Remember That God Knows And Loves You

Hey Everybody!!!! 

Happy Birthday to Wyatt this week!!!! I hope it is the best ever!! Can't believe you are turning 19. Eat some cake for me. 

This week was good! For P-day we went to the tallest tower in Thailand. It was so pretty and amazing to see Bangkok from up so high. While I was up there I realized just how many people are in Bangkok, and how many must be prepared to hear the Gospel. This tower was as close as I could get to a mountain here in Bangkok, and it was pretty cool. There was even a fruit buffet included in the price of the ticket, complete with chocolate fountains! 

Also for FHE some members taught me how to make kay yat say, which is basically a thai omelet....but sooo delicious! They knew it was my favorite, and they were all like, "You are going to be finished sooner than we know, so we have to teach you now!." Love them. 

This week we had a lot of really great lessons with Sister Dik who is Sister Noon's friend! She has a really strong desire to learn and be baptized so we will see how it goes! It was cool to hear her experiences of how God has really been leading her life. 

This week I also went on a switch off with a new missionary! It was soo fun! She had so much faith and we went out contacting and taught so many people! We even taught this less active member who made us a FEAST. She had a giant fish, sticky rice, 2 things of papaya salad, fruit, treats, normal rice, you name it!!  Oh ......and fried chicken.  We did our best to eat a lot, but when it came time for the fried chicken, I just couldn't do it... it had been sitting out for like a day, and I knew it would be food poisoning galore if I were to eat it... so I may or may not have put it in my backpack... but then at the last second when we were saying bye put it back on the plate. Anyways, good times. 

Lately the Asoke Branch has really been stepping up!! They are awesome! they had this meeting on Sunday about how they can be better missionaries, and introduce their friends and bring less actives back! It was soo exciting as they committed all the members to go find people! 

This Sunday I gave a talk in the Thai ward...IN THAI!  I was so nervous, but I prayed before it and I really felt Heavenly Father's help in giving it. I felt the words, "I will go before your face, my spirit will be in your heart, and my angels round about you to bear you up", come to my head.  My words came out slowly and clearly, and as I shared my testimony at the end I heard myself say, "I Love God, and I know He loves me." When I said that, it was not something I planned to share,  but I really felt the truth of that. I love God and I know He loves me. 

Lately, I feel I have been in a bit of a rut. When teaching it seemed to me that the things I was telling people seemed repetitive.  A couple training meetings ago, an Elder shared this experience about how knowing God loved him changed everything, so I have been praying to feel a reconfirmation of that. So after I gave my talk and recieved that confirmation, it totally changed things. When I was reminded of how much God loves me, it changed my teaching and as such we have had some cool experiences in following the Spirit. That was definitely not how I expected to get an answer to my prayers, but I have come to know that a reminder that God LOVES you will change everything. So I invite you all to pray for that reconfirmation; it may not come immediately, but it will without a doubt come, and the wait will be worth it. 

I love you guys!

Love,

Sister Remington 

"When We Keep The Commandments We Are So Happy" - A Visit From Elder Stevenson (and giant snakes)

Hey everyone! How's it going? 

First of all MyLdsMail was being weird last week, so a lot of you didn't get my emails. Know that I still love you, and hope it works this week!

This week was busy! We worked really hard, which is always good. 

The week started off by Sister Parin and I going to hold giant snakes at a snake farm... It was fun, but really gross too.  I will send pics, they are super hilar! There was also this one girl who was watching the show who was really scared of snakes so she kept screaming....which was kinda funny. 

It was also Sister Parins Birthday this week! We celebrated by going to grill some meat/seafood at this grill place she likes. (Sorry Mom, I still didn't eat the seafood :) We also put some Birthday candles on some tim-tams and she slammed them! It was a fun day! 

I found out that I will be giving a talk in the Thai ward this Sunday....for 15 minutes!  I am a bit nervous, but it should be okay. 

This week I was feeling a bit like I was starting to get into too much of a routine, so one day I decided to do everything differently....go a different way out of our apartment, invite in a new place, and eat new food for lunch; it was fun! So if any of you feel like you are in too much of a routine, I invite you to do the same. 

