9/6/15... As always, a week full of miracles and fun fun fun. Mags and I are ChiangMai pros at this point

Chiang Mai P-Day mountainous adventures in the Hill Tribes

helloooooooooooo there!! 

From the pics and the updates all is well, all is well! I am dying a little that PJ is driving... and learning how to drive in a Range Rover. Oh to be the final Morgan at home......... HAHAHA

As always, a week full of miracles and fun fun fun. Mags and I are ChiangMai pros at this point (minus the four sisters getting lost for 20 minutes on the way home from the Stokers last night................heeeeeee) and the work is happppening!! 

Can I just tell you how many times this week I have seen literal INSTANT answers to prayers? Like early this week, I was stressing out a little cause there were some key visits we wanted to make for the week, but they are not within bike riding distance, so we totally would need to have someone take us. Members with cars in Thailand are few and far between, especially members with cars that are free and willing to drive a ways out.. and I never want the Stokers to feel like we are overusing them. As I was trying to figure out how we could make it happen, Sister Stoker calls and says that they have been looking at the new maps they had printed of ลำพูน (Lampoon, which is about 40 min out of the city and there are lots of LAs (less actives) there) and couldn't believe how close it was to Keith and นก's (Nok's) house and that we should just hit both places in one day.... literally as close to a word for word answer to my prayer in that moment as it could have been. 

And let me tell you, our visits to Keith and นก (Nok) and then to ปราน's (Pran's) fam in ลำพูน(Lampoon) were so inspired and absolutely so special. I called นก(Nok) just before we were going to get there, and she said she wasn't feeling very well but that we could still come. We get there, and lo and behold, her head has been hurting so bad because she and Keith quit drinking coffee the very day we taught the Word of Wisdom. I don't think I have ever taught someone, or maybe even known someone, that looks at the commandments of the Lord like she does. She wants so badly to obey anything He wants from us, and it is just totally apparent in her countenance that that is her motivation. so cool. In the words of Grandma Phyllis (and Jourdan Nicholls too) I just stood there like "bless this woman's heart!" (haha) We taught the Plan of Salvation and they were so touched by the truths of Heavenly Fathers plan for us, especially the central focus on families. When we invited them to be married, to keep the Law of Chastity, and in turn prepare for the blessings of the temple as well, the Spirit was tangible. Definitely not a dry eye as they accepted and bore testimony that they knew Heavenly Father had prepared this all for them, to be together and receive the gospel and all of the blessings it entails. Of course, she said that since our last visit they had already split rooms (again with her obedience, bless her heart!) Pray that they can get everything situated with getting married according to the law and that they will be prepared for baptism! We are having FHE with them tonight and are so so excited.

Then, we went to ปราน's (Pran's) house, the LA Sister who I mentioned last week with the husband and kids that aren't yet members that all came to church. So cute, she had totally set up this little area for us to talk and was again, just beaming. We get talking and it is so apparent that she still has such a testimony. It was so fun to have her help us teach her husband. Come to find out, when they moved from Bangkok, her husband totally drank and smoked and was not very good to her. He was way against the church, to the point that they kind of split up. Well right after, he got in a crazy bad car accident, and he now has the brain and motor skills of a small child (also a huge chunk of his head is missing/flat) They got back together, and in the hospital she had the Elders give him a blessing. When he woke up from the surgery, in his own words he wanted to "go to church and learn about Jesus."  That was about a year ago, and since then their life has just been busy, and they are far from the church and in the end they just didn't really ever go. So now we are to today, and he has a baptismal date and they are ready to progress in the gospel as a family.  It is crazy what lengths the Lord will go to to rescue His children. Elder Stoker felt inspired to give him the promise that as they continue in the straight and narrow of the gospel, the words of the Priesthood blessing he received in the hospital will be fulfilled, and he will return to full capacity as a righteous leader of his family. So amazing you guys. 

We were on such a high from the Wednesday visits... surely our week couldn't get any better right?? Well we had planned to teach ไบรท (Bright) a few days later, yes the one raised by NUNS...we had gotten everything all set up with พ่อสมชัย (Pah Somchai... probably one of my FAV members here) to help us teach, and right before ไบรท(Bright) calls and says he can't come. We were so bummed and again instant answer to prayers, felt totally prompted that we needed to go visit this LA with him. This is not just any LA. This man has been the District President, former Branch President several times, is an RM--basically he is one of the Thailand pioneers. The first time we visited him 2 weeks ago, I am not going to lie you guys, as it unfolded that this was his history with the church, I just wept. I could not wrap my mind around the rejection I felt and the awakening I wanted him to have to grasp onto the truths he KNOWS. Heavenly Father has been aware of him all this time and NOW, 33 years later, it is time for him to come back. พ่อสมชัย (Pah Somchai) was an answer to our prayers to know how to help him. His approach was so loving.. he let him know that they were friends-- they laughed and joked, they talked about mutual members that they knew, and he so lovingly invited and testified of gospel truths. It was not condescending or contentious, but perfectly mild, loving and firm. Please keep him in your prayers. please please please. 

taking พ่อสมชัย (Pah Somchai) to see our LA friend..... (Brayoon)

I learn so much from the members here in this country. They are like our secret weapons in this work. FOR REAL! That visit could not have happened and been so effective without พ่อสมชัย(Pah Somchai). We wouldn't be teaching Keith and นก (Nok) if it wasn't for Imelda bearing her testimony to them, befriending them and giving us the referral. 

