8/24/15... I AM IN CHIANG MAI with Sister Magbanua!!! UdornThani to ChiangMai--->literally from one Promised Land to another.... with another DREAM companion

our last lesson with แป๋ว (Baew) at her shop!

FAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know about you guys, but it feels like it has been about 10 years since I last emailed you..... SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED!! 

I am glad everyone is doing so well, I think one bright side of Brad's surgery right now is that we at least get to see what his face portion would look like if he were to get really fat cause we know in real life we are never going to see Brad fat... haaaaaaaa really though, I have been praying for you everyday big guy and it is for sure just going to be but a small moment! 

Also SO STOKED ON SISTER HEIDEN!!!! Can't wait to be serving alongside one another in the best work there is to engage in... Ellie, prepare yourself for greater happiness than you have ever known!

And that is just where I'm at right now.......... so happy! I will not keep you waiting any longer and just come out and say it, I transferred and I AM IN CHIANG MAI with Sister Magbanua!!! UdornThani to ChiangMai--------->literally from one Promised Land to another.... with another DREAM companion. She is just a little ray of sunshine... already so good at the language, SUCH a good missionary, and so so fun! Also she is Filipino and from New Zealand which I think just gives us major style points! We are "whitewashing"/ reopening the area here, so we are literally starting from an Area Book of lots of inactives and zero investigators.. Definitely so humbling, but there is no one I would rather take on a challenge like this with than Sister Mags! We both just feel this peace and this energy about the work we have been called to do. 

Mags on her BIKE!!

We are already seeing miracles, but before I get there I will fill you in on some looooooooooooose ends.......

So early last week was bittersweet back in good ole' Udorn finding out that Sister Olsen and I were both going to be leaving (seriously you guys that girl is my sister... Heavenly Father sent me to Udorn in part because I needed to meet my best friend!) . It was Sister McKnight's birthday on Monday so we celebrated with our fave Vietnamese and had a way good FHE celebration with the members... so fun! As Sis Forte and I met with Nooker and เล็ก (Lek), we decided that it would be best to have their baptisms on a Sunday instead of right before I left... it is about them, not me! I will send pics for sure when I get them from Sis Forte so you can put some faces to the names and see them in W-H-I-T-E. They are both SO ready.Like I always say, the hardest part about leaving an area... THE PEOPLE! Missionaries, members, investigators, your regular food people.....Riding off on the bus with the whole crew just standing there waving us off felt like I was leaving my own family again.. it was the best of the best in Udorn and I will never forget any of them!

so Sister McKnight turns 20...... so what better way to celebrate your companion's birthday than to
buy TWENTY rotdiis??? They are like little elephant ears......20 of them
Sister Olsen knows how to celebrate!!!!!! (**they ate them ALL)

This leads me to one of my favorite miracles of the week.... OH MY GOSH. So there were like 5 of us transferring from Udorn which means like 15 HEAVY suitcases, lots of bikes and a lot of chaos getting from one place to the next. Like they even had to send 2 of Sister Olsen and my bags on a different bus cause it was already overloaded! (no this is not because of the shopping we did in Udorn.... it was because of our books obviously HAAAA) So we get to the bus station in Bangkok and the Elders get these 2 guys that are going to take us to the transfer meeting. They load all of our stuff into the back of a truck, then the only left over bag is Sister Olsen's big one with all of her clothes, so we put that one in the back of the taxi and we disperse into the two vehicles. We were a little bit like "Umm ok Elders, where on earth did you find this person with a truck and why are we taking this grossest faded pink taxi with no words on the side...but we will just go with it!" So we get there, the guys were way nice, like they help missionaries get to transfers a lot I think, and then we get everything unloaded and they drive away.... but it takes only a few minutes to realize that WE NEVER GOT SISTER OLSEN'S BAG OUT OF THE BACK OF THE TAXI! Some Elders try to run down the road to find him, but it was Bangkok traffic and already too late.... Sis Olsen was trying not to stress about it, have some faith that it will show up, making jokes that we will just set up a booth with a "donations for Sister Olsen" sign and just get a dress here and a garment top there from all of the other missionaries...ha! We say a prayer, finish transfer meeting, and still he hadn't come back. OMG. So with our new companions, Sister Olsen and I take a taxi back to the bus station like 40 min away, (I could not just leave my girl hanging!) and sure enough, in the taxi area where all of the shiny pink taxis with words on the side park, what taxi were we able to spot with ease????? the gross faded pink taxi with no words on the side thats what taxi! hahaha we died at the fact that what we were like "bugged" with that morning was the exact miracle later that day... the Lord's ways are so curious and you can all rest at ease, Sister Olsen is still the best dressed missionary out there!!

