IT'S THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE: Oatmeal is the Breakfast of Champions

Hey Everyone!

We started SYL for all of class for 3 hours straight which is pretty crazy and hard sometimes but we can handle it pretty good now. Thanks for the gift of tongues we can handle it ha-ha. Bro. Olsen is such an awesome teacher and he love us and everyone thinks he likes me the most to ha-ha but can I blame him?

We had a devotional for the 4th of July and it was short and Steven Laney spoke and then we got to watch 17 Miracles! Which was pretty cool! Then we went out and watched the fireworks for the stadium of fire.

On Friday we taught Phii Joe (Bro. Olsen) and we only had 10 minutes to teach, so Elder Keller and I decided to not do our regular lesson and ask him if he had any questions. Then he asked us some questions and the spirit helped us to answer them all perfectly and I had no idea what we were saying ha-ha but thanks to the gift of tongues we got it done. Then we talked to him after and he said he was way impressed at how good of a job we did, so that was pretty cool! Then our old teacher Bro. Phan was supposed to be back but wasn't and so we didn't have a teacher for an hour then the sub Brother Booth taught us; who is our teacher on Saturday nights. Saturday was the first time it rained the whole time we have been in the MTC, how crazy. It has been nothing but sun for like 3-4 weeks and it was such an awesome thunderstorm and we just sat outside for a bit since we didn't have a teacher!

Saturday was TRC which is way fun we taught about the role of revelation through prayer and we taught a girl named Jessica and Erin which was way cool they were way fun and so nice to teach since our Thai sucks, they probably only laugh because ours is so bad! We also taught a guy named Alexander who was pretty quiet but I felt we taught a way effective lesson. After that we had class at night with Bro. Booth and we all became investigators and taught some people. I taught my companion and Elder Smith taught me as an investigator my name is Dasche which is a sweet name, probably will name one of my kids that if my wife will let it happen ha-ha! It was way fun I love Elder Smith he has the most contagious laugh and is way fun to joke around with! It was his birthday and we all signed a birthday card and stuff for him and he loved it! It's crazy to think he just barely graduated this year and is older than me! So weird, ha-ha.

Oh and officially Oatmeal here is the greatest thing you can eat and if you are lucky enough to get the biscuits and gravy too. It’s the breakfast of champion’s ha-ha. Then the last few days they’ve stopped making it sometimes and we've decided it’s because if Elder Crump or I accidently eat before we pray and the Lord seems to know. Hopefully we get oatmeal tomorrow because we didn't today, which was lame.

We now can go into the cafeteria in p-day clothes now which is awesome you used to not be able to and you had to get sack lunches instead, but not anymore! Sack lunches are worse than this food. Sunday was a pretty awesome day though we had our first Mission Conference in the morning which was way cool and I took some good notes. Whenever we have good devotional I like I tape the notes in my journal which is cool! Then we had testimony meeting which was way cool I beared my testimony can you believe that! Only because I was thinking about why I was fasting that day for my family and friends and learning the language and all that and I wanted something more too fast for and I was doing my personal reading for the day my 4 chapters and I was reading in Alma 6:6 and you can check out what it says but pretty much gave me the answer that I can be fasting for people I'll meet in Thailand that they will be ready for the gospel which was way awesome! So I shared the little experience with our branch which was cool. Then that night we watch a “Character of Christ” by David A. Bednar which is an amazing talk it’s about an hour but if you haven't seen it you definitely need to check it out, but its definitely something you all should watch it will change you!

Monday was cool we learned about the role of the holy ghost in conversion which was awesome and we watched a little clip by Bednar and he said, Quit worrying about if it’s the spirit telling you what you are going to say or just your own thoughts focus on the investigator. You will find out later if it was the spirit or not. Then he told us a story about the 20 Marks and Boyd K Packard you should also check that story out too if you haven't read it it’s also way awesome.

Tuesday was just a great day we got the Breakfast of Champions!!! We just had class in the morning and learned about the Plan of Salvation then studied all afternoon until the devotional which was pretty sweet. We always have a district review with a member of the Branch Presidency after and the Laotian Elders always join us because there is only 4 but this week no member of the Branch Presidency showed up so as District Leader I took charge of the meeting and it was a way cool testimony meeting, way spiritual and a good time. District leader here is pretty easy we just have to get the mail, go to two meetings on Sundays, and just take care of prayers and stuff for class, not too bad.

Oh and today at lunch I saw Forrest Fogg and talked to him for like 20 minutes it was way fun to talk to him he had some great stories and gave us a good laugh! That's all for this week though pretty long letter it seems I think. I'm just trying to make Mom happy ha-ha! :) Love you all!

Love Elder Watkins