March 2011 Update

Happy Birthday to Sister Seangsuwan on February 27th and Happy Birthday to Osmond today March 7th!!!

Time continues to go by very fast. We are already in March and there is still a lot of work to do. Last month was a great and exciting month for Sister Seangsuwan and me. We were able to see the Gospel touch many people’s lives and help them progress towards baptism.

We completed the Missionary Fireside and training for two wards and one branch now with a few more to do still. They are the Srinakarin and Bangkapi wards and the Rangsit Branch. The firesides went very well. It was the goal of the mission to help build more support for members in those units to be better member missionaries and learn how to reach out to friends and neighbors, as well as provide more support to other members. We will continue to do conduct these firesides in Bangkok Stake.

At the Rangsit branch, I was excited to meet up with Brother Banja and his family. I first met Banja when he was 17 in Ayuthaya where I served my first mission in 1974. Reed Haslam and I taught him the missionary discussions and he was baptized there in Ayuthaya. 36 years ago. Bro.Banja is now an officer in the Thai Royel Airforce.

I also met Brother Chaiporn who we met and taught him in Udonthani in 2008. He said after we moved to Buriran, he got baptized and now is strong member of the Rangsit Branch.

Another assignment we have is to be work closely with the Asia Area Audit Training Department. In this assignment we traveled to three districts in Northeast part of Thailand: Udonthani, Khonkhen and Ubonrathani Districts. As translator, I help the district and branch leaders to understand how to handle the money of the Lord.

We enjoyed working in Bangkok with our Mission President. We keep busy during the day and work with young missionaries in the evening teaching families with them. We love being able to help other Thai people that it is possible to be happy in the Gospel and that they too can understand the Plan of Salvation. So far, the missionaries have 7 people to be baptized this month and next.

These are two pictures for you: the baptism of Sister in Ayuthaya and Brother Banja's family.

We Love You All!

Elder and Sister Seangsuwan



February 2, 2011

Sister Seangsuwan and I continue to stay busy teaching with the missionaries, working with all the wards and branches and assisting in the mission office. We have an Area Leadership Training on Feb 5 and we have been assigned to make sure that all district presidents and their counselors arrive in Bangkok safely and have a place to stay. They are coming in from Chiang Mai, Khonkhen, Udornthani.

We have also been assigned to run the missionary firesides in Authaya, Bangkapi and Srinakarin branches. This is to help and motivate members to refer people to the full-time missionaries. We know that this is a big responsibility and that our experience and history in learning and sharing the gospel is important to share with them. We are grateful for our conversion and for the persistence that our members have in sharing the gospel. So far, they have enjoyed the firesides and many members have asked questions in how they can bring souls to Christ.

As far as proselyting, we have been going out with the missionaries in Bangkok almost every week. We are helping them teach one family and the wife has already accepted an invitation to be baptized by the end of February. We are so excited. She is wonderful and will help her family progress.

The other day we had a dinner with one of our relatives, Somyot Seangsuwan and his family. We introduced them to other senior missionary couples and also invited them to one of our family home evening sessions. He enjoyed it very much. Keatisak Seangsuwan and his wife in Bangna asked to have missionaries visit them at their home and are now being visited twice a week. We have also been visiting and teaching four families in Ayuthaya with the missionaries there. There is one sister that we have been teaching there as well and she has asked me to baptize her on the 5th of February.

Sister Seangsuwan has been coordinating with all branches and ward advisors in Thailand to submit their annual history to Hong Kong and to make sure that everyone does it on time. It is the first year that the Thailand Mission has increased in Branches and they will all write their history to be sent to Church Headquarters in Salt Lake.

The Church is doing well in Thailand and we are working as hard as we can to do more. We are determined to make sure we do everything we can every second to help the Church progress and it has been fun and exciting each day. We are grateful for your support and would love to hear from you. We hope that all is well in Bountiful, Utah and we hope that more members are looking for ways to serve. We know that we have truly been blessed.

Love Sister and Elder Seangsuwan