6/21/15... Next thing we know, I am in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV

Bangkok Hospital's finest......... never take off the nametag! haha

FAMILY!!!!!!!!!! 

ok, so first thing is first, I am ALIVE!

This week has literally been so so crazy, so I think I'll just dive right into it...

We had Zone Conference here on Tuesday and Wednesday so early this week we were doing lots of preparations for that. 2 totally classic scenes............... 

Monday, I call the Zone Leaders and ask them if they need any help with anything for Zone Conference and they are like "uhhh, no I think the senior couple missionaries are going to take care of it all?" So, a tiny bit skeptical, I call the senior couple and they like give off this whole list of things that we are supposed to have together... hahaha I was just laughing so hard cause it totally reminded me of all the times mom would like put together this amazing party or function and the boys just like assumed it somehow magically appeared!  I guess even when they are killer missionaries, boys are just sometimes clueless about things like this and its a good thing to have girls/sisters to keep things straight! haha, Bonus, we went to the Costco of Thailand for the first time, its called Makro. 

You know I still carry around my Costco card with me and show it to people sometimes just to be cool........

exploring Thailand Costco

Scene 2. Our district is doing one of the special musical numbers for the Zone Conference, so Sister Coates totally arranges this mixture of I Need Thee Every Hour and Lead Kindly Light and we are just practicing hardcore at district Meeting on Tuesday. But something was just soo off, and we all kind of knew what someone it was, I think even the someone knew what someone it was, but we just keep singing, and singing and singing hoping we will improve. It was like the funniest thing ever.. I was dying. So Sister Coates, bless her heart, totally appoints said person to the noble duty of leading us instead of singing with us. Person mentioned totally felt so honored and took it SO seriously, like offering every bit of insight and correction possible and in the end the musical number was a success! hahaha thats district unity.

So yeah, Zone Conference was SO good. We talked about hope, baptism, and GOALS. It was the perfect mixture of new insight and learning, the spirit, and it ended with the most tender tribute to the Senior's time here in Thailand. They were just beaming as they finished their "The Things of My Soul" presentation, and I think we all just felt such a mutual love and adoration for these 2 people that have done so much for us, and so much for this country. At the same time though, they really left us all so excited and ready to support President and Sister Johnson and their new vision. Good things behind, and good things ahead. 

The Seniors <3

The only problem was.... the entire Zone Conference, I was feeling SO sick. Just so so yucky, but I didn't really want to leave the room (it was that good people!) so I just somehow made it through, but right after we went home.

Then total plot twist! 

Thursday morning, still feeling so so bad............ we get a call and the Zone Leaders say that Sister Parin will be transfering to Chaing Mai and needs to leave as soon as possible. WHAT?? So a midst the decision that I probably need to go to the hospital, she is trying to quickly pack her stuff. And just a little extra fun-- our room is totally ripped apart cause they are replacing the infamous air conditioning (Yes, FINALLY!) so she is just like trying to dance around everything and get her stuff together. CRAZY! 

But in the end, next thing we know, I am in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV with what the doctor said was a sever intestinal infection. I know you have like 100 questions about it, but it was just really the yuckiest I have ever felt in my life and just like constant throbbing headache. haha yikes. My companions took WAY good care of me-- Seriously Sister Olsen and Sister Coates are such troopers/angels from above. They slept at the hospital 2 nights, endured the especially restless first night, made sure I had food to eat (you guys will laugh to know that the only food I wanted to eat at first was GOLDFISH... total flashback to that being the only food I ate from like age 6-12 HAHA. There is one grocery store here that sells it.), and they totally kept me laughing. Plus the members were SO sweet and tons of them came and visited and brought fun treats. They are all so thoughtful and kind. I really don't think I have dengue fever, I think I just ate some bad food or drank some bad water. It also could have been like some sort of Thai cursing on me, cause on Monday we were at this market and there was a popcorn stand, and they had this little cup of popcorn sitting off on the side and I am like totally thinking it is a sample thing.... so I just ask them if I can try it, and they are like frantically trying to stop me and tell me that it is actually the ancestral offering thing (like you know when you go get a pedicure and they have the little food shrine...) hahaha YIKES Sister Parin was laughing so hard, but after the events that followed this week, moral of the story is to steer clear of the small portion of food they leave out for the Buddhist gods..... or you could wind up in the hospital.

