8/9/15... E-P-I-C week of miracles..

the SISTAS...McKnight, Forte, Morgan and Olsen

FAM!!! 

Wrapping up the Lake Powell adventures, getting back to the grind.. It sounds like it was such a good week! I am glad you are all in one piece and even more glad that Brad is about to land the back flip on the wakeboard......  so sick!!!! the wakesurf footie is like priceless too ขอบคุณหลายๆ! (thanks so much!)

SUCH A GOOD WEEK HERE PEOPLE..............

I have been pondering my reading in Jacob chapter 5 from earlier this week and it really just sums up the thoughts/feelings of the week: "And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come. And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things."

It has been continually on my mind as well that the phrase "it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard" is found in this chapter SIX times....  

The truth of these two pieces in the 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle that is Jacob chapter 5- That the Lord is working along side of us, and that he will do all he can to not lose even one soul, have been manifest like 100 fold this week.. OMG secure your belongings and hold on tight because there is some good stuff coming your way......................

So do you guys remember พ่อสอ (Pah Sah) the tuktuk driver who was baptized a few weeks ago?The one who sits in his tuktuk on the side of the big road about 30 minutes out of town and drove us to teach the RC family that lives out in the boonies etc.... how could you forget him? So we are sitting in the church the other day waiting for a new investigator, a guy I had invited a few days earlier. I couldn't quite remember what he looked like, so a guy walks into the church and we start talking to him like it is this new investigator, but in the back of my mind I am like "what the heck I feel like I have never seen this person in my life!" Sure enough it wasn't him... We get talking and he tells us he has been a member for 20 years- baptized at the age of 10, the only member in his family- but left the church several years ago. He tells us of the trials and challenges that are filling his life right now- no work, nowhere to live, and ultimately no hope. With tears in his eyes, he tells us he came home to อุดร (Udorn) to find his father and just had nowhere else to turn. So he makes the trip back home and finds his father, sure enough, in the same place he always had as a boy- sitting in his tuktuk on the side of the big road about 30 minutes out of town. His dear old dad is none other than the recently baptized พ่อสอ(Pah Sah) who told him that the one place he needed to go in this state of hopelessness was the church on Jinthakam street. SOOOO cool.. we read in the BOM, prayed, and obviously shared some pics of his dad's baptism day too haha! 

พ่อสอ's (Pah Sah's) son!! 

Then the other day we were inviting at this fun market called UD Town, and Sister Forte kind of wanders through and invites this cutest shop owner lady. If I was to paint you a pic of her, she is like 50 year old go-green boho yoga chic lady and is just SO SO NICE. Sis Forte runs over to me and is like "Umm I just met this lady, and I think she is ready to be baptized..." So we go over and keep taking to her, and sure enough, she has learned everything with missionaries before, keeps all of the commandments and just really has a deep love for the Savior/ desire to do good... she was just must have fallen through the cracks (for lack of better term) and didn't get baptized. We went back and gave her a BOM and prayed together in the back of her store. She came to church yesterday and has a date to be baptized! It is so cool to get home at night and go........ "ok there is no way we would have taken that route or invited down that little aisle if it wasn't for the Lord just softly leading us along." E-P-I-C

Speaking of the soft whisperings. Thursday we are studying, and เล็ก (Lek) Mr. Radio DJ calls and says he is free at 12 and that he wants to meet us at McDonalds.... we had totally already made plans for the day, and I think I was a little bugged (I have repented since haa) that he hadn't answered the phone for a few days when I tried to set stuff up, so I just told him it probably wouldn't work... but we would call him and see for maybe later in the day. In that very moment that I hung up, it was like an audible voice whispering to me that we needed to meet with him asap.. and it was just like laid out before my eyes exactly what changes we needed to make in our schedule, who we needed to call to help teach in such short notice that would benefit Bro เล็ก, and exactly what scriptures we needed to share. So we get there, and I kid you not, during this lesson, his countenance changed. We answered each of the questions he asked with the scriptures I had quickly jotted down in my planner and we just saw the spirit working within him. He now has a solid date for baptism with a true contrite spirit and humble heart and I cannot deny that the Lord led us completely in the whole thing. IT WAS AWESOME and especially with this guy, I know that we have been prompted several times to just "spare it a little longer", to just hold out and wait on him. Pray for him to have the strength to keep changing and desiring the fruits of the gospel!

this would be the day that we left the house thinking it wouldn't rain too hard... then within 2 min we literally both looked like we had jumped in a pool HA oh Thailand............ goooooood times!

