Monday, August 25, 2014

Baptisms and Pictures!!!


Elder Landon J Watkins Week 63
Week Eighteen in Samut Prakan

Monday, August 25, 2014

Hey Everyone!

Things are going pretty great this week! First off Brother Jawd got baptized this week! It was way awesome. Teaching him throughout the week was hilarious; every time we would bring up getting baptized on Sunday he'd just be like, yeah, for sure I'm getting baptized this Sunday. He was honestly the easiest person I've ever taught my whole mission to get baptized. He had no problems with any commandments and accepted everything we taught. The members love him too he is going to be such a good member in the ward especially once he has the Melchizedek Priesthood!


I had my first baptismal interview this week! It was great! Pretty easy it only took about 10 minutes for the interview part! She gave me a little scare, but it all worked out great in the end. The longest part is just having to fill out the Baptismal Record in Thai ha-ha because Thai people’s names are just spelled so different. It was a way great experience though.

This week at church on Sunday we had 70 people at church. We had two baptisms. We had one and the other Elders had one. My companionship had 9 investigators at church and the other two Elders had 2. 

We have a baptismal goal of 2 for next week so we had a couple new daters from Sunday Lek, Fone, and Fay. Lek and Fone are who we are trying to get for next week. They are two new investigators that just came to church for the first time on Sunday, but they both took a date and we have return appointments with them Tuesday at 9 and 10; so awesome. 

This week my companion and I got 64 new phone numbers which is a lot and I feel like this week will be even better. I have just changed my attitude a little bit and he has changed too he even finally told me he was trying to be the way he was at the beginning and that now he is going to be himself more so we are getting along great.

Anyways as far as this week nothing else crazy happened or too interesting that I can think of except Sister Bung got confirmed and it was awesome! So we are trying to get 2 baptisms this week so that we will have 4 this month. The requirement for each companionship is 2 a month and we have that, but we want 2 more because that was the original standard before President lowered it to two. Have a good week everyone; love you all!


Love,

Elder Landon J Watkins

Monday, August 18, 2014

The Story of Bung's Baptism and the Golden Investigator: Jaw!!!

Elder Landon J Watkins Week 62
Week Seventeen in Samut Prakan

Monday, August 18, 2014

Hey!

This week was pretty good because of the awesome turnout in the end. So first I will start off with the great news; Bung got baptized woohooo! :) It was so awesome! Monday she went with us to Mega Bang Na and we all had a good time going doing some shopping and stuff. After we taught her and finished up teaching her that day she still wasn't willing to accept a date, an interview or anything. The thing is she is scared her family will get upset and won't let her get baptized. I said; okay you have a goal to talk to you family before we meet again. We told her that we should meet with you as much as possible and luckily she quit her job a couple of weeks ago so she is free all the time for the moment…ha-ha. We met with her on Wednesday and taught her about the tree of life and we compared it to how baptism in her life will be like eating the fruit and she really liked it, but still wouldn't accept a date. But, she did talk to her Mom and when she asked her Mom, her mom didn't respond. We said okay we have an appointment to meet with on Friday; will you talk to your Mom again before then and she said; okay. Friday comes and she calls us and is like; my Mom called, but I 'm not telling you what she said until we meet. When we get there she is like, my Mom said if I want to get baptized that I have to marry someone who is already a member in the church before I can get baptized... We are like; are you kidding me and she was like; yeah. I wasn't expecting that response at all.  We just talk to her and shared tons of scripture telling her God will take care her and she really liked that and we just got her thinking about some things. We have been telling her the whole time we wanted her to get baptized on the 17th. I asked her about what she was thinking about doing? She responds; “well I have to get interviewed tomorrow, right; if I'm going to get baptized on Sunday” and I said; “yeah”. Do you want to get interviewed and she said;”YES”! WOW…so awesome! She finally accepted. She comes out of the interview on Saturday and I'm like; so did you pass your interview? When are you going to get baptized? She said; tomorrow, right? I was like; yeah, I think we can do that ha-ha. She's like okay, but on one condition, you have to baptized me and promise that you will do it right the first time. I was like okay; I'll do my best ha-ha. At the church during the second hour I'm sitting next to her in investigators class and she writes a note and gives it to me saying she feels sick and not good about getting baptized. I'm like, you're okay; just say a prayer and you will feel better. So right in the middle of class she just bows her head and starts praying and so do I because I'm praying as hard as I can to help her fell better too! Sure enough class ends and I ask her if she is doing okay and she's like; yeah, I'm better, I feel great! I'm just like; thank you Heavenly Father because I was scared she wasn't going to follow through with the baptism. Comes down to the baptism finally and first try; I got her baptized! Man it felt so good. I honestly haven’t felt the spirit that strong at a baptism while in the water. I know Heavenly Father was watching over us the whole time; it was just so great! She was just so happy. After we changed back into our clothes we were just waiting for her and she comes out with the biggest smile on her face and gives me a high five; so funny, ha-ha. Then later last night I was putting my suit away and she had left like a little tiny short note for me just telling me thanks for everything. It made me feel so good inside! She was awesome, she just didn't care her family wasn't accepting her changing religions and she just put all her trust in God and she got baptized; soooo awesome!


