Pray for us.

August 25, 2013

Companion: Elder Proctor

Hello People of the World,

This has definitely been a harder week. We were unable to meet with any of our investigators, we  have to go to a couple peoples work places to teach them. Lame. Some investigators have dropped us and others are just hard to meet.

Basically that is how my week is going. Please pray for us, we are needing to work way hard.

Elder Anthony Susi

7th and FINAL area! Khon Kaen

August 18, 2013

Companion: Elder Proctor

Hello People of the World,

Well, as everyone knows, I have moved to a new area. It is called Khon Kaen, I am back in the Isan! That means random pictures, right? I have the random pictures already. We had a slow final time together, Elder Sae-Dan and I, but we had fun. The last couple days, there was a couple of Elders that came from Nong Khai to go to some meetings that were going on in Bangkok, we were able to spend some time with them and do some work. Transfers was good, I was excited to move, but not at the same time. The was a lot of good going on right before we left, and so I had to make some really good notes about the area for the next companionship.

I moved into my new area with Elder Proctor, from Herriman, Utah. I get to finish his training and help follow up with him. We have already had good experiences. Just on Saturday, we decided to just go walking to maybe find somewhere to invite and do some work. Well, it ended up being a really good tour of the area! We also happened upon a member who invited us to sit and drink some water. While sitting there, we started talking to an older man about what we do and our religion, and the member had an opportunity to say that she was a member, and share testimony. We invited him to church and he sounded like he might go! (sadly, he didn't). He went inside when another man came outside and started talking to us. We were able to share the same things with him and talk about our English Class and found out that he is a police officer in charge of a different district close by. He sounded interested as well, and disappeared when ANOTHER guy came and talked to us. We were only able to talk to him about English Class, because he likes our program and wants to have foreigners teach English to police cadets, but he was the guy in charge of all of Khon Kaen. Wow, talk about celebrities!

We also were able to teach a lesson to a new investigator, the brother of a member from Chiangrai! He was sweet and seemed very interested. All of this happened because we went out doing what we were supposed to do daily. We are seeing good things already.

I feel like I am going crazy, sometimes, I just have moments of insanity. No reason why, but boy they are fun.

I hope that everyone had a good week. I will be sending later because I have a different schedule when I train.

Elder Anthony Susi

P.S. this makes area 7, and DINOSAURS!!!!

Baptism and Mothers Day

August 11, 2013

Companion: Elder Sae-Dan

Hello People of the World,

this was a good week. Monday was pretty quiet. Had a boring Pday, ate, slept and went to an FHE. All good. 

Tuesday was our day of meetings and teaching a ton of lessons. We got a new investigator. Her name is Phloy, but we are calling her Pink because she is one of five Phloys in the ward. Wednesday, I went on switch offs with Elder Passey, a new missionary. We had a good day of contacting and meeting new people. We then interviewed their investigator. He needed an additional interview, but he passed. Thursday night, I went on another switch off with Elder Marshall. Friday, was with Elder Marshall. We taught my dater Sister Ming. She is going to be interviewed on Wednesday next week, and then baptized next Sunday. Saturday, we taught some more and interviewed the Sister's investigator he passed. Sunday, we had a double baptism! The other Elders and the Sisters had a baptism! We also had the Mother's Day celebration. President Senior called, saying that I and Elder Sae-Dan was moving. I am also going to train, but it will be finishing someone's training. 

Basically, we have all these good things happening and I am going to move in three days. I don't know where I am going yet, but I am excited. It is going to be my last transfer. I hope to talk to everyone soon.

Elder Anthony Susi

Did Joseph Smith find those golden tablets???

August 4, 2013

Companion: Elder Sae-Dan

Hello People of the World,

I don't even know what happened this week. lol  OK, just kidding, I do, it just went by so fast. I feels like nothing happened. 

Thinking. . . Ok, so our Monday and Tuesday was pretty slow/filled with meetings. Monday is our P-Day, and Tuesday is when we have a meeting with the Bishop, District Meeting, and prepare for our English class which gives us 2 hours to work, which we filled with lessons. 

Wednesday, we had a surprise visit from the APs, (Assistants to the President), they wanted to come switch off with us. Ok, it wasn't that much of a surprise, we knew the night before. I was with Elder Federico, and we just talked about the future of the mission and my future. He asked me, "if you were to choose somewhere to finish your mission, where would you want to go?" I told him Chiangrai, my first area. I would want to try it again because I can speak Thai now, or at least better than I did almost 2 years ago. He asked because, I don't know, maybe President Senior wants to know where "dying" missionaries want to "die." We also talked about contacting ideas and tactics and went out and did it. Not too many people were out, but we had a nice conversation. 

Thursday was the day that a farang found us and started asking funny questions about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I think, that sounds right. We had a lesson planned, and it got cancelled because the investigator was way tired from work, so we went to Fashion Island, a mall, and ran some errands. As we were going up an escalator, a white guy got on behind us and said "you boys must be Mormons." "yeah, we are," I said, "How did you know?" He said, " You look like it." "Where are you from," I asked. "Canada," he said, "What about you?" "Utah!" "Oh, from Provo, right?" That was weird, are a lot of Utahn missionaries from Provo? "No," I said, "from Farmington, further north." "Oh, ok. So tell me did Joseph Smith ever find those golden tablets?" Uh oh. "He did, actually" "Well, where are they?" "In heaven." "yeah yeah Ok." and with that he walked away. A few minutes later, we saw us again, and he walked right up to us and said, "no, really where are the golden tablets?" "They are in heaven" "How did they get there, inanimate objects don't just translate themselves." "Well yeah, an angel took them." "no, seriously" "really, an angel took them." " yeah ok." and we haven't seen him since. 

