11/30/15... I am leaving ChiangMai tomorrow :/ I am so sad to leave these people and this place, but at the same time, so excited for what is ahead.

FAM!!

So I think it's safe to say... you had the best Thanksgiving weekend getaway ever! LOVED the pics and all of the updates. Oh, to be a MORGAN!!

I don't even know where to begin with the details of this last week... IT WAS SOOOOO LEGENDARY! Between the miracles, the celebrations, the laughs, the goodbyes, my heart is so so full. And so are my stomach, and my camera, and my suitcases too......

Cause, you guys, I am leaving ChiangMai tomorrow :/ I am so sad to leave these people and this place, but at the same time, so excited for what is ahead. Ever upward, but before then, a little retrace into this past week to give you just a taste of the wonder/glamour/hilarity that is my life and that was the week of November 23th-29th, ha!

The week started off with a miracle when we were going to email last Monday, and our usual internet place was closed... There was one other place that came into my mind that is just outside of the mote, so we rode out and emailed there instead. When I went to pay, the guy working there goes, "So Sister, how long have you been serving in the ChiangMai branch?" Come to find out, he has been a member for 10 years! We went back to teach him later in the week, and he is the nicest, coolest guy. We are going to get him back, just pray that he can get his class schedule a little more flexible on Sundays! I love how the Lord will do whatever it takes to find His lost sheep.. who knows why our usual place was closed?!

So yes.. this week we totally kept teaching David, seriously such a good guy. You know him well from the detailed info card, but I think this quote/scene will give you even more imagery:

*trying to see where he is at with prayer and what he really wants to get out of learning with us. Note that Sister Sirikwan doesn't speak English, and neither does Sister จันทร์ (Jan, the cutest one with the voice like the guy on Rat Race) so I am flying solo for the most part

Sister Morgan: "So David, do you believe in Jesus Christ?"

David: "Yes, I do"

Sister Morgan: "That's really good. Why do you believe in Him, David?"

David: "In my humble opinion, a person without religion or some belief in a greater being is like a mere cabbage or potato in a field"

Sister Morgan: dying.... I don't even know how to respond... but it is kind of true so I think I said something like, "Yeah, that's right" HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

*later in the lesson, helping him see why the gospel of Jesus Christ is something that should change his life/ helping him see the importance of what we have been teaching him and why he needs to keep the commandments:

Sister Morgan: "David, you are going to play a part in helping Heavenly Father help his other children in China learn about this." 

David: "Yes, I think this needs to be propagandized everywhere. But I don't know if I can do it as good as you do it, Sister Morgan."

Sister Morgan: "Yes you can David"

David: "But Sister Morgan, I am just a potato!"

Sister Morgan: "I am just a potato too David!"

oh no at this point I realize what just came out of my mouth........... sometimes the most bizarre things happen and all you can do is laugh at the situation you find yourself in and try to come back from comparing yourself to a potato. Just a little play on the lines of the Lord will use small and simple means (potatoes) to accomplish His purposes but HILARIOUS none the less.

David had to go back to China, but he is a legend and I know he will read that BOM everyday and someday he will be baptized, and he will be a gnarly potato harvester (aka pioneer in bringing the gospel to the Chinese) hahaha  

We are still teaching all of the "kids" too. They are so fun and are good little "students". In Thailand they are so focused on learning and studying and homework etc, that it actually is kind of a benefit to them learning the gospel too. haha! You give them a reading assignment in the BOM and they want to do it so thoroughly and correctly like it is real "homework"... but in the process they feel the Spirit, realize this is no ordinary homework, and are CHANGED. เฟิร์น (Fern) is going to be baptized next Sunday and the others are on date for the end of December! 

My fav miracle of the week though, a Thanksgiving Day miracle, begins with the prompting I had to buy some candy at 7-11.... I love the little kids in the branches here and it is always fun to have a little treat to give them when you see them. (There is nothing cuter than a little Thai girl doing a little curtsy wai when you give them something, LOVE IT) so we get to the park to invite, and as I am getting off of my bike, this cutest mom and her little son come walking up to get on their motorcycle and leave. I starting talking to them.. give him some candy (YEAH!) and she was sooo cool and nice. We met her at the church on Thanksgiving and she is PERFECT. She is the sweetest mom, she and her husband both work at the post office, her work schedule just got changed to having Sundays off, and she loves to read. YES. She came to church on Sunday and the speakers were all about Eternal Families.. she was beaming the whole time. I can't wait for this family to be baptized! 

So honestly...... miracles on miracles this week......... but also celebrations on celebrations 

First of all, THE LANTERN FESTIVAL!! Words can't even describe it so I will just attach lots of pictures, so so fun! The members here are way fun about wanting us to have every cultural experience, we all made กระทงs (the floating flower boat things) at the church before, then we lit off lanterns on the big bridge and everything... AMAZING

the sky full of lights

the ELDERS

it was like Disneyland ride detail gone Thai style

making กระทงs at the church!

