Testifying in Thailand: 9/14/15... Yesterday was ...arguably one of the best days of my life...

sometimes you just have to ride to church with an umbrella

Sweet family of mine!! what is happening people????????

Sounds like another good week, so glad you got some Mariners game action in, those weekenders to Seattle are always my fave.. Hope it included some breakfast at Portage Bay Cafe!!

As always I am excited and humbled as I try to give you guys just a glimpse of the in and outs of whats going down on my side of the globe.........

I think there are moments in each of our lives where we look around us at the things unfolding before our eyes and feel a little wonderstruck, maybe even a unworthy of the blessings Heavenly Father so generously bestows. I have vivid memories of those moments thus far in my life that I hold really dear-- Things as big as Ty and I still being alive after our car accident, to things as little as sitting in the basement at Grandma and Grandpa Morgan's eating popcorn and talking with the cousins. Those moments where we think to ourselves "Heavenly Father has just been too good to me. Altogether too, too good." Fam, yesterday was one of those moments for me. Arguably one of the best days of my life, and I think the best way to share the experiences of the week without writing a novel would be to share it through the eyes of Sunday, September 13, 2015. HERE WE GO!!!

Sunday morning, we are getting ready and คิม (Kim), our investigator who has made AMAZING strides this last week, calls to remind us that he won't be at church (we already knew he was in the South for his sister's wedding and wouldn't be back until next week), and that he is reading and praying and enjoying the wedding celebrations but not drinking at all. It was SO precious and so unexpected... already, the day off to a great start.

fast forward to 12:40.. In walk Keith and นก (Noke) in their Sunday best, just happy as can be.. Our FHE with them on Monday was so great! We taught the gospel, and Elder Stoker shared such a powerful witness of the Priesthood and proper authority. I will tell you what, I have come to understand and love the Priesthood so much on my mission. so so much. Keep praying for them to understand and develop the faith to choose a date for baptism!

FHE with Keith and นก(Noke)!

In walk Sister ดาว (Daaw) and her two daughters. This Sister is so amazing, and we had the most special experience with her this week. We wanted to go see an LA and so a member took us to her hair cutting salon. Come to find out, she used to be the strongest member, got offended and decided that the best way for her to "keep her covenants" would be to not go to church anymore with the people that she was so hurt by. YIKES. The Spirit guided in everything we said, cause to be honest she was so hardened. I felt prompted that we needed to talk about her kids.. She broke down and shared with us how badly she wants her kids to grow up in the church. We are now teaching her daughter who is not yet baptized and it has been so cool to see the change, and the motivation for the change that has happened in her. WOW! So fun teaching little kids too.. like Sat night, we brought my expo markers (Thanks to mom for the funnest packages ever!) and drew the Plan of Salvation on her mom's salon mirrors. hehe fun fun fun. Sis ดาว was glowing the whole day, participated in class and is doing soo good.

We walk over to the bathroom, and out walks อาร์ม (Arm), our new investigator from this last week who drives a "taxi" type of thing here, drove a family to church about a year ago and they invited her in. She really liked it and remembers how she felt around the family, but is now finally learning with the missionaries. She is so cool and wants to follow the Savior, her only problem--The day before we met, she got a "divorce" for financial freedom reasons but is still with her husband. Goodness gracious that is some crazy timing! She has a lot of faith, pray that we can get that situation figured out!

Just down the hall we see จันท์ร (Jan) another new investigator walk in with the sweetest member who brought her to church. When we went to her house to teach her this week, we thought we would be able to just bike, but it turned out it was so far away! The only person we could think of to take us on such short notice was this one sister, who apparently lives SO close to her and has been the PERFECT friend. So awesome!!

We walk over to the sacrament room to peek in, and there is วิรยุทธ (Weerayuut) an LA we started working with sitting down excitedly waving at us to see he is there in his white shirt and tie all ready to go. We met with him this week and planned to talk about temples and eternal families since he is a father and has been a member for a long time, and at one point was a way strong member too. Something kind of prompted to bring up Joseph Smith-- and he remembered so little of the Restoration. We taught about that and made goals for how he can honor his Priesthood, be a full tithe payer, and prepare to receive a temple recommend (all fruits of the RESTORED gospel!) So fun, he was baptized in ร้อยเอ็ด (RoiEt) so we have LOADS to talk about.. LOVE that place and anyone that comes from there!!

Seated a few rows ahead of him is ก้อย (Goi!) another LA we have been working with. She is doing so great, she even said the closing prayer in Sacrament last week! The uh-oh! of the week kind of involves her though, and its a little bit of a funny story but a little bit not........we went on a wild goose chase to find her house and teach her with Sister Stoker the other night, and we may or may not have done a 180 turn on a concrete pillar that was sectioning off a portion of the road for bikers with the side of the car... dejavuu immediately with the sounds that were happening -- like going to Elder Luu's homecoming, Dad totally t-boning that parked car trying to get into the space at the gas station.. HAHAHA. still so funny. remember the girl was like, "its fine, my car is a piece of junk anyways...." But really, the Stokers car is no piece of junk and we felt so bad... but the night before while they were home teaching a motorcycle had hit the same door that was dented so I guess when it rains it pours, better all in one hit???

we return....

