Hello!
So things are great here, the weather is nice, weve had some great opportunities to teach this week, it really seems like at the moment, investigators are coming to us through means of referrals, English class, and them approaching us, rather than our own personal finding efforts. We still go out each day and find potential investigators, but while Elder Frischknecht was on a switchoff in Asoge last Monday, a woman approached him, who happened to be from Bang-na. She wanted a pamphlet that he was handing out, and she started telling him about her family situation, how here son just had a surgery on his eye, and the doctors messed up, so he could possibly have permanent damage, and at the same time, her husband just lost his job, and she said she was really unsatisfied with Buddhism, because it just didn't have the answers and comfort that she needed, and is really interested in Christianity. So, we met with her last Saturday, and her husband, and we taught them the first lesson, and they really, really liked it, and want to meet again, so we have some new investigators, they are way nice.
Wiroon is doing great, he has now read the Book of Mormon 3 times, and is almost done with the Joseph Smith Teachings book. That is a great book by the way, I bought a copy of it in Pakkret a few weeks ago, and really enjoy it. The Baptism day was great! Elder Frischknecht baptized him, and he was confirmed the next week, because the baptism took place after church. So ,the Bishop, his councilors, Elder Frischknecht and I stood in the circle, while one of the councilors confirmed him. So as a new member, we have discussed the restoration, and last night we talked to him about the Plan of Salvation, and it is went really well, he asked him several questions throughout the lesson, and he was able to answer all of them. But what I think is really great, is his testimony of those things, he has really progressed alot, and now as a new member, he is great.
So on the disc I sent I have some pictures of the critters that we ate, I ate a fried frog(tasted like a potato chip), I ate a beetle, and some fried larva, which actually tasted all right. Then there was the fried grasshopper, which did not taste very good, so I do not recommend that. We bought those from a bug seller. There are lots of food peddlers around Bangkok, and some of them sell fried bugs, so if you ever come to Bangkok, be sure to try some! At the church, there is a big mango tree over by the parking lot and it has huge red ants on it, and I think I have already shared a picture of the red ant nest after I sprayed it out of the tree, but there are several more nests on it, so I ate one of the ants, and it was pretty good, they taste kinda sour, you just have to eat em really quick because they bite hard!
Well, Im gonna be writing some more letters today, and will keep an eye out for your package. I can't believe Logan Seidel (mom's note- Logan is a friend from our ward in Kokomo) is getting his mission call soon! Holy Cow, I really really can't wait to find out next week where he's going! So, where do you guys think he is going to go? Hmm, I think he is going to Switzerland or possibly Lithuania. Elder Frischknecht thinks he is either going to Texas or to Canada. So, I can't wait to see who is right. So that's all for now, thanks for all of your prayers and support!
Take care and GodSpeed!!!
-Elder Schulte
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
7 Months Out! 3/18/09
Hey guys!
So this week was really great, the baptism on the 15th went really well for Wiroon, and we met with him on Tuesday night to teach him as a new member, as "Brother Wiroon" now, its so cool! Well, Meedta came to church for the first time since November and that was great. He is the one that Elder Jones and Elder Law baptized, and he has some mental problems because of an accident, but he came and stayed the whole time!
So, to answer some of the questions you asked... We have a kitchen out back, there is a sink and a decent sized camping stove with a propane tank. We have a microwave inside. We eat out a lot. There are really cheap, small thai food restaurants on the side roads, they are really good! We occasionally will go to the mall in town to get McD or KFC but not very often because that kind of food is not cheap here, so we get alot of Thai food, and I like it! There are 2 really Big Mall's in Bang-na, we go get cereal, milk, and stuff like that on Wednesday's. We find some American cereal there. I get my weekly box of corn flakes there.
So, there are lots of awesome Thai dishes that I really like, Pad Thay, PadPonggrarie, kawpadmuu, man so many! GangPaneng is really good, it is Pork in Red Curry sauce, They eat alot of rice here, but thats okay.
I really don't mind the heat here, in fact, I really like how the sun is always shining here, and I am drinking plenty of water. I actually haven't been to the mission home since I got to Thailand, because its over in Pakkret, still in Bangkok, so I haven't had a need to go there.
So, we had switchoffs this week, the zone leaders came to the Bang-na house Sunday night and spent the night here, and the next day, Elder Frischknecht went to Asoge with Elder Bean, and Elder Sorensen spent the day with me in Bang-na. It was way fun! This was Elder Sorensen's first area over a year ago, and he was doing alot of reminiscing.
