03-09-14 "I love this work" ...but don't trust weird taxi drivers!

Sawadii kha! 

Another week has zoomed by! Bangkok is still busy as ever and the work is moving forward. I am getting used to the hum-drum of all the people and cars and I am starting to really love the city. There is so much to so and so much to see. SO many interesting people to talk to. We always have the best stories from contacting. People have so many different reactions when we introduce the Gospel to them. haha!

I have a few stories to share. So, first thing I would like to say is that I love the members here. They are so sweet. One girl that was recently baptized (the first week I was here in Asoke) was sharing her feelings about her baptism. She was talking about how nervous she was and how she was sitting in sacrament by herself, crying. She said, "But then Sister Carter sat next to me. And when we sang, she sounded so sweet and beautiful! I felt so much better!" Not to like puff my pride or anything but... that really made my day. It's so weird to think that the simple things will help someone out. I love this work!

On Monday (I forgot to write this last week) I had to throw away one of my favorite necklaces I bought at Forever 21 for two dollars. An Elder asked, "Are you allergic to gold?"

"No," I said, being really confused. 

"Well, it's turning your neck green."

It was pretty embarrassing. My neck had this big ring of green around it. Luckily, it came off with a good scrub. 

Wednesday, oh Wednesday. Let me tell you... we had a few hiccups that day. Sister Sahagun and I needed to go to the Hospital to pick up some medicine. We ask the Elders where it is and they said, "Oh, it's not too far, just keep following this road and you'll find it." We thanked them and they stopped us, "Wait, you're going to walk there?" 

"Yeah," we said.

"Well, it's kind of a long-ish walk."

"Oh! We'll contact on the way there, it'll be fine!"

"Okay..." they said. We were a little confused as to why they were acting weary about the whole thing. But then we understood why. It took us a whole hour to walk there! It was hot, and we didn't know where it was but we finally found it! It was so exhausting. And while we were there, our phone died! The visit there took SO much longer than we thought it would and we were so late for the appointments we had set up. We couldn't call anyone to tell them we would be late, it was a mess. I forgot my hospital card and had to pay everything in cash... it was just a mess. We finally get out of there and hail a taxi to get to the church faster. However, we noticed that the taxi driver was acting a little funny. He was hanging out of his window, smoking and he would not answer us at all. Even when we got his attention, he just looked at us and continued to say nothing and kept driving. I got a little scared. The picture at the front of the car (which shows their license) did not match his face. I told Sister Sahagun, "I don't like this at all."

"Do you want to get out?" she asked, feeling a little weirded out herself. 

"Yes!" And so, we just told him to stop and we hopped out of the car. We quickly went in the opposite way and found another taxi. This new guy was luckily safer! We get to the church and what do you know? Our investigators show up just in time!

"We're sorry that we're late!" (like over an hour). We just smiled and said it was alright. Haha! It just proved to me that everything always works out in the end. If you don't stress, and trust in God, He will take care of the rest. 

Thursday, I got free flowers from this lady while contacting. It was so strange. She talked my ear off and then gave me a bouquet of orchids! I thought she was trying to force me to buy them so I tried giving them back to her. "No!" she said, "They are for you. It is my love for you!" I just smiled and thanked her. I had no idea what to do with them. I just kept them in the fridge to keep them for... someone? It all worked out though since a member was in the hospital and we went to visit her on Saturday. She had appendicitis and we didn't know how to get to the hospital without taking a taxi. They told us to go on a boat on the klong! (the canal of stinky water) I like to dub it "the bog of eternal stench". If anyone got that reference, I applaud you. We got on this huge crowded motor boat and got off at the right stop. We sang songs to the Sister and gave her the flowers. She was tearing up as we sang. She loves hymns. And even though it wasn't much, I know it meant a lot to her. 

Me with the flowers I got when I was inviting!

We had a really cool lesson with one of our investigators this past Sunday. Her name is Ray and she speaks fluent English since she is an interpreter. She came to the international ward and we sat with her. It was weird to hear an English session of Sacrament again. And to hear all the babies crying! I forgot how normal that was! Haha! Anyhow, she was asking all these questions as to what we believe and how we have a prophet today. It felt good to testify in English and promise her that if she read the Book of Mormon and prayed for herself to know if these things are true. She said that she would. She has been searching other Christian churches for fourteen years now and wants to know the truth. It's a miracle that she found the right one then, right?