(Pah Somchai)...love it, he totally rode one of the Elders bikes!

Sister Imelda. Just when we thought she had done all she could do with the best referral ever but then........... The whole situation with ไบรท (Bright) not coming, he rescheduled to meet with us the next day, and we got Sister Imelda to teach with us because she was raised Catholic. The connection they had and the testimony she shared was beyond anything we could have taught him from the perspective of being raised members of the Church. When I followed up with him yesterday he called meeting with her "a miracle" and accepted a date for baptism. YES... not to mention that she totally invited him over to her home for dinner this coming Friday to continue their discussion-- just because she wants to help him and cares about him. now we are invited as a little afterthought but we will take it! I think she should just be wearing the nametag what do you say????? 

The members of the Church make me want to SING. holy cow. And sometimes they actually do make us sing........... at their WEDDINGS!! You heard it people, went to my first Thai wedding this week! haha it was so fun, and really classy. They did it at the church and there were speakers and the missionaries sang and we had to wear all pink. Don't judge the pics... definitely found this size L dress in a bucket in our house and just went with it cause apparently I don't wear much pink. So basically I need to go to like 9 more Thai weddings if I want to even out with my Thai funeral count (not intended to be insensitive, just a little observation for ya haaaaaaaa)

wanna be flowergirl...............

tossin that bouquet 

We are wedding singers and we are Book of Mormon teachers. Mags and I taught Book of Mormon class on Friday and lucky us... it was the week were were on Jacob Chapter 5.. Teaching a class on Jacob 5 is fun in English... but even more fun in Thai!! hahaha... I wrote out all of the symbols and possible interpretations in the allegory on the board and I think it helped. Definitely another answer to prayers that they all loved it and that we could lead a discussion on branches and olive trees and pruning and burning. There were like 30 people this week (crazy high!) and the testimonies shared were so special... 

I was reading back in the beginning of my study journal the other day from the MTC days and I was like loving all the good stuff-- they SPOIL us at the MTC with good speakers and devotionals and lessons. So awesome! I read this one quote from someone who came to speak to us and he said,

" When you only want what Heavenly Father wants, you always get your way."

I have been pondering a lot on that all week, and what a PERFECT, fulfilling mindset that is!! I realize that sometimes I have the "spoiled brat missionary" mentality (YIKES!!).  I will be bummed or worried when investigators don't come or plans seem uncertain but sometimes in that moment, I fail to say in my heart and mind, "Sister Morgan, it's ok, His will be done in HIS own time!" In the experiences I have shared above, time and time again this exact thing was manifest, that He has a plan for His work. We can go ahead and expect miracles, but don't expecting what the exact miracles are going to be. Cause it's as if He is in charge or something, the miracles He sends, are always bigger, better, and so much more perfect than the ones we had thought up in our own little minds. YEAHHHHH

Here is to only wanting what He wants... thus ALWAYS getting our way, hushing our fears and trusting Heavenly Father in all things more fully! It seems like the only wise choice if you know what I mean........

lets do it. 

keep it real fam, keep it fresh, can't believe you are in school doing your thing! proud of you as always. And also pretty proud of Serena Williams. I am definitely on board for the Serena Slam. hehe

love coming your way 24/7

xoxo Sister Morgan

ps Brad that jaw is lookin gooooooooooood

pss ChiangMai p day mountainous adventures in the Hill Tribes pictures coming your way!! don't do the views justice but just a taste...............

p day ...

More wedding pics...

WEDDING TIME!!

cupcakes.... or what appear to be cupcakes.... (NOT CUPCAKES PEOPLE)   hahaha so yucky

idk why is this so funny? he was cruising.............. 

Sis Lor is my FAVORITE... this is a gelatin mask on her face. hahaha priceless

Thailand Bangkok Mission 1981  Elder Brayoon is right in the middle--5th row back, 11th from the right.

 .....Follow up on Brayoon, the man Sarah visited who is a returned missionary from Thailand about 33 years ago...  Sarah emailed her uncle (my brother), David Van Slooten who served his mission in Thailand about 32 years ago and explained the situation asked Dave if he remembered serving with Brayoon.  She also sent him this picture that Brayoon had showed her.  David never served with Elder Brayoon but knows many of these missionaries in this picture who did.  He has since emailed them telling them that his niece has been visiting Brayoon and they have responded with such positive things to say about him.  For example,

"I never got to serve with him as a missionary, but I do know that he had a reputation as a hard worker, had a fun personality, and I think everyone really loved him a lot. ...When I got to know him just a little, was in Chiang Mai.  I spent my last 3 months there and I think he was the Branch President at the time.  Elder Thammarat was my senior companion and he loved to go visit with him. They were friends..."

What a small world!!!  Hopefully some of these old mission buddies can connect with Elder Brayoon and help him come back.