Sister Hammon: Week 15 - Another One Bites the Dust

SUBJECT - Another One Bites the Dust

Haha so at the beginning of this week our entire district was alive and well...then the week began. Slowly, one by one, almost everyone became sick.

Tuesday: Elder Parrish got the flu

Wednesday: Elder Polu was bitten by a dog and had to start the rabies shots (haha he goes home this week so he has to finish them in America)

Thursday: Sister Hammon caught a bad cold

Saturday: Sister Fuai woke up sick to her stomach

I guess it is only 4 people, but in a district of 6 it was the majority. It isn't super funny but it's the best title I've got so just pretend to laugh. (Also I thought it was hilarious) Will keep you updated on the other two elders if our district survives another week.

THAI

So I don't know what was in the water this week but everyone and their dog told me that my Thai was super clear! I am convinced that it is because my nose was very stuffy because of my cold. So I think I have decided that in order to be the absolutely best Thai speaker, I need to be sick for 18 months...worth it. But there is a funny story with this!

We were at a market and Sister Fuai was ordering food. When she finished the man asked me if I would like anything and I basically said "I'm good, thanks!" The man stopped, looked at Sister Fuai, looked at me, then looked back at Sister Fuai and asked, "Wait. Is she Thai? Why does her face look falang?" IT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY MISSION LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. It's the stuffy nose, I'm telling you. But really, I have been so blessed with this language. I know there is absolutely no way I could be doing this without the help of my Heavenly Father and it is a miracle how fast I am learning.

BOI

The other day we had a lot of lessons that fell through so Sister Fuai suggested we visit a less active member. We have visited this member about 5 times in 6 weeks and every time we go we aren't let in or she isn't home, so when Sister Fuai suggested this I wasn't super excited. Thankfully she was listening to the spirit which I missed!

We went and it was a MIRACLE. She wasn't home, but her neighbor (who we have tried to teach before) had her door open and had a friend over! The friend (Boi) started asking why a falang was in the building, so I turned around and started talking with her while Sister Fuai wrote the member a note. Then we sat down and taught her a first lesson through the doorway! She was so interested and told us we could come back the next day and teach her! Huge tender mercy, a strong member lives in her same building and they know each other!

The next day we had an amazing lesson with her and the strong member. Boi doesn't really know anything about Christianity. The only thing she recognized was Jesus and she had barely heard of the Bible so we are really starting from scratch. We were telling her the story of Joseph Smith when she stopped us and said, well I want to pray too! She is amazing. Yesterday she called us late at night and we were so confused. Turned out that she was very sick and couldn't do anything without feeling dizzy. Then she decided to say a prayer and she immediately felt better! She told us she knows that what we are teaching must be true because it has already helped her so much! MIRACLES.

Boi was such a