Well, this week lasted foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! It was a way good week, but man it was long! haha Okay... there's a lot of stuff to talk about.....
On P-Day we got permission to move into the house that we found. So we have a house now! Yayyyyy But we have no washer... no desks.... no records.... no area book... and currently I'm sleeping on couch cushions that we put on the bedroom floor. We're waiting for more money to get sent to us so that we can start turning this place into a real missionary home.
As for the district... it's GREAT!!! Our district leader is Thai, and he is so good.His name is Elder Say Dan. He isn't necessarily the best DL I've had in terms of leadership, but he's a way good guy and sometimes he speaks to us in English and it's the most hilarious thing in the WORLD. I think at first he was way stressed about having sister in his district so for the first couple nights he made his companion do nightly follow up with us. haha... For district meeting last week he basically just drew a map of Nong Khai on the board, had us talk about our personal studies and was like, "OK. Let's go eat ice cream." I thought he was kidding, but noope! I guess that's what we do every week for District Meeting. We've also got Elder Wheeler who was in my district in Don Muang, and he's training a way awesome kid named Elder Smith. Our district is way boss. :)
As for the area, it's soooo awesome! The Isaan is beautiful! Some neighborhoods remind me of Oregon. I love it! Our house isn't in the city part, it's a little out in the country, but it's only like a 10 minute ride from the church so it's perfect! Our house is right on the river. We get to say good morning to Laos every morning! Elder Say Dan told us "not to swim in the river or the snipers will get you"
We bike EVERY WHERE. I've never ridden a bike more in my life. I'm exhausted. hahahaha Also, I'm getting the biggest thighs. I'm gonna look like those speed ice skaters by the time I'm done here.
At first I was worried about contacting here... because it's such a small town! But we've actually found some people! No one has really stuck.... most of our investigators are this one 10 year old girl that the Elders passed on to us, a former investigator of Sis Maughan's from Udorn, and a girl from English... we're trying to work with some part member families and get recent converts to get more referrals, but we're really hoping that we'll start picking up some solid investigators from our contacting!
Speaking of that former of Sis Maughan's, he got baptized yesterday! It was pretty crazy. The sisters in Udorn called and were like, "Hey Sis Maughan! Brother Roong is going to be in Nong Khai for a couple weeks! You should teach him!" SIs Maughan found Roong in Udorn, but he doesn't live there. He travels around the Isaan selling traditional Thai clothing, and whenever he would go back to Udorn, she would teach him. But he would also go to church in other provinces and get taught there... so when he got to Nong Khai he was like, "Sisters! I want to get baptized!" And we said, "OK!" So he was baptized yesterday! He's awesome. He reminds me of a pirate. hahah Yesterday was pretty much a disaster though. When it got time for the baptismal service I realized..... WE HADN'T FILLED THE BAPTISMAL FONT. Yeah. I've never had to fill a font before! Our Elders always did it for us.... So we post-poned the baptism so that the branch could have branch council while we desperately stuck hoses in the font and filled buckets of water to dump in. Eventually the font was filled, council was finished and Roong was baptized! All was well, but boy did I feel stupid. It won't happen again next week when that girl gets baptized!
On P-Day we got permission to move into the house that we found. So we have a house now! Yayyyyy But we have no washer... no desks.... no records.... no area book... and currently I'm sleeping on couch cushions that we put on the bedroom floor. We're waiting for more money to get sent to us so that we can start turning this place into a real missionary home.
As for the district... it's GREAT!!! Our district leader is Thai, and he is so good.His name is Elder Say Dan. He isn't necessarily the best DL I've had in terms of leadership, but he's a way good guy and sometimes he speaks to us in English and it's the most hilarious thing in the WORLD. I think at first he was way stressed about having sister in his district so for the first couple nights he made his companion do nightly follow up with us. haha... For district meeting last week he basically just drew a map of Nong Khai on the board, had us talk about our personal studies and was like, "OK. Let's go eat ice cream." I thought he was kidding, but noope! I guess that's what we do every week for District Meeting. We've also got Elder Wheeler who was in my district in Don Muang, and he's training a way awesome kid named Elder Smith. Our district is way boss. :)
As for the area, it's soooo awesome! The Isaan is beautiful! Some neighborhoods remind me of Oregon. I love it! Our house isn't in the city part, it's a little out in the country, but it's only like a 10 minute ride from the church so it's perfect! Our house is right on the river. We get to say good morning to Laos every morning! Elder Say Dan told us "not to swim in the river or the snipers will get you"
We bike EVERY WHERE. I've never ridden a bike more in my life. I'm exhausted. hahahaha Also, I'm getting the biggest thighs. I'm gonna look like those speed ice skaters by the time I'm done here.
At first I was worried about contacting here... because it's such a small town! But we've actually found some people! No one has really stuck.... most of our investigators are this one 10 year old girl that the Elders passed on to us, a former investigator of Sis Maughan's from Udorn, and a girl from English... we're trying to work with some part member families and get recent converts to get more referrals, but we're really hoping that we'll start picking up some solid investigators from our contacting!
Speaking of that former of Sis Maughan's, he got baptized yesterday! It was pretty crazy. The sisters in Udorn called and were like, "Hey Sis Maughan! Brother Roong is going to be in Nong Khai for a couple weeks! You should teach him!" SIs Maughan found Roong in Udorn, but he doesn't live there. He travels around the Isaan selling traditional Thai clothing, and whenever he would go back to Udorn, she would teach him. But he would also go to church in other provinces and get taught there... so when he got to Nong Khai he was like, "Sisters! I want to get baptized!" And we said, "OK!" So he was baptized yesterday! He's awesome. He reminds me of a pirate. hahah Yesterday was pretty much a disaster though. When it got time for the baptismal service I realized..... WE HADN'T FILLED THE BAPTISMAL FONT. Yeah. I've never had to fill a font before! Our Elders always did it for us.... So we post-poned the baptism so that the branch could have branch council while we desperately stuck hoses in the font and filled buckets of water to dump in. Eventually the font was filled, council was finished and Roong was baptized! All was well, but boy did I feel stupid. It won't happen again next week when that girl gets baptized!
Yesterday the Elders told us that there was a big walking street that opens on Saturdays and Sundays, so we decided to go to it last night.... except there was hardly anyone there!!! We decided to go somewhere else, but I decided to talk to this one lady before we left. She was walking along the river with her husband and two daughters. Turns out that they've both been to the church in Udorn but have moved here and want to learn more!!!!!!! The whole family!!!!!!!!!!!! We set up an appointment for this Friday. This is a FAMILY!!!!!!!! It's been my dream to teach a family. I really hope that they will pull through. They are sooo sweet and I can just see them in white at the temple! I'm gonna pray for them every night 'til we meet them. haha
May God truly be with you, Emma!
ReplyDeleteYou are in a region of Thailand I have longed to remain since my first visit there in January 2003, and my apparently final visit in June 2005.
My main advice is to take more photographs than you can ever believe you will need.
I was only ever there with a 35-mm film camera -- I owned no digital. And because economy was crucial for me, I never took more than two rolls of film on any of my three visits.
It is an almost insurmountable regret.