Then.......... so funny. We were inviting at the park, and I get kind of dragged away by this lady who wants to introduce me to her friends (HAHA) I could still see Sister Forte, but she had totally lost sight of me and got a little worried. She borrows the phone of this random guy.......calls me, we reunite, we start talking to him.. and turns out to be the NICEST/most prepared guy ever! We set up an appointment after he tells us that the one thing he wants to know, is "who is the Joseph guy?"........ummmm ok, super unexpected golden question from a guy in a way huge Buddhist necklace?!.. So we meet with him, teach the Restoration, then start introducing the Book of Mormon. He goes, "wait, I already have this book, this exact book with this cover and color and everything..." He then tells us how several years ago, he was at his University standing in a group of his friends and a man came up to him and gave him the book and told him to read it and that it would help him. He said it sits by his bed and he has read from it from time to time and way loved it, he was just a little confused about Joseph etc. OK...............so awesome! He has a date to be baptized!

So yeah, the Lord was good to us this week...I feel like I didn't even give you the slightest taste of it all! I can testify that He knows and loves us and will do whatever he can to nourish the trees of his vineyard จริงๆ (just some emphasis added hahaha). IT IS SO COOL 

บางนา (Bangna) members totally visiting อุดร(Udorn)!! Ran into them while we were inviting... she pretended to be someone interested and I'm like talking to her and decide to just go for it and am like "OK WAIT I KNOW YOU!!" Can you imagine how awkward that could have been if it wasn't her............ total fun blast from the PAST of those greenie days!!

Some other good stuff without all the gnarly details:

learning that the owner of ice cream in a tube is actually a member of the church that hasn't been in years...... WE ARE BRINGING HIM BACK

New dater for baptism named Nooker who I met the other day, learned with the Elders years ago and SO ready. (I'm telling you people, the Lord is just leading them to us!! so grateful)

dinner at แม่พร's (Mah Pawn's) yesterday night turned GNO... for some reason none of their husbands came and it was so fun just spending time with some of my MOMS in Thailand... I love them!! Mother's day is this week here!

with my แม่s (Mahs)!!! I LOVE THEM!!

din din with the LADIES

ok funniest thing.. in the Branch 1 sacrament meeting, this member from Australia brings her two little boys to sacrament and for some reason she like left the room for a while and they were just going out of control running up and down the aisle. Like it was in the most adorable way possible, but everyone was way disturbed and no one knew what to do. So I get the head nod from the other missionaries, grab them and bring them back to sit by me--- and for some reason before we left church I decided to bring this big pad of paper that I never have before..... and so we totally COLOR in silence for the remainder of the meeting. YES that is a miracle if I have ever witnessed one. hahaha see Dad, I am actually good with kids ok??????????

also the realization that the wooden chapel pews are like a small child's worst nightmare... I don't know how many times I watched those little boys bonk their heads on the way sharp corners of the hymn book holders and just like look so shocked and hurt every time when it happened...... hahaha its not funny but it kind of was. obvious note made to self: have your little toddlers wear helmets to church.......................

ha ok we are digressing......... that is all I have for you! I hope you have a great week! Extra prayers headed your way with all of the good stuff coming up in this next week for you guys! 

xoxoxo Sister Morgan

next time we talk I will have prob shook Holland's hand.... a little bit freaking out over here!!

here I am on my bike............with my signature helmet tilt. HAHAHA
it is hard to rock the bun and wear a helmet like I do but don't worry I manage 

district pic at the wad....minus our fearless zls

this would be Sister Olsen and I on a little switch off this week, the last ones to leave the house, totally locking the key in the house! luckily the WINDOW was open and the key was within reach of a pole we found by the house. HAHA shhhhh don't tell the other Sisters

another funeral in the branch

probably the grossest pic known to man.......... but I couldn't not share with you the joy that filled our hearts inviting and finding these blessed chokers from our childhood..... we are thinking they are maybe coming back in???? HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA