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| My girls, หยก (Yoke) and ฝ้าย (Faay) |
Ok. People what a seriously nuts week you had.............. so many fun updates! And I am so glad Ty is up in the motherland for the weekend. I can just picture all of the summer things you are doing, and it makes me think about how much I sure do love you guys! I hope you are sitting in the back right now on those outdoor couches, drinking drinks with our good ice or something like that................ bliss
As for me, this week was so so good! We had so many crazy twists and turns, but our first week as a tri-panionship was a such a soild success. I am ever more and more grateful for round 2 with Sister Coates, and Sister Olsen is just as good as they come! I think the greatest thing I learn from both of them is the beauty of laughter and just being SO positive. They are so so good! I would say though, our biggest challenge right now is trying to be so exactly obedient to our new "no singing (not just listening to) anything but Hymns" rule.... we are doing our best, but it is hard when all three of us know every word to every Taylor Swift song she has ever written and they are so applicable to every life situation (yes people, even mission life!)... HELP!
Other challenge.. we all really love to shop. And we found ourselves in a really cool Asian dress thrift shop on P Day.... and collectively we may have bought 12 dresses. WE WEAR YOUR GRAND[MA]'S CLOTHES........ WE LOOK INCREDIBLE. kidding I wont even go there, even though I don't think it is breaking the rule if I am just typing lyrics?
So anyways, craziest thing this week. Remember how I told you I went to a funeral a few weeks ago? It was of this greatest, most faithful RC who suddenly got cancer. Well, it turned out to be this kind of blessing in disguise, because it totally brought their 2 kids who are like adults and have never really been very receptive to the gospel, to wanting to learn with the missionaries. Sister Coates and Sister Olsen taught and baptized their son earlier this transfer เพ็ด (Ped) and he is totally just doing SO amazing. Things have a little slower for the daughter จอย (Joy), who, side note, is so incredibly pregnant right now it is a little insane (In the words of Tyler which will never ever be repeated to describe a female after this occasion, she is "massive" HAHA) She was originally going to be baptized on the same day as her brother, but her husband was not really wanting it, so the Sisters just felt like they should back off a little bit. Long story short, last week Sister Coates felt like she should call her again after not really talking with her, and she said something like, "Sister, I had a dream about my dad at the church and you were there too, and I know I need to be baptized!" So seriously way cool, we have been teaching her again and she has just been absorbing everything like a sponge, like feasting on the scriptures, everything.
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| some of the crew out at แม่ อว้น's... จอย (Joy) front and center, and of course, there is พ่อ สอ (Pah Sah) just doing his thing there. LOVE THESE PEOPLE |
So we go out there-- they live in the serious boonies-- and take the DL and his companion, because she is all ready to be interviewed for her baptism on Sunday. Elder Visser does his first baptismal interview behind an outhouse beneath a mango tree (No, I am not quoting Jack Johnson lyrics... I am more consecrated than that) and she passes and everything is all set. They come back over and he is filling out the baptismal record, and suddenly it is realized that wait... they don't actually have a marriage certificate. NO! (Lots of people in Thailand have like a marriage ceremony, love each other and consider each other husband and wife, but don't make it legal, which is totally a requirement for baptism!) So we are trying to weigh our options... and so classic at a time like this, the Mom เเม่ อว้น (Oo-an.. which means 'Fat' YIKES) goes "It's fine, พ่อ and I didn't have one either!" We are just sitting there like "oh dear goodness, this is just getting better and better.." haha I have come to know that for sure, The church is true all over the world, but sometimes things are just a little crazy outside of the Kennewick East Stake bubble I have lived in my whole life!
So, she didn't end up getting baptized this Sunday, but we all have a really good feeling about how we are going to approach this. I think in the end this could be so great to really help her have a vision for this new little family she is going to have. Even if her husband wants nothing to do with the gospel, I quote one of my FAVORITE documents of all time,
"Children are entitled to birth within the bonds or matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."
they can still have a home filled with love, and parents who are faithful to each other. Pray for her! And her husband!
The silver lining to the story though... it is a bit of a trek to get out to their house, and we have this one tuk tuk driver that takes us from the highway, out to their "house" every time. He totally stays for the entire lesson so he can take us back too, and he is the most adorable tiny old man with this set of perfect dentures. We are going back from the lesson the other day, and we are talking to him, and he is like "Yeah, I want to be baptized too!" Long story short, best scene ever on Sunday, the whole crew showing up with พ่อ สอ (Pah Sah) the tuk tuk driver in tow as well. He seriously has such awesome faith, has quit smoking, wore this all white outfit to church on Sunday for some reason, and has a date to be baptized next Sunday! Yay for unexpected miracles.
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| พ่อ สอ (Pah Sah) the vision in white, showing up at church! |
That term, unexpected miracles is kind of funny. We expect miracles because we know, by so many scripture references, that God is a God of miracles and will never cease to be, but no matter how many miracles I witness on my mission, I never cease to be amazed. Cease to feel like, oh, that was so unexpected/ amazing/ grand/ humbling/ wonderful. It is the most special thing to be able to expect the unexpected with our Heavenly Father because we know who He is, and we know who we are to Him. I love that I have come to know that so clearly and that I get to share that EVERY day!
Other unexpected, yet totally expected miracles of the week/ must know tid bits:
- quick last minute prompting to run to เบล's (Bell's) house and grab her before the baptism yesterday. She was so happy to see a baptism and now feels good about her date for NEXT SUNDAY. Oh my goodness people, this is the girl who smoked in the bathroom of the church in the middle of our first lesson. She is so awesome, and we have a plan all in place for her last cigarette this week. I was so humbled by her understanding of making a covenant with Heavenly Father after seeing the baptism yesterday. Please please pray for her to have the courage to continue to change, not long for old habits, and make this HUGE step!
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| เบล (Bell) at church! Sis Coates was totally so inspired and was like "hey we have this skirt and top you can wear!" Bell just LIT up and felt so special, and I think it helped her to feel like she fit in even more. Also pictured, one of my Asian thrift shop finds.......... daisys for daysss fun huh? |
- the most magical dinner at Sister Rose's house, the cutest RM from the Philippines who is just such a light to be around. She is here providing for her family- 12 brothers and sisters- and it was just a special, fun time to be together with her!
-หยก (Yoke) and ฝ้าย (Faay), the two little girls who are 9 and 10 years old and ALWAYS at the church, came to church on Sunday for the first time yesterday. They sat on either side of me and were so reverent. ฝ้าย totally sang "I am a Child of God" quietly to herself, and in the middle หยก totally whispers to me "Sister, yesterday my mom didn't have any customers, and I prayed that she would, and then she had customers. Heavenly Father answered my prayer!" They are perfect, and they for some reason are obsessed with me, which I of course, love. They have a baptismal date for the first Sunday of September and are so precious in how much they love what we teach them. We did have to remind them, "yes we are so glad that you have our phone number, but we can't text you back if it is not about church, and how about we just call you instead of you call us" hahaha 7 missed calls and 6 texts in one night, whoops....
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| yep, translation, a little something like "hey sister, whats up?" "sister what are you doing right now?" "sister why aren't you answering me?" hahaha ...you have to love 10 year olds with phones! Especially when they are going to be the Relief Society president someday... mark my words people |
- last week with President and Sister Senior, we are having a "meet and greet" with Pres and Sister Johnson this Thursday! Obviously I have been practicing something very impressive to hit them with... like maybe moonwalk or roboto or poetry or something. dont worry it will be cool... ha On a serious note, I am way excited to meet them and know they are going to be awesome! I am so excited for that confirming feeling when we see them like, "Yes, this is who the Lord has called!" Sort of like when President Monson came after President Hinckley type of thing here
- last thing for your back pocket, in Thailand it is totally ok to say "Sorry Sister, the reason I wasn't at church today was because I am having diarrhea. By the way are you still having diarrhea from being in the hospital?" haha WHAT? never ok. never never!
Haha seriously though, way good week you guys, but this is all I've got!
I hope you know just how much I love you and am thankful forev for your support....... I feel it everyday!
XOXO Sister Morgan
ps We've got some serious America fever going on right now, and are going to be hunting down some flag shirts or something today..... where is Old Navy when you need it?
haha Happy Fourth of July this week to the Land of Liberty from the LAND OF SMILES
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| fun activity at the church making ice cream... don't ask me why there are flowers and leaves in it. Thai people really don't get the concept of "dessert" the way we do... But there is ชมพู (Shampoo!) totally blending something! LOVE seeing Recent Converts join in and have so much fun with being a member |
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| A cute one of Olsie Ols peeling flowers for the ice cream... yummy. hahaha I love this country! |
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| So cool, do you remember this girl?! ขวัญ (Kwaan) one of my RCs from Bangnaa! She is originally from Udorn and has been home visiting this month. So awesome to see how faithful she has been in coming to church alone every week (her dad drops her off) and now seeing her be the total fellowshipper/ just such a ROCKSTAR! love her so much! |
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