Elder Frischknecht and I have 2 awesome new investigators, Dieyrad and Die, and they are both way good. With Dieyrad, he owns a barbershop on Sukhumvit Road, and also sells fried bugs for a living. He really likes learning about religion, and is very interested in the church. Die is a man that we invited a little while ago. We met him about an hour before a ward activity. We invited him to the activity as we were on our way to the church. When we got to the church, he was there and he had a great time, and we arranged to meet with him and teach him on another day. Last thurday, we went to try and find him on the street that we met him on, and we found him. The miracle was that, we barely caught him as he had just gotten to his shop, if we had gone any earlier, we would not have found him. We have already met and taught him twice ,and he is way good.
Well, it was a nice week, lots of good things happened. I hope things continue to go well back home. So, this week at the District Development Meeting, Elder Frischknecht talked about happiness, and alot of it reflected the things that were discussed at the most recent zone conference. Wherever we are, whatever our situation, it is good to look for the positive things around you. There are alot of awesome things to be happy about, and as we open our eyes to these things, it actually makes living a little easier. The Lord has given us many great things, and we can show our gratitude, by putting a smile on and show him that we are happy to be alive, and happy to be where we are, and happy doing what we are doing. I want to bear my testimony that I know these things are true, and that happiness and gratitude makes the world a better place, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Thanks guys, take care!
Elder Schulte
So this week was really great, the baptism on the 15th went really well for Wiroon, and we met with him on Tuesday night to teach him as a new member, as "Brother Wiroon" now, its so cool! Well, Meedta came to church for the first time since November and that was great. He is the one that Elder Jones and Elder Law baptized, and he has some mental problems because of an accident, but he came and stayed the whole time!
So, to answer some of the questions you asked... We have a kitchen out back, there is a sink and a decent sized camping stove with a propane tank. We have a microwave inside. We eat out a lot. There are really cheap, small thai food restaurants on the side roads, they are really good! We occasionally will go to the mall in town to get McD or KFC but not very often because that kind of food is not cheap here, so we get alot of Thai food, and I like it! There are 2 really Big Mall's in Bang-na, we go get cereal, milk, and stuff like that on Wednesday's. We find some American cereal there. I get my weekly box of corn flakes there.
So, there are lots of awesome Thai dishes that I really like, Pad Thay, PadPonggrarie, kawpadmuu, man so many! GangPaneng is really good, it is Pork in Red Curry sauce, They eat alot of rice here, but thats okay.
I really don't mind the heat here, in fact, I really like how the sun is always shining here, and I am drinking plenty of water. I actually haven't been to the mission home since I got to Thailand, because its over in Pakkret, still in Bangkok, so I haven't had a need to go there.
So, we had switchoffs this week, the zone leaders came to the Bang-na house Sunday night and spent the night here, and the next day, Elder Frischknecht went to Asoge with Elder Bean, and Elder Sorensen spent the day with me in Bang-na. It was way fun! This was Elder Sorensen's first area over a year ago, and he was doing alot of reminiscing.
Elder Frischknecht and I have 2 awesome new investigators, Dieyrad and Die, and they are both way good. With Dieyrad, he owns a barbershop on Sukhumvit Road, and also sells fried bugs for a living. He really likes learning about religion, and is very interested in the church. Die is a man that we invited a little while ago. We met him about an hour before a ward activity. We invited him to the activity as we were on our way to the church. When we got to the church, he was there and he had a great time, and we arranged to meet with him and teach him on another day. Last thurday, we went to try and find him on the street that we met him on, and we found him. The miracle was that, we barely caught him as he had just gotten to his shop, if we had gone any earlier, we would not have found him. We have already met and taught him twice ,and he is way good.
Well, it was a nice week, lots of good things happened. I hope things continue to go well back home. So, this week at the District Development Meeting, Elder Frischknecht talked about happiness, and alot of it reflected the things that were discussed at the most recent zone conference. Wherever we are, whatever our situation, it is good to look for the positive things around you. There are alot of awesome things to be happy about, and as we open our eyes to these things, it actually makes living a little easier. The Lord has given us many great things, and we can show our gratitude, by putting a smile on and show him that we are happy to be alive, and happy to be where we are, and happy doing what we are doing. I want to bear my testimony that I know these things are true, and that happiness and gratitude makes the world a better place, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Thanks guys, take care!
Elder Schulte
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
4th "Moves" in Bang-na 3/11/09
Hey guys!!!
So this moves (transfer) has been pretty good so far. I've made a lot of goals and have been keeping them really well. "Talk to more people and invite more", including taxi drivers especially when we have long rides through Bangkok. So, funny story, we made fried chicken on Sunday night, and it was way good! But, about 2:00 in the morning I woke up, (I think it was because of the chicken) and couldn't get back to sleep. I was really thirsty, not to mention Elder Frischknecht was sleep talking again (he says some really funny things!) so I decided to go downstairs to get a drink, and while I was downstairs, I was pondering the results of the last week of the move, and was comparing them to our goals for this next week, and I thought "we need to kick it up a notch!" So, we really have been this week, we have got a ton of inviting done, and some potential investigators as a result. Sweet! It's a start, and its working. I did finally go back to bed, don't worry!
