Companion: Elder Xaiyawong
February 4, 2013
Dearest Family and Friends,
What’s up! We have had probably the single craziest
transfers the Thailand mission has ever seen! This week has been ridiculously
exciting to say the least! For starters for P-Day we had the FHE with Pong and
Jan and their daughters and learned to make some way delicious food!
Wednesday we got the call that Elder Gilley was moving and
then came the unexpected news that he wasn’t the only one moving Elder Cahoon
was too! And I was like wait a second I know that name. Then we proceeded to
freak out a little cause we had to get everything ready for getting whitewashed
but then a few hours later we got another call from the Zone Leaders this one
telling us to call our landlord and prepare our top 10 records for
investigators and less-actives because our area was getting closed! In fact 3
out of the 4 areas in Ubon were closed and of our district of 10 missionaries 9
of us moved it was crazy especially getting everything to Bangkok. A bunch of
members and Pong and Jan caught wind that we were all moving and came to send
us off but it was sooo sad Pong and Jan and their family were just bawling, it
was rough leaving Warin after almost 5 months it really felt like home! I will
defs miss it! So what happened was they took out everyone but the Redds and
sent out 2 zone leaders who are way awesome and they are going to running all
of it, each companionship made a top 10 selection of who we were working with
and then compiled a master area book. I really hope it works out for Warin all
right it’s really off the beaten path.
Then there was transfers meeting literally every single
missionary aside from senior couples was at the meeting and the mission got
shook up there was like 6 areas closed and everyone was moved around, Pres
Senior changed up the mission culture so that the zone leaders are in 2
different companionships and trainers are the oldest most experienced
missionaries but the came the biggest announcement, and I don’t think you guys
are ready for this . . . The first 4 full-time missionaries were sent to the
country of Laos!!!! Let me clarify they are not allowed to proselyte
and Laos is not open nor are we recognized there as a church but as pres Senior
said "the door is not open to Lao, but the handle is turned and there's a
crack.
The following comes from Pres Senior:
“By
invitation, the Thailand Bangkok Mission received approval to have four young
service volunteers to labor in Vientiane, Laos. These service volunteers
will work with Deseret International Charities under the direction of the
Senior Couples who are located in Vientiane, and will be involved in a variety
of humanitarian and educational service opportunities, including clean water
projects, hygiene, neo-natal education and English language instruction.
The young volunteers will also support the Branch activities of the Laotian
Saints in Vientiane, Laos. The Church is not yet officially recognized in
Laos and this recent activity is for the purpose of providing additional
educational and humanitarian service.”
WOW!!! Is that cool or what?! Also they just finished the
translation of the Book of Mormon into Laos! Talk about miracles!
Welll in other news, my pa is dead my trainer Elder Siperly
has gone home but I got to see him one last time and he got to be here for all
the excitement.
As for me I have been transferred to Bang Bua Thong which is
in Bangkok in fact its right across the river from Pakkret it’s also where Elder Gilley was born. The best part is my new companion his name is Elder
Xaiyawong he is from Lao of all places! One of 3 khonlao in the mission one is
a sister. He is hilarious and is way good at like everything he can play
instruments way good he’s helping me out with my uke he makes amazing food, he
speaks Thai great his English is pretty impressive needless to say he is
teaching me to speak Lao, as well as helping me with Thai 24/7! So awesome I
really wanted a khonthai companion but I hit the jackpot and got the sweetest
khonlao ever!
Another fun part of the week was it just so worked out that
this Sunday was district conference and so we went to church in Pakkret, all
the missionaries sang in the conference, and then after i got to see and talk
to everyone in Pakkret it felt like going home it was the best feeling ever! I
saw everyone and Sis Tuun was there ahh it was awesome. I could actually
finally talk to everyone and man I just love that branch so much. I also got to
meet the Bang bua thong branch and they are phenomenal I had met quite a few of
them before and they are way funny and way solid it’s going to be an amazing
transfer here!
Oh ya Elder Murray is in the Essan but in a different
section I hadn’t seen him for 5 months until we met up again at transfers, he
is a solid missionary so of course he is loving life!
It’s crazy elder Gilley and I were in Warin for so long
together way out in the corner of the Essan we haven’t seen anyone outside of
the 20 missionaries in our zone and coming back to Bangkok after 5 months was a
bit of a shock too it’s just so huge and so different, and I never realized but
has a very distinctive smell I don’t know how to describe it it’s just Bangkok
smell! haha
Love you all,
Elder Cahoon
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