The Elders in "the taxi" hahaha the guy was literally so funny, he helped us get our stuff,
then put Elder Tamang's helmet on cause we had no more free hands,
then proceeded to wear it until we got to the church!

THE BAG!!!!

It wasn't until LATE that night that we got on our train to head off to ChiangMai and it was probably the longest travels of my life! hahaha it was a sleeper train, so we each had a little bed area, but I felt like I just kept waking up and looking out the window and we were just still winding around the mountainous jungle..... it is SO UNREAL here! We didn't actually get to ChiangMai until Friday like late afternoon! Insane! But a way warm welcome from the members and the work is underway! Sunday was sooo good just getting to know everyone at church and Sister Peck, the only Sister of us four that isn't new here, has been SO good about showing us around and helping us out. We are so grateful! 

But Sunday was the other greatest miracle! We had been inviting on Saturday and I invited this Chinese man who barely spoke any Thai at all. He said he would come on Sunday, but when I called Sunday morning he said he wouldn't be able to. Something changed though, and we are standing in the hall making calls for church to start, and in walks Ming! On top of that, about the same time, in walks a group of friends traveling, and one of them had totally served her mish in Taiwan so she could speak with him in Chinese! The only problem was she couldn't go Thai to Chinese, so instead of pulling a whole translation train, me into her ear Thai to English, her into his ear English to Chinese, she just wore a headset and was in business! Come to find out his wife and daughter go to church in HongKong and his daughter has sent him stuff about how to pray etc..... we are meeting with him the week before he goes back to China for a bit.. Pray that we can touch his heart and communicate to him the gospel truths in some language or another!

We are ready to hit this week HARD now that we have gotten a little bit under our belts... here is some other good stuff I can't leave you without:

-our house here is CRAZY yucky but never fear, we are moving at the end of the month to a new house that none other than the unstoppable power duo Elder and Sister Stoker searched high and low and found for us! Pray that we survive until then ;) 

- yes you heard right, THE STOKERS ARE IN CHIANGMAI as well! They got here a few weeks ago and we are going to get the North ready for a Stake!!! It was so cute, I called them from our new ChiangMai phone right after transfers, and Elder Stoker answered the phone, and before I even said who it was or that I was going to ChiangMai, he just says "one moment" and yells to Sister Stoker, "HONEY, THEY'RE GIVING US SISTER MORGAN!" haha I am so excited to work with them again........ such a privileged! Not to mention, she totally made me steamed broccoli for dinner last night cause she knew I would not like french toast.......... hahaha she is so great!

-thank you for the best package ever!!! I am DYING over the letters and handwriting of all of the cousins..... Summer, Sarah, and Nicole since when are you not the little babies Erica and I were timing each other to take turns holding?! Thank you so much everyone for the love! And the new ipod.... mom you NAILED IT..... loving it all so much. 

-Sister Lor from my MTC group is here too! I cannot believe I have gotten to be in four Sister houses with first Coatsie now Lor, my two besties from the MTC. sooo fun! 

-ChiangMai is the craziest/coolest place... in the center there is this mote... a literal mote that was used in ancient days to keep intruders out. So everything is centered around this mote and the traffic is all one way on one side and all the other way on the other.. Poor Mags is learning how to bike in the hardest area in Thailand! I keep assuring her that if she can master biking here, she will be a pro everywhere else! Pray that we can get things down here and remember all of the routes and be safe too! Seriously look up a map of ChiangMai, its nuts!

the mote walls........more ChiangMai pics to come!

-So many opportunities in these branches to translate! I translated for Primary and then for the Relief Society lesson because the teacher was a lady in the branch from Denmark! It was definitely fun/ soooo funny at times.... like when the little primary girl is demanding a translation or when I was using some vocab from the scriptures in the Relief Society lesson and was informed by the members that it was WAY too harsh of a word to use for "hypocrisy" hahaha how am I supposed to know these things?! they were sweet and I now know the 'lighter' word that us regular people use for one who doesn't do what they say, not the one the prophets of old were using to call to repentance...

