Dear Family,

 

We are looking for families to teach. There is a certain word in Thai that English doesn't accurately express. The word is graengjai. It is the feeling that you get when someone offers you help with something but you feel like you would be asking too much if you allowed them to. It is the feeling when you don't want to ask because it involves bothering someone else.  Most Thai people are very greangjai.  Usually people are way willing to help but too graengjai to have anyone else help. Unfortunately that feeling rubs off on missionaries too.  There might be one piece of cake left and you want to eat it but you feel too greangjai to ask for it. In our look for families we are forbidding our missionaries to feel graengjai about asking for other family members to sit in on the lesson.  But rather we are setting the expectation that the family should be together. If we come and they aren't together then we may ask to come back again later when they are.

One of the sad facts about the work here in Thailand is that there is a very bad percentage rate of people who stay active in the church. A family is a support system. Finding families is another way that we are going to help Thailand to retain those precious souls who join the church.

 

I have noticed that it is difficult for many of the Thai people to fully understand the restoration.  Most people aren't prone to considering abstract ideas such as faith. They haven't been raised with a background of Christianity. When we ask them what they think the purpose of life is or what they think will happen after death the average person says that they have never thought about it, or they thought about it a little, couldn't figure it out and then abandoned the effort to try.  But also, many of the Thai people are extra interested in the Plan of Salvation.  I think that that simple background of who they are, why they are here, and where they are going helps to prepare their minds for understanding other Gospel truths.

 

There is a funny little saying that every missionary who has come to Thailand knows and probably dreads which is that "every religion teaches us to be good."  I have explained this saying before, and I have thought of several different methods of moving the conversation forward after they use this as an excuse to be satisfied with what they've got. But ultimately when we come and talk to people on the street we are not trying to prove our point but we are working to prove our love. When we come with love in our hearts and a smile on our face then we already have the advantage of having something that they want even if they still don't understand that we teach truths of salvation rather than simple good teachings that help us be a good person. I hope that as we live our lives that we will be good examples that others can see.

 

I have explained that we are looking especially for families. Well, yesterday we were on our way to go teach a family that from a numbers perspective would look very good to get a family full of new investigators.  Not that we ought to be motivated by numbers but you can see how there is a strong temptation to go over and teach them all. But as I prayed to ask for the Lord's permission to go and teach this family, against all logic I felt like we shouldn't teach them. But we had already set an appointment to meet them, and their phone was off as there was a storm coming in. So I talked to my little companion friend to ask about his impressions on the matter. But he said that he felt okay about going to teach this family. Therefore with the time short as it is, and a storm coming, rather than go and teach them we went to go talk with them and perhaps set up another appointment but at least we would go to the appointment according to our word. SO we prayed together and it felt right. So we went.  Soon I realized the reason for feeling as I did. It turns out that the father of the family and the mother had just got out of an argument together and they weren't on good terms at the time.  The patriarch of the family was not ready to hear the word and lead the family.  Because of this understanding and the impressions that I had felt before we left I was much more aware of the situation. Our visit there was short and we set up another appointment asking for the mother to invite the father in on the appointment.  From this little experience I learned a lot of principals.  I was confused about those first impressions. And I had even prayed and asked again if we should/could go. I realize that my question should have changed to asking for understanding.

 

 

I know that the Lord is leading His work perfectly and with His perfect timing. I know that he is protecting and leading His missionaries. I thank you all for your prayers for me. They bring me strength beyond my own, and protection from our loving Heavenly Father.

 

I love you all,

 

Elder Lilly