Week 2 in Bangkok!

HelllooooOOOoooo. Well, I haven't even been here for two weeks, but it feels much MUCH longer than that. Missions are weird like that.

Thailand is stillll crazy. Right now it is just pouring outside. The thunder is SO loud. It's really funny, actually, Thai people HATE rain and are TERRIFIED of lightning. One time Sis Reedy and I were trying to find the apartment of a member here, and it was raining. She called us and was like, "You can't come!! It's RAINING! You'll get hit by lightning!!!" haha

So remember last time when I said that we had a lot of investigators from the Elders before us? ...Well... we still only have 1 1/2 now. I don't even know what happened! The 1/2 of an investigator keeps canceling on us, plus she moved to another part of Don Muang randomly, so we're not sure if she still wants to learn. The other two I'm pretty sure just liked the Elders so now they don't want to meet with us. Our full investigator is Sis Mali. She's the one that I had my first lesson with. We had a second lesson with her and she committed to baptism! But then we went to visit her at her food cart and she's too afraid to go to church, 'cause she thinks her landlord will kill her if she doesn't make enough money on Sunday. Noooo!!!!! Also, she asked to change her baptism date to another day, 'cause the election is on that day and I guess there will be a lot of people milling around and she wants to sell. Nooooooo!!!!!! But that's okay! Just means that we really have to work on her relationship with Christ! 'Cause if she trusts Him more than she trusts us, then she can have the faith to keep His commandments!

So we kind of also have this maybe prospective investigator. His story is actually really awesome. One day we were out inviting. We were trying to find less actives' homes and talk to random people. Eventually it got to be time to catch a taxi to go teach English. A bunch of free taxis kept passing us, but finally one pulled over really awkwardly across the street. So we got in and started driving! Turns out this taxi driver spoke English! He taught himself by watching movies and reading books!!

 So after talking about that we got a little quiet, and then he randomly asks us, "How do I get an Old Testament and New Testament combined in one book?" We were like... "Uhhh... We're not sure, but we have some thing better!" And then we told him about the Book of Mormon. He told us that he had one once, but that he lent it to his friend and never got it back! We were like, "no problem!" and gave him the only one that we'd been carrying. (Small note: we had accidentally left it at a 7/11 earlier, but one of the workers chased us down like... and hour later and gave it back!) He was SO shocked. He was like, "You're... giving this... to ME?!?!!" And we were like, "Yeah!" He just SMILED and said, "This... is my dream." And then he hugged it and said, "I will take care of you." SO SWEET!!! He was so excited about it!!! And then we taught him about Christ and God. He asked us how Christ could help him. and then how he could help Christ. And then when we told him that he can pray always, and that God wants to listen to him. He looked at us with the most amazed expression and said, "You mean..... I can pray to God in my taxi?! And that.... he wants to listen to poor old man like me?!?!?!" And we were like, "YEAH!!!!" This man was so overwhelmed with joy. He'd get quiet, pondering on the things we'd said. And then look at us, and then just beam. When we got to the church he said, "How can I learn more?" and we exchanged numbers. When we tried to pay him he refused it. He said, "You have given me the most wonderful gift. I can't take your money."

After he pulled away, SIs Reedy and I just hugged each other. That man had been searching for this all his life, and the joy he had when he found it blew me away. It made me think about my attitude about the Gospel. I need to be more like him!

So yeah. That was an amazing experience. But we've been trying to call him every day and his phone is like... out of service. Like he hasn't paid his phone bill in a while. We know the number works 'cause he made us call him to make sure that it worked, 'cause he wanted to learn more so badly. So we're really hoping that he's OK! We want to teach him SO BAD!!

Speaking of other Book of Mormon experiences, that same day we met the taxi driver we were walking around passing out English Class fliers. We always give a flier that talks about Christ and the Book of Mormon with them. We stopped by a little fruit stand, and passed out fliers there. The fruit lady was like, "Oh, you teach English? Buy some fruit." hahah!! She was so funny.

Well, several days later we were visiting a less active in that area. We were also praying for direction to find people to talk to, and as we were riding home, Sis Reedy was randomly like, "I want to buy fruit!!" So we stopped by the fruit stand. The fruit lady saw us, and then started waving the Christ flier at us. She was like, "I want one of these!!!" So we gave her a Book of Mormon and she was like, "Thanks! Now buy some fruit." ahahhaha!! We did. We're gonna go back and read with her!

So there's an election coming up here in Thailand. They put signs for it EVERYWHERE. But the weirdest thing they do here is drive these big trucks around that play loud obnoxious music. There's people that stand on the top with loud speakers and talk about.. I dunno. I can't understand them. But they do it ALL DAY. So annoying! Although, one time, we rode past them on our bikes and one of the guys was like, "Ohhhh Hello!! You Mormon, chay may?" hehheh

A couple days ago we went to a wedding! Somehow the Branch President wrangled me into singing at it.......... That was awkward. Particularly because I think he just wanted me in the group for my face! LOL He and his wife think I'm the most proper, cutest thing on the planet. I don't know why.

Thai people are funny like that. They say and do the weirdest stuff. They're really open with their bowel movements, too. They talk about tong sia (broke stomach AKA diahhrea) allllll the time. For example, at coordination meeting yesterday, a member came to sit in on it. One of the zone leaders was like, "Hey, where've you been? Haven't seen you all day!" And the member said, "Yeah, I had tong sia." And every one was like, "OK." It's completely normal to talk about it in public! hahahah!!

Also, they give their kids the WEIRDEST names. One day we were contacting in a neighborhood near our house and ended up hanging out with these two ladies and their kids on their front porch. The kids' names were, 'Donut' and 'Cheetoh'. LOL! I don't even know.

Sooo yeah. White washing is hard. Also, being a missionary is hard. There are so many things I have to do to be better! Sometimes it's overwhelming. But as long as I continue to make new goals and ask for help from the Lord, I'll improve and become the missionary I want to be.

Sorry there's no pictures. Last time I tried to attach pictures the computer deleted my pictures.... so I'm not risking that again!

Love y'all!

Sis Zaugg