Anyhow, those are my stories of the week. The only other thing is that I burned my leg on a motorcycle engine too. It hurt. It was parked and I backed into it and didn't know it was just recently used. My calf was burned from the metal engine. It blistered and stung. It's alright though. I have a picture of it. It's not pretty but it's getting better! 

Those are my adventures! I hope that all is well and that you are happy and safe. I love you all. I know that God lives and He will take care of us. He knows us so personally and He knows what we can become. He puts us through hard things in order to mold us into the person we were always meant to be. 

Love, 

Sister Carter

The burn on my leg! Ouch!

03-03-14 "I strive to work hard"

03-03-14   Sawadii kha!

So, Bangkok life is crazy as ever. Something weird happens everyday. And this week has been crazy too since we have been house shopping on the side of missionary work. Good news is... we finally moved today! It took up a lot of my P-day and so that's why I don't have a lot of time to write right now. Sorry! 

But, let me tell you a really weird crazy story. I realize I am using the word "crazy" a lot but there's nothing else that can really describe what goes on here! So, on Wednesday, Sister Sahagun and I were at the church waiting for some of our appointments to show up. None of them did so we were about to go out into the world to contact in the hot sun. Just as we were about to leave, the Office Elders, Elder Keller and Elder Smith come in with a lady they just contacted. They approach us and said, "Sisters! Can you help her out??" We of course are a little confused, "Why?" we ask. "She's on her period!" We then look at the lady and realize the entire back of her skirt is soiled!!! It's dripping down her legs and on her feet! We freak out and quickly take her to the bathroom. She locks herself into one of the stalls. We try to ask if she needs any help but she doesn't say anything. There's just a lot of weird noises... like splashing and swishing noises! We are both a little stunned. We didn't know what to do. We ask again if she needed anything and all she says is, "Do you have any medicine... or beer?" My heart sinks for this lady. But, we are still a little shocked at the situation considering all the blood that was on her skirt and dripping on the bathroom floor. One of the Elders outside is sort of freaking out as well and we assure him that everything is alright. "She's going to pass out!" he says, "Did you see all that blood?? That's NOT normal!" She finally comes out of the bathroom and her skirt is completely drenched with water! I assume from the toilet she used to clean it with... -shudder- She just walks out like everything is fine and doesn't say anything. The Elders try to get her number but she doesn't have one. We assume that she must have been a little... well, not all there either. We go in to look in the bathroom to see the stall she used. One of the Elders follows us in there and uses his tie to plug his nose. We all gag at the sight. It was a mess!!! And it wreaked!!! Oh, it was the strongest smell of blood I had ever smelt in my life. There was some smeared on the walls and dripping on the toilet and in the trashcan. Oh my goodness! 

We spent a good amount of time cleaning it. (Sister Sahagun and I) It took a while but we got it sparkling clean again and the stench went away. It was just SO bizarre...

On a better note, I have tried lots of new things here! Lots of good old weird Thai food! Like, fried papaya salad, hot dog bun things from Seven Eleven, McDonalds and even KFC! It's really weird to have all this American food here. They even have a Subway! Also, one day Sister Sahagun and I went contacting and then bought some fresh coconuts to drink out of. They didn't give us any spoons to eat the meat so we just ended up making a mess with our hands! So funny.

This past Sunday, all the Elders and our companionship got a little less than 50 investigators to church! And we had Eight baptisms!!! It's so crazy! And they are ALL girls too! We need to find a lot more men!! Also, Bishop Stevenson (like, of the world) came to visit and spoke to the Bangkok area. Lots of missionaries all over Bangkok came to see him and hear his talk. It was truly special. And, in Sacrament meeting, a guy from Finland came up and bore his testimony about how God blessed his life. He talked about the story of when he was lost in Thailand and tried to find the church but couldn't. He walked around the corner and saw Sister Sahagun and I contacting. We were considering leaving but I felt impressed to stay. He recognized our name tags and we chatted and led him to the church. He was so grateful to us! He called us Angels! It was so sweet!

