27 Apr 2014--Leaving Chiang Mai---transferred to Pak Kret

 Here's a picture of Lolee---I love her so much~---The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives . . . 

FOREVER FRIENDS!

This is Brother โอท. He is 17, a punk, but I love this kid to death! He was baptized when I was in Chiang Mai.

So FYI, after this transfer, we are going back to 6 week transfers! Ahhhh so that'll affect my date when I finish the mission in Thailand! So just a heads up! 

The house looks amazing! Thanks for your advice! I loved it!

I really just wanted to say thanks for helping me out, and I love Sister Ladle. She's such a humble and loving companion!  She seriously is amazing. She is so patient with me and is willing to help me! The district seems good too! I'm so excited to be here and help serve! I feel like I'm recovering spiritually here in Pakkhret.

I really feel like President Uchtdorf's talk about being grateful is still ringing throughout my head. He's obviously right. I often thought when I've encountered trials, to just keep on enduring, little do I express my gratitude to God and realize the things that He has done and helped me with! Man, do I feel slow sometimes! 

Sorry I just realized something. You know how when we're going through a hard trial, we think okay I have to rely on the Lord, and to keep pushing, and sometimes wish ourselves away from this trial to ask for it to be removed? But then we look back on that trial and realize, had I not gone through that trial, I wouldn't have grown to who I am today? 

I've been experiencing that lately. It was hard in my first transfer with the language-- I was being hard on myself and felt humiliated a lot of times. However, Sister Huges helped me a lot with the language and was patient with me.  Sister Ladle is patient with me and the language and is willing to help me. Just over the past few days, she mentioned how much my reading has improved. I received a phone call from Sister Hughes not too long ago, and I had to take the time to thank her for helping me through that hectic time. I'm not perfect obviously, but I'm still learning! 

It's like the gardener parable where the tree asked "Why did you cut me down?" and the Gardener replies back with, " I'm the gardener here and I know what I want you to be. Some day when you're full of fruit you'll thank me." It's true. So why is it that we are grateful AFTER the trial and not during the trial? 

 just some food for thought...

But here's a scripture that I enjoyed from Personal Study.

Here's this scripture that I really liked In Mormon 9:31. I liked it because we have the scriptures to read and learn from so we don't make the same mistakes as they did. We're all imperfect, but it's through the Gardener, Christ, that we are able to be full of fruit again.

 31 Condemn me not because of mine ^aimperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.

Also during transfers, I felt like I was back at home talking to everyone all over again. I don't want this to sound cocky, but I feel like I'm here to be everyone's friend and let them know that they have someone that cares about them. I tend to adopt the therapist label I think haha. 

Also church here was hilarious. So we have a Thai branch we have to look after and an English branch. The english branch scared the heck out of me. I wanted to waay everyone and I just felt so awkward and felt like I was back in the states where I actually understood everything that was being said haha. It was funny. I don't know if I can ever go back now haha!

Also everyone here is awesome! I love these two members named Sandy, who is the sassiest Thai sister ever, and Brother Rat! They are willing to talk to me and are sooooo nice! Everyone at the Thai branch says I speak really well actually! I still need help and I'm still learning, but I'm truly grateful to God for His help!

I'm keeping you all in my prayers!

Hope all is well, and if you need any help, Let me know!

Sister Ladle and I :-D