It is so awesome to see people receive the blessings of the temple with so little opportunity to go. Napa and Dipu were converts from my mission. Kami and I had the opportunity to teach Napa and her friend and watch them both be baptized. Thailand is not a high baptizing mission and the fact we even got to see it was amazing. The retention rate is also not very high and for Napa and Dipu to have stayed active as long as they have has been a miracle in my life. I never doubted them but things happen in life we can not control.
Dipu was a refugee from Nepal and I am do not know the whole story but that usually means if they go back to their country they will be killed. Dipu was a lucky one and was able to get the papers he needed to become a legal in Thailand. Napa and Dipu were married about a year after they were baptized. Since they were married they have been saving money to come to America and go to the temple. It may seem silly because they could have gone to Hong Kong but they wanted to share this special time with people they loved. Most of the people they have befriended have moved back to America. They attend the Asoke international ward and most of the members are Americans sent there by the embassy and only spend about three years there.
On October 5 Napa and Dipu received there endowments at the Oquirrh Mountain temple. It was so amazing but it was so small and intimate. They both were able to listen to the session in their languages. It defiantly strengthens my faith to know God loves his people so much he provides them with the means to keep the commandments. It was so neat to be able to meet with the sealer as well. His son had taught the temple prep class in Thailand for the couple and told his father about it. His father called and asked to be the sealer and found out when the endowment session was and came to that as well. How often does the sealer get to go through a session with the couple? Today Napa and Dipu went to the SLC temple and were sealed for all time and eternity. They were so cute sitting on the little couch listening to the sealer. At the end the sealer told them they could kiss and it was funny because in Thailand people do not kiss in public. It is kind of taboo so Dipu gave her a kiss on the cheek and everyone giggled.
This was one of the best moments in my life! I was able to see people keep the promises they made at baptism and commit to spending the rest of their lives together. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
I loved my mission and cherish it everyday but the real blessing is being able to see someone I was able to teach be sealed for all eternity with the love of her life. Napa and Dipu are coming to Utah to receive their endowment and be sealed. They have been so strong the past 3 years and it warms my heart to see them heading in the right direction. Congrats Napa and Dipu.
Matt was looking through some of his old mission papers and he came across The King Follett Sermon. I was reading through it and it made me realize some important aspects of the gospel. I always understood about God being an exalted man but I did not know exactly where is came from. As Joseph Smith gave his sermon he explained about God and comprehending the character of God. Here are some excepts from the original.
"There are but a very few beings in the world who understand rightly the character of God. The great majority of mankind do not comprehend anything, either that which is past, or that which is to come, as it respects their relationship to God. They do not know, neither do they understand the nature of that relationship; and consequently they know but little above the brute beast, or more than to eat, drink and sleep. This is all man knows about God and His existence, unless it is given by the inspiration of the Almighty.
If a man learns nothing more than to eat, drink and sleep, and does not comprehend any of the designs of God, the beast comprehends the same things. It eats, drinks, sleeps, and knows nothing more about God; yet it knows as much as we, unless we are able to comprehend by the inspiration of Almighty God. If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves. I want to go back to the beginning, and so lift your minds into more lofty spheres and a more exalted understanding than what the human mind generally aspires to.
God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by His power, was to make himself visible—I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with Him, as one man talks and communes with another."
I never understood why some other religions believe in karma or being reincarnated but after reading this sermon I can see where they may have misinterpreted the true teachings. The sermon goes on to say:
"When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave."
Things are finally starting to turn around for me. I finally was able to get into my stats class so I should be graduating this year. I had a great interview at BYU. This does not mean I will become a BYU fan of any kind but it will be nice to work again. I should find out on Wednesday if I got the job or not. The only problem now is finding a babysitter for little Matthew if I do get the job.
I am so close and so far away at the same time. Anyone who has gone through their last semester of college needs to give me some advice. I am super excited but scared to death at the same time. I have no idea what I am going to do with my degree. I know what I want to do but I need experience first. It seems all the jobs I apply for require experience but how do you get real experience when you have never used your degree before? I have only done one year of internship stuff and that is not always enough. Help ease my stress and let me know how to cope with being a real person.
Dipu was a refugee from Nepal and I am do not know the whole story but that usually means if they go back to their country they will be killed. Dipu was a lucky one and was able to get the papers he needed to become a legal in Thailand. Napa and Dipu were married about a year after they were baptized. Since they were married they have been saving money to come to America and go to the temple. It may seem silly because they could have gone to Hong Kong but they wanted to share this special time with people they loved. Most of the people they have befriended have moved back to America. They attend the Asoke international ward and most of the members are Americans sent there by the embassy and only spend about three years there.
On October 5 Napa and Dipu received there endowments at the Oquirrh Mountain temple. It was so amazing but it was so small and intimate. They both were able to listen to the session in their languages. It defiantly strengthens my faith to know God loves his people so much he provides them with the means to keep the commandments. It was so neat to be able to meet with the sealer as well. His son had taught the temple prep class in Thailand for the couple and told his father about it. His father called and asked to be the sealer and found out when the endowment session was and came to that as well. How often does the sealer get to go through a session with the couple?
Today Napa and Dipu went to the SLC temple and were sealed for all time and eternity. They were so cute sitting on the little couch listening to the sealer. At the end the sealer told them they could kiss and it was funny because in Thailand people do not kiss in public. It is kind of taboo so Dipu gave her a kiss on the cheek and everyone giggled.
