Special dinner guests

October 3, 2010

Brother Wisit Khanakham and his wife Sister Sumamaan Khanakham came for dinner today with another sister who came with them from Thailand, Sister Yindee Tampitayakup. They are staying here in the patron house and I knew that there was no food served on Sundays because there are seldom people who stay over the weekend. What a banquet we were served! And it was not the chicken and rice casserole, green jello, four bean salad and cherry cheesecake we had prepared that was so wonderful. I had sensed when Brother Khanakham was being baptized and confirmed yesterday that he was an amazing person who felt the spirit deeply. When he was in high school, two Mormon missionaries arrived in his home town for the first time ever. One day one of his friends asked him. “Do you think it is possible for God to speak to us today?” His Buddhist background prompted his answer, “Never, that would not happen.” And yet he was the one to join the Church, not his friend who introduced him to the missionaries. When he was baptized, he was cut off from his family. Later he served a mission, then met his future wife, also a returned missionary and a convert; they married and have two children: Wiisoodthiporn (Ben) who is doing an internship in Oakland California as a kitchen manager in a big hotel with plans to return to Thailand and become a chef; their daughter, Wisuchalak (Buangor Candy) is currently working as a teacher and translator for the Thai missionaries at the Manila MTC. He is a high school and university English teacher, his wife, a history teacher. They want to serve a mission in two years when he retires. He became a branch president very soon after he married, was a counselor in the mission presidency and just completed 9 years as Stake President in Thailand. The one stake encompasses the whole country. (I knew he had been in a position of authority just by his bearing yet humble manner.) His wife has been active in Relief Society and Primary on the ward and stake, branch and district levels. Sweet sister Yindee does not live near them in Bangkok but lives south in an area where there are no other Church members and no branches and wards, and it is too far to travel to meet with members on a regular basis. On pay day (she is also an English teacher)
she deposits her check in the bank. A member friend in Bangkok, who has the necessary information to make withdrawals from Yindee’s account, withdraws the amount of her tithing and takes it to the Bishop each month. She traveled to the Salt Lake temple in the 90’s to receive her endowments. The three of them along with other Thai saints make the 2 hour flight to the Hong Kong Temple when they can. But this time they came to Cebu to perform the ordinance work for Wisit’s famiy. He said he had happy memories of his grandparents when they took care of him as a child; he remembers them giving him candy. But they were some who disowned him. As he was baptized and confirmed for them, he thought of their early love for him, not of their later cruel treatment. One of the workers in the family history library told him this afternoon, “They will beg your forgiveness when you see them; they are thrilled with what you are doing for them.” And I’m sure he is right; the Spirit was so strong in the baptistry yesterday. The Khanakham’s knew Matt Blodgett and his brother and President and Sister Karl (Gunda Le) Dodge. What a small world! From Heber/Midway to Thailand to Cebu Philippines! They brought us a lovely Thai chime with a painted wooden turtle at the top with six pipe chimes hanging from it. Larry has suspended it from our ceiling fire extinguisher.

WE watched the Women’s Relief Society Conference on the internet last night. It was wonderful. We have watched President Monson and Elder Holland’s Saturday morning talks too. Our broadcast is not until next Saturday and Sunday at the Stake Center, but we will watch it before then. Another temple in the Philippines! It is north of Manila. The Saints here love the temple. Their lives revolve around it.

We love you!