There was a celebration this week to CELEBRATE THAILAND BEING DEDICATED FOR THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL FOR 50 YEARS!  And an apostle and 70's came! A recent convert even told me she was so excited she, "couldn't sleep, I have met royalty but I COULD sleep the night before that." So ya it was pretty great. 

 It was such a cool meeting in which they reviewed the dedicatory prayer, and how it has been fulfilled. It was cool  to think that I was here for the temple announcement, at the meeting for the formation of one of the 3 stakes, and all in all,  just to know I have had the opportunity to share the gospel here for 1 and a half of those 50 years! The Thai people really are like the pioneers. In the meeting they asked all the first generation members to raise their hands, and like 95 percent of the people there were first generation members. The church is relatively new here, and yet it is amazing to see peoples faith.

There were a lot of really great talks from the meeting, but two that really inspired me were the one by Sister Gong (Elder Gong, who I think is in the presidency of the 70's wife), and one by the new apostle, Elder Stevenson. 

In Sister Gong's talk, she spoke of looking to the good in the future, and how all of the missionaries and members need to promise each other they will all remain worthy to come back to attend the temple in Thailand with their families one day. It was cool to think that one day Thailand really will have a temple, and that I will have the opportunity to come back here with my family and be able to tell them of all the great experiences I had as a missionary, and introduce them to the people I came to love. 

In Elder Stevenson's talk he said a couple of things I really liked:

"The future is so bright!" "When we keep the commandments we are happy! So let's keep the commandments!!"  He said all of these things with such excitement and conviction! He testified of those small and simple things we can all do to build our testimonies as well, which were to read the Book of Mormon and pray. If we just do these simple things we can receive a witness that the rest of the gospel is true, that this is the only true church, that Joseph Smith really was a prophet, etc.

However, what I will always remember from this historic meeting is the feeling I had. I was feeling a bit down this week, but after I went to that meeting I just felt so happy and energized again, as I truly felt the Spirit witness to me that all they said was true. 

I just want to close this email with my testimony. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know God is our Heavenly Father. The Book of Mormon is true. 

Love,

Sister Remington 

Sometimes The Best Way Is Not The Easiest

Hey Everybody! 

 

This week was a blur of meetings....there was MLC where the ZL's and STL's meet with the mission president and get trained, there was a meeting for missionaries finishing their missions next transfer (crazy!), and we went to train the zones! And ya...it was busy. 

 

So to begin this email, last week we went with some of our district to this place called the Escape Room, where you had to figure out clues to get out of the room using keys, puzzles, and problem solving. There was a button on the wall that you could press if you got stuck and someone would come give you a hint.  Lets just say, I pressed that button a lot. I'll be honest as well, it was not really that fun. We are going to see snakes this week though! (eww?)

 

I really loved the training at MLC.  One of the AP's talked about an experience where he came to know God's love, and how that, to him, changed everything... his every motive, his every action...everything. Hearing that really re-motivated me to look at my desires behind why I do certain things, and to make sure I am doing it all to please God, and not others. We then went to train our zone about these things, and for some reason I ended up doing a lot of the talking, so it was good for my slight public speaking fear (which I think everyone has). 

 

Ohhh man that meeting for people Jobbing (finishing) their missions next transfer was soo weird! I can't (and can) believe I am at this point, but I still have a while left to work hard! However, it was a good meeting, as they got us to start making plans for certain areas of our lives when we go home, so that we are able to keep learning and growing, and not just plateau or go back to how we used to be.

 

There was one day this week that was seriously crazy. I thought at the end of the day that it could be made into a movie. So to briefly summarize:

 

Sister Parin and I were running for the train to go teach some people, and the doors shut and I thought we were both on. Then I looked behind me only to find out that Sister Parin didn't make it in!!! It was really stressful as we were going pretty far away, but (long story short) I found her! I think from now on I will grab people's arm when I get on the train; especially when there are crazy crowds with billions of people.

 

After that we went to teach these Pakistani investigators at their house! They made us some delicious food, and we were able to here of their amazing story!  Then, we went to teach our investigator from America and his girlfriend at their apartment. They had the coolest art and paintings that they had brought over to Thailand on a boat! (I was also introduced to one of their relatives, who was a doctor and was drinking water in a crystal glass wearing a fancy housecoat.)  Our lesson was cut short, because our investigator, a psychologist, was summoned by one of his patients hoping to get out of a mental institution. Good times. 

