This week was crazy guys! Crazy, but good.
Sister Black got transferred and I was really sad, but Sister Ellis and I are still having so much fun! This is her last transfer and we made a bucket list of all the crazy fun things we are going to do (like "jogging" contacting)...so funny. Oh! And I also convinced her to do the "Cinnamon Challenge", (eat a teaspoon of cinnamon) and when we did it, I could hear my mom's voice in my head saying, "That is how people die." --We are still alive though.
Now in Chiang mai we have 2 new elders. SO it is 4 elders and 2 sisters. It's good though!
Grandma! Grandma Cammy! Thanks so so so much for all the packages! I absolutley loved them and everything was so perfect. Everyone is so jealous of my falang food...but don't worry I shared...a little.
So this week Sister Ellis and I set some goals. One goal we have is to get 4 baptisms this transfer. we wrote it down and stuck it on the wall because, as Dad would say, "A goal not written is only a wish". It is crazy- as soon as we did this, miracles started happening. Firstly, we ran into Mae while contacting. She is our investigator that was so solid but needed to get married to her bf first. Turns out, he forbade her to keep learning with us, but she is still reading and praying and we were able to tell her that although it may take time Heavenly Father is there for her and wants to help her, and will help her.
Another miraculous thing is this lady from Taiwan, Wendy, walked into the church a week ago wanting to learn how to be happier and get closer to God and Jesus Christ. Sister Black was going to teach her but since she left, we got to teach her...and since she doesn't speak Thai, it's in English!! (Which was definitley a blessing for me, because I can contribute waaay more.) We had many amazing lessons with her in which she told us her whole life story...and man, her life has been hard. She is an orphan and was told her life would never amount to anything, but she perservered and even has a Phd! She is married and has a son, but about a year ago she got breast cancer, and her cancer is now in stage 3. She said the doctors wanted her to stay in the hospital, but she was like ,"There is no way I am just going to lie down and die, I am so grateful for each day I am given, and I am going to make the most of it." That was really inspiring to me, and she said she is traveling around trying to help people. In Chiang Mai she helps the mountain tribes, mainly the kids, with so many things! She is really so inspiring. She also talked about how, although her life has been very hard, she believes in God and knows Jesus Christ is her Savior. She prays each day to feel peace and to show gratitude for her life. She literally says the most thoughtful prayers ever...prayers in which you know she is talking to someone. She has experienced a lot of persecution in Taiwan for her beliefs, but says she knows these things are true and will never back down. We had comitted her to be baptized this past Sunday, but she is going back toTaiwan this week so she didn't feel ready. She is coming back in the middle of February and bringing her son, so she wants to be baptized then!
A moment I'd like to share with you all about teaching Wendy was when she told us of a friend she visited in Chiang Mai who tried to commit suicide. She then told us how even though her life has been so difficult, she knows life is worth living and each day is such a gift. She wanted to convince her friend of this but he simply couldn't see it. Wendy then started crying, and I had the prompting to bear my testimony to her of how I don't know what she is going through, and can't understand it...but the Savior can. He has felt all her pains before and he understands, and because he understands she can pray and get the help she needs. This really comforted her and we then watched the restoration video in Chinese and she was like, " I get it now...I am just like Joseph Smith.. I have a question..I will pray like him to know God's will for me." It was really amazing because she was really confused before. (probs a bit of a language barrier).
Another miracle this week was with Thai language skills. I really feel like I "leveled up" this week. It is definitley still super hard, but I was able to understand an entire FHE lesson and I can say everything I need to say now...maybe not so beautifully...but I can say it! That was a major blessing for sure.
Also this week we had 5 investigators at church...and we had expected only one of them! One guy came just because he, "Woke up and thought about God."
This other random guy (not one of our 5 people) also walked into church declaring he was, "Narong the Mountain Man", and that we all can save the earth by dumping out liquids before we put them in the trash. He then looked at my name tag said, "Remington, you look nice" and walked out... hahahahha
I also bought 5 dresses at the best thrift store ever! They were all long mission perfect dresses!! And for like 30 dollars total. Oh, and I helped this Thai girl in my ward write her french essay...man it was hard to translate from thai to french. One of my really good friends in my ward, Gade, also told me a funny comparison of how becoming a new member is just like Bella's experience in the movie "Twighlight"...I don't really feel like explaining, but suffice it to say it was hilarious. While out contacting, this random couple bought me and Sister Ellis some food...they weren't interested but were super nice and complimented us on our thai! Corn is a strangely popular treat here in thailand. Seriously, there are stands everywhere!
Lastly, here's a quote from Ezra Taft Benson that I love and is oh so true,
"When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives."
I love you all!!
love,
SIster Remington
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