-speaking of hypocrisy... this is the challenge of the week: Read President Uchtdorf's talk from last conference Priesthood session, "On Being Genuine" you will be CHANGED! It has been on my mind all week and I know you will love love love

-There are some people in the branch here, the Chambers, who are good friends with the Radfords that I met back in my greenie days in Bangnaa... reunited all this time later! He is the BML and they are so awesome. 

-Ok and to close with a laugh......Do you guys remember that scene from the office where Pam is pregnant and having morning sickness and throwing up cause Dwight's food smells so bad, and it is just like this chain reaction causing everyone to throw up or like dry heave cause they see someone else throwing up......... hahaha we totally had that in the flesh the other day at our house... Sister Lor had ran over a frog or something and had it's guts all over her skirt and she realizes it and starts freaking out and dry heaving, then that starts Sister Peck and Sister Mags and I am just sitting there laughing soooo hard dying (kind of like when the camera flashes over to Creed and he is just like eating soup looking around at all of the madness) hahaha oh the glamorous life of the Sisters in the TBM.......

Sister Lor cleaning the contaminated skirt HAHAHA

I love you guys, we are happy and healthy and working hard. I have felt more than ever that the Lord knows me, Sister Sarah Morgan, He knows my strengths, my weaknesses, my abilities, my desires. I am continually humbled to be able to do His work, to see His hand daily in my life and in the lives of others. Its the very best best best. 

cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers

Sister Morgan

xoxo prayers coming your way as always, have the best week!

8/16/15... Good times in อุดร(Udorn), some unforgettable adventures in Bangkok, a little action with an Apostle of the Lord, and so much in between.

comp love..................... we are soulll sistas. LOVE HER!

Fam!!

First things first-- a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear old Dad!! Hope you are celebrating BIG cause you deserve it. WISH I WAS THERE

It sounds like you guys had a great week... so proud of BIG B and excited to hear what happens.

This last week totally exceeded all expectations-- so amazing! Good times in อุดร (Udorn) to start the week off, some unforgettable adventures in Bangkok, a little action with an Apostle of the Lord, and so much in between. Our P-Day was actually on Saturday for this week, so we only have an hour to give a quick hello this morning! So to your dismay-- or maybe to your pleasure HAHA, I will spare you many of the usual over detailed details and just leave it to the raw, unfluffed version/must know stuff. Here goes nothing!

Monday through Thursday we were in อุดร (Udorn) working away. 

--Started the week off with some FHE at แม่ติ๋ว's (Mah Thiw's) with some yummmmmmy food, scripture, and FINGERNAIL PAINTING! sooooo funny!

fingernail paintinnnnnnnnnnnnnng

--visited แม่s (Mahs) from Branch 2 for วันแม่ (Mother's Day) out in the boonies with the fearless แม่พร (Mah Pawn) it was so much fun to see these ladies and give them some love.

แม่พร (Mah Pawn) our fearless leader! hahahaha

--Taught Nooker, who is SUCH a rockstar... he totally marks and underlines the reading assignments we give and just really understands the gospel and its importance. So cool to see the desires to follow the Savior building within him. Best part, he told us this week he is studying to be an INTERIOR DESIGNER.. never would have guessed. Soooo much swaggg!

--เล็ก (Lek) is doing so good, is keeping the Word of Wisdom 100%, was so excited about tithing, and if all goes as planned, he will be baptized this Wednesday before the end of the Transfer! (And maybe Nooker too.. pray for them!)

--Vietnamese food with พ่อศรีไทย (Pah Sii-Thay).. he has been telling us how much better these food cart Vietnamese people are than VT, our usual, and so we had a little outing with our favorite พ่อ (Pah), and the consensus of the Udorn Sisters still stands that VT peanut sauce trumps all food on the face of the earth.....

--Finished the night after Vietnamese by introducing พ่อศรีไทย(Pah Sii-Thay) to ice cream in a tube... he loved and ALSO! The LA (less active) owner was totally reading the Book of Mormon we had taken him last week when we got there... He said he is almost to 2nd Nephi and would be at church on Sunday. YES!

ice cream in a tube!

--Taught แป๋ว (Baew) the cute clothes shop owner in her little store... pray for her, she is doing so so great!

--Plans totally fell through one day and we ended up visiting an LA family of these 4 most beautiful sisters and their mom-- all of which have graduated Seminary/Institute and were so strong at one point. We felt like we should read Mosiah 3 together about the Savior and it was so so special. We left and just knew that was where we needed to be that night...the Lord's plans are always sooo much greater than ours. 