So, I think I will end on that spiritual note. I hope that you are all well and happy. I strive to work hard and to be worthy of the spirit. I am grateful to all the miracles that have happened. OH! And one more thing, we finally moved to a new apartment! We are only one stop away from the church and our apartment is so much bigger! We have two bathrooms! Hooray! I don't have to wait for shower time! :D 

Anyway, I love you all. I love this work. I won't give up. 

Love, 

Sister Carter

Sister Meeting! These are all the sisters in Thailand! Crazy, right? 

There were EIGHT girls that got baptized on Sunday!!

Two of our investigators were baptized !

02-24-14 "Big City Girl"

02-24-14

Sawadii kha! Sabaydii may kha? 

Guess who is moving up in the world? This Sister is! I moved forty-five minutes away from Srinakharin to the heart of Bangkok this last Thursday! I am now serving in Din Daeng/Asoke ward (look it up, I'm sure its pretty popular place), and let me tell you... it is one big city. In fact, it's probably one of the biggest cities that I have ever been in my life. It's been a pretty crazy adventure here for the past four days. Let me elaborate...

Thursday morning I was so nervous. I didn't know where I would go, who my companion would be, etc. A lot of doubts and fears were flooding my mind. My stomach was practically twisting when President Senior was announcing who would go where. When I saw my name on the screen and met my companion, my fears were set aside. Sister Yim assured me that Sister Sahagun was an angel. And truth to be told, she really is. She is so sweet and nice. She is a Sister Training Leader too and so she has a lot on her hands already. So, to be told that we were opening an area to sisters for the first time was a little scary. We were both a little overwhelmed. Especially since the previous Elders that we are replacing were handing us number after number and telling us of all the appointments they had already set up for us that very night. Crazy, right? We had four lessons straight in a row and when we got home, we were both so exhausted. 

Speaking of "home", we are roomed with the international sisters right now. There are a grand total of 5 sisters living in a one room, one bedroom apartment. It's a little disorganized right now. The international sisters are in a trio at the moment because they have a Thai sister that is waiting to go to the Philippines MTC this coming Thursday. She will be with us until then. But, the line to the bathroom is a little long to say the least. I have to hop in and out of the shower in five minutes or less. I am still living out of my suitcase and our luggage and everything takes up all the floor space. Plus, we have two mattresses and a padding on the floor for beds since there are only two official, framed beds. We are all waiting to be moved to a new house/apartment. It's fun. 

Sister Sahagun and I have plenty to do here in Asoke. The Elders left us with three people that were ready for baptism last Sunday and other investigators and recent converts to take care of. In fact, we have a total of 13 recent converts who are all young, college girls. They are sweet and they need some sisterly love! haha! All the members so far are super great. There are tons of people and it was so nice to see the sacrament filled and then some! It's probably the biggest ward in Thailand! There is always someone at the church ready to help us teach when we need it. We ended up only having two baptisms yesterday but I was still happy to know that they wanted to change their lives and follow their Savior and Redeemer. 

There are about ten missionaries in the area. There are the APs, the Zone leaders, the office Elders, two other Elders (my district leader) and the international sisters as well. So, maybe there's more than 10 of us... but either way, they split us up and I have the APs in my district. It's really crazy! I never thought I would be working with all these people. 

Funny story...

Sister Sahagun and I were contacting and she came up to this guy. He was speaking Thai but he didn't sound like a native. He ended up speaking English too  (since he was half Thai and half white) and blurted, "okay, so what do you want?" she then explained that she was here to invite him to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. He was taken aback and said, "Oh. I thought you were going to ask me to marry you." She was stunned. I was stunned. The nerve of the man! Hahaha! So funny!

Other than that, we have had some mix ups with the escalator, the elevators, and the MRT (the subway thing here). It's been an adventure!

I love you all! Take care!

Love Sister Carter

                             These are pics of Sister Sahagun and I at the Sister's meeting last Friday. 

And then me looking up at a picture of the King of Thailand! The adventure begins in the city! 

02-17-14 "Missionary work is so worth it"

02-17-14

Sawadii kha! Sabaydii may kha?

