5/17/15... Sometimes you do all you can to have 6 baptisms... and none of them happen.

Washing that hair in the street..............

สวัสดีคะ SAWATDEE KAH! 

So good to hear from you guys! I can't believe it was only one week ago that we were in the flesh (ish) haha it seriously feels like SO long ago for some reason..... this has been quite the week! 

Lots of learning, pondering, praying, and still nonetheless, miracles! 

There is this part on the District videos (the videos we watch in the MTC and during training and actually, sometimes just for fun special occasions cause that is suddenly fun in the life of a missionary HEHE) But this Elder talks about how sometimes you do all you can to have a baptism and it just doesn't happen... I remember sitting there on the bed in Bangnaa watching that segment on  our little portable DVD player during my training and thinking like that will never happen to me! I am going to have the faith to make every baptism possible happen! 

Well after this week, I would salute the Elder on the District and say sometimes you do all you can to have 6 baptisms... and none of them happen. 

So there you are at the end of the week wondering how or why it happened that early in the week 4 of the 6 daters for this Sunday had already interviewed and the other 2 just needed to interview. All was set, why did the Lord not see it fit for this good, essential step to take place according to plan for any of them?

It has been another lesson in the timing and plans of the Lord being different and better than ours. 

With เฟ and JJ & ฟ้า and ชมภู่ Heavenly Father's greater vision is for us to teach their families too, help them take these steps with their parents as well. Pray that this week their parents open their hearts (and their schedules quite frankly) to meeting with us. 

With เเบ๊งค์ his conversion is going to mean so much more to him to have the sure answers that he wants. Pray that this week he understands even better the implications of the fact that he knows that the teachings of the church are true (ie MAKE COVENANTS :))

I have been pondering one of my favorite talks "The Challenge to Become" by Elder Oaks.... and one of the things he says has given me a lot of perspective:

"We learn that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."

I think of this in two different lights. For the investigators that didn't get baptized this last week, baptism is more than just a checklist item that they needed to do sooner or later. Despite it's essentially, it is also something that will help them become and continue on the road of conversion. Then for me, a missionary. I am reminded that my Final Judgement is more than likely not going to include a number of baptisms that I "deposited into some heavenly account". To become what He needs me to become through experiences that maybe aren't all that easy is what it's about. I am ever learning even becoming here and I am grateful for the fact that the road isn't always just roses..

My other favorite talk "Missionary Work and the Atonement" by Elder Holland puts it so beautifully (sorry 2 quotes today...if you can't handle it skip ahead, but it is too good not to share! haaaaaaaaaaa) : 

"I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience.  Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary."

This last week has been a precious reminder of that. But still, miracles happened.... and a little craziness too. Here are some of the other highlights: 

Brother น้อย was confirmed on Sunday and is doing so well! Totally just so friends with the ward already and just SO happy. I love watching him embracing everything so giddily. 

There was a HUGE district sports day here at the church, so like members from the entire district came and played... so fun and so cute! Totally priceless watching the different branches battle it out playing chair ball in the pouring rain.

I learned how to make the YUMMIEST Thai curry soup... and I have almost convinced เเม่ Pawn Sawan to go home with me and be our live in chef at home. hehe for reals she is the best! And she has taken quite the liking to me for some reason so any food I request she will make special haha I love my เเม่s..........

Suki at Sister Jinthana's! Mom you need to get one of these for Sunday dinners.... it is so fun and delicious. Sister Jinthana is our mom here..... we LOVE her

Started teaching the CUTEST girl named ครีม (Cream) who I met at the University the other day... she is AMAZING. She quit drinking coffee in 3 days and is just so happy with everything she is learning. pray that she will be ready for her date this Sunday! 

Sister Stoker stopped in to see me on their way back from a District Conference that they went to! So fun to see her and talk for a minute.

Then our favorite part of the week  

Saturday morning our water just all of a sudden stops working.... what?! Well we find out that our pipe burst in front of our house, so we have totally had no running water for the last few days! But the best part is... Saturday night the four of us go out and are washing our hair from this spicket in front of our house.... haha party! The guy who guards the neighborhood was totally laughing at us and we had him take pics for us and stuff, but then Sis Nitaya invites him to church. He says he'll go and we are like ok sweet! So then we are sitting there in Sacrament meeting and we get a call from an unknown number... I silence it, but they call again. So I assume it's important and slip outside, and turned out it was a wrong number. But as I am out there, I look over and there he is, our neighborhood guard just sitting at the top of the stairs smiling at me! We would have had no idea he was out there if they hadn't called. Haha how fun is that.... the Lord will use broken pipes and misdialed phone calls to get his children where they need to be :) haha miracles I tell you!

Well that is all I have for you... so excited about this coming week and all that we are going to do. I can smell the miracles already..... 

Are you going to kill me if I say the word miracle again in this email?

miracle.

xoxo Sister Morgan

ps pray for the miracle that our water pipe actually does get fixed HAHAHA 

BIG HUG BIG KISS from Udorn Thani...... have a GREAT WEEK!

never a NORMAL day with this crew!!

Another Funeral. A member was diagnosed with cancer earlier last week, and his Funeral was this week. It was actually really neat to see the contrast of the Thai Funeral we went to a bit ago with this one... The Plan of Salvation is so sweet!

this cuteness........ the haircut, the shoes, all of her

just some casual rollerblading in between Sacrament and Primary.... hahaha I don't know why this is so funny to me

For District Meeting this week we had to come prepared with a pic of our superhero identity with one special power and a catchphrase.... here is our dream team, 
can you guess which one is mine???

yep you guessed right....  :) sorry Dad.....

hahaha I hate myself for sending this....but it really just shows how sweaty and gross we are ALWAYS so I had to document.. Me and my dear Sis Coates in our matching shirts at FHE last Monday **note this was the best option of like 9 tries... yikes Thailand you make us crazy but we love you!