Refiner's Fire

     

 

     This week had a lot of ups and downs, but it's been pretty good.  We had to go to downtown Bangkok for interviews with our mission President, and I was super surprised to see so many white people there. I think I have been in Thailand too long already. Also turns out our area is not considered Bangkok. The area next to us is considered Bangkok, but not Samutprakan.

     The members are still so awesome. One morning Elder Headlee and I met with an older woman who hadn't been to church in a while. When we got to her neighborhood, she was buying food to make for us. We had to go to be interviewed in Bangkok, so we didn't have time to give her a lesson. She felt bad. After English class later that day, she made us a big dinner. I was sick, tired, and stressed out, and it was so great to have a member just simply make a meal for us. Also, after we taught a lesson to one investigator, one of the members that was teaching with us bought us some fried bananas and some Thai Crepes. Another member made Elder Headlee and I ties.

     

     It's mango sticky rice season! It's this amazing dessert where Thai people make sticky rice and flavor it with mango, and then put coconut syrup on top of it, with a side of fresh mango. The members serve it to us often, and I am probably going to gain some pounds just by eating this amazing stuff.

     While teaching a recent convert outside of his house, a man walked up to us and asked if we wanted to buy something. A minute later another man walked by with a baby elephant next to him. We were in the middle of a neighborhood...

     Church members in Thailand have a meal together after church, which is the best. They make amazing food. The other day one member made a delish mango macaroni dish, and I asked, "What is this called?" One member replied, "Macaroni!" 

     You know how missionaries tell stories of having large spider encounters? Well that happened the other night. Elder Headlee was going into the bathroom and a spider about the size of my hand was in the sink. After careful planning, I jabbed a mop in the sink and Elder Headlee frantically sprayed the sink with roach killer. Success. 

     While enduring lots of trials in our area, Elder Headlee and I were waiting for the bus, feeling a little down. While waiting, a woman came up to us and asked us about English class, and asked if we could teach her how to pray. That was evidence that the Lord was blessing us through some of our tough times. 

     Despite it being a pretty good week, there were lots of trials that happened with Elder Headlee and I. I caught a cold and was sick for a few days, I got a little frustrated with reading Thai; our best investigator decided not to learn about Christianity due to his parents, and many of the members aren't able to help us teach when we need them. But I know it's a refiner's fire, and I need that. Like most of the other missionaries, I want the mission to be hard, so I can be stronger and a better person when I come back home. I know that I was blessed with trials in my life, so I can be able to endure and take on any challenge bestowed upon me. Like my dad says, "missions have mountains and valleys there this is one of those (fill in the blank).  Lots of both. The mountains are more numerous than the valleys..."  

Watch this video:  Refiner's Fire

     Have a good week, 

     Elder Brinkerhoff