Yep, I'm just going to stick to that intro from now on! Haha! Anyway, where to begin? Another blurry week. We contacted a lot and met a few people who accepted a baptism date right off the bat! Unfortunately though, those people ended up not coming to church or being free to meet. One man we met was in mid-stretch with his leg up on his bicycle seat. He talked for a LONG time about how he had looked into other religions and that he had a friend who was Buddhist but went to a Christian church. We met with him the next day and he continued to ask a LOT of questions and not letting us get to the point of our lesson after an hour and a half. The next time we met with him he finally let us talk and we successfully went through an entire lesson. He has potential... but he was too scared to go to church. We will continue to pray for him and work with him. 

There was another lesson we had last Tuesday with a man I had met at Seacon, the mall. I led and it was really awkward because I would ask him questions and he would be flipping through the pamphlet we gave him with no sign of acknowledgement. At one point I asked, "Do you think Heaven is dirty?" he said nothing. He didn't even look at me. He just kept flipping through pages. We sat there for a good few seconds and I struggled to know what to do so I just moved on and answered the question for him. It wasn't the best lesson in the world. In fact, a lot of lessons I led this past week had its rough patches. I have prayed and prayed and strive to be obedient so that I could have the Spirit to be with me when I teach, but I still struggle to keep it smooth and natural. I still make mistakes with the language and I still can't understand them sometimes. It's a little discouraging considering that I am in my second transfer and I have been in country for four months now. 

Speaking of which, I can't believe that it's been six months since I have been ON my mission. Two months in the MTC and four months in Thailand. It's really crazy to think about. I have never been away from home this long before. It's a little surreal. I mean, I remember when I was in Japan for 11 days and that was hard for me! I got super homesick! But here I am in Thailand for ten times longer than that and I'm still kicking. I consider it a blessing from God. 

Remember Zaphia and M? You know how they totally passed their baptism interview with flying colors? Well, things turned complicated. Zaphia said that she and M were going to be legally married on Valentine's day. Well, Valentine's day came around and they said that they couldn't anymore. Zaphia still goes to college and here in Thailand, if you get married, they won't let you study anymore. You have to be single. It's just a weird requirement. So, they decided not to be baptized. Zaphia wants to be baptized so bad but she wants to wait for M. M doesn't want to live the law of chastity because he isn't happy unless he well... isn't. It's so sad to see how much desire and faith Zaphia has and yet will put off her eternal progression for her boyfriend. I understand a little though. They don't have the companionship of the Holy Ghost. They don't understand how important this all is like we do. They don't understand how much they will be blessed for their sacrifices to the Lord. Of course we have addressed all these things, but it is a thing called agency that we all have that keeps them from acting. The ward knows about their situation since they knew about their baptism interview. They were really supportive, but I think their support was for the wrong reasons. They are buying this "we can't be legally married until after a year" excuse and not seeing the real problem. Zaphia could easily just live with her parents the entire week. M could overcome his desires through the atonement of Christ. They don't have to wait a year. So much could happen in that time. We will continue to work with them. All will be well. 

On a lighter note, our investigators that were baptized two weeks ago gave their first talks in church. It was so sweet. It's such a nice feeling to see the people you helped come unto Christ up at the pulpit and bearing their sincere testimonies of their Lord and Savior. Missionary work is so worth it. 

This morning/early afternoon we made Mexican food with two members! Oh, I cannot even express how much I miss Mexican food and other food in general! Eating Thai food all the time is great and all, but I have really come to appreciate the variety I had at home. In fact, I am just becoming more and more grateful to the things I was blessed with while I was home. There were so many things I took for granted. I hope all of you at home in America count your blessings. You have it SO good. 

Funny story:

So, this happened a few weeks ago but I forgot to write about it. If I already wrote about it, I am sorry. I still think it's funny. Sister Yim and I were walking through this neighborhood when we came to the end of the street where a bunch of kids were buying ice-cream. We came up and they all got excited and tried speaking English to us. One kid kept asking over and over, "Why are you here? Where you come from?" At one point, the other kids were like, "They already told you! You're stupid!" Poor kid. But then during all this, these little girls were all talking secretively among themselves and giggling. One came up to me, grabbed my hand and then ran away real fast. This happened two other times before we said goodbye. As we walked away, I heard someone running behind us. I look behind and its another little girl running up to me. I stop, she grabs my arm and then kisses it! I was a little shocked. Sister Yim and I laughed really hard after. 

