Week 47: Summer in SuRiN, June 19

What's up everyone! I'm still serving in Surin and it's now my third transfer here. It's been quite the adventure. Our whole district stayed the same for this transfer and I'm still companions with Elder Lindley. Overall, the weather's still hot as it usually is and I'm still sweating basically everyday haha. People usually can't get my race right here in Thailand. I've gotten so many different guesses, it's kind of amusing. For example, someone thought I looked like I was from Russia earlier today so there's that.
We've picked up a lot of new investigators since I last wrote. One of them is a guy named Ariel. Ariel's dating one of the members here in Surin named Sister Am. He's from the Caribbean and his dad is Canadian so I'm pretty sure he lived there too. Anyway, the day we met Ariel, we were teaching Sister Am in her front yard. We saw Ariel while we were out there and started to talk to him. It was a little surprising when he talked back to us in fluent English since he looked like a Thai person! Our second time meeting with him, we taught the Restoration in English and it was great! It was the first time I've taught an actual investigator in English and I could feel the Spirit so strongly. He told us that he smokes and that he wants to quit so next time we meet with him, I want to introduce the 12 Step program with him. He's a good guy. We're still working with Brother Thrun. He's the man that I wrote about who has a lot on his mind (the guy who asked whether or not the Restoration was completed). Even though he still doesn't have a baptismal date, we're going to try and keep working with him. We have some investigators that we're working with as well. If I write about all of them you guys might get bored haha.

We also went to the elephant village.... AGAIN! There were missionaries from different areas that came as well this time so that made it more fun. I didn't ride any of them this time but while we were there, a baby elephant rammed right into me and I fell on the ground. People laughed since it was "funny". Now I can say I've been picked on by a baby elephant right? Maybe I shouldn't tell people that. Anyway, Lindley and I had to do switch-offs in Ubon again so I got to see a lot of the members that I knew from there. I love going back to Ubon! It's like my second home haha. 

Anyway, I hope you all have a great week! When times get hard, remember that the Lord loves you. Everyone's gonna have to deal with crappy stuff in their lives, but it's how you react and deal with those crappy things that truly matter. This is something that I still need to work on as a missionary haha.  If you're stressed, pray and read your scriptures. Always remember the Lord!

Elder Rawlinson