Well. Since I last sent an email Christmas day happened, it's a new year. And I am at 7 months in the mission. Where the heck does time go?
Anyways, Christmas day after I emailed we went on to have seriously like the best day ever. Way too much fun. Haha we went to this mall in the middle of Bangkok called "Siam Station" and it is seriously just the most insanely rich mall ever. Nothing but like Gucci and Louie V and stores like that, and on the second floor there was a Lamborghini dealership and like Aston Marton and Maserati... I don't even know how they did that but I didn't complain haha. Anyways we ate lunch there at this Italian food place and I had like the leg of a lamb, scalloped potatoes, lobster bisque, and calamari. oh boy it was indescribable hahah. After that we went to the aquarium that by the way is inside the mall. Anyways this is like so dumb and not even related to anything so I'll stop talking about it.
Later on we stopped by the mission office while we were around and I was able to pick up a package from THANKSGIVING from my family hahah but it was on Christmas day so it was so nice. Pretty much just a TON of instant potatoes.. Love you guys. You know me too well.
For dinner we stopped by a small local restaurant and just had fried rice and relaxed, but the feelings I felt that night will stay with me and make for one of the most memorable Christmas days ever. We sat around, just us 4 missionaries just eating our fried rice, when a white guy next to us just leaned over and said Merry Christmas boys, God bless you. It was short and simple but meant so much because literally every other white person I have ever met in Thailand just bashes us. Anyways we got to talking to the guy, and it was his first Christmas ever away from home. He is from England and works in Thailand but usually goes home to be with his family. We were all talking and sharing stories about Christmas traditions around a 3 foot plastic Christmas tree listening to old Christmas music and eating fried rice and I just stopped for a second and wanted to tear up and cry because something in my heart just kept telling me this was the best Christmas of my life, because it's the first Christmas where I forgot about actually getting presents, and my main focus was just this other man missing his family, when it hit me that I was away from my family too. It was just a beautiful moment I will never forget.
Moving on, Pday got changed to Thursday last week and we had to be home early cause New Years here gets super crazy haha. But on New Years day we had a zone activity and all got together and played sports at this way way nice international school. It was soooooo fun just being with like 30 missionaries playing basketball and football and american football ;)
WE BOUGHT NERF GUNS CAUSE THERE IS A MEMBER HERE THAT WORKDS FOR NERF!!!!
We actually had a ton of success this week in finding people to teach. We really found a lot of joy in contacting this week which is something that has honestly been a little tough in the past. One day, we found this girl named Mel and her daughter. I invited her in Thai but I guess it was so unclear that she knew I was from America and just replied in English. Turned out she lived in England for 9 years about 30 minutes away from where my Grandma was born in South Hampton! Way cool. Anyways we got to talking and found out she is Buddhist, and her daughter was Christian, and she was willing to go to church just for her daughter to be happy and to feel her support. So they came! It was nice and good but I didn't feel anything special about it because they had to leave right after sacrament. But, the next day we set up an appointment to meet with them and teach with them and it was PERFECT!! We asked her to share her experience about church and she said that she went for her daughter but when she walked in and was greeted by the members she realized she came for herself, and that she felt like she was home. I felt very touched by this because I can relate so much. When I first returned to church I felt such an overwhelming amount of love and I just couldn't believe I was able to play a part in somebody else's experience like that. It was so rewarding and just heart warming when she told us she wants to make coming to church a weekly occurrence. I am so thankful for the members at home that helped me have that same experience, and for where it has taken me.. I am so excited to see where Mel and her daughter end up off of a chain reaction of some incredible members back in Bountiful Utah. :)
I think I only have time for one other super cool experience this last week even though I KNOW I am forgetting so much important cool stuff. So, this Saturday we ate a huge buffet dinner because it was fast Sunday and we like to start early so we can eat lunch together with the members on Sunday. Anyways, this time I was praying really hard to actually make this fast Sunday count, and not just to complain to myself the whole time about how hungry I am. As the day went on, we taught a couple great lessons and it was just an average day. Then we went street contacting to end the night. While we were out, we met a very nice guy! As soon as he saw Jesus Christ on our chests he just smiled huge and waited for what we had to say.. We invited him to church and he said YES! What time and wear? And we told him and got his number and everything and it was nice. But anyways after that, I saw him eating at a little restaurant right next to the place we were contacting, so I went and sat by him and just talked a little bit more to him. I feel bad for judging, but it was easy to see this man had no money. So I got up and say happy new years and went and paid for his meal. It was just something small I tried to do to help me think more about the purpose of fasting, but his reaction was the cutest thing ever. Just pure joy and so much love. I don't mean to put myself on a pedestal or anything for doing something so small. But I do want to share my testimony of how much doing such small service can effect other people's mood. It took me way longer than it should have to gain this testimony of the purpose of fasting once a month, but I am so happy that I now understand how important it is, and how it is a time to look forward to, not to dread. He came to church the next day and loved every single thing that was said, with a huge smile on his face. I pray that I was able to share love of Heavenly Father for all of his children with him through my actions.
I'm missing so many great details of all the feelings I felt, but I hope that you guys can at least get a little bit of something from this huuuuge email lol. Here are a ton of pics.
1. christmas night experience with our new friend :)
2. i made mashed potatoes HEY GRANDMA IM WEARING THE SHIRT YOU SENT ME
3. the nerf guns hahaah
4. fix the tie go to work
5. incredible amounts of pollution makes for a beautiful Bangkok sky
6. sports day :)
7. helping make sum food :)
Hope you all had a very merry christmas and a happy new year. love u ttyl