There's my little adventure for you all! I hope you all are happy and safe. Know that God loves you and he will never abandon you. I love you!

Love, 

Sister Carter

 I found this Thai styled corn dog thing at a little street vendor. It looks like an octopus! Haha! It was really tasty too!

                                  These two ladies are so cute! They are now the "Ma" of the ward!

This is an investigator Tipa that the Elders had. She was baptized yesterday and she is so cute!

People getting in the photos

 

All the women were posing before two brethren were like, "It's all women! We need some men in there too!" And so Brother Eg and Brother Ooy got in and posed! So funny!                                                          

                                                            Elder Winsor's first baptism! 

                                              M, me and Zaphia! I still love them dearly! 

                                         The ward choir practice for stake conference next week :)

02-10-14 "Its always an adventure"

02-10-14
Sawadii kha! Sabaydii may kha?

Huh... maybe I should use a different way to start my letters. Writing "hello" and "how are you" all the time may be getting stale. Haha. Anyhow, I am doing great! More than great! God is hastening His work and has trusted us with his children. The investigators that were baptized last week were confirmed this week and I couldn't be happier. Tabe looks so much happier! He is always telling us how grateful he is to have met us and he is always so nice. We pass by his shop a lot and he will come out to greet us and ask if we have eaten or not (a common question in Thailand) and we will always say no since we know that he will try to buy us food. He is so sweet. 

I have been slowly learning how to teach better in lessons. I have been forced to since my companion has told me to lead all of them. I have been improving my Thai little by little and my understanding is definitely a little better. God is surely helping me out. I realized how much He has helped me when we met a guy from England on the streets one day. I approached him as though he were a khon thai (Thai person) since he looked like one but I quickly realized he wasn't when he started talking in an English accent. He said that he has lived in Thailand for 6 years now and he still doesn't know a lot of Thai. I felt a little grateful for my Thai abilities to say the least. 

We met a girl this past Monday. Her name is Min and she has such an interesting background. She has been great at meeting with us this week though. At first when we were teaching and mentioned baptism, she would say that she wasn't ready. After our third lesson, she accepted a baptism date! It was a true miracle for sure! But, she doesn't have an ID and lives at her boyfriend's house. Said boyfriend is currently at Japan, working and he takes good care of her. Hopefully everything works out and God will help her in getting an ID so that she can be legally married to him when he comes back. 

We have been teaching a young couple as well. Zaphia and M are super cute together. They stopped living together and they are both willing to keep all the commandments. Zaphia is so cute. She asked how she could be a missionary! But since she also wants to marry M, we told her that she could be a missionary with him when they were older! She was so excited! Haha! We weren't sure if M wanted to be baptized as much as Zaphia did at first. She was the one that convinced him to stay all three hours at church and to learn with us. So, we weren't sure if he was just learning because Zaphia wanted him to. But last Monday, he called us and said that he was super stressed out from work and he wanted to talk with us. We met him at the church and shared a spiritual thought. He explained that when he feels stressed out, he goes to his friends. But, his friends usually drink and smoke and he wants to stop doing that. The only other peaceful place he could think of was the church! He feels so good there and he felt so much better and happier after we talked to him. He is so good! They both passed their interviews yesterday and they will be baptized next Sunday! It's so miraculous! From no baptisms to 4 in one month??? It's so crazy! Sister Yim and I are so blessed! 

I am sorry that this week's entry will be a little short. I can't remember all the things that happened this past week. Everything goes by so fast and it's such a blur. I wish I could just write all about the busy, crazy life I lead in Thailand. It's always an adventure. I hope that I never forget the feelings I have when I am here. The Lord has truly taught me many things while I have been here. I am a better person for it. I will strive to take what I learn and apply it to the rest of my life. 

I hope all is well! I love you all! Take care and take care of your missionaries! God needs everyone working together to do His work! :D

I love you!

Love, 

Sister Carter

(The pics... This is Seacon (the mall here in Srinakharin) all decked out for Valentine's day! Funny, huh? They really go ALL out!) 

