testifying in Thailand

testifying in Thailand

Monday, December 4, 2017

Week 76 - Love that Crosses Boundaries

MERRY DECEMBER!!!

Best news I have of the week: last year there were 0 Christmas decorations here (due to the death of the King), but the year of mourning is officially over and I have seen Christmas decorations!!! Most of them say 'Happy New Year' but still the best thing ever. Christmas in a Buddhist country is the greatest.

FASTING BRINGS MIRACLES
     This past Sunday was the most incredible fast Sunday of my mission. The morning started off slow. We had 3 canceled appointments, but 40 minutes before church came the first miracle! We are teaching a small family, mother and 2 young children (13 and 9 years old) and they are adorable. Usually the mom will drop off her kids at church while she goes to work. We have tried to invite her to get the day off but she always refused saying that she just wanted her kids to go to church so they would be good people, but she didn't need it. But yesterday as she dropped off her kids we noticed she was wearing a skirt...she walked up and said, "okay sisters, today I'm staying." We were SO HAPPY! Turns out she requested at her work to get Sundays off and she got it!! Her heart is slowly changing and I am so excited for her.
     Second miracle. Sacrament meeting was about to start and one of our investigators walked in last minute with 2 people I didn't recognize...turns out HE BROUGHT FRIENDS! A grandmother and her granddaughter! He said he feels good at church and wants them to feel good too. So adorable. Anyway he actually had to leave a little early, so he turned to me and said, "sister you will take care of them for me right?" It was just so cute to see him care about his friends so much that he wanted them to love church too:) Ah this gospel is so glorious.
 
INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATORS
     So recently we have found ourselves having a bunch of investigators that are not from Thailand. We are teaching a group of girls (member referrals) from Laos. They speak Thai fairly well, but it's weird that in some ways we (falangs) speak better than they do... We helped them pray for the first time the other day and one of them started crying..it was her first time talking to God and she was obviously overwhelmed with the spirit. So very special!
     Also we got more member referrals and one was to teach the cutest little family you have ever seen. They are also refugees, from Vietnam, but they are Hmong! SO ADORABLE. (I sent a picture) Miracle on top of miracle is that the father has been taught by the missionaries before (5 plus years ago) It is way hard to teach them. It's fairly inconvenient that I'm not fluent in the language of Hmong...should have listened to my Anthropology teacher my freshman year at BYU, ANYWAY we get by with simple Thai and relying on the Hmong pamphlets we have. Every time we leave their house after a lesson the mom and grandma do not miss an opportunity to hug us and tell us they love us. It is the cutest thing in the world. My heart is so full after each and every lesson! Goodness I love them.

Something I have come to learn and love on my mission is the standardization of the gospel. No matter who you are, or where you live, or what language you speak, this gospel will bless you. I have seen it over and over again. As long as someone humbly turns their life to Christ, miracles will come. And it is glorious! I am just so blessed that I have been able to witness this firsthand and feel God's love for all of them! I love being a missionary. I love loving other people. And I love getting to know other cultures. No matter who you are, you are a child of God and He loves you:)

"No matter where you live, no matter how humble your circumstances, how meager your employment, how limited your abilities, how ordinary your appearance, or how little your calling in the Church may appear to you, you are not invisible to your Heavenly Father. He loves you." (Uchtdorf)

Thank you for everything. I am SO excited for this week. Our ward is doing a massive presentation of 'Road to Bethlehem' and should have around 1500 visitors enter the church! Look it up, should be so incredible! Don't forget to LIGHT THE WORLD and love others (challenge for the week) Christmastime is the best time ahhhh so much joy:) BYE love you all!

Also I decided to make a list of all the names people have called me when they try to pronounce 'Hammon' so here you go:

รักมาดมากเลย
Sister Hammon
Sister Ham
Sister Mormon
Sister Almond
Sister Hamburger
Sister Ham and Cheese
Sister Doraemon (Thai cartoon)
Sister Ammon (from the scriptures)

Anyway those are all I can remember for now...have the best week!

The cutest Hmong family we started teaching!!

Back in Bang Na—MY FIRST CONVERT! 
So crazy she’s not even considered a ‘recent convert’ any more, 
ahh I love her so much.

When I went back to Bang Na I got to see the TRIIO!!!! (AKA my favorite people)

THE OCEAN


We have the coolest mission

Climbed up to a wat on the top of a mountain.  Best. View. Ever.



Hike down the mountain




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