To 'die' in a mission means to finish a mission. OR if you're a missionary in Thailand you can also say 'job' (like the Bible Job), which means to end/finish. Sorry for any confusion my last email caused! Lots of missionaries died last transfer... but they're in a good place now. Resting with their families. :)
SO anyway.
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| The 9 hour ride back to Udorn..... |
I got my companion! Her name is Sister Stewart and she is awesome. We picked her up in Bangkok when I had MLC down there last Wednesday. MLC was cool this time around because there's a lot of new Zone Leaders since a good portion of them died at last transfers. Also, my first AP ever was at the office! Back from America for a visit! It was weird seeing him in real people clothes... it made me realize that there is a real world out there where you wear jeans and use technology for facebook. haha
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| They gave us hotdogs on the bus and I was the only one brave enough to eat it. |
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| Udorn, Udon, whatever. UDONTHANI!!!!! |
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| Sis Stewart has spent the last 7 months of her mission in a walking area, so this is her first time wearing the "vest". |
Anyway, it was SUPER nice to come back to Udorn with a companion and to start working on my area! Sis Stewart is actually my phii! She came in the group before me. CRAZY RIGHT? I never thought that I would go junior companion again! I've been waiting for this moment ever since I finished being trained by Sis Reedy. haha Except- our companionship is weird because she's older than me in the mission, but I'm sister training leader, so we cancel each other out so neither of us are senior or junior. It's pretty nice.
Anyway. We met with two investigators who the sisters before us were teaching. It was a couple who I invited outside of a 7/11 about a month ago. I gave their number to the sisters and they had taught them almost everything by the time I got here. The couple was christian from before and I had a desire to be baptized, but their only hold-back was that they weren't legally married... and they just wouldn't go do it for some reason! They tried and tried but just couldn't convince them to get married. So Sis Stewart and I planned to take them to the Browns' house (because they're married) to have a throw down with them and help them see how wonderful marriage is and how it fits into God's plan for them as an eternal family (they already have a 4 year old daughter). We weren't really sure how it was gonna go.... partly because Sis Stewart and I had never taught together before. So Thursday evening comes, and we take this adorable little family to the Browns' house and teach them the Plan of Salvation. And guess what, I get the prompting to share Alma 7 with them. We talk about how Christ plays a big role in their life, and why they believe in Him. They say they have faith in Christ and want to follow him! So we commit them to be baptized that Sunday and they say YES! And then they ask: "What do we need to do to prepare?"
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"Well.... get married."
"Oh, yeah, sure. We'll go tomorrow morning."
Huh?
Wait- where was the drawn out explanation of why they needed to be married to be baptized? The 'Family: A Proclamation to the World' discussion, the "we love being married" speech from the Browns? THEY DIDN'T NEED IT!
All they needed was to be reminded of their commitment to Christ and His Gospel? Once they decided that they were going to do everything possible to follow him... well, the rest just fell in place.
The Spirit was SO strong in that lesson. Sis Stewart and I teach so well together. It's a perfect balance. Her Thai is BEAUTIFUL. I'm so excited to teach more with her!
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| Adorable kids at the City Hall think the two white girls are hilarious. |
Anyway, so Friday morning we met them at the City Hall and supported them while they filled out the paperwork, and then Saturday they were interviewed, and Sunday they were baptized! I was so impressed with them. They were really proactive about it all. They were the ones preparing themselves. We didn't really have to do anything! It was amazing.
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| Officially married! |
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| Baptized! |
I was so... I dunno.... just HAPPY for them! My dream as a missionary has always been to baptize a family. That is really hard to do in Thailand. It doesn't happen often. But finally I've been blessed with the opportunity to see a father and mother enter into the waters of baptism and begin an eternal family. I want to DIE it makes me so happy.
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| The Sagonkorn songthew. |
Sunday was District Conference, so we had all the branches and missionaries from Udorn, Nong Khai, Sagonakorn, Gumpawapi and Laos meet in our church for the day. Sagonakorn rolled in on this HUGE songthew. They had ridden for 4 hours to get to Udorn. Talk about dedication!
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| My bro, Tii. |
Tii was there! He is the COOLEST kid ever. We just clasped hands and he (very dramatically and Tii like) was like, "Sister! Miss you!" I could have just hugged him right then and there. He is my favorite 17 year old kid in the whole world! He gave the closing prayer in the district conference. So boss.
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| This is the Branch President of Gumpawapi. His son's name is Mormon, so that when people ask him about the name he can share the Gospel. :) |
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| Pim and Um Im from Don Muang! Pim just got her mission call to Australia! |
A man who I contacted at the City Hall came to church. He was interesting... we've decided not to continue teaching him. We think he's into weird voodoo stuff and hard drugs and he wasn't willing to quit those things. He was kinda freaky to be honest, but maybe he'll remember the good feelings he had at the church someday and want to change!
Next week we're hoping to get our investigatar Yii baptized. She is the SWEETEST 15 year old girl. She's so solid! Love her to bits!
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| Contacting at the walking street near Nongprajak park. |
I've been sick the last 2 weeks and my nose just won't stop running. I'm pretty sick of blowing my nose and eating my own snot. Yuck! but other than that, things are great! I live in a house with 3 of the coolest girls in the mission. We have lots fun!
Have a fantastic week!
Sis Zaugg
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