Friday through Sunday we were living big in the concrete jungle, aka the เทพ (the Tabe) aka B-A-N-G-K-O-K.........so good!

busssssssssssss action...

--President wanted everyone there Friday night which meant, we left early Friday morning, which meant an ALL DAY BUS RIDE. Lots of story telling and laughs, and its safe to say the Dundie for best stories goes to Elder Visser (or to myself) hahahaha

Jeffrey R. Holland

--Holland literally blew our minds you guys, it was so special. The missionaries had a session with him Saturday morning, and his words were so inspired. Upon his arrival (which immediately filled the eyes with grateful, adoring, praising tears), he shook each of our hands after the group photo. After he began his address, he told us that it as not just to give us the chance to touch an apostle of the Lord, but that he interviews each of us in that short interaction. Suddenly I think we all felt like our very hearts and souls had been sent through one of those airport security scanners... vulnerable and ready to hear the things that we, the missionaries of the Thailand Bangkok Mission needed to hear. Fav tidbits and quotes:

"This is the most important thing on the face of the planet-- engaging in the Salvation of a Human Soul"

"Don't you DARE miss one minute of your "apostalic" moment" **you know he was pounding the pulpit speaking in that voice of his we all crave...........................sooo powerful

"We are God's investigators... You want people to change? He wants YOU to change."

"THIS IS GOD'S TRUTH" followed by a reference to the fact that he wouldn't do all he does if that wasn't the case, especially that he wouldn't miss family time, watching sporting events, or and I quote, "tennis matches". THE MAN LOVES TENNIS PEOPLE... so many bonus points. 

For real though, I left humbled, invigorated, ready to continue in things that are good, improve and change the things I need to be better, and to "sign on, stay in, cause it's the greatest experience on into eternity."

--An incredible P-Day after our time with Holland Saturday exploring จตุจัก (JatuJak), the best/biggest market in Thailand! So many fun finds, a killer foot massage break, and as always the BEST company!

shoppppppin in the big city

more foot massages

--2 consecutive nights of WARM showers.. blisssss

--The Sunday Session with all the members was incredible. 2 things that I loved:

1) He started his address by inviting the members to think of you guys, the parents and families of the Thailand Bangkok missionaries- how you guys hope and pray we will be having a good experience out here. He said the greatest way they can help with this, is to give us opportunities to teach and testify. aka member referrals..... we were all sitting there like YES!!! He pointed out that the benefits are twofold: The church grows, and we will have a generation of missionaries who LOVED their mission and are strong in the church.... I could not agree more. The experiences I have had thus far on my mission have written on my heart 100% that "I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never, no never forsake".......

2) Then he gave a way cool analogy of how when we reject a gift, we are not just rejecting the gift, but the giver as well. He spoke of the temple about to be built here, but we can apply it to any of the wonderful blessings the Lord bestows upon us, and said "You and I must be DETERMINED not to reject Heavenly Father in this great gift." Super awesome awakening to all of the ways that we must consciously "accept" the gifts He so generously gives us through our righteous living thus not rejecting Him, our Father whom we love and revere. SERIOUSLY IT WAS SOOO GOOD.

--Saw RCs and members from all of my past areas... LOVE THEM ALL!

--Rode back to the church from the meeting with none other than President and Sister Johnson themselves... such a good time, we absolutely adore them!

--Waited for 10+ hours at the church for our bus only to get back to Udorn in time to begin this very Monday morning that we find ourselves living as we speak............ Oh to be a TBM missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!

So definitely an unforgettable experience this past weekend.. We are happy and healthy and ready to finish this transfer with a BOOM. Can't even believe where the time has gone, it has been a dream!

ALL OF MY LOVE,

Sister Morgan

President Jeffrey R. Holland and the Thailand Bangkok Mission!

Sister McKnight shaking Pres. Holland's hand....... the "interview"

dinner with the "parents" from Bangapi...
they are SO sweet and picked us up from the bus station and took us all around!

members from Udorn who came down!!

Wi!!!! How cute is this girl!?! love her!!!!

District Swensons every tuesday....... the Sistas

the XXL bag of Squid chips is a long story...
but lets just say they were a necessary purchase Saturday night and Sister Olsen and I have no regrets

8/9/15... E-P-I-C week of miracles..

the SISTAS...McKnight, Forte, Morgan and Olsen

FAM!!! 

