Oh my gosh look at that dog. Oh my gosh look at that cat. Oh my gosh look at that kid.

This is a park where we go contacting sometimes and I love it.

That was a Sister Painter quote, and she said all of those things in about 30 seconds while she was visiting us in Saphaan Suung. She was just soaking in the life that is Thailand. It was a lot funnier if you had been there.

So yeah! This week!

We had an awesome week :)

Transfers were this week, which meant that Sister Painter and her companion, Sister Naryanan (who was in the MTC with me) came to stay with us for a few days! They left their area in Udon (a 10 hour bus ride away) and got here on Tuesday. Sister Painter had meetings to go to at the mission office and stuff, which is why they were here for so long. They helped us a ton and it was so fun to be around other sisters! We literally had a party. Sister Painter is probably one of the funniest people I have ever met. And hearing her speak Thai somehow helped me realize how to speak in tones. I’m not sure what it was, but after hearing her, something in my brain clicked and I feel like it all makes sense now. 

It’s like at the Bakery—when I first started working there, I felt so awkward about saying things like “corner” and “sharp” and “behind,” but you realize it’s necessary. You start saying words quietly, and then you have an experience where you realize you HAVE to say whatever it is, so you start saying it. So now I've figured out how say things and I’m just doing it better! It’s like I suddenly have no fear, so I’m pretty happy about that. I’m also understanding people more and more, which is also a huge blessing. (That wisdom tooth that’s coming in has helped too, DEFINITELY.) 

On Thursday we had a day of miracles. We had an appointment with the woman named Nung that I contacted last week on the song taw. She was supposed to be at the appointment at 2 pm, but was running super late because of traffic. I hadn’t eaten lunch yet, so we thought about closing up the church for a few minutes and running to Seven to get a snack when I just suddenly knew we needed to wait. So we did. And because we did, Sister Suit, one of the elder’s investigators, walked by and came in because the gate to the church was open. She offered to help us teach, so we of course accepted. And it turned out that Nung and Suit know each other! What?! If Sister Weed and I had gone to Seven, we wouldn’t have had that wonderful connection. Nung is so good; we’re excited to teach her again this week.

This week contacting became so much more fun. Because now there is no fear and I just talk to people and it doesn’t matter that I’m not super good at the language or that I don’t understand completely everything people are saying back to me. It’s been awesome!

This week I also gave away my Thai Triple Combination (scriptures). I had two triples—a nice leather one with gold edges and a paperback copy that I use every day and write in and stuff. There is a brother in the branch here who has been a member for over 8 months now and still didn’t have a triple! Last week I happened upon an old post-it note from the sisters who lived in our house before us that said, “Get Brother Bing a triple!” So I asked him if he had one, and he said “Not yet!” We told him we would help him get one, but the next shipment of triples to come to the branch isn’t for like another month or something. Brother Bing is preparing to go to the temple with the branch in December, so I decided to give him one of my triples. You need the Doctrine & Covenants to prepare! On Saturday night I was looking at my books and I realized, “Brother Bing needs the nice one. If anyone is going to treasure that book and be grateful for it, it’s him.” So on Sunday, Sister Weed and I gave it to him. I have never been waiied so many times and so respectfully in all my time in Thailand. There are different levels of waiing, and the highest is reserved for the king, so obviously we didn’t receive that one; it was so awesome. He kept telling us how beautiful the book was. It was the best thing ever :)

Yesterday we also went with Sister Ploy to go meet her family! It was super fun. We went to her mom’s food stand and she made us all kinds of food for dinner. The Thais are so funny; they always ask non-Thai people if they are able to eat Thai food. Like “are you physically capable? Do you know how to eat?” Anyway, we ate SO MUCH FOOD. They think we’ve never tried any of it before. So funny. Also we ate a seafood soup that had squid in it. Sister Ploy ate the head and then spit out this little ball...and she casually goes, “that’s the eye.” It sat on her plate and stared at me for the rest of the meal. : )

So yeah, that was my week! It’s been good, I’m happy, and the work is moving forward as ever! 

I love you!!!!!!!!

Sister Hungry

This is Sister Ploy making us food :)

Sister Painter took this photo of me and Sister Weed; it kills us.

This is where we eat chicken and rice.

Sam from our English class made this for me and Sister Weed...we aren't exactly sure why? 

But we love it. It's hanging up in our house.