Sorry that was such a long story, but honestly it was the greatest thing that happened last week. The next thing is I met this guy named; Jaw last Sunday night and we invited him to church and he said he'd go. We met with him on Wednesday and he brought a friend from his work. We taught him and he accepted a date for the 24th; he is way awesome! He came to church on Sunday too. His phone is always off, but Sunday morning he called me to tell me he was on his way to church. He is the most golden investigator ever. All he does is say how impressed he is with us and after church he said the members were so awesome and he was so impressed. We taught him and at the end that everything we are teaching you is to help you get baptized next Sunday. He is like, I need to start preparing and getting a set of white clothes! I'm like whoa, don't worry about that; we got them here for you. He is like okay; next Sunday I can get baptized. I'm almost positive he is getting baptized this next Sunday; he is awesome! He is a 50 year old guy and will be a great Melchizedek priesthood holder.

Anyways that is really all for this week. Elder Crump brought his companion down last night to get his Patriarchal blessing from the Patriarch here; that was cool. I'm the only one who knows where the guy’s house is so we had to take them there and we were even able to sit in on the blessing. It was such a great spirit in the room; it was sooooo cool. Hearing it all in Thai was really awesome and it so amazing what revelation God is able to give us through our Patriarchal blessing; such a special gift we get from our Heavenly Father.

It was a good week though! I would send you guys pictures, but I'm just afraid these computers will erase them so I'm not going to send them from this internet place, sorry. 

Have a great week. I love you all!

Love,

Elder Landon J Watkins

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Another New Adventure for Nate...

We took Nathan down to Arizona and got him all settled in for school...it was hard saying goodbye, but he is ready for this new chapter of his life and I know that the Lord will watch over and protect him. This is his room in a house rented with five other guys. I hope he comes back home soon :(
Loading up the Jeep to take the long ride to its new home...
This will be the last time I see his bed made so I thought I better take a picture :)

We went to Portillo's for lunch yesterday...so yummy!!!

Back to just two with a new companion...Elder Lodwick

Elder Landon J Watkins Week 61
Week Sixteen in Samut Prakan

Monday, August 11, 2014

Hey!

Well how's everyone doing?

I'll first start off by explaining everything that happened with transfers. On Tuesday we had just finished eating lunch and I got a phone call from President and I thought he was going to ask me to train, but nope; he wanted to talk to Elder Savage. Sure enough President says I need Savage to get all his stuff ASAP and come to the office today ASAP. So we went back to the house while he packed everything and we took him to the office. That took up our whole day on Tuesday except for English class when we got back.

Wednesday was crazy too it was just me and Elder Kettavong so it seemed way quiet around here; then I get a call from Elder Crump and he is like; hey, we will be in Samut Prakan in an hour we are going to sleeping at your house tonight! I’m like sweet! So we went and had dinner together and they stayed the night before transfers, it was way awesome. Anyways transfers rolled around on Thursday morning and before transfers when we went to the office on Tuesday I had asked if Kettavong and I were going to stay companions and if we would still have to go to transfers because if you don't change companions you just stay in your area. They called us a few hours later and said that we needed to go to transfers so that meant something was going on. At transfer they split up me and Elder Kettavong. We both got new companions. My new companion is Elder Lodwick. He's 19 years old and from Tennessee. He has been out for about 6 months he is in the same group as Elder Savage. He served in Rangsit and Udorn before coming here. So he is already on area 3 in 6 months and I am on my third area too except that I have been in country a year this week ha-ha. I must be doing something right not to get moved like crazy, I guess ha-ha. Elder Kettavongs companion is Elder Thomas he was actually in my MTC group just in the other district. He is from California and is a really nice guy. Oh and he is in my same group and this is his 5th area, so it looks like I just hang out in my areas for a long time! Oh yeah and also I became District Leader so that is interesting. After transfers I had my DL training meeting which was good. It answered some questions I had about Baptismal Interviews and stuff like that. I haven't had to interview anyone, yet, but when I do I'll let you know how my first interview goes! It’s going to be a cool experience, I think. After transfers we went and ate at Que Pasa as usual because that is just something you have to do when you go to transfers meeting. We came back to our area and had Book of Mormon Class.