On Monday, our district went to Bungapi (another area of Bangkok) for the Zone Conference. and every missionary here loves zone conference. It is a great, uplifting experience! We get to hear some awesome messages from President and Sister Dodge, the assistants, and other missionaries who are assigned to prepare talks. The theme of this conference was "The Spirit is the Key", and basically they talked about how it is really important to teach with the spirit, and the Holy Ghost will work through us when we bear a powerful testimony of the Restored Gospel. In teaching investigators, in inviting, teaching recent converts, the Spirit can be the greatest teacher. I had a really good time at zone conference, and Elder Frischknecht and I walked away with many new ideas and commitments to fulfill on a personal level, in order to increase in effectiveness as missionaries.
So, Mom asked last week about how zones and districts work. A zone is made up of several districts, which are spread out into several different areas. I am in the Bang-na District, in the Bangkok West Zone. The BW zone has 26 missionaries (elders and sisters) covering areas like Asoge, Bang-na, DinDieng, Thonburi, Samut Prakan and so on. The Bang-na District has 2 elders (Elder Frischknecht and yours truly) and 2 sisters, Sister Scalf and Sister Crapes. She is new in the mission, just got here last week, and she's speaking Thai alot, I don't hear her speak English very often. That's the way to learn it!
Well, Wiroon passed his interview, and he is getting baptized this coming Sunday, yeah! I think it is so awesome, and he just finished reading the Book of Mormon for the 3rd time! So yeah, his baptism is coming up real soon. I will let you know how that goes.
So its been a great week, still hard, really hot, but I don't complain, its so great here, lots of fun! We went bowling with some members today, and that was great! I'm actually getting alot better at bowling, this is the third time I've been bowling here since coming to Thailand. Oh, last week Elder Frischknecht and I were out inviting and we ended up playing a game with some kids, it's called "Degraw". It's like volleyball, only you play with your feet, it's way fun, everybody here plays it!
Well, like i said, this move has been great so far. I really like what was talked about at Zone conference about having the spirit present. There are many things that can make that happen. I mentioned bearing testimony already, and that is so important, because in teaching principles of the gospel, it is important to show that you strongly believe in what you are teaching is true. Another thing that will really help have the spirit present, is having obedience. As missionaries, we are given rules and guidelines in order to keep us safe and protected. And not just applying to missionaries, but to anyone, as we follow guidelines and rules that we are given, we can all be safe and protected, not just physically, but spiritually. The Commandments from God are a real blessing, because our Heavenly Father loves us very much, and wants us to be able to return and live with Him again. And He has given us the Commandments, in order to make that possible. I would like to Bear my testimony that I know these things are true. I am grateful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His teachings, and I love being here and being able to represent Him. GodSpeed!!!
Elder Schulte
So this moves (transfer) has been pretty good so far. I've made a lot of goals and have been keeping them really well. "Talk to more people and invite more", including taxi drivers especially when we have long rides through Bangkok. So, funny story, we made fried chicken on Sunday night, and it was way good! But, about 2:00 in the morning I woke up, (I think it was because of the chicken) and couldn't get back to sleep. I was really thirsty, not to mention Elder Frischknecht was sleep talking again (he says some really funny things!) so I decided to go downstairs to get a drink, and while I was downstairs, I was pondering the results of the last week of the move, and was comparing them to our goals for this next week, and I thought "we need to kick it up a notch!" So, we really have been this week, we have got a ton of inviting done, and some potential investigators as a result. Sweet! It's a start, and its working. I did finally go back to bed, don't worry!
On Monday, our district went to Bungapi (another area of Bangkok) for the Zone Conference. and every missionary here loves zone conference. It is a great, uplifting experience! We get to hear some awesome messages from President and Sister Dodge, the assistants, and other missionaries who are assigned to prepare talks. The theme of this conference was "The Spirit is the Key", and basically they talked about how it is really important to teach with the spirit, and the Holy Ghost will work through us when we bear a powerful testimony of the Restored Gospel. In teaching investigators, in inviting, teaching recent converts, the Spirit can be the greatest teacher. I had a really good time at zone conference, and Elder Frischknecht and I walked away with many new ideas and commitments to fulfill on a personal level, in order to increase in effectiveness as missionaries.
So, Mom asked last week about how zones and districts work. A zone is made up of several districts, which are spread out into several different areas. I am in the Bang-na District, in the Bangkok West Zone. The BW zone has 26 missionaries (elders and sisters) covering areas like Asoge, Bang-na, DinDieng, Thonburi, Samut Prakan and so on. The Bang-na District has 2 elders (Elder Frischknecht and yours truly) and 2 sisters, Sister Scalf and Sister Crapes. She is new in the mission, just got here last week, and she's speaking Thai alot, I don't hear her speak English very often. That's the way to learn it!