Wrapping up the Lake Powell adventures, getting back to the grind.. It sounds like it was such a good week! I am glad you are all in one piece and even more glad that Brad is about to land the back flip on the wakeboard......  so sick!!!! the wakesurf footie is like priceless too ขอบคุณหลายๆ! (thanks so much!)

SUCH A GOOD WEEK HERE PEOPLE..............

I have been pondering my reading in Jacob chapter 5 from earlier this week and it really just sums up the thoughts/feelings of the week: "And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come. And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things."

It has been continually on my mind as well that the phrase "it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard" is found in this chapter SIX times....  

The truth of these two pieces in the 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle that is Jacob chapter 5- That the Lord is working along side of us, and that he will do all he can to not lose even one soul, have been manifest like 100 fold this week.. OMG secure your belongings and hold on tight because there is some good stuff coming your way......................

So do you guys remember พ่อสอ (Pah Sah) the tuktuk driver who was baptized a few weeks ago?The one who sits in his tuktuk on the side of the big road about 30 minutes out of town and drove us to teach the RC family that lives out in the boonies etc.... how could you forget him? So we are sitting in the church the other day waiting for a new investigator, a guy I had invited a few days earlier. I couldn't quite remember what he looked like, so a guy walks into the church and we start talking to him like it is this new investigator, but in the back of my mind I am like "what the heck I feel like I have never seen this person in my life!" Sure enough it wasn't him... We get talking and he tells us he has been a member for 20 years- baptized at the age of 10, the only member in his family- but left the church several years ago. He tells us of the trials and challenges that are filling his life right now- no work, nowhere to live, and ultimately no hope. With tears in his eyes, he tells us he came home to อุดร (Udorn) to find his father and just had nowhere else to turn. So he makes the trip back home and finds his father, sure enough, in the same place he always had as a boy- sitting in his tuktuk on the side of the big road about 30 minutes out of town. His dear old dad is none other than the recently baptized พ่อสอ(Pah Sah) who told him that the one place he needed to go in this state of hopelessness was the church on Jinthakam street. SOOOO cool.. we read in the BOM, prayed, and obviously shared some pics of his dad's baptism day too haha! 

พ่อสอ's (Pah Sah's) son!! 

Then the other day we were inviting at this fun market called UD Town, and Sister Forte kind of wanders through and invites this cutest shop owner lady. If I was to paint you a pic of her, she is like 50 year old go-green boho yoga chic lady and is just SO SO NICE. Sis Forte runs over to me and is like "Umm I just met this lady, and I think she is ready to be baptized..." So we go over and keep taking to her, and sure enough, she has learned everything with missionaries before, keeps all of the commandments and just really has a deep love for the Savior/ desire to do good... she was just must have fallen through the cracks (for lack of better term) and didn't get baptized. We went back and gave her a BOM and prayed together in the back of her store. She came to church yesterday and has a date to be baptized! It is so cool to get home at night and go........ "ok there is no way we would have taken that route or invited down that little aisle if it wasn't for the Lord just softly leading us along." E-P-I-C

Speaking of the soft whisperings. Thursday we are studying, and เล็ก (Lek) Mr. Radio DJ calls and says he is free at 12 and that he wants to meet us at McDonalds.... we had totally already made plans for the day, and I think I was a little bugged (I have repented since haa) that he hadn't answered the phone for a few days when I tried to set stuff up, so I just told him it probably wouldn't work... but we would call him and see for maybe later in the day. In that very moment that I hung up, it was like an audible voice whispering to me that we needed to meet with him asap.. and it was just like laid out before my eyes exactly what changes we needed to make in our schedule, who we needed to call to help teach in such short notice that would benefit Bro เล็ก, and exactly what scriptures we needed to share. So we get there, and I kid you not, during this lesson, his countenance changed. We answered each of the questions he asked with the scriptures I had quickly jotted down in my planner and we just saw the spirit working within him. He now has a solid date for baptism with a true contrite spirit and humble heart and I cannot deny that the Lord led us completely in the whole thing. IT WAS AWESOME and especially with this guy, I know that we have been prompted several times to just "spare it a little longer", to just hold out and wait on him. Pray for him to have the strength to keep changing and desiring the fruits of the gospel!

this would be the day that we left the house thinking it wouldn't rain too hard... then within 2 min we literally both looked like we had jumped in a pool HA oh Thailand............ goooooood times!