 

Anyways, a really cool miracle happened this week. Sister Saa (the Cambodian recent convert) called saying that her boss is going to pay for her visa in Thailand. This is the first time in all of her 25 years here that this has happened. She was a bit emotional and knew it was a miracle from Heavenly Father. I have been so privileged to teach her and to hear about all the miracles that occur in her life. She is one of those people I know I needed to meet on my mission. 

 

For a spiritual thought this week, the importance of making decisions really stuck out to me.  We visited a lot of less active returned missionaries and it made me feel really sad. They are people who just know so well what they should be doing in order to gain happiness, but they are choosing not too.  Another moment that really underscored this all to me was when I was trying to figure out what to do when Sister Parin didn't make it on the train....I was praying to figure out what I should do, and I didn't really get an answer, so I just acted on my best approximation.  Soon after, I heard the phone ring and she told me where she was. So I guess what I learned from these two very different experiences was #1. Make choices that lead to your happiness, sometimes the best way is not the easiest, but it is infinitely worth it in the end.  and #2 Pray and then act on your best approximation trusting that it will be confirmed by Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father is  mindful of us all. 

 

I love you guys!

 

Sister Remington 

 

P.S. A ward member told me that I look like some actress named Lisa Jakub? Not sure who that is hahaha  

 

 

Without a Purpose, Struggle, Or Some Sort Of Uphill Gradient, There Is No Joy

Hey everyone!! 

This week was transfers, and I am still in Asoke and have a new companion, who is cone Thai, her name is Sister Parin. She's really nice, and lived in Utah for 9 years, though she normally speaks in Thai. So hopefully by the end of this transfer my Thai will be perfected...or at least a little better. haha. 

This is Sis parin and I trying to get back to the office in time for Coordination meeting...we took a taxi, a tuk tuk, a bus and the train... oh bangkok!

Anyways, this week there has been a lot of celebrating of chinese new year as lots of Thai people are of Chinese heritage. Lots of fires and music. 

Okay this week's funny moments: 

1. Teaching this less active member who makes dresses, and every couple minutes she would try and give me a dress, saying the patterns would look good on me, as I am tall. 

2. Inviting with Sister Parin: I walk up to talk to this white guy selling kleenex on the side of the street, and as I do I realize this guy is a little scary, so I back away and tell Sister Parin, and she comments, "Well yeah!! How often do you see a farang (foreigner) selling tissue." 

This week had some cool teaching moments as well! One of them was when we taught our investigator from America and his Thai girlfriend. I asked one of the senior couples from the office to teach with us, and it was a neat lesson! We taught the restoration and it was easy to see how they are seeking for truth. We testified a lot, and it was really neat how the Spirit guided me in answering those questions that don't usually come up with Thai investigators. At the end of the lesson, the senior couple told me, "Thank you for your boldness." I feel like I am really learning in so many ways right now that, "Faith is a principle of Action and Power." You act and then the power comes to accomplish your task. 

Another interesting lesson this week was with our Chinese investigator, when we teach him we usually get this Chinese member who speaks Thai to translate into Chinese for him. So the lessons are  this 3 language mash up...we speak in English to the investigator (who understands a little), then translate into Thai for the Chinese member (who doesn't know English), and then she translates into Chinese.  It's a bit confusing, but this investigator really wants to be baptized so he is definitely learning. Anyways, for this particular lesson, we asked another member, who was going to open her mission call that day (and who spoke a little Chinese) to help as well.  After the lesson she opens her mission call to California Arcadia, Mandarin Chinese speaking!! Wow...so not a coincidence. 

Also on Sunday another member got called to Seoul, Korea!! So cool as well. 

Oh and this Sunday we got to go to dinner at President and Sister Johnson's house!! Sooo good. It reminded me of Grandma's food, as we ate beef on a bun, fruit salad, and carrot cake. 