Well, Wiroon passed his interview, and he is getting baptized this coming Sunday, yeah! I think it is so awesome, and he just finished reading the Book of Mormon for the 3rd time! So yeah, his baptism is coming up real soon. I will let you know how that goes.
So its been a great week, still hard, really hot, but I don't complain, its so great here, lots of fun! We went bowling with some members today, and that was great! I'm actually getting alot better at bowling, this is the third time I've been bowling here since coming to Thailand. Oh, last week Elder Frischknecht and I were out inviting and we ended up playing a game with some kids, it's called "Degraw". It's like volleyball, only you play with your feet, it's way fun, everybody here plays it!
Well, like i said, this move has been great so far. I really like what was talked about at Zone conference about having the spirit present. There are many things that can make that happen. I mentioned bearing testimony already, and that is so important, because in teaching principles of the gospel, it is important to show that you strongly believe in what you are teaching is true. Another thing that will really help have the spirit present, is having obedience. As missionaries, we are given rules and guidelines in order to keep us safe and protected. And not just applying to missionaries, but to anyone, as we follow guidelines and rules that we are given, we can all be safe and protected, not just physically, but spiritually. The Commandments from God are a real blessing, because our Heavenly Father loves us very much, and wants us to be able to return and live with Him again. And He has given us the Commandments, in order to make that possible. I would like to Bear my testimony that I know these things are true. I am grateful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His teachings, and I love being here and being able to represent Him. GodSpeed!!!
Elder Schulte
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Bugs and Frogs!!! YUCK! 3/4/09
Here's an excerpt from an email for Paige that we received today.
Hey Paige! Guess what! I ate bugs last week. Some of them don't taste very good, but the fried frogs were great! Love you lots!
"Here" for another round... 3/4/09
Hey Guys!
So that sounded like a fun trip to Kirtland. Happy birthday Grandpa Buckwalter! Sounds like things are well in Kokomo. Is it getting warmer? It is so hot here right now, and its not even officially the hot season! So this week Wiroon had another baptismal interview with Elder Sorensen, and he helped Wiroon realize that he had received an answer all along! Elder Sorensen asked him if he had received a confirmation if the Book of Mormon is true or not, and he told him that he had prayed and prayed, but he hadn't received one. So Elder Sorensen asked him if he had noticed any changes in his life, and Wiroon realized that he had noticed he was a lot happier and enjoyed reading a lot more. He gets up everyday and reads the Book of Mormon. He has already read it straight through twice! Yeah, and Elder Sorensen said "that's your answer!" and Wiroon realized, "oh yeah, wow!" So he is doing great and will be ready for baptism on March 15th, and its cool, because I will be here. Yep, I'm not moving! Yesterday we got the call from the zone leaders saying that both Elder Frischknecht and I will be staying in Bang-na, and Sister Myers will be moving. Sister Scalf will be training in Bang-na this moves, sweet!
Well, I' ve been working on a written letter, its getting pretty long, several pages long, but it will explain about some of our investigators and members, and other things happening around Bang-na. So we've had great turnouts to these family home evenings these last few Mondays. Its been alot of fun, and we have some great families in this ward.
Tonight at English class is our showcase. At the end of each moves, the English classes will play games related to English. Tonight will be a Saint Patrick's Day theme. So, everyone will be wearing green and we will be playing some games. I'll let you know how that goes next week.
So now I want to tell you about something that is really important, and that is the power of prayer. Being able to communicate with our Heavenly Father is so important. At home, work, school, if you need to, you can pray to ask for special blessings for yourself or for others. I thought it was so great to hear about Paige at school, praying before her test started, because God always listens and answers, and sometimes it will be answered in unusual ways. Yesterday we went to Wiroon's house to talk to him about the Priesthood, and I haven't talked about the Priesthood before in Thai. Outside his house I said a quick prayer that I would be able to say what I wanted to say about it in Thai, and that he would understand. Well, while I was teaching, it came to me to talk about the Melchizedek Priesthood, and I explained everything about it , and when I was done, Wiroon even said "Holy cow!". "Your Thai is getting really good!" So that was an answer to my prayer. The Lord really listens because He loves each of us very much and wants us to pray, in gratitude and in asking. So I have a testimony that prayer is a blessing, and we should pray often.
Thanks so much for reading these letters, and I hope that everything continues to go well back home. I am excited and anxious to get this written letter to you guys, as well as the disc. I think you guys will get a kick out of the pictures and videos.
Thanks for all of your support, love you all!
Choge dee Krap!
GodSpeed!!!
-Elder Schulte
Sunday, March 1, 2009
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