Then.......... so funny. We were inviting at the park, and I get kind of dragged away by this lady who wants to introduce me to her friends (HAHA) I could still see Sister Forte, but she had totally lost sight of me and got a little worried. She borrows the phone of this random guy.......calls me, we reunite, we start talking to him.. and turns out to be the NICEST/most prepared guy ever! We set up an appointment after he tells us that the one thing he wants to know, is "who is the Joseph guy?"........ummmm ok, super unexpected golden question from a guy in a way huge Buddhist necklace?!.. So we meet with him, teach the Restoration, then start introducing the Book of Mormon. He goes, "wait, I already have this book, this exact book with this cover and color and everything..." He then tells us how several years ago, he was at his University standing in a group of his friends and a man came up to him and gave him the book and told him to read it and that it would help him. He said it sits by his bed and he has read from it from time to time and way loved it, he was just a little confused about Joseph etc. OK...............so awesome! He has a date to be baptized!

So yeah, the Lord was good to us this week...I feel like I didn't even give you the slightest taste of it all! I can testify that He knows and loves us and will do whatever he can to nourish the trees of his vineyard จริงๆ (just some emphasis added hahaha). IT IS SO COOL 

บางนา (Bangna) members totally visiting อุดร(Udorn)!! Ran into them while we were inviting... she pretended to be someone interested and I'm like talking to her and decide to just go for it and am like "OK WAIT I KNOW YOU!!" Can you imagine how awkward that could have been if it wasn't her............ total fun blast from the PAST of those greenie days!!

Some other good stuff without all the gnarly details:

learning that the owner of ice cream in a tube is actually a member of the church that hasn't been in years...... WE ARE BRINGING HIM BACK

New dater for baptism named Nooker who I met the other day, learned with the Elders years ago and SO ready. (I'm telling you people, the Lord is just leading them to us!! so grateful)

dinner at แม่พร's (Mah Pawn's) yesterday night turned GNO... for some reason none of their husbands came and it was so fun just spending time with some of my MOMS in Thailand... I love them!! Mother's day is this week here!

with my แม่s (Mahs)!!! I LOVE THEM!!

din din with the LADIES

ok funniest thing.. in the Branch 1 sacrament meeting, this member from Australia brings her two little boys to sacrament and for some reason she like left the room for a while and they were just going out of control running up and down the aisle. Like it was in the most adorable way possible, but everyone was way disturbed and no one knew what to do. So I get the head nod from the other missionaries, grab them and bring them back to sit by me--- and for some reason before we left church I decided to bring this big pad of paper that I never have before..... and so we totally COLOR in silence for the remainder of the meeting. YES that is a miracle if I have ever witnessed one. hahaha see Dad, I am actually good with kids ok??????????

also the realization that the wooden chapel pews are like a small child's worst nightmare... I don't know how many times I watched those little boys bonk their heads on the way sharp corners of the hymn book holders and just like look so shocked and hurt every time when it happened...... hahaha its not funny but it kind of was. obvious note made to self: have your little toddlers wear helmets to church.......................

ha ok we are digressing......... that is all I have for you! I hope you have a great week! Extra prayers headed your way with all of the good stuff coming up in this next week for you guys! 

xoxoxo Sister Morgan

next time we talk I will have prob shook Holland's hand.... a little bit freaking out over here!!

here I am on my bike............with my signature helmet tilt. HAHAHA
it is hard to rock the bun and wear a helmet like I do but don't worry I manage 

district pic at the wad....minus our fearless zls

this would be Sister Olsen and I on a little switch off this week, the last ones to leave the house, totally locking the key in the house! luckily the WINDOW was open and the key was within reach of a pole we found by the house. HAHA shhhhh don't tell the other Sisters

another funeral in the branch

probably the grossest pic known to man.......... but I couldn't not share with you the joy that filled our hearts inviting and finding these blessed chokers from our childhood..... we are thinking they are maybe coming back in???? HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

8/3/15... Legendary happenings from the week and Thailand gems...

FHE at จินตนา's

fammmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!

Look at you guys cruising down to Lake Powell as we speak...... so stoked about that and I kind of can't believe it has been a whole year since we were down there. ummm, WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?! 

