Neil L. Andersen

May 19, 2013

Companion: Elder Flanary

Well, Hello People of the World,

This week has been nuts! It started normal with a boring trip to no where in Yasothon on P-Day. Tuesday, I went to do an interview in Ubon for the sister missionaries. Wednesday was my last District Meeting in Ubon for that district. Thursday, we were preparing to go to Bangkok to have a special meeting to meet Elder Neil L. Andersen, an apostle to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We got a call saying that I, Elder Unsworth and Elder Lucas were moving and that Transfers Meeting was on Saturday instead of next Thursday. So, we packed very fast and prepared to leave. Friday, we sat on a bus all day, and finally made it to a house, Bangkapi, at about 8:30. I had to leave my stuff at the Bangkhen church building. I slept on the floor that night. 

Saturday, we took pictures with Elder Andersen and everyone that came with him. We then had a meeting. He talked about repentance and the grace and mercy of God. We are not saved by grace alone. We went back to the Bangkhen and we had a "Transfers Meeting," in which we received an envelope that told us our new companion and area. I am companions with an Elder Flanary, from Highland/Alpine, Utah, in the Bangkapi area. WHAT!!!! I had just spent the night there. Took my stuff to the house and went to the church and taught a couple lessons. 

Sunday was a big meeting for everyone in Bangkok, the stake and both districts. There was probably close to 2,000 people there. Elder Andersen strikes back. We heard about tithing, covenants and temples. He (Elder Andersen) said that a temple will come, but there needs to be more members, and more members that pay their tithing fully. 10% of their monthly income every month. Then there was a baptism at the Bangkapi church in the other Elder's area. 

Now, I am back in Bangkok. Elder Unsworth and Lucas are also in Bangkok somewhere. I am still District Leader. That is my week.

See you soon, 

Elder Anthony Susi

Not Elder Susi

Rocket Festival pictures

A bunch of crap

May 6, 2013

Companion: Elder Johnson

Dear People of the World,

This week seems to have a hard one for many, many people including myself, but not as bad as I am seeing. The world today is just giving us a bunch of crap isn't it? There is sadness, anger, backbiting, disaster, sickness, envy, jealousy and many other words that describe the world today. Why is it so? The Book of Mormon, in 2 Nephi 2:11-13 answers:

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

 12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

 13 And if ye shall say there is no law ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

This is why. This is why there is all those bad, sad things. We must learn, we are here to learn

32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors. (Alma 34:32)

This week, I had the opportunity to clean my house so very much. We made it pretty and we made it our own. The thing that stood out is that on Saturday, we had the opportunity to go to a funeral. There were no tears, only solemn people with solemn faces. We sang a couple hymns, and put the casket in the hole and covered it. 

This next Sunday is Mother's Day. The day that we remember our mommies. In rememberance of it, I ask everyone to go to this website:http://www.lds.org/topics/parenting?cid=HP000058&lang=eng and watch the video. If it doesn't work, go to lds.org and find the link that says "To Every Mother" and watch it. 

Thank you all, and sorry for not writing yesterday, we were doing a great work and couldn't come down to email. 

Elder Anthony Susi