Okay, so that brings me to my thought for the week:

This week a lot of things didn't happen the way I planned or expected. I was feeling a little sad about this when Sister Coates reminded me of a quote from General Conference that says, "Our way is lacking," and Heavenly Father's way is so much better. The key is to trust this plan. At church on Sunday they had a really interesting lesson in Sunday school.  They were talking about how there is opposition in all things. A member shared her story about how after she was married, she and her husband decided to travel Europe for 3 months. They had money saved up and thought it would be so fun not to work, have no worries, and to see all the sites of Europe. But then about 6 weeks into the trip, they realized they were not very happy. It was in that moment this member had the realization that, "Without a purpose, without a struggle, without some sort of an uphill gradient, there is no joy." I really liked that thought... that we need struggle to grow and have joy. 

The second thing I really liked from that class was the teacher brought out this huge chart of the Periodic Table of Elements and explained how it all worked, saying how complex and organized it was, and as such, it must come from God. However, man was able to figure out the periodic table...though it took hard work. The teacher then compared this to our lives, that there is always a greater plan from God, but it takes work to figure out.  Slowly prayer by prayer, piece by piece,  that great plan (or periodic table) for our own lives can be revealed. This, and a lot of other things gave me comfort that there always is a greater plan and that I need to go forward, be faithful, and then puzzle piece by puzzle piece, this plan will be made known. 

I think this scripture in 1 corinthians 13:12 sums it all up:

 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

I love you all!

Sister Remington

1645/6 New Phetchburi Road

Makkasan, Ratchathewi

Bangkok 10400

Thailand

P.S. If any of you ever have time to write me a letter, I would love it! My area has the mission office in it so mail actually gets to me pretty fast!

A birthday card Sis Coates and I made. 

Simple Truths

Hey everyone!

Oh man, this week was crazy, and that's the khwaamjing (truth)!  We also will get transfer calls this week, and that means I start my second to last transfer! 

Anyways, this week Bangkok had some strange weather and it was soo cold! I ended up wearing my one sweater and another sweater borrowed from Sister Coates layered on top of one another. To put this all in perspective I have hardly, if ever, worn a sweater outside here. All the Thai people were freezing too and were wearing winter parkas, gloves, and hats! (Even though it was probably like 15 Celsius.) 

This week Sister Coates was really sick! We went to the hospital again and she was diagnosed with a bacterial infection... All they did to figure that out was ask her a couple of questions, poke her stomach, and then say, "Here, we will give you 2 kinds of antibiotics as we are not sure what kind of bacteria it is, but one of these will probably work." Sketchy. 

As Sister Coates was really sick this week she rested a lot so we didn't get a chance to do as many things as we normally would, but I will say that our apartment is now extremely clean (I got bored) haha

Oh! And this week Sister Coates told me I was sleep talking and said, "I can't believe they walked across the plains." (probably meaning pioneers?) 

Sister Coates and I joined Sister Grange this week to teach a member in the International ward, and she took us to the fanciest buffet I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!  It had steak, chocolate fountains, ice sculptures, and food from all around the world...it was also on the river. Sister Coates had her bacterial infection and most likely should not have eaten food like that, but we both did and it was delicious!  Sis Coates didn't feel the best afterwards though...

Also this week President Johnson and Sister Grange asked Sister Coates and I to take a member (who had been set apart as a missionary) to the airport at 3AM.  She is going to Australia and had never flown before....it was an experience.  On our way back to the apartment, the taxi driver slammed on his brakes and then, it totally stopped working....IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY!! The taxi driver got out and started pushing it to the side of the road, so we got out and started pushing too! I was so scared we were going to get hit, as cars were whizzing past us on all sides. After all that craziness (and a few prayers) the taxi driver started up the car and we returned safely. 

The last thing that happened this week was we taught a man from America!! That was a crazy and awesome lesson.(And my first time teaching an American). As we explained the basic truths of the gospel, praying and getting an answer, I shared my testimony about God being our Heavenly Father. He then said to me, "You say that with such surety." I replied saying, "I know it's true." And I really do know that it is true. Many times on my mission I have been amazed to see that people aren't aware of these seemingly simple truths, and how it is such a privilege to know these things, and even more of a privilege to be able to share them. So I guess that is my thought for this week, though simple, it is that God is there, He listens to our prayers, and is our Heavenly Father. As our father, He really listens to us and will help us, because He loves us. This I know to be true. 

I love you guys!

Sister Remington 

On Sunday we taught a Woman who is a Monk.