Basically the whole country has shut down for three days and has turned into a MASSIVE WATER FIGHT.
My whole mission people have been telling me about songkraan and how nuts it is.... but I just didn't believe them! I thought they were exagerrating.... but ohhhhhh no. They were not.
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| Elder Smith. This picture makes me smile. :) |
The last 3 days we have not been able to get any one to commit to going to church on this last Sunday because they've all said: "I'll get soaked! It's too dangerous!" And we were like, "pffffft no you won't. just come." But then yesterday morning we rode out of our house and saw that every house had giant barrels of water being filled with hoses, or people filling swimming pools and water guns. Literally. Every. House. Entire streets were blockaded by dancing people with water just waiting for vehicles/bicyclists to pass just to soak them. Every truck that passed (and that's most of the cars that aren't motorcycles here in Thailand) was loaded with barrels of water and people splashing water at you as they drove by. Even on the bigger roads that didn't have houses had stations of water to splash and refill every 20 feet. Every one that we passed was wet. We were SHOCKED. IT'S TRUE.
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| I got stuck..... |
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elDER |
So right now it's warring outside and we get to play in it today. :) Yayyyyyy! Yesterday I somehow managed to make it around without getting too wet... but Sis Maughan got soaked through. hahahahhahahaha Not sure how that happened.
Literally the coolest holiday ever.
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| Pausing a moment from inviting to call an investigator. |
This week we found a couple new investigators who really seem to be ready for baptism! The first is a guy that I met at the park. His name is A. He's way cool! When I invited him, he said, "I don't want to commit to anything, but I would like to go to the church to learn more!" When we taught him we found out that his grandpa recently passed, so we decided that the Plan of Salvation would be an excellent message to share with him! That morning I had read a talk about being the kind of missionary who teaches and testifies by the Spirit, and that we should always be bold and that if we teach by the Spirit, then the investigator will be ready to make any commitment! So I testified my heart out! I really felt the Spirit working in that lesson.... and then we decided to read a scripture in Alma 7 about the atonement of Christ, and how His atonement frees us from sin and death.
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
After we read that together he kept looking at it, so we figured that he was just thinking about the verses, but then he looked up and was like, "I really like verse 14."
14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.
And we were like "YES YOU DO" and committed him to be baptized right then and there! So now he has a date for the 27th! So awesome. :)
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| SHEEEEEEEEEEEP |
So, funny story about that day at the park: we were walking around and saw this huuuuuge herd of random sheep run across a bridge onto one of the mini islands floating in the middle of the park. So, of course I was like, "SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP" and dragged Sis Maughan over to take pictures. Well, we ended up talking to the shepherd, invited him to be baptized and got his number! hahahhaa We still haven't taught him yet, but it was a way awesome experience.
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| Me and SHEEEEEEEEEEP |
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| Pouring water on old peoples' hands? |
On Friday the branch had a songkraan activity. I guess it's Thai tradition on Songkraan to pour water on the old peoples' hands and wish them a good year, and then they say things like, "I hope you have happiness and find a handsome husband" lol Then after you've done that they smear white powder on your face and it turns into a water fight. It was the only time in my life where I would feel OK about dumping a giant bowl of water over an old lady's head. hahah!
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| Wearing the songkraan flowers! |
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| Oh, yeah. I forgot to talk about the part where Sis Briaw, a recently certified nurse, took out E. Wheeler's stitches at the church. LOL |
General conference was AWEEEEEEEEESOOOOOOOOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
Elder Packer's talk blew my mind. His last testimony of Christ made my heart stop:
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| Cooped up in the clerk's office for 10 hours watching GC. |
"After all the years that I have lived and taught and served, after the millions of miles I have traveled around the world, with all that I have experienced, there is one great truth that I would share. That is my witness of the Savior Jesus Christ.
Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon recorded the following after a sacred experience:
“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
“For we saw him” (D&C 76:22–23).
Their words are my words.
I believe and I am sure that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that He lives. He is the Only Begotten of the Father, and “by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:24).
I bear my witness that the Savior lives. I know the Lord. I am His witness. I know of His great sacrifice and eternal love for all of Heavenly Father’s children. I bear my special witness in all humility but with absolute certainty, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
I love the apostles and prophet! I know they have been called of God to be Christ's special witnesses. I can't wait to study the talks that were shared by them in this last General Conference. It was my last as a missionary! :,(
Have a wonderful week everybody! I'll be over here getting soaked. :,)
Love ya!
Sis Zaugg
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