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I know you are all dying to know,
you have been waiting long enough,
and there was totally no transfer video for you to get the inside info............
where am I? who is my companion? what did I wear to transfers?
I will just go ahead and give you the scoop first thing:
I AM IN CHIANG MAI!!!
My companion is Sister สิริขวัญ (Sirikwan), the cutest native คนไทย ever...
Then, if you must know, I wore the dress of my dreams... ha! :) .... (It has tennis racquets all over it!)
But yes, how can I be so lucky??? that is what I have been asking myself over and over since transfer meeting... because there are some extra must know details:
I am actually only going to be in ChiangMai for like 2 more weeks...
There were a lot of crazy "half" move type of things going on because we will be getting 7 new Thai Sisters from the Philippines MTC on December 2nd. So Sister Sirikwan will train one of them here in ChiangMai, and I will go open a new area in Bangkok, ดอนเมือง (Don Mxang), and train one of them too! I don't really know all the details, but all President told me was that I will be about 30-40 min from the church (it is the church that we have transfer meeting at!) and we will be living around where Wisan lives... Apparently the Bishop there has been wanting to open something out that way for a while cause there are tons of members and opportunities for growth etc...
I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!
It is honestly the perfect answer to my prayers. I think it will be very humbling, but really cool to see what the Lord has in the works to help Thailand grow. There were a lot of crazy changes made at transfers... opening up new areas, tons of new technology resources for us to use with our phones, clarification on some rules etc, and it just kept running through my mind that "if we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always gotten." We want change and progression, and I love that we are doing something about it!
Even if it means leaving this place that I LOVE......... The Lord just completely prepared my heart for this, and was very generous to me in it all as well. I never thought I would get to be companions with Sister Sirikwan, so these next two weeks are going to be such a treat. She is from ChiangRai which is not too far from here so we were so surprised when her pic came up at transfers for ChiangMai! She is SO adorable and so fun. She has been out for about 10 months and is a way good missionary. Then on top of that, I get just a little more time to work with our investigators and RCS here... and I think it is kind of fun to note that I will totally get to be in ChiangMai for ลอยกระทง (Loigatong) the famous Thai Lantern Festival, and also for Thanksgiving with the Stokers.
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| Mags..... I AM GOING TO MISS THIS GIRL! **that is just ONE of the stuffed animals that Sister Lor sleeps with every night.... |
So yeah! To backtrack a little, it was a great week leading up to transfers. It was kinda crazy, because we didn't get the move call until Tuesday afternoon, and usually we get it on Monday! Everyone thought I would be leaving, so it was a huge surprise when Mags was the one going.. Sister Lor moved too. We were actually at our favorite Bro พงค์ (Noi) and Sister น้อย's(Pong) house (remember them... the cutest white haired couple that had us over to make food and work in their yard?!) when we got the call. And again, it was just the greatest time ever. They treat us like we are their children! This time we pulled weeds and the elders cut some trees in their garden then we learned how to make Massaman and TomKhaGai. They are my FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE WORLD and I cannot wait for you to meet them someday. I offered that we would do a house trade with them for a month or so, like the movie the Holiday, but they just insisted that the whole family comes to stay with them at their house for a while. haha! some of the greatest examples of generosity, selfless service, love and charity have I witnessed on my mission thats for sure.
Like take yesterday, at church. It is always so fun here in ChiangMai because we get so many tourists here on vacation, members from all over the world who come to church, especially in the morning branch. Just as sacrament was about to start, these 3 dads come walking in with their 3 10 year olds on a fun little "coming of age" family tradition trip (so fun huh?!) and one of the dads hands me a white shirt and tie to give to someone who doesn't have one, then lets me know that he brought a change of clothes for after church to give the one he was currently wearing too. I love that... I just want to burst when I witness little acts of charity and kindness like that. Or like Brother Brayoon, who totally came to church yesterday (YEAH!!!!!!!!!!), and as he was walking in, carried the bags of one of the older แม่s (Mahs) in the ward (sidenote she is like one of the FIRST members in Thailand), got her all situated on her row, then went and sat with Brother สมชัย (Somchai). I have learned through my own experiences and careful observance of others (if you know me, you know how much I love watching people!) that the happiest people are the ones who sacrifice in behalf of others. The ones who know the value of a smile or a load lightened for a dear friend or even a complete stranger.
