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| COMPANIONS! ...Her name is Sister รุงทิพย์ (Roongthip) and she is so AWESOME!<3 |
How the heck are you guys?! I cannot believe what a crazy week you have had! It has been equally crazy in the life of yours truly... in fact I can't even believe all that has happened since my last letter, but longstoryshort, as dad put it, BAM, WE'RE IN BANGKOK!!!!!!!!!!!
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| from the real jungle to the concrete jungle |
First things first, Sister Sirikwan and I made the long trip from ChiangMai on Tuesday... probably my last bus ride ever. The members were so cute and came and saw us off and as always brought tons of unexpected gifts and goodies... seriously the THAI PEOPLE!
We found some good leads on Wednesday, and seriously Wisan and his wife, Sister นอ้ย (Noi) have been our LIFESAVERS. When we got to the mission office early early on Wednesday Wisan helped us get some barings on the map we had to go by (Seriously, all we had to start was a map with a circle around where we were supposed to go!) He hooked us up with the nicest Sister, อ้อย (Ooi!) to go look with us in the morning, then Noi came and took us all around. And totally took us out to lunch too... she is SO beyond sweet.
That night we had a little "transfer meeting" at the mission office and my ลูก (loog! aka CHILD) is perfect! Her name is Sister รุงทิพย์ (Roongthip) and she is so so awesome. She is the only member in her family and has been a member for just over a year. She is such a hard worker and has so much faith! I love companionship study with her and hearing her strong testimony and solid understanding of the gospel. Plus, ummmmmmmm so perfect- she was MTC companions with Sister Olsen's ลูก and they are just the best of friends. Honestly, all the trainers and new missionaries were matched up so perfectly, it was really kind of cool!
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| the new missionaries! HOW CUTE ARE THEY?! |
So no doubt, we are going to see miracles together... and we are going to start with finding a house, CAUSE WE LIVE IN A HOTEL PEOPLE! haha it is actually a really nice hotel and is not too bad, but we want to get things going with the area and it kind of starts with a place to study/sleep/be! Wisan and Noi have taken us out almost everyday and we had a total miracle finding a house right in their neighborhood! It looks like a Barbie Dreamhouse and could be perfect. It has been fun spending time with them and experiencing firsthand the influence of a family that literally gives all they have for the furthering of the gospel. They are the pioneers of the Church in Thailand and I really just love them and respect them so much. Way fun to be serving in their area... especially seeing Wi on Sunday! <3
Seriously Sunday was such a great day. It was a total unexpected treat that we actually serve in the International Ward here too. I had no idea how special it would be to me to hear the sacrament hymns and sacrament prayers in English... something I haven't heard in over a year (totally bawled a little!) . The testimony meeting has such a different flow too. I love that the church is true and the spirit is felt in every language though, because the next sacrament meeting was way good too. It is always so fun that first Sunday in a new area to feel of the dynamic of the ward (I am finally serving in a WARD again, I haven't since I was a greenie!) and get to know the members. There are the best of the best here, I am so honored to get to serve them and serve with them... this is the ward of Wisan and lots of other pioneer members including Elder Kanikam of the Quorum of the 70. So fun, and I can only imagine how the missionaries feel serving in the Salt Lake City South mission or whatever who are totally in Bednars or Oaks's wards, YIKES haaaaaaaa We are doing FHE at the Kanikam's house tonight!
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| PRES JOHNSON back in the day! Visiting a member in Don Mxang and what do you know! She was taught by President himself! So cute this pic has a way prominent place in her living room |
Speaking of FHE- last Monday I had the sweetest reminder that the Lord is oh so aware of us, and that He will teach us little lessons in the very same way that a father teaches his children. How grateful I am for a relationship with my Father in Heaven and for His patience with me as He teaches and reteaches me the lessons of life and ways of His kingdom. The story of FHE:
So as I knew I would be leaving ChiangMai, Sister จันทร์ (Jan, by this point you should know who she is!) planned way in advance that she would have a big FHE at her house to send me off. So so sweet of her and she was just way excited. At church on Sunday though, one of the members (kind of a cool, hip young member with a way nice house) came up to me and said "Hey we want to have a big send off FHE for you at our house!" Suddenly I felt a little conflicted, I love all of the members, but had already said we would go to Sister Jans. I asked if maybe we could all go together, but kind of knew it wouldn't work. So anyways long story short, kind of dumb, but I just was feeling bad about having to say no to the other member and just feeling awkward a little bit and in my studies for some reason I decided to read this article in the Ensign for this month:
(its seriously not that long just read it or you will be so lost!)
I guess you could say I had my own little "Christmas with the Dombrowskis" in a sense that the Lord so clearly helped me see like this missionary that it is invaluable to experience the love of those around you, to feel of their sacrifices in your behalf.
Even more, the miracles that followed us being at Sister Jan's house that night were too good. First of all, Sister ฝน (Phone, our RC with cancer) totally brought her HUSBAND!!! It was so awesome seeing him feel so comfortable and having so much fun with the members.. and he said he would go to church on Sunday! Then, early on in the night, we totally had this cutest lost American girl ask us directions to get to a nail salon.. we pointed her in the right direction and said if she didn't find it to at least come back and have dinner with us! Then after, as we were all getting ready to leave, she came walking back and Jan invited her in and started force feeding her fruit and just showering her with love/ everyone else was way nice in a more casual way HAHAHA. But long story short, she is a teacher who just moved here from Boston and is looking for a church and was just so touched by how nice everyone was to her, and how she had NEVER experienced anything like that with complete strangers. I just sat there looking at their faces as Jan made plans to pick her up for church on Sunday, just feeling so grateful to be in the company of true disciples of Christ who LOVE everyone, so grateful that the church has established Mondays as a night to be with family, and so grateful as I said, that Heavenly Father loves me enough to teach me...
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| with ฝน and her husband at FHE! love them |
I feel like a lot of times in my life Heavenly Father just looks at me like a little kid who just learned from experience that stoves will burn or that dogs will bite, just shaking his head, smiling, saying , "See, I told you so." haaaaaaaaa
So yeah, a way solid week, lessons learned, and so many to be learned here up ahead... I CAN HARDLY WAIT
Pray for a house, pray for Sister Rungtip, and pray for me to adjust to life without a bike! WE ARE IN BANGKOK PEOPLE!
I love you guys so much! have a great week and get that CHRISTMAS pandora station blaring through the house this week
xo SISTER MORGAN
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| grateful for a country that is festive during Christmas without even knowing it! haha! |
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| ewwwwwwww how nasty is this??? would this EVER fly in America?! |
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| At the big celebration for the King's Birthday, aka Thai Father's Day! |
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| fireworks of course! |
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| Thai Father's Day! |
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| bye bye to my food people in Chiangmai! I LOVE THEM! |
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| we ate lunch here EVERYDAY |
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