Week 69: Goh Si Chang, A New Transfer, and Elder Miyagi!

Last P-day, Elder Escher and I were able to go to Chonburi. We met up with Elder Lindley and his companion there and then went on a ferry to an island called Goh Si Chang. We got up to a high point and the view was amazing! There was a beach we went and visited on the island (no swimming of course) haha but my camera died so I don't have pictures of it.

Hey everyone! So it's a new transfer and with a new transfer, there's some new changes as well! I'm staying here in Bangkapi and Elder Escher moved to Chiang Rai. He's serving in the north now! He's follow-up training a missionary there and I'm training another missionary named Elder Miyagi. Elder Miyagi is Japanese and is from Japan and also the States. He's nice humble and I know that he's going to bless the lives of many people here in Thailand. This past weekend, I've been pretty sick and he's been patient through it. I've been having stomach/digestive problems and also my head just felt bad like a dizzy/lightheaded feeling. On Sunday, I went to Sacrament and ended up leaving to rest at home. Trying to work through it would have been too much to handle so no, I wasn't just trying to get an excuse to stay at home haha. It was actually way bad. Through it all, Elder Miyagi didn't get frustrated or upset at all. He was patient with me and kind.

We had a really cool miracle that happened this past week! So on the first day that Elder Miyagi got to Bangkapi, we were walking outside in our neighborhood headed to Tesco to get his bike. While we were walking, I started talking to this boy that was walking as well. I tried to get him to come to the church and he agreed. We walked to the church together. I showed him the inside a bit and we sat down with him. His name is Kang. He agreed on a baptismal date for December 4th. It was so awesome! . After our lesson, we ran into a girl that spoke Japanese. Wait, what??? My companion speaks Japanese! This all happened on his first day in Bangkapi! 

President Russel M. Nelson spoke this past General Conference on a talk called "Joy and Spiritual Survival". He said "My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives". He also says later in the talk "Joy is a gift for the faithful. It is the gift that comes from intentionally trying to live a righteous life, as taught by Jesus Christ". Personally, I'm going to try and be a happier person and missionary. I can get kind of pessimistic at times and frustrated at things but I'm going to try and be better. With Thanksgiving coming up, another way for me to have more joy is by being grateful for my blessings and the greatest blessing of all- my Savior, Jesus Christ. I hope you all have a great week and are full of JOY!

Elder Rawlinson