The Difference Between Treading Water and Actually Swimming

Hey everyone!!

First of all...I am still serving in Chiang Mai, but I got a new companion! Her name is Sister Lam and she is 23, Asian, and from California! She went to BYU before and is SOOO cool. She has the best stories too. The other funny thing is that this is her last transfer, so in mission speak I am "killing" 2 companions in a row. She is also getting me to do the T25 workouts with her morning and night...I am so sore. 

Funny moment: When we got back to Chiang Mai we were contacting and Sis Lam contacted a Chinese person...that she thought was Thai. We both laughed about how she is Chinese and can't even tell the difference... Good times. haha 

I got everyones packages! Thanks so much!! I love you guys. 

Going up to Bangkok this week for transfers, we couldn't find an overnight train so we had to take the bus!  It had massaging seats...but still sucked. 

Bangkok is crazy! Sis Ellis had a bunch of interviews, and we did a lot of shopping. We also rode this water taxi thing called "The Klong Monster". It was super ghetto and you had to hold up a tarp if you wanted to stay clear of the spray!

Transfer day was really fun! I'd forgotten that I had so many friends and people that I hadn't seen in awhile! After we went to Que-Pasa ( a pretty gross mexican food place, but in my mind it was delicious as I haven't had mexican food in 3 months) and I was able to catch up with everyone. It was so fun!  Here is what I call "The Generation Picture". Sister Ellis trained me and Sister Brown, and then Sister Brown and I both had Sister Lam as our next companion, and Sister Brown is training the other girl:

Sis Lam and I also had to take the bus back to Chiang Mai...ewwwwwww....but we have seen many miracles these past 3 days in Chiang Mai! One lady that I invited last transfer at Watarote (but forgot to get her phone number) CAME TO CHURCH.  She helped us clean the church. We then taught her, and she told us this amazing story:

When I contacted her at Watarote, she was going through a really hard time with her daughter, and she also had some other crazy situations which I will not write at this time. Anyways... she said that when she saw me holding up the card with a picture of Jesus on it, she felt something so good that she decided she must come to church!  We taught her,  and she said she knows her faith in Christ can help her through anything. She has a date to get baptized next Sunday, but she has some obstacles to overcome first...so hopefully we can help her!!

Miracles.

Anyways, this week I was thinking a lot about something Sister Ellis had said to me, to "act and the power will come." I loved that.  In my personal study I read this article that I think may have changed my mission. The main verse focuses on D & C 51:17,  "And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good." This made me think all about how I simply need not postpone happiness, but must act as if I am going to be here forever...not waiting until some future time to start doing my best. I know that if we all do this, we will be able to see more opportunities in our lives. This is the difference between "treading water, and actually swimming." 

I love you all!

Sis Rem