LOCK YOUR HEART

Hello Family! So this week a lot of things happened! Some good, some bad, some just crazy! haha So apparently there was some movie made in America that was really derogatory towards Muslims right? Well I guess there has been lots of rioting and attacks on Americans by Muslims all over the world now.. Scary! We have been told that we should be careful right now b/c there was an attack in Chiang Mai and Bangkok on some Americans... Super crazy! But apparently it isn't as serious here in Thailand as it is in other places. So no major concerns, especially if we are just doing missionary work and not doing anything stupid! ha But anyways, first off the sad thing that happened was with our dater, Gap. He is soooooo ready to be baptized and we were actually hoping to have his service this week, but when we talked to his parents about it, he told them that if he gets baptized he can no longer buwat prat... which is going to be a monk for like 2 weeks when you turn 20 so his parents said he could no longer get baptized!!! :( We were sooooo sad when this happened b/c he is so ready! So we tried talking to his parents again and they then said he can get baptized... but not until after he buwat's! AH that's another 4 years away first off and he doesn't believe/want to do it! So we are going to keep trying to work with his parents to see if they will change their minds. It's sooo weird b/c at first his mom and sisters all were preparing to be baptized too! They have slowly stopped wanting to learn but Gap is still doing so good and he is gonna keep fighting until he can be baptized. We are going to hopefully explain to his parents this week that he can go on a mission instead and they will be blessed way more than if he buwat's. So we'll see! It's really hard just b/c it is not only a religious ritual it is very engrained in the culture here to have their son buwat and ya it's just going to be really hard. We also have another investigator, B. Chode who may have the same problem.. he is 17 and the only son in his family.. he is already Christian.. but his family isn't, so he is nervous that they may not let him either.. but we are praying really hard that they don't have a problem... he really wants to be baptized as well and is already preparing to be a missionary! haha He is sooooo great! But yes this whole going to be a monk thing is going to be soo hard! But I know Heavenly Father will prepare a way for all of these people to be baptized! Ok so now Lock your Heart! This week we had lots of Lock your heart experiences! haha So if you haven't read the talk by Pres. Kimball called Lock your heart you can read it.. ha but That it is a running joke in our district for several reasons.. but one that happened this week occured w/ Elder Bennett... So we have this investigator, i think i may have mentioned her before... her name is Dang and she is already Christian, but she is very bizzare and just a very loud personality... well this week we had an activity at the church and she came and apparently she has a crush on our dear friend E. Bennett here.. right before she left she slipped a note into his pocket and was like, it's my number... well it was her number and also mentioned that she is single, lives alone and is free a lot! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Mind you, she is in her 50's.... poor elder Bennett! hahaha So we had to make sure Elder Bennett has locked his heart..... hahaha Then this week we also taught B. Ooh and the topic... ETERNAL MARRIAGE! hahaha so we go through the lesson and he is like super interested asking a bunch of questions and what not... at one point he turned to me and was like... S. Itri.. if you had to choose someone who you loved, loved you or was perfect, who would you choose? hahaha he always comes up with the most interesting questions... but anyways after that my companion was saying she was a little marriage trunky and she just wanted to go get married! haha so when we told this to our District leader, he immediately brought over the talk by Pres. Kimball for us to read! hahah Then, of course the next day as I was doing my studies, i turned to where i was in Matthew.. and guess what is was about... MARRAIGE!! hahaha oh heavens! So needless to say we have had a lot of marriage talk this week, but don't worry my heart is locked! haha So other that that our week was pretty standard! I am a little stressed out b/c transfers is this week and there is a chance that I will be moving, but i reallllllllyyyy don't want to! And I won't find out until tomorrow if i do or not so i have just been stressing over what will happen if i have to leave! But other than that everything is going so good! I love being a missionary! I know the gospel is true! Hope everyone at home is doing good! Love you! Love, S. Itri