02-02-14 "Trust the Spirit"

02-02-14
Sawadii Kha! Sabaydii may kha? 

This week went by so very fast. It must have been one of the fastest weeks of my life. I can't believe that I am back emailing already. It's been an adventure though. I have learned valuable lessons and God has granted us more miracles. 

I wasn't feeling very good for a few days. And by "a few days" I mean 4 days of having an upset stomach with weird bouts of fever. I kept pushing through it and didn't allow myself to rest all that much. But finally my companion, Sister Yim, taught me a lot. I basically learned that if I want to do God's work, I have to be considerate of my health also. I can't just keep pushing and expect to be healed all of a sudden. I have to take care of myself. And so, on Wednesday, I slept for most of the day. I drank some gatorade and some soothing herbal medicine for my stomach. By the end of the night, I was feeling a lot better and jumped right back into the work. We contacted like normal and continued on with lessons. Don't worry though, I really am better now. And I will stand up for my health when I really need it. God doesn't want a dead-beat servant anyway, haha! 

I have also been having recent doubts of my abilities. It's been a struggle to try to lead the lessons now. Sometimes there are awkward silences because I am struggling to understand what they said in the first place. Other times, I just try to say something that I hope went along the lines of what the investigator just said. I know it's bad to do it that way, but I can't help but get worked up a bit. I am so worried of looking stupid and saying the wrong things. I don't want to mess things up. People's salvation are on the line, right? But, I have been humbled by the Lord again and again. I now realize that it's not even me at all. I have to get over myself. The only teacher that should be teaching is the Spirit. That is the only way that any lesson will be successful. And even if I say stupid stuff and completely bash the grammar... this is the Lord's work. I can't mess it up. He won't let me. I also remembered something the Zone leaders had once said in a training meeting: "Don't even try to flatter yourself. This isn't you. None of your skills or talents are converting these people. It's the Lord and His Spirit." 

So, yeah, this humbling thing is sure nipping me in the butt. That's what life is for though, right? If I wasn't learning or growing there wouldn't be any point in being here. It stings sometimes but it's necessary. I have learned so much from it. I feel like a better person. And yet, there is so much I can improve on. 

In other news, we have our old investigator Oom come back! She is having a hard time though but we are right here to help her out. She still hasn't gotten baptized in the new area she moved to. So, we are going to help her prepare her for baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Also, one of our investigators, Biya, hasn't been feeling well. She has had really bad problems with her stomach so we suggested that she receive a blessing. The spirit was strong as we testified that she should not feel bad for asking for a blessing. The Priesthood is there to bless the lives of others. It is there to help us all.When she received the blessing, she said felt so much better. 

On Saturday, we went to the hospital to see a sister of a member that helps us a lot. The sister was not a member and she had never had a lesson with the missionaries before. The Elders came as well since Sister Maam wanted her sister to receive a blessing. We explained to the sister that faith is necessary for the blessing to work. She cannot simply receive it and not believe that it will work. It would be pointless. As she lay there helplessly she expressed honestly, "I believe. I believe in God." And so, the Elders placed their hands on her head and sealed a blessing of healing to her. I am so grateful for their worthiness to give such blessings to people in need. It truly is a gift from God. 

After, we went to the Pizza Company before we started our fast. It was such a nice break from all the Thai food I eat everyday. It was truly satisfying to say the least! haha! I miss American food. 

You know, the longer I am here, the more I miss how things are at home. The church is still young in Thailand. It does not run as smoothly as it does in America. There are so many little things that I miss about the church at home. I took a lot of things for granted. Yes, it is the same church of God, but the programs are still so fresh and new to the people. Even basic programs like home teaching, and visiting teaching is not practiced often. But... that is why we are here. We are here to help strengthen the church and build the kingdom of God. That is all that He requires of us missionaries here. He will take care of the rest, and all will come together. 