Other than that though for this week we haven't done much except for inviting and visiting RC's because since Kettavong and I were companions before so we had to split all the investigators and people we were teaching in half to make it fair. 

Our main investigator is Bung; the 28 year old girl we are teaching. She is honestly so awesome and so ready to be baptized. She has already gotten her answer that the church is true she just won't take a date because she is scared. But I had a way good lesson with her on the phone last night and I think she's understand why it is so important; so I'm praying she will be baptized this Sunday. I think she will, she is way awesome. So keep her in your prayers this week.

Our other investigator is Yok he is a 14 year old boy; a friend of a member. He has been to church 2 times now, but since he is 14; he has to come for 3 months or we have to get special permission for him to get baptized faster; so as of right now we are taking it easy with him. We had 2 new investigators come to church Sunday, but they are also young; 15 and 16 year old girls, they only came to sacrament are super busy with school so we will see if they go anywhere! I think we will get this area really strong, though.

Anyways; it was a pretty good week. Expect a baptism for next week because it is going to happen! Love you all so much hope you have a great week!

Love,
Elder Landon J Watkins

Monday, August 4, 2014

Em's Baptism!!!

Elder Landon J Watkins Week 60
Week Fifteen in Samut Prakan

Monday, August 04, 2014

Hey!

This week was pretty sweet for the most part! First things first, being with Nate was way awesome! The time went by so fast, but it was way fun to just hang out with him for the day and show him around Thailand. Seeing his and Josh's face after taking pictures with the tiger was awesome too. They are just like; “Wow this is so cool!” Made me think back to the first times when I did that and I was just like them.  It is just funny how when you are doing it you think well; it's just a tiger, but where else in the world can you just go and hold a tiger like that; I don't know? I'm sure you saw all sorts of good pictures of them at the crocodile farm. It is too bad at this place they won't let the elephants pick you up with their trunks. I tried to talk the guy into it, but he wouldn't do it, guess you have to go to Ayutthaya for that experience.
  


Tuesday was a crazy day we had to go to Bang Na for District meeting. We finally got back to the church and worked on making a map of all the members’ houses in Samut Prakan. It was hard and annoying because you can just buy a map of Samut Prakan. We had to zoom in on Google Earth then Screenshot it and print it out so the map seems unorganized, but the Bishop said its okay. They just want to know where all the members live so they can move the church to the most convenient place possible. We worked on this assignment all week and we finally sent it in on Sunday to the Stake President.

After English class at 8 o clock that night we had Brother Em's baptism it was way good! Super short, but it all worked out. I was able to baptized him which was way cool!!! I did it on the first try which always feels good to get it right on the first try.

On Sunday we had 71 people at church and 4 investigators. We have some potential investigators to get baptized next week, Sister Bung and Uuy, but neither of them accepted the date!  We just need to meet with them a few more times this week and help them out! We only met Bung 8 days ago and she has already learned almost everything. She has already read to 1 Nephi 18; which is pretty fast! Anyways Brother Em and Way both got confirmed on Sunday, so that was cool! Hopefully we can get somebody baptized this next Sunday, but who knows. I may not even be here with transfers coming up this week. Hopefully we find out tonight if I'm just getting a new companion or if we will still be in a threesome. I really like this area a lot and don't want to move. It is possible that I could stay even though I've been here the longest, but really not that long!


Other than that everything is going good! Today is Elder Savages birthday so we are going to just do whatever he wants today, so it should be fun! Love you and hope you have a great week!

Love,
Elder Landon J Watkins