Speaking of time passing, Happy 25th to the cutest parents in the world! I probably haven't told you guys this.. but I made this picture book that I teach with like everyday and I have this BEST pic of you two that I I use almost every time when I teach about the Plan of Salvation or temples or actually the Law of Chastity too. It puts it in the perfect real light that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, it is central to His plan and our exaltation, and it can bring us so much happiness as we have it in His way. so THANK YOU GUYS for your super example... my investigators probably thank you too cause it def takes some of the possible awkwardness that is the law of chastity and makes it so apparent and simple that they want what you have...... you can just see it on your faces! <3<3

the pic that gets those investigators thinking about eternity.................. how cute are you guys?

Anyways, enough with this mushy stuff and on to this week.. it was another good one! We are seeing crazy miracles and still having a crazy good time. Udorn really is the Promised Land in every aspect of the work, I'm not just saying that!!

 this is Udorn.  my people!!!!!  hahahaha

So yesterday at the baptism after the second branch the lady that got baptized bore her testimony after and said something to the affect of "before there was hell and darkness and now it is only heaven and light. I am going to keep the commandments with all of my heart and bring my family to church every Sunday because now we have found the light." (it sounds kind of awkward in English, but in Thai it was so tender and made sense and was so beautiful..) I sat there and was just pondering what she said. She is this CUTEST mom with two little girls and they are always so put together and just seem so with it. One of the little girls was learning English and piano with Sis แก้ว (Gaew) a returned missionary here, and so she introduced them to the Elders. From what I knew of them, their life just seemed like, even without the gospel, it was happyish. But hearing her say this with such overwhelming emotion, it really made me realize that in this life, we all need the same thing... The gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness. Anything less, no matter how "put together" and "with it" your life is or seems, you are still ever thirsting after something more. Still feeling that "darkness" and "hell" that surround when the hope of a Savior and a loving Heavenly Father with a plan are far from your knowledge. I have been overwhelmed as I continue to ponder this thought at how apparent it has been in our work this past week with investigators, less actives and members alike.  

I think of แม่พัด (Mah Pad) our miracle baptism this week!! She is the mom of a pretty recent convert here, been Christian her whole life, but not super open to the church after her daughter got baptized. The Browns (a senior couple that just left Udorn a few months before I got here) visited her a couple times, but nothing really came of it, and Sister ดรุฌี (Darooni) her daughter, just trusted that it wasn't the right time. Well she brings her to church the Sunday before last and says that she wants us to teach her mom because she is finally "ready". We made the hour and a half drive out there with one of our dearest member friends and as I invited her to baptism, I KNEW it was supposed to be this Sunday. She understood and accepted the Restoration and the laws and ordinances of the gospel so readily. She was baptized yesterday, that first step in the covenant path and bringing the overwhelming light and clarity to ideas she has always been familiar with, that only the Restored gospel brings. Dispelling the darkness...

she is the best missionary... almost her whole family is now baptized!

teaching แม่พัด with her daughter!

we love BAPTISM! and แม่พัด(Mah Pad) ...So cute how much they look alike huh?!

I think of Sister บิว (Biw) one of our new investigators, the niece of a member who is from Udorn but now lives in Bangkok. Well Sister ออ (Aah, the aunt) came home to visit this last week, and came to the church and said "Sisters! I want you to teach my niece and I will bring her here tomorrow!" We were so excited and of course accepted (there is nothing more golden than a member referral especially when it is a family member. OMG) and come to find out, her niece is 17 and an only child, and both of her parents have cancer. Sister ออ(Aah)  knows that only the perspective of the restored gospel will comfort a child with the possibility of losing her parents any day just staring her in the face. It was so so special teaching the Plan of Salvation and I can't wait to keep working with her. Pray that her parents will open their hearts as well!

I think of รุธ (Root), a less active that Heavenly Father just totally led us to this week. I don't know what happened to me, but this week I just got soo stoked on LA work..it is a big part of President Johnson's new vision and I am gaining such a testimony of it! So I just started going through our phone and calling ones that said "LA" next to their name to share a scripture, or to try to set something up with them or if nothing else to just give them a little love. So I call รุธ(Root) get to know her, share a scripture, and she just starts bawling. She agrees to meet with us that night, and it was just so evident that Heavenly Father knew one of His daughters was struggling and needed to know He was there. Long story short her fam are all members, her dad was even in the branch presidency before, and they have just all fallen away. Hearing her speak of those same things.. the "hell", the "darkness" that have come into their life since then, just left Sister Forte and I a little speechless. I cannot deny that the Spirit literally filled our mouths with what to say to help her see what she needs to do to bring the "heaven" and the "light" that her family once knew, back into her life. Pray for her and her family, who have tasted of the goodness but just forgotten. 

the cute FHE board I made to take to some LAs...
artwork courtesy of Sis Coates, idea courtesy of Sis Stoker (two of my favorite Sisters EVER!!)