On Saturday, Sister Yim and I also took time out to clean the baptismal font for our investigators on Sunday. It was fun to get the mop out and clean the small little font where such a sacred ordinance takes place. And the next day (yesterday) we had two baptisms take place. Our investigators, เทพ, (Tabe) and แพรว (Praow) were baptized! After four months of being in Thailand, I finally understand the "joy" the scriptures talk about when we bring souls unto God. It was so neat. Praow went first and the water was too low! We waited for three minutes for it to fill up and we all sang "I am a Child of God". She ended up forgetting her dry clothes outside and ran out sopping wet while Tabe was being baptized. Haha! And then Tabe had to be baptized three times because his foot kept popping up out of the water. By the third time, Elder Merkley (the one performing the baptism) just let him "fall" into the water. haha! But when Tabe came out of the bathroom, dry and ready, the first thing he said was, "Awesome!" 

I can't believe that Tabe has only been learning for about two weeks. His desire was strong and he was so ready to be baptized. God surely prepared him for this time. He came up to me and just kept saying, "Thank you!" But, it wasn't me at all! It was all Heavenly Father for sure! God has also prepared our investigators, Zaphia and "M". They are a young couple that aren't married but Zaphia wants to be baptized sooo bad! She keeps asking about it and loves church so much. She is so gorgeous too! She came to church in a beautiful long skirt. And even though her mother is Muslim, her dad gave her permission to learn and to join whatever church she wanted. We taught her about the plan of salvation and she couldn't keep her mind off of going to the celestial kingdom! They are both willing to keep the law of chastity and word of wisdom as well. God is so good. 

I hope everyone is having a good week! Be happy and stay faithful. I love you!

Love, 

Sister Carter

P.S. Happy Birthday Uncle Quinn!!!! 

Brother Bird is such a goofy guy, but he did a great job at baptizing Proaw! 

So, whenever people are taking pictures, EVERYONE has to jump in! Thai people LOVE taking pictures! 

Praow, Sister Yim and I posing before her baptism! After three months, she's ready!

Brother Bird is such a goofy guy, but he did a great job at baptizing Proaw! 

A lady in the mall owns this dog. She pushes it in a stroller and puts a diaper on it! So fuzzy!!

Elder Winsor had his birthday this week! We all went to Swensons and he ate the "Earthquake" which is EIGHT scoops of ice cream! He ate it all!

My ice cream was so yummy! It was a nice break from all the hard work this week!

01-26-14 "God is good. He is a miracle worker."

01-26-14

Sawadii kha! Sabaydii may kha! 

This week has gone by so fast. The other week seemed to trudge by so slowly because we did not have that many lessons throughout the week. But, God has surely provided His miracles this week.

Me in front of a really fancy Thai house. 

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We met a man named Chuchad. He is very intellectual and knows pretty much everything about every religion except ours. He recites scripture off the bat and even recites some Hebrew... recitations. It's pretty crazy and a little overwhelming at first because of his vast knowledge of the Bible. He works as a Physics tutor and teacher and he's just a very knowledgeable person. But the one thing he doesn't know about is the truthfulness of the Gospel and the Book of Mormon. The second meeting we had with him, he had marked up the Book of Mormon really good. He kept comparing it to the Bible and all these other things. He said that he isn't one to rely on feelings and would rather rely on his knowledge. But the thing is, you need to open your heart if you want to know of the truthfulness of the Gospel. It is only through the Spirit that we can testify and know that these things are true. If he only wants the knowledge of the church and does not progress, we will have to unfortunately drop him. But if the spirit in the lessons touch his heart and he wants to change for good... we shall surely be there. 

Recently though, we have been doing a LOT of contacting. It's a standard to "invite" people for 2 consecutive hours and we end up doing like 4 hours or something since we don't have that many investigators to teach in the day. It's really exhausting. We would bike A LOT and I would be scared to death as taxis and motorcycles would cut me off. And then we went back to walking and taking the small "buses" or truck things called song tows. Anyhow, we have recently been inviting in front of the mall called Sea Con. There are a lot of people there so it's more ideal to "sift" through the people. It's been a goal to find the "elect" and not create the "elect". Meaning, if they don't seem interested at all right off the bat, don't try to push for their number etc. It's not worth our time. Especially when we set appointments with them and they totally phit (bail) on us! If they are interested, then cool! So, anyway...

