from our house so it's not convenient. I really like it here though. The members are way cool. I know a lot from the Office and Asoke. No more riding bikes!
We taught a blind Burmese man the other day. He's really cool. His name is Aong (Awe-ng). We're teaching another person who is from Laos. Her name is Pam and we teach her at the university by our apartment.
Last Sunday, we taught a Sister who is currently in the Islam religion. She really liked church and was asking when we could meet again. It was way cool.
This week for I want to talk about the first verse, in the first chapter, in the first book, in the Book of Mormon. 1 Nephi 1:1 It says:
1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.
I've read it so many times but it's such a good start to the Book of Mormon. Nephi was taught by goodly parents to trust and obey God. I'm assuming the other brothers (Sam, Laman, and Lemuel) were taught by his father also but it doesn't say so. Laman and Lemuel are the disobedient children but they also were taught by their father, Lehi. Nephi became a prophet and Sam was just kinda there but he was also righteous and obedient to the teachings of his father who was the prophet. No one blames Lehi for Laman and Lemuel's transgressions and disobedience to the Lord's commandments. They were taught the right things but they just chose not to follow it. Lehi was way sad when he had the vision and saw that Laman and Lemuel weren't going to partake of the fruit, but he still continued to love them and teach them the commandments and bless them.
We can do all we can to teach people the right path to eternal happiness, but at the end of the day they have agency which is a gift God gives to all of us. It's been very frustrating on my mission seeing all these people who receive a witness it is true, but they turn away and don't take the step of faith and be baptized. There is members that don't go to church anymore even though they know it's true. It's really sad. But the only thing we can do is keep loving them and having hope that one day they will accept the truth. Jesus Christ is the light and the way and by following him we will recieve eternal happiness.
I love you all and miss everyone! Until next time...
Pics: A river and a boat which is Thailand, A big grasshopper, Transfer 10 of mah mission, the road up to the temple on the island, the temple, and the view of the summit
Elder Decker
เอ็ลเดอร์ เดกเกอร์
Thailand Bangkok Mission
Pics: A river and a boat which is Thailand, A big grasshopper, Transfer 10 of mah mission, the road up to the temple on the island, the temple, and the view of the summit
Elder Decker
เอ็ลเดอร์ เดกเกอร์
Thailand Bangkok Mission
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