In the words of Michael Scott, "I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious"    hahaha 

my fearless caretakers

I got out on Saturday, still a little shaky, but doing way better (WAY) so we rode out and visited some members and some of the other Sisters investigators... which I guess are kind of my investigators now! Cause we are a trio for right now... Trio round two with Sister Coates! Then that night, the Stokers came, and Sister Stoker totally brought me some chicken soup! As always she is so awesome! 

I was sitting there before Branch 1 started on Sunday just trying to make sense of the big bus that had hit me from this last week...... the metaphorical bus. Don't go thinking that I was in the hospital for getting hit by a bus or something. haha but yeah, just like freshly out of the hospital, my companion is gone, I just kind of felt a little like, "Heavenly Father, please help me to feel my purpose right now." I look up, and in walks ชมพู (Shampoo!) with her MOM!! We have told her and ฟ้า (Faa) before that their families were welcome, but never had they taken us up on it.. this was totally all on her own! It was a serious tender mercy a midst a little trial of faith and I sat there as we sang the opening song "I Stand All Amazed" with tears in my eyes knowing that the words of that song are so true. That He loves us, He knows us, He died for us, and He is with us in our troubles. 

Other Sunday highlights... The husband and wife that I told you we started teaching came to church too, and they are doing SO great. We taught them the the Plan of Salvation and about temples, and it is so special to see this family start to see  themselves in the light of eternity. Pray for them, their names are Newt and Mim. Ok also............. we got a new branch president in Branch 1, and he is 28 years old! That really is one of my favorite things about the church here in Thailand, watching how faithfully the members serve. The old president served for 8 years, so it was time for a change, and  the spirit just bore such strong testimony that this is the man that the Lord had called. 

The Church is so true people!

So yeah, crazy week right????????? Never a normal day around here, but I am grateful for the concept of "the LOAD" from the talk by Elder Bednar that I have come to know is SO true. Where it is the presence of a load that is able to get us where we need to be. I wouldn't want for the load to be taken in any circumstance, but I am grateful for His upholding supporting hand in carrying the load- whatever it may be- that has been endlessly evident on my mission.

I love you guys so so much and hope you have a great week!

Xo Sister Morgan  

pre-hospital swag sporting the FAM tee

I'm gonna miss this girl!

free at last after 2 days inside... Udorn sunsets are so priceless

My new คู่s!! And then there were three........

Here's a little more info from her letter to me: 

It was really crazy at the hospital but I am doing way better. The nurses took great care, it is a SUPER nice hospital. The food was good (thai food, which at first sounded so gross, but I knew I was doing better as soon as that sounded somewhat appetizing again)

The weirdest thing was... the first night my head was SO bad. I finally got the nurse in and she put this stuff in my iv and then all of a sudden my throat started to burn... like fire like i had just sprinted up a mountain as fast as I could in the freezing cold. it was crazy for like 2 hours and they didnt know what to do. Sister Seppi who takes care of our health said it was an allergic reaction and to make sure I never get that again! so crazy but I am fine!

Ok so attached is a pic of this cutest girl that came to the branch yesterday. When I saw her dress I was like ok my mom would look so good in that.... I need to take a pic! She is from Portland Oregon actually and the brand is "Collective Concepts" I think she got it at Nordstrom... you need to get it, it would look so good on you! This is my birthday present to you, to buy that dress. haha :) ok anyways that is a sidenote. just know that I am always thinking of you and I was laying there in the hospital and telling everyone it was my moms birthday today and just talking about you. haha I love you and hope it was the best day ever. I love that pj spoiled you and it seems like it was a great day.