We were on this bridge leading to the mall and we were going back and forth going up to EVERYONE. The reactions people have are sometimes really funny. We'll be like, "hey, are you familiar with baptism?" they'll shrug their shoulders, do a little nervous laugh and walk away. Or I get the hand. Or they will say, "May pen lay" (It's alright). Or say "I'm Buddhist!" Which to that... I'm like thinking, "Well yes! 99 percent of Thailand is Buddhist. I know." Or they'll say, "May mii weela!" Or, I don't have the time. Yep. So is the life of a missionary. There was one man who I approached and did my speal about the church and baptism. I said, "You can have true happiness!" he still said no. He walked away and then came back to my companion! He said, "That other girl approached me and said something about true happiness...I am usually really busy and I didn't think I was all that interested. But, then something stopped me and said that this would be a good thing!" 

Now we are teaching him and he is so sweet! His name is เทพ (Tabe) which means "Angel". He is amazing and already keeping the commandments! It's truly a miracle! And he has accepted a date to be baptized! He is so good! I hope everything works out... I don't know if he understands the true importance of the Gospel though since he talked about encouraging his son to be a Buddhist monk... not good. Understanding will come in time. That's the important thing. We keep bumping into him a lot and one time he said, "Hey, I am going to Seven, do you want to come?" We did and he ended up buying us these drinks for us. It was so sweet. The members are taking really well to him too!

We were treated by our investigator and got Thai drinks from Seven!

I thought we would have a baptism this week, Jaky... but it didn't happen. Our investigator could not show up to his interview because he was sick. He stopped answering his calls and his friend would answer for him. We thought that he was avoiding us! He talked to the Elders though and he was set on being baptized on the 2nd of January. He didn't come to church because he was really sick. So, this next week for sure we will probably have two or three baptisms!!! I will let you all know, of course. 

This week, we didn't know if we would have "balanced key indicators". Meaning, we have to have a total of 10 lessons with a member or Recent convert/Less active lessons, two new investigators for the week, 2 people with a baptism date, 2 progressing investigators and 2 people who would come to church that week. We had everything except we weren't sure if we would have anyone come to church. Half the people we contacted this week lived in different areas and we had to give them up as referrals to different missionaries. We weren't sure if anyone would come to church! But then, Tabe said he would go! (even though he said he wasn't sure). And then a couple in our ward brought a friend to church! And then I got a call during sacrament from an unknown number. I went outside to answer and it was Zaphia! I had met her last week and she said she was interested in learning more and free on Saturdays. When I had called her last Friday she didn't sound very promising since she said she wasn't sure if we could ever meet in the upcoming week. She called and said that she was there at church! She even brought her boyfriend! I was so amazed. I couldn't believe it. From having no people say they could come, to 4! It was so incredible! Zaphia was so sweet too! I asked her if she liked church and she asked in the lesson, "So... how can I become Christian? I want to be baptized!" Perfect. She and her boyfriend (who she is living with... oops) live in a different area but we are going to still teach them since it's more convenient for them since he works here. 

Overall, God is good. He is a miracle worker. 

This week too, we have been watching this inspiring video that the mission made. It has the song "When you Believe" from The Prince of Egypt and clips of all these missionaries baptizing people in Thailand. It was so inspiring! At one point, they have a voice clip of Elder Holland that I would like to share. It's from his talk: "Lord I Believe"

"These things I declare to you with the conviction Peter called the “more sure word of prophecy.”¹⁶ What was once a tiny seed of belief for me has grown into the tree of life, so if your faith is a little tested in this or any season, I invite you to lean on mine. I know this work is God’s very truth, and I know that only at our peril would we allow doubt or devils to sway us from its path. Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe."

I would like to invite everyone to exercise their faith on the Lord and not give up hope. Help hasten His work and help the missionaries in your ward. They need it. This is His work, and His Glory. Anything is possible. 

Also, I would like to share these little videos from lds.org. I love the Bible videos and the Mormon messages. I know I have mentioned this before, but I will say it again. Please watch them! They are so good! 

http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/suffer-the-little-children-to-come-unto-me?lang=eng

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2119328537001

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=1839005837001

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=1630305341001

http://www.mormonchannel.org/mormon-channel-daily/198?v=2176618422001

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2484411795001

Yeah, there's a lot... but there are more! If any of you get the chance, shoot me an email and tell me what you thought :)

I love you all so much. Stay safe. Be happy. 

Love, 

Sister Carter