Last but not least (sorry is this getting too long??) I think of การ์ตู้น (Cartoon!) our newest member of the Udorn Branch 1 as of yesterday! We went and visited her this week, and I can't even tell you the turn around that has taken place in this girl and the LIGHT that she just exudes. She comes running out of her bedroom as we rode up, greets us, pours us some water, grabs her stack of gospel books she had just been studying, and invites us to start the lesson with a song. HAHA we are like 'umm yes any song you'd like girlfriend!!!!' She told us of her plans to enroll in early morning seminary asap, finish school then go on a mission-- which she has already started saving for. speechless. A girl entangled in the bonds of darkness, and sin to be quite frank about it, who realized that the only thing that would fill her completely was the gospel. And how full she is now and will be forever more......its the best thing ever!!

So yeah, this week was a good one and we are SO so happy. We are trying to prepare for HOLLAND to come... August 15 and we are definitely counting down the days. And trying to figure out what to wear... hahaha you know me. But more than that, trying to prepare spiritually of course! I have been trying to read some talks by him and the one that I read today just felt like an anthem to my life as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and reminded me why I am so excited to have an apostle of the Lord in our midst so soon. He closes his talk: 

"Friends, especially my young friends, take heart. Pure Christlike love flowing from true righteousness can change the world. I testify that the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth and you are members of His true and living Church, trying to share it. I bear witness of that gospel and that Church, with a particular witness of restored priesthood keys which unlock the power and efficacy of saving ordinances. I am more certain that those keys have been restored and that those ordinances are once again available through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than I am certain I stand before you at this pulpit and you sit before me in this conference."

 ahhhh my favorite part of conference every single time is the testimony of the apostles and prophet at the end of their talks. It is sometimes short and if you aren't paying attention you will maybe even miss it, but without fail it is there, and it will pierce you to the very soul when you realize that these are men that truly know, and dare I say, converse with the Lord himself. I am super excited and humbled to have my soul pierced in the flesh here coming up soon.... its going to be legendary.

FHE at จินตนา's, we love Suki!

Other legendary happenings from the week and Thailand gems:

I rekindled my love for pulling weeds doing some yard work at Sister จินตนา's (Jinthna's) house. Nothing more satisfying than pulling out a nice big weed.  Finding a huge dead rat in her weeds though was a first for me........ SO GROSS  

realizing that sometimes as a missionary you totally feel like the guy on the RM that is trying to be way good on his home teaching and is like shoving the cookies through her mail slot and is like "Um, Sister I know you are in there... I can see your arm... Is there anything we can do for you?.. Ok I'm just going to leave now... But don't hesitate to call if you need anything" hahahaha its seriously so funny when you just kill with kindness and it is recieved like not at all........... omg  

I can ride my bike with no handlebars

eggs in Thailand are brown, never white, and sometimes they are pink. still a mystery to me why they are pink sometimes. the implications seem very unnatural to me. Flamingo eggs? probably not......................

waking up to the sound of rain everyday..... "Make you banana pancakes, pretend like it's the weekend... Can't you see that it's just raaaaaaaaainin' there ain't no need to go outside...."

Actually its more like no time for banana pancakes around here, the weekends are the same as the weekdays, and we definitely still go outside in the pouring rain, but it is the BEST BEST BEST. Wouldn't trade it for a lazy Jack Johnson day ever.

hahaha yep thats where I'm at. And that's all I've got. I love you guys.

Have the best week in Powell, be safe, eat all the "Sarah Morgan" popcorn you can, cause next year I will be there and I'm not sharing with anyone........... (so honored to have my name associated with such a heavenly food. hahaha love the Olsens!) 

xoxo 

Sister Morgan 

แม่หนู (Mah Noo) in the middle there had us over to teach us how to make food and to have a little lesson... and I am not going to lie, for some reason she is obsessed with me. Love her!!

the lunch group!

a little action shot of two of my Udorn besties... Elder and Sister แสงเวียน <3

Mother's day in Thailand is coming up in August... does that mean we get to skype again?! haha I think not... but this totally sums up my feelings LOVE YOU MOMMMMMSY