Thanksgiving was so great! Sister Stoker spoiled us and it was so fun to be there with out little makeshift "family" We were sitting there together after, and Sister Stoker goes, "I love this, it reminds me of being with my own kids!" I think one of the highlights was Sister Stoker telling a story about a family vacation or something and she literally was laughing SO HARD... tears streaming down her cheeks... hahahaha It was so funny, you know exactly what I am talking about, when someone is just dying laughing. That is my favorite, and I don't think any of us missionaries had ever seen that from our sweet, put together Sister Stoker! We love her!!  

Thanksgiving!

Then Friday night, we had the BEST activity at the church EVER!! Sister Stoker taught dancing, and then there were these two RMs who served here about 30 years ago (I think it was maybe just before Uncle Dave) as part of a singing group.. Apparently to get have a good relationship with the public etc the mission President then made a little singing group of missionaries that toured around Thailand performing and it became way popular and helped the missionary work. So anyways, they were here with their families and they performed and it was so fun! The members LOVED it. On one of the songs, everyone was doing this Thai traditional dance... SO FUNNY/ADORABLE. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh I love them.

the RM Singers! I think Elder Furch and Murri are their names.. their families were so great too!

It just takes one to start the dancing... Sister จันทร์ (Jan) did the honors 

until EVERYONE is dancing

Brother Brayoon came to the activity and was SO cute holding this baby.... OMG

Something that has been on my mind as I am leaving these people is something I read a while back from Spencer W. Kimball, where he goes through the life of the Savior and said, "The Savior was not afraid of close friendships." As I have tried to apply this in my life, I have felt and seen the greatest change. I can testify that when we make the effort to get close to people- all sorts of people, kids, adults, all walks of life, we are filled with compassion and HAPPINESS. 

I think we all love and know the scripture in Matthew where the Savior invites us to "take his yoke upon [us] for [His] yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light" ... and I think as we become yoked with the Savior, we understand that His "burden" really is light... perhaps it is as simple as loving those around us, getting close to them, being their friends, helping them learn of Him, learning of Him through them. 

And to be honest you guys, the response from the members to me leaving has been so tender and actually humbling. I have such special relationships with so many of the members here and love them like they are my family, to feel of their love in that same was really special. From the Branch Presidents and older members who took lots of pics w me and promised a place for you guys to stay when I bring you back to visit, to the YSAs, to the 11 year olds who came up and asked, "do you really have to go?" My heart is full, expanded, and my testimony is strengthened of the importance and beauty of close relationships. I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU GUYS TO MEET THEM. 

Sister จันทร์ (Jan)

love them SO MUCH

And I totally didn't write that to make it sound like I am awesome... purely out of love and gratitude for a new perspective, tried and true, on how I want my relationships to be for the rest of my life 

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

So best week, and then we are off to Bangkok tomorrow, to get our CHILDREN!  (the new Thai sister missionaries fresh from the MTC)  Sister Sirikwan and I keep joking and saying it is like we are two pregnant women getting ready to give birth around the same time....... hahaha she will look at me with her hands on her stomach and go "Sis I am at 8.5 months, how far along are you???????" haha it is cute how excited she is to train, and she has been such a blessing to serve with.. honestly SO hilarious. And I know ChiangMai is in good hands. I LOVE HER!! 

So that is that, next time we write I will be living the BANGKOK LIFE... I haven't been there since I was a greenie! How crazy is that?? I am excited and ready to go!

LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!! You all look so good in the pics, I love to see your cute cute faces. have a great week and you better be getting that CHRISTMAS TREE UP!! 

And by that I mean ALL OF THE CHRISTMAS TREES UP.... do it in my honor!

xoxo

Sister Morgan, potato expert, annual Christmas elf, shopaholic, and missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints

HAAAAAA!

Olsen loves รอยกระทง (Roygratong) hahaha he said he has been praying I would not move so I could experience ChiangMai Roygratong with him hahahaha 

from the church.... you could see them from everywhere!
even from my window at night while we were planning too!

we are sooooooo ASIAN

the parade was SO COOL! Sister ฝน (Phone) one of our RCs was walking in it!

so in order to make it home on time we had to hurry and throw our กระทงs off the bridge cause we didn't have time to go down to the waters edge HAHAHA

we are talking street FULL of people... we actually had a police escort all the way back to the mote,
that's Heavenly Father providing a way for obedience if Ive ever seen one!

this is what "lunch out with the girls" looks like in Thailand

Elephant park for P-DAY!

SISTER SIRIKWAN! <3