The Office, season

July 1st, 2018
13 months, 1 week
Thailand, Bangkok, Minburi Ward

samuel.montague@myldsmail.net (I would love to hear from you)

Good morning and evening to everyone! This past week I started my internship, and it has been such a fun and exciting time. Internship? Yes that's right. That's basically what I'm doing. It's basically what I am. But I love it so much because I have the opportunity to personally assist my mission president and his work. This I have been doing quite a bit of these past few days. In fact, it is almost everything I've been doing.

Maybe I should back up a little bit first. So I get into the office way early, and I find my companion. Elder Thornock is just as amazing and spectacular as anticipated, and I'm so flippin turnt for these transfers together. We jumped right into the work doing small things for teansfers and the new missionaries. 

We had the privelege of helping President Johnson assemble a Mission President transition booklet. On the last day that the Johnsons were here, it was a little hectic and a little rushed in the morning. The two presidents met together, but only briefly. After that meeting, and the tour that the rest of the family went on with Sister Johnson, the Johnsons basically ran away. They had a flight to catch! But a miracle before that happened- not only were we the last people to take pictures with them in country (I was the very last!!!!), 

Sister.

Johnson.

Hugged.

Us.

IT WAS AMAZING AND HAS ONLY HAPPENED TO A SELECT FEW OTHERS. 

Then of course we've been able to help the Hammonds transition a little bit, which has included lots of time with the family. President and Sister Hammond are so darling, and they brought their daughter (Haylee is only here temporarily) and son Jared (who will be here the whole time). The crazy schedule has started! This week they are going on a quick mission tour to meet all of the missionaries. They have a fun welcome video that they are including, that had me shook to the core. Ankles for broken, and songs were dance to. It was just an amazing experience.

Probably even more amazing is all the food I've been fed. We have been able to participate and just about every meal, including the trainer Meeting meal, the farewell missionary meal, the welcome to Hammons lunch, eating dinner with the Hammonds, eating a spaghetti dinner with the Hammonds because we showed up to give them some food to break the Sabbath with more food than what they had. It's just been really cool all of the food I've gotten, and how many of those meals have been with the Hammonds. There is also another random meal that was like a farewell for the Johnsons, and we were invited to crash it, and so we basically got to eat dinner and have personal conversation with the Johnsons which I've never had. There's always other missionaries around trying to butt in. And even on a switch off with Jared, and he companionship studied with us and helped us teach a lesson. They are literally all more spiritual than most of this mission. Combined.

Last night we stayed up really late putting in some baptismal records and shredding documents for the Johnsons that they left behind for us. That one was very tiring. Handwriting thai and extremely small and sloppy font can be very frustrating. But shredding all of that paper was a lot of fun.

Today I'm hitting up the planetarium, and this week I should hopefully be getting my driver's license! Which I am a little nervous about? We help drop off the departing missionaries, which meant me and my companion drove a van full of their luggage alone. We actually got onto the Super Highway in the wrong direction, and then in our attempts to return to the right direction into the airport, our GPS stopped working. In big city traffic that was increasingly getting worse. It was very stressful. It all ended up working out though, and I was able to be there for two of my companions going home. Next transfer I'll be there to send the other two home, that were older in the mission than me. And then there will just be me.

But you are never just you! You are never just alone! God is always there for you, and he wants to hear you and your prayers! If you have been baptized and confirmed as a member, that means you also have the gift of the Holy Ghost. This means that you have the privilege of having the constant companionship of is third member of the godhead with you, as long as you were living worldly of it. In Thai, it translates more directly to the pure spirit, which is perfect for helping us remember how we need to be to have it with us. If we are not pure, if we are not keeping our bodies as the Temple's they are, how can we expect the pure Spirit to be with us?

"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it; that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen."

What do the Sacramento prayers mean to you? Do you really think about what you're promising, and what God promises back? Do take time to ponder on what you were agreeing to do each week? Have you had time to think on immense blessing that it is? Maybe try doing that this upcoming Sunday.