Half Way.

Celebrating Sister Ng

Dear Family,

This week was more of a "reflective" week. I hit my halfway point. And that is what we would call "แปลกมาก." (SO WEIRD.)

On Monday for p-day we went to a royal garden. It was like going to paradise. I took a lot of photos there. : )

This week was also Sister Ng's 22nd birthday. We celebrated by eating lunch at The Duke's, a super awesome American restaurant. I had a burger. It tasted like America.

One of our investigators named Tan sent me an amazing text message this week, it read: "I can't come to the church today. I have a class for study english. And I will reading mormon holy and pray every night. See you at next Tuesday. Thank you very much :)" And my whole day was amazing after that.

This week I took some time during my personal studies to look at my old journals from when I was in the MTC and when I was first in country. It was interesting to see how I have changed and how I have grown.

In one of my old journal entries from when I was first here, I wrote, "Sometimes I feel like clay. Isaiah talks about being clay on the potter's wheel, being pushed and pulled and shaped in ways that the clay wouldn't necessarily have chosen to go. Sometimes it's painful being clay on a potter's wheel. Sometimes it isn't fun. But I love what's happening to me and I can't wait to see where I end up."

I laughed at myself. Not because it was cheesy or because I thought I was silly. But because I was very insightful as a new missionary, which surprised me; I had no idea what was coming my way as a missionary. I had no idea where I would go and what I would be doing. I had no idea how I would change.

I think the best blessing—as of right this very second—is that I have learned to love me. I know that sounds silly and maybe a little narcissistic, but I promise it isn't. Before my mission, I was happy with who I was, but there were things I wanted to change and things I wanted to become. I feel like being a missionary has been the perfect path to help me get to where I wanted to go and where I still need to go, because I'm not perfect. I'm not saying I'm satisfied with who I am, because there are always changes that need to be made. But I am saying that I am happy with myself and that I am confident in myself. I can do. And I love the person that God is creating me to be. And that is a huge blessing.

So there you have it. The ramblings of Sister Hughes.

Love you!!!

Love,

Sister Hungry

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Me trying to call an investigator: Hi, is this Tide?

Elder Wheeler: Nope, this is Elder Wheeler.

Me: Danggit. Well...hey. I'm gonna hang up now...

Elder Wheeler: Yep, that's fine.

Sister Ng: "You know, I really do believe people have houses full of cats."

Elder Cox: "We spent 42 hours on a bus last month, which according to Elder Wood is approximately an entire work week..."

Sister Slaugh: "How do you explain to a 5 year old boy what insulation is in Thai?"

Royal Gardens, Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai sunset.