In Thailand Christmas is not a big thing, but New years is crazy! We had a curfew of like 7pm for 3 nights in a row, because the partying begins early. There were lanterns all throughout the sky, just like in the movie Tangled...during the day...and especially throughout the night. There were also fireworks and big balloons that would release little planes and treats, that were set off all throughout the day beginning at like 9AM!
I guess I'll start off by talking more about yesterday...New Years! We did normal missionary stuff, contacting, studying etc for the first part of the day, and then went to this Pizza restaurant as a district, and lit lanterns off at like 7pm! It was soo cool. Most definitley a dream come true!
Then I wrote some birthday letters, and at midnight, we may or may not have peeked outside again to see the CRAZY loud fireworks and tons of lanterns! I thought Chiang Mai was being attacked it was so loud! It was so beautiful though! We also ate tons of junk, and listened to Sis Ellis's song from her BF on repeat. haha
It is P-day today, and we are planning on going ice skating in the mall! I am stoked. Though it may be hard in a skirt.
Some funny stuff I saw this week/happened was:
-While contacting I learned the meaning of grainjay. Thai people are "grainjay." Everyone is literally so nice to you, and feels so bad that they are saying, "no" that they apologize profusely then give you their number just to be nice and say they are so sorry but they are buddhist. Grainjay means not wanting people to feel inconvienenced. Which definitley makes contacting easier. Thus far no one has been mean to me.
-This past Sunday we went to 2 branches, which was really good...but that meant 6 hours of trying to concentrate in Thai. Finally I think my brain gave up and I fell asleep in sacrament meeting. But that's not even the funny part. We were teaching a lesson to a new investigator afterwards and I totally fell asleep...AND FELL OFF MY CHAIR. Everyone just started laughing though, so no harm done. I am just blaming it on the soothing sounds of the Thai language.
-Also during church, probably only Mom and Wyatt will get this, but I heard a Thai girl behind me humming inside her mouth, "Angels We Have Heard on High." AND then I realized...other people really can hear when you do that!
There are so many more funny things but it would take forever to explain. SO suffice it to say, Thailand...never a dull day.
When we aren't teaching lessons/contacting, we put on a couple activities throughout the week for the memebers/investigators. One is english class.This week I also taught english class for the first time. There weren't a ton of people there because of the new year, but it was definitley nice to turn the tables on the understanding. I coached the pronounciation part and it was so funny...but so cute! Let's just say Thai people have a really hard time with the "Sh" sound. Another one is Book of Mormon class where we read and try to help explain the Book of Mormon to the RC's. This week they made me read a little...in Thai.. and my Thai reading is not the best. The script is still so hard to read...It looks like ้ดหก่าดเหก่าเหา่ดิหกอิืหก่าด้า่หอืหา่อกหา่อ่ิหกอิืกห่า้กห่าด้อ ดนพ ฟแห่า้ this for anyone that is wondering. So I read with some awful pronunciation and super slow, and everyone laughed..but I was glad I did it!
The final actvity is game night. At game night it is basically all YSA, and the games involve like no physical activity. We basically play Stella Ella Olla and Ninja on repeat. SO funny but they love it.
Oh! I totally forgot one of the craziest things of the week was when Sister Black crashed on her bike! Her front tire popped off and she totally endo'd. She was okay, but I think had a bit of a concussion. This is the funny part though..because it was later in the evening on our way home, there weren't many people out, but as soon as she crashed, this group of Thai men from the tattoo shop down the street just swarmed her and put her bike back together in like 3 seconds..while I looked on in amazement.
Okay, this email has been so long.. but you guys are all the best. I'll close with what I learned this week. One of the coolest things for me was in a lesson with a new investigator reciting the first vision from memory and telling the Joseph Smith story. You could tell the investigator was visibly touched by the spirit and truth of the message. And I think, for the first time in Thai, I could feel it too. It also brought new meaning to that scripture in 2 Neohi 7:7, "for the lord god will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed." All throughout that morning I could NOT for the life of me remember the first vision in Thai...but I prayed I would be able to, and in that moment in the lesson I did remember. And I knew it was only through the help of Heavenly Father.
I also was thinking a lot about confidence, and how often the hardest thing in life is to be yourself. Even though by being ourselves, that is where we have the most happiness. However, I had a realization this week that the key to confidence is: to do good for the sake of doing good. To do what you know is right, and not look for acknowledgement, approval, or respect. Stay true to yourself, and you'll be happy and Heavenly Father will help you. This kinda sounds like a cheesy Pinterest quote, and so cliche, but it is true and really helped me this week!
Anyways, have a happy new year everyone!
Rak,
Sister Remington
Oh! I totally forgot one of the craziest things of the week was when Sister Black crashed on her bike! Her front tire popped off and she totally endo'd. She was okay, but I think had a bit of a concussion. This is the funny part though..because it was later in the evening on our way home, there weren't many people out, but as soon as she crashed, this group of Thai men from the tattoo shop down the street just swarmed her and put her bike back together in like 3 seconds..while I looked on in amazement.
Okay, this email has been so long.. but you guys are all the best. I'll close with what I learned this week. One of the coolest things for me was in a lesson with a new investigator reciting the first vision from memory and telling the Joseph Smith story. You could tell the investigator was visibly touched by the spirit and truth of the message. And I think, for the first time in Thai, I could feel it too. It also brought new meaning to that scripture in 2 Neohi 7:7, "for the lord god will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed." All throughout that morning I could NOT for the life of me remember the first vision in Thai...but I prayed I would be able to, and in that moment in the lesson I did remember. And I knew it was only through the help of Heavenly Father.
I also was thinking a lot about confidence, and how often the hardest thing in life is to be yourself. Even though by being ourselves, that is where we have the most happiness. However, I had a realization this week that the key to confidence is: to do good for the sake of doing good. To do what you know is right, and not look for acknowledgement, approval, or respect. Stay true to yourself, and you'll be happy and Heavenly Father will help you. This kinda sounds like a cheesy Pinterest quote, and so cliche, but it is true and really helped me this week!
Anyways, have a happy new year everyone!
Rak,
Sister Remington
In front of a Wat
Loved reading your blog Sister Remington. It sounds like a dream. What a neat place to serve. Lucky you. The people sound like they are really nice and respectful. Glad for you. Best wishes for the new year.
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