Our family hasn't ever "had" to Skype. Lucky for us we all live close together and see each other often. So our first Skype experience was quite exciting! Luckily we have Austin who is a master technician and he got everything set up for us. Around 8 PM we all gathered around the TV to see Elder Neal! He sent an email saying he was having some technical difficulties, but then a few minutes later the screen popped up saying INCOMING CALL FROM KEYEN NEAL!! We all freaked out!
When I saw my brother pop up on the screen I felt such joy and comfort, mostly because I could actually see him and know he was okay, but then also because I miss him so much!
He looked so cute and he is happy! Something that he kept saying through out the call was that, "Everything is good. I'm okay. I am good." It sounds silly but that was really all I waned to hear and I'm glad he kept saying it over and over again. My mom asked him, "Keyen are you happy all the time?" He was like "Um no. Are you happy all the time?" It was hilarious! But he reassured us that he is happy besides being homesick. He said he is busy ALL THE TIME! What is really special about the area he is serving in is that the Elders are pretty much in charge of everything. There aren't a lot of members or people in the town he is in, plus most of the members are really young. He said that they plan everything for Sunday's and activities through out the week. There is no Bishop or Branch President to check up on them so they have complete freedom to either follow rules or not. Kamphaeng Phet is a very special place. Keyen says that he wishes that he could stay in Kamphaeng Phet for his whole mission because it is such an amazing place. The members are so loving and caring. They are constantly asking Keyen and the other missionaries what they can do to help. They LOVE the missionaries. Keyen said he has never seen people like this. They don't even need to be asked to do service, they just do it and they love doing it.
Besides getting super close with the members, he said that it is very hard finding new investigators. He says for the most part people are very nice but they almost always say, "I have no time. I am too busy." Keyen said they do not know who Christ is about 99% of the time and again they say, " I have no time to learn about that." Keyen said it's so frustrating because if they only knew who is really is it would be so different.
Something that I thought was hilarious was when he told us, what he says when he approaches people. Most people in Thailand are Buddhist. In Buddhism beliefs they don't believe that you can be forgiven for your sins, you just have to try more good and hope that it out ways the bad. So Keyen will ask people, "Do you want to be cleansed of your sins?" and a lot of time people say "Oh I have no sins." Keyen then said this is when he starts the mess with people because then he says, "What you have no sin!? You're perfect??" We were all dying! Keyen was like, "You wouldn't believe how many perfect people are here in Thailand!" Haha I loved that!
Towards the end he bore his testimony in Thai. It was absolutely amazing. I know I don't know any Thai, but I can tell that he is getting even better. He then said a little thing personally to each of us. It was very special. But the best thing that Keyen said through out the call was when he talked about Christ and family. He said that he didn't know how much Jesus loved him until he got there and that the knows that Christ is always with us. He said he so grateful that our family had been sealed together. He has been thinking a lot of our other family members who are less active or who are not members and he said that we all need to show love and support for everyone. We need to no be afraid to tell them about Christ, because it really is the most important thing in the world. He said at one point we all accepted this gospel, that's why we are here, we just need to accept it again. If we have accepted it once then everyone can do it again. Eternal families are THE most important thing in our whole existence.
He said we need to love. Show love to everyone, especially our families. Love is what will make people see the good and truth. Even if we can only bring one person back, then that person will find one, then they will find one and so on. That's all the matters.
Keyen is so wise. The spirit is just beaming from him. I could see it even through a TV screen. I love him so much. I love this gospel and I love Jesus Christ. I'm so proud and happy for my brother. He knows this and he has strengthened my testimony. I know he will continue to share that love and truth with the people in Thailand and I hope it will do the same for you.
It's going to be so hard waiting till December to Skype him again, but Elder Neal is truly and amazing young man.
WE LOVE YOU ELDER NEAL! STAY STRONG!
P.S, To view the videos you may have to open it as full version mode if you are looking at it from a mobile device :)