Friday was a good day for feeling and using the Spirit. We had a few lessons, two of them very important, and we were able the seek out their needs and concerns in order to help one of them make a goal for baptism. We are still waiting for her answer to her prayer on what day. The other lessons were good lessons on teaching Christians. You don't have to explain so much to them when they already believe in God and Jesus. Saturday was ruined by the rain. Basically that is it. 

Sunday was very slow. After church we came home and did some paper work stuff, preparing for this week. Soon we had to leave the house, I was going crazy. We went to this park far away and tried to talk to people, everyone was busy exercising and didn't want to talk to us. After being there 2 hours, we decided to go home and we proceeded to wait for a free bus. Meaning, we didn't have to pay money to ride it. We waited until 8:30 and then just jumped on a bus and paid the 13 baht fare. Easy. 

That was my week. I hope to see you all soon. 

Elder Anthony Susi 

Scriptures

July 28, 2013

Companion: Elder Sae-Dan

Hello People of the World,

After much consideration, I am come to tell you that my week with pretty quiet. Not much actually happened. 

I did learn a thing or two about the Spirit though. We had a member call us and asked if we could met him, we agreed. Why wouldn't we? He had questions about how the Holy Ghost was. We shared these scriptures: 

    8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

 9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.

      12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.

He was intrigued and wanted to know why he could pray and pray and pray and not get an answer. We pointed at the first scripture, and added one more:

      Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.

He thanked us for our time and then departed. 

I also was able to read from Acts 10-11 recently about how Peter followed the Spirit to know that it was time to speak to those of other nations. 

I am still enjoying my mission, and I can't wait to see everyone soon. 

Elder Anthony Susi

Less-Actives

July 21, 2013

Companion: Elder Sae-Dan

Hello People of the World,

I didn't know what to the name this email, maybe I'll figure it out by the end. 

Monday, as always, is our relax day. We didn't do anything, except for that "FHE" that we had. We had wanted to do a Family Home Evening on Monday and when we talked to the bishop about it, he said that the ones that had been held the weeks before were without his permission. He kindly asked for us to not have one at the church. When we told the usual people, they were sad.  We got there and they asked "Where are we eating? What are we doing?" They didn't know what they wanted so we had to choose. KFC. We ate and then went to the church to get some hand-outs. When we got there it started to rain and so they wanted to stay until it was done. We said no and left and closed the church. 

Tuesday, we did some stuff for Elder Sae-Dan. Didn't do too much on the proselyting side that day.

Wednesday, we had the opportunity to help give a blessing to the bishop's mother-in-law. She has cancer or something like that, and she has been dealing with that for about a month now. It was a good spiritual experience.

Thursday was an unexpected day. We had planned to see a couple of investigators, but both appointments canceled. We then had time to Weekly Plan. We used that time to plan what were are going to do to help our investigators, members, and Recent Converts/Less-Actives this week. We got a call from a different investigator before we finished, asking if we could teach her. Good thing we already had a priesthood holder coming. We taught her, which was good, we hadn't met with her for a couple weeks. She has gotten a new job, so she had to do some training. Went to Asoke for Elder Sae-Dan. Came back and met some members at a mall called "The Mall." Original, huh? Ate some ice cream and talked a bit. On our way out, we got a call from another investigator asking us to teach him, because he was free. We went and taught him and he is now gaining more confidence in this. 

Friday we had a great Sports Day. I was able to talk with Elder Marshall about some things. He and his trainee are started to get things together to create a new unit in his area in a different area away from me called; Latphraw. He is doing lots of work down there that is good. Saturday was good? I don't know what to say. We are starting to do lots of Less-Active work in which we go out and find those people that are not coming to church. It has been hard because many of these people have moved, or their addresses don't help us any. Sunday was a good day at church. We went looking for more Less-Actives and then came home and passed out.

That was my week, and it was long. 

Have a good one,

Elder Anthony Susi

Thai Companion!!

July 14, 2013

Companion: Elder Sae-Dan

So, Elder Cosper left last Monday night. I am now with an Elder Sae-Dan. He is from Chiangmai, and he is Thai. His dad is in the Branch Presidency in his home branch, and Elder Sae-Dan has been a member since birth. 

We have had a slower week, but we have been able to get to know each other. Elder Sae-Dan is my second Thai companion by the way, it is definitely easier to communicate this time. 

It has been nice and sunny lately, with some rain. Speaking of, on Tuesday is our English Class day, right? Well, there were some books for English Class that were at the house that we needed to bring to the church. We had to go to Asoke that day for Elder Sae-Dan and I figured that we would get the books on the way back. As we got closer to home, the clouds got bigger and darker. As we got to the house, it started to rain. We put the package of books on the back of my bike and strapped it with a bungee cord. We put all of our essentials into bags and mine into a newly-found water-proof bag, with some holes on the top. We hopped on our bikes and rode out into a down-pour of rain. We were soaked before we made it to the end of our street. When we made it to the church, I was so wet, I didn't know what to do except take off my shoes, wring out my tie and wipe off my face, and fix the hair. A half-hour later, I was teaching English Class with Elder Passey, and new missionary, still soaking wet. Elder Sae-Dan was the same, but he was in another class. 

Well that is me, see y'all soon.

Elder Anthony Susi