Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

We have been busy, we have to be and we love it! Our Mission President asked us to have a Missionary Fireside with the members in the Bangkok Stake. We have the opportunity to work with each Mission Ward Leader and the full time missionaries assigned to that area and talk to them about our experiences. Last Sunday, we went to the Srinakkarin Ward. There are many wards and branches for us to visit. Our goal is to motivate members to refer more people to be taught by the missionaries. We feel that because of our conversion and our Thai background, this could really help them overcome any fears that they may have. We love sharing with them our experiences of being members and spiritual messages about our purpose here on Earth. That seems to always captivate the member’s as their previous religion was usually Buddhism. We also want them to get excited about serving as missionaries themselves here in Thailand.

Elder Seangsuwan has also been very busy as the Mission President's Clerk/Executive Secretary. There are many assignments that we have to follow and things that just need to get done each week. Getting to know the Mission Presidency has been wonderful. President Nurak and President Chote are our Mission President's counselors. They are both great men have a strong conviction and desire to serve the people of Thailand. It excites us that we are able to work with them and help the five other District Presidents in each area.

As far as proselyting goes, we try and do this as much as we can as this is our favorite thing to do. We have a meeting with the missionaries on Tuesday where we get to work and go out with them to teach a few families and another investigator. We try and go out each evening and walk around tracting in the evening and meet people to teach. There is a couple who came to work with Uncle Somyot (Mani’s cousin) and we think that we will have the opportunity to take them to church someday.

We still have the assignment of visiting the Ayutthaya Branch. It is about an hour drive from Bangkok. We attend church meetings there and continue to visit less active families. This is where we left off from our first mission. President Smith asked if we could visit this branch twice a week and we love to do so. Last two week, the branch president's son and daughter in law were baptized. This was such a spiritual experience and I know they will be strong members and work hard to serve the Church. It makes us happy when we see each member do their best in serving each other here and helping them give each other support. We know in Thailand it can be hard to be a member of the Church, but with the support of each other, we are happy and it shows!

Elder Seasngsuwan was also given a new assignment as High Coucilman for Pakkret District last week. This assignment will require him to be a speaker in five branches. President Chaimongkol is the district president. He was the one who had stayed with us in Bountiful, Utah when he came to visit Utah with is wife. He says hi and hopes that you come to visit soon with the family.

This is such a wonderful time of the year. Not only do we think more of the Savior, His Birth and His Sacrifice, but we also come closer together to remember the true meaning of Christmas and have good times together. We hope that you have all had such a wonderful Christmas! We were able to have a Christmas dinner. We had a great American dinner at our mission home. It was a good change since we get to eat Thai food all day long! We are really trying to walk more and ensure we keep the weight down. But what can you do?

We miss all of you and love all of you. We love our Ward back home very much! We thank all those who donate eyeglasses for people in Thailand as this has made a bigger impact in peoples’ lives than we had initially thought. We will look for more things we can have you do back home to help and maybe have Anna or Osmond bring them or ship them here. They love to have them and want to thank all that had donated and helped out!

Spiritual thought we would love to leave with you is in Alma 29:9.

9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

Love,

Elder and Sister Seangsuwan