This week I am half-way done with my mission!!! SO crazy. Time is weird. Only another 9 months left! Crazy. 
This lady is making something with rice
This week here in Mahasarakham was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hot. I don't even think I have mentioned how hot it is in Thailand in an email before, but this week is definitely the hottest I have ever felt. It was like 40 degrees...Celcius...that's right...celcius. Every time I rode my bike I thought I was being barbecued. Luckily, KFC (Korean fried chicken) has ice cream. Unfortunately, it's corn flavored. Anyways...
This week I learned a cool culture fact about Thailand. My whole mission I have been wondering why all the houses are so colorful, and finally a member told me that each day of the week has a different color that corresponds to it. So for example, if you are born on a Saturday you will usually paint your house purple, if you are born on a Sunday, red. This is for good luck. I finally realized why whenever I asked Thai people their birthdays they would be like, "Wednesday".
Another interesting thing that happened this week, was driving an hour from the Essan zone to Khon Khen to meet President and Sister Johnson our new mission president! They are so awesome. Lots of the sisters (including me) got to sing, "We Will Bring the World His Truth". We all wore our Thai skirts (I borrowed one from Sister McKnight). They both then gave the best talks and showed us a bunch of pictures from their lives. President Johnson served a mission in Thailand around 35-ish years ago, and he knows Thai! I am really excited to have them as mission presidents. Sister Johnson is great, she was talking about her husband and said, "If you marry a good man you share him with the World. If you marry a bum...he's all yours." She said her husband is a good man. After the talks we also got the chance to shake their hands and talk to them quickly, and after that.....THE SENIOR COUPLE MISSIONARIES HAD MADE COOKIES. You may ask why that is all in caps, and it is because I haven't had a homemade cookie in 3 months. It was really good.
This week was a bit difficult, as we were having a really hard time getting any of our investigators to meet with us. But nevertheless we worked hard and taught most of the RC's and LA's we are working with.
This Sunday Brother Sing and Brother Seth (2 of our RC's from last transfer) were able to get the Aaronic Priesthood. I was so happy. Soon they will be able to get the Melchizedek Priesthood too :)
In Saturday night Sister McKnight and I went to go visit and teach Brother Sing's family at the market. We taught Brother Swim about tithing and fasting, and after the lesson told him that we were getting transfer calls on Monday and might be moving. We told him we didn't know for sure, and that we would let them know...but he was so sad. He kept telling us how much he'd miss us, and then called over the rest of the family, who then kept expressing their gratitude for me and Sister Mcknight. I wanted to cry. We kept assuring them that we didn't know yet if we were moving and that we'd let them know. Still it was amazing to feel that I had helped this family...even a little bit. They were so grateful. I am glad daily that I chose to come on a mission, and meet amazing people like this.
My thought for this week comes in part from my younger sister Elliott. This week I was re-reading a letter she had sent me in the MTC where she was talking about how she gained her testimony and her great desire to be a missionary now, and in the future. She said, "I am so happy now, and all I want to do is share my testimony with everyone. I can't wait until I get too, not until I have to....but until I get too." These words struck me this week as I realized yet again what a great opportunity and an exciting opportunity it is to share the gospel with everyone! Half-way through my mission now, I feel like there are days I have felt a bit desensitized to that fact, but reading that letter made me remember how happy and exciting it is!
I also read Alma 28 this week:
8 For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.
9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.
10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.
I loved these scriptures this week. There is so much joy in being a missionary.
The second thing I learned this week was about humility. Sometimes investigators don't show up. appointments fall through, days are hot, and frustration occurs. Life is obviously not always easy; often there seem to be problems and challenges. I was thinking a little about this Sunday as I played the prelude music for sacrament. I came upon the song, Be Thou Humble. The lyrics go like this:
" Be thou humble in thy weakness, and the Lord thy God shall lead thee,
Shall lead thee by the hand and give thee answer to thy prayers.
Be thou humble in thy pleading, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee,
Shall bless thee with a sweet and calm assurance that he cares."
Life is not always easy, and it is certainly not meant to be so. Were it always easy we could not grow or change. Reading the first line, "Be thou humble in thy weakness" made me realize that although we are all weak and may struggle, if we are humble we can always be assured that we are being led for good and that the Lord will help us.
I love you guys!
Sister Remington
P.S. Wyatt and Dad I made you some Thai ties, I'll mail them today :)
No comments:
Post a Comment