The quote that has been running through my head ALL week for some reason, way random actually, is from one of the hymns of the Restoration that we all know and love:
"SACRIFICE BRINGS FOR THE BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN"
In whatever light you look at sacrifice, whether it be sacrificing for others in service, or sacrificing something personal like maybe some favorite sins or "natural man" behaviors, I testify that sacrifice is what not only brings forth the blessings of Heaven, but what brings a closeness with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. To be like them is to know them, and I know that every effort of ours to sacrifice out of love for them, only lessens the distance between us and them. Until one day we will see them in the flesh, already having a perfect knowledge of them through the "sacrifices" we were willing to make.
That is truth.
But yeah, sorry this week doesn't have tons of crazy stories, there was lots of bus/ train time, lots of packing and unpacking, but still miracles as always. Some super tid bits for you:
-เฟิร์น (Fern) one of our investigators who is 18, honestly the cutest girl, called us and asked if we could teach her friends... and asked if they could come to church with her on Sunday. They came and are so great!
-จ้า (Jaa!) another cutest new investigator from English brought her friend to church on Sunday too. All of these girls seriously LOVED the Primary Program (Branch 2's was this week) and Young Women's after too. We are excited to keep working with them.
-ชล (Shone) came EARLY to church and says he thinks he will be ready for his baptismal date this coming Sunday. PRAY FOR HIM PLEASE!!! He has made HUGE progress this last week, and I think the coolest part, is it has for the most part been through his own personal prayer and reading. YES!!!!
-เบญ (Ben) the investigator from under the tree, still way good, but definitely some possibility that he could actually be crazy. Sis Sirikwan and I had the funniest lesson of our lives with him on Saturday. Nonetheless, he wore a white shirt and tie to church like we asked so we will see!
-ฝน (Fon) the RC that just got baptized two weeks ago... DOING SO GOOD! She is so cute.. the only questions she had this last week when we met with her, "Sister is it ok if I come to church in the morning instead sometimes if I have appointments I can't miss with my doctors?" and "Who do I give this envelop with my tithing?" She is a rockstar and we are SO close with her husband! Pray for him to have free time!
-Totally reunited with SIS OLSEN and it was BLISS!! She will be training a Thai Sister when they come too! (Can you believe they are trusting us to be MOTHERS???? hahaha just kidding)
-Said goodbye to some of my favorite Sisters ever... I cannot believe they are home now! Love them so much. They just all better wait for me to be at their weddings!! HAHA!
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| love these Sisters FOREVER!!! |
Anyways, happy, healthy, and loving this work here. Thanks for your love and emails and for giving me a life full of equally special and hilarious memories to the point that sometimes I am just sitting there and something funny pops in my head about one of you guys... and then I am just sitting there laughing really hard to myself like an idiot. ("MY SON WILL NOT LEARN MATH FROM STAN THE JANITOR") Its the best and again, I just think to myself "how can I be so lucky??????"
loveyousosomuch,
SISTER MORGAN
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| on the train! |
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| craziness of getting all of the luggage and bikes into TAXIS... you should see the looks on the drivers faces when we start to get all the bags in... then we show them the BIKES. I think the Lord really plays a part in preparing the hearts of just enough taxi drivers to get us safely to transfers and back to our areas cause it is a little insane! |
I cannot believe I found this dress, I cannot believe it was 150 baht and I cannot help but believe in its prime, it was sold at some high end boutique near the grass courts of Wimbledon and by some turn of luck (or maybe some mission blessings) it somehow made its way here to Thailand to find me. Wow, how could I be so lucky???
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| reunited with SIS OLSEN and it was BLISS!! |
I didnt take any pics at Noi and Pong's, I will try to get some from Mags and send them!
I LOVE YOU!!!
also,,,, do you guys have any christmas requests?!!!
ps thanks for your sacrifices for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and your sacrifices to work at the airport too... that is crazy your schedule.
xoxo
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