We look out to the parking lot, เนส (Nes) and ปราน (Pran) the nonmember husband and LA wife, are walking in with their daughter Jigsaw.. We taught the husband this week at the church, such a special lesson and are doing all we can to help him remember things-- because of the accident he forgets things SO easily. Also he thought the pic we showed of getting the Holy Ghost was of getting your head shaved... as in that was a step after baptism. hahaha no. it was hilarious. We had some of the Priesthood brethren give him a blessing after sacrament and I think it was great.. It was also fun to see ปราน(Pran) in the Primary with the teachers helping the kids. Then seeing her with her tithing slip after we talked about that in our lesson this week, words can't even describe......... AHHHHH!!!!

In walks Brother ไบร์ท (Bright) yes the one raised by nuns... Oh my gosh! THIS KID! Our dinner/lesson at Imelda's was too good. Before we could even begin teaching, he shared with us that he has received an answer that he knows this is the true church. He tells us about how his whole life has been a preparation for him to go to like Rome or something and become a Catholic Priest.. he has these crazy scholarships etc and he shared with us how for some reason he just kept postponing it.. 5 times he postponed his leaving and he attributes it to Heavenly Father answering his prayer to lead him to the thing that would allow him to be a good leader... He knows without a doubt this is His truth and it is not because of Sis Mags and I, it is because of the humble prayers of a servant of the Lord and direct answers of a loving Heavenly Father.

Then it happens.. พ่อสมชัย (Pah Somchay) walks in. Saturday night I had called Brother Brayoon and we chatted a little about church and lightly joked that he would be coming tomorrow, and that there were some of Sister Stokers banana bars on the line (pulling at the heart strings of a baker by profession hahaha... it has been recorded in my journal and I quote "If anyone's baking could brings someone back to the gospel, it would be Sister Stoker's!") I ask พ่อสมชัย (Pah Somchay) if he thinks Bro Brayoon will come, he says he thinks so. I think so too, and so does Mags. I give him a call and we chit chat about our little deal that he would come to church for some bars from the one and only Sister Stoker.. we laugh and he says he hasn't decided if he is coming or not. I tell him church is going to start soon and that he better get his tie on and not be late! Hang up. I walk around the corner, and who is standing in the doorway shaking Elder Davis's hand? You know who it was. tears fill my eyes..... we make eye contact, he is beaming. I grab Mags, we greet him then quickly run to an empty classroom, get down on our knees and say a prayer of thanksgiving. This was an answer to the prayers of many, the fast of two Sister missionaries and the beginning of something good.... He said the opening prayer and sat on the stand. The members were so happy to see him. What's better..... we've got something good in the works with President Johnson coming today for Zone Conference. I will keep you posted!

yep.....

Church is over and we head out to visit one of my dearest friends in the branch with her home teacher and his wife. She is this CUTEST lady from Texas, such a strong member, and she is having surgery today so she wanted a blessing before. We set it up and are way excited because her non-member husband is going to be there. Their family has had so many cool miracle experiences with the Priesthood, to the point that her husband completely KNOWS that it is the power of God and has seen it heal his wife before his eyes. She receives the blessing and we keep talking. She brings up how he is trying to quit smoking and they talk about how it is the hardest thing he has ever done. Suddenly I just open my mouth and say, "Well, have you ever received a blessing yourself?" Next thing we know, her husband is receiving a blessing of comfort and strength to overcome this trial and it was so cool. The Spirit was so strong, and I think it really touched him to understand that no, the Priesthood is the power of God on the earth for the benefit of all his children, that our concerns are His concerns and no problem is too "trivial" to call upon Him for help. Little by little he will come around! And ok sidenote--- their house was AMAZING... this secluded mansion in the jungle. way cool.

Cute Sister Brinlee and her husband after the blessing in front of their fun house

So there it was, Sunday September 13, 2015. The best best day. So grateful for my cute companion to experience it all with too. I have been so grateful for her this week because as we know, with the greatest joys, come great oppositions too and how happy I am to have her by my side in the highest of highs and in the little lows too. I love the quote from Conference... "Thee lift me, and I'll lift thee, and we'll ascend together!" Thats how it is with Mags, and what a joyful ascent it has been! MAGS AND MORGS

So yep, I still managed to write a novel, but I couldn't leave one piece out.

Tidbits:

We are so excited for Zone Conference tonight and tomorrow, always so so fun. Our first one with the Johnsons

Other best miracle of the week-- my thumbdrive with ALL of my pics from the mission had a virus and was SAVED this week! Saved by the little family in matching crocodile shirts with the computer store...... YAY!!

The fam that saved my thumbdrive!! ETERNALLY GRATEFUL! How cute are they?
(It is a huge thing in Thailand to match with your significant other or kids...
IDK what do you say fam, should we start it up when I get home?)

Eating dinner at a member's house and her pulling out a nice long black hair from the food right in front of all of us sitting there... HAHAHA!

Got letters from my family in อุดร (Udorn).... totally just crying reading from แม่ติ๋ว (Mah Thiw) LOVE AND MISS THEM ALL!

Translating for Relief Society... lucky me, the lesson was on the LAW OF CHASTITY

even better... the dress I was wearing was a static mess, I told Mags to give me a signal if there were any serious problems showing on the lower half....... HAHAHA

THATS ALL I GOT. Have the best week!!!

xoxo

Sister MORGS