hey hey you crazy people IT IS CHRISTMASTIME!!! It sounds like you had a good week..
I am so happy to hear about all of your Christmas celebrations! It sounds like the annual Grandridge Dental Christmas parties are still as legendary as always.. and I hope Santa is going to be there for Grant and Claudia on Wednesday HAHA!
We are celebrating here too as always... Mom is so right, Heavenly Father did send me to the country of CELEBRATIONS! We might still be living in a hotel, and we might have just gotten news that the PERFECT apartment we were going to rent will not rent to us, but you cannot take the Christmas spirit from us or stop the work from moving on! haha here is a look into this week:
So yeah, after talking with President we decided that the area that the Barbie Dream house is, isn't right and started looking in this other area called เมืองทอง (MuengThong) It is a perfect central location and there are TONS of members that live around there, especially Sisters which is perfect cause the Bishop really stressed that he wanted us to work with the Relief Society. So we went out with the Relief Society President and found this PERFECT condo. The location could not be better and the size/ price everything. We had everything all together to sign tomorrow, and they called last night and said they don't want to rent to us! Definitely one of those times where you breathe, remember Isaiah 55- For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways... and just TRUST that there is something better around the corner. It is hard to think there could be something better considering that from the balcony there is a perfect view of these most beautiful tennis courts and there are little prodigy kids that were doing drills and it was just a little slice of heaven watching them for a minute...... (you could say I took that as a heavenly confirmation that "This is the Place" hahaha) but I know we are going to find the right place. The RS President has been so AWESOME with helping, we are going out with her again. Please pray for us!
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Sister รุ่งทีพย์ (Rungthip) living the HOTEL LIFE!
We can't complain about bed making and fresh towels everyday, but we are ready to move! |
So... I think I totally forgot to tell you last week, but SISTER FORTE is also serving in this area, training this other cutest Sister, Sister Smith from Washington, and they have been such a tender mercy/ blessing to us. First of all, it is Sister Forte and we are just BESTIES for life, but then in regards of the work, they have been so so awesome. Since we have no Area Book to teach recent converts from, they gave us some to teach and have been way helpful in getting to know the area a little bit.
This week we made an appointment to teach one of the RCs that they gave us, Sister แอน (Ann) and she totally brought her younger sister โรส (Rose) who is not yet a member to learn too! WOW. That was such a tender mercy. We taught about faith, then แอน asked if we could teach her the Restoration too. We are going to keep teaching her this week when she comes back into town, pray for her to open her heart and to be able to quit drinking coffee!
We have been inviting like crazy and seriously meeting way cool people. Sister รุ่งทีพย์ (Rungthip) is so good and really loves inviting/ every aspect of missionary work and life (even though ours is not so standard right now!) She has the greatest spirit about her all the time and I feel so lucky to be her trainer. hahaha I think my favorite thing this week/ this just sums up Sister รุ่งทีพย์(Rungthip) was at our Christmas Zone Conference this week (it was AMAZING.. details/pics to come!) we each got a Christmas Card from the First Presidency and in our companionship prayer before bed that night first thing she says is, "Thank you so much for the letter from the Prophet" I just sat there so grateful for another one of those learning moments... What I totally viewed as a mass printed card that went out to missionaries all over the world, similar to the one I got last year, similar to the one we get from American West Bank with the printed signatures(ha!), she just like loved and treasured and felt the personal love that was intended. She is so awesome and teaches me something new everyday.
And best news ever that we just got this very day about 1 hour ago... HER GRANDMA IS GETTING BAPTIZED!! Just before she left, her grandma had started meeting with the missionaries, but kind of slowly and not really wanting to pray etc... Well if there is one person who has the faith to move mountains or get Buddhist since birth grandmothers to change their hearts, it is Sister รุ่งทีพย์(Rungthip)! I have no doubt her mom and little brother are going to follow soon.
So yes---- This week we had our Christmas Zone Conference and it was SO AMAZING!! The morning started with Christmas cookies and milk while we watched "THE BEST TWO YEARS" and was followed by Christmas games, carols, chimes, then the best best best devotional. We are so spoiled in this mission!
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the funnest cat and mouse game...
The Johnsons were so cute and had us play a bunch of games that they play with their kids,
they made it so "homey" and you can tell they just have such a good time as a fam |
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| Christmas Tree decorating contest.... My group won with our wreath around the face.. YEAH!!!!!! |
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| chimes! |
One of the things that has been on my mind lots this week was something Sister Johnson talked about... the Little Drummer Boy. Everyone knows the song and loves the rum pum pum pums (Think The Office, Angela singing Karaoke to it at the Christmas Party and Dwight totally supplementing super intense rums and pums hahaha), but beyond that, the message is something we all really identify with. We learn from the poor little drummer boy, that even though we may not think what we have to offer the Savior is necessarily "fit for a King", we can use what we have, and "play our best for Him".
I love that imagery, of this poor little boy who has nothing really (I picture some of the little boys we see in the streets here), but he has this very treasured drum- its probably kind of dirty from him taking it everywhere with him, that he plays all the time and has gotten pretty good at.. He hears the news and follows the crowds to the manger. Upon the grandeur and awe of being in the presence of the new born Prince, his natural instinct is to offer Him something for all he could FEEL the babe would someday offer him with His yet unbeknownst Atoning sacrifice. He plays one of his best little rifts (for some reason I am picturing it being a bongo drum ha!), and while doing so the little Baby smiles at him, confirming to his overwhelmed, humbled heart the love that comes from the Sinless one, even while yet a speechless, mortal baby.
I know that someday that will be us, in the presence of the now resurrected Prince, we will feel those same feelings of grandeur and awe, and how special will it be to know that while we have waited for His arrival, we "played our best for Him" and served Him and His children with all we had, even if it seemed meager or less than fit for the King of Kings. I know that He will smile at us just like he smiled at the little drummer boy, and that He does smile every time we do something that draws us closer to Him. YEAH!!!!!!!!
so lets play those drums people, all day long for the rest of our lives........ ha!
Last thing from this week-- we had the HUUUGE Stake Christmas Party/ community wide gathering/ I don't think there is an American comparison of what it was. SO AMAZING! It was called "Journey to Bethlehem" and it was kind of like the one last year that I said was like dad's Halloween spook alley on steroids... but it was all about the story of the birth of the Savior and there were these different set pieces about the story through the church with singing and acting (the Shepherds, the Wise men, King Herod, the Inn Keeper, the Manger) It was just way classy and so AWESOME for us missionaries to have the opportunity to talk with so many non members and get referrals. YES!! I feel like I just butchered the explanation of what it was but just know you need to come to Thailand for Christmas to experience it for yourself- they are so so fun (and so over the top!) love it
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| there was no taking pictures in the "Journey To Bethlehem" so this is the only one I have! It was the first room that the groups had to wait in... Think like that room you go into before the Tower of Terror to watch the video.... YEAH it was intense people. Then instead of the gift shop at the end, they were led to the cultural hall to talk with us missionaries. Way better than a gift shop for sure.............. |
Christmas magic is in the air and we will be SKYPING next week!! Can't wait to see your cute faces. I love you guys so much!
xoxo Sister Morgan
ps Can we all just agree that The Best Two Years is nothing like missionary life in so many ways????????? HAAAAAAAAAAA sooo funny watching it with Thai people too, Sis รุ่งทีพย์(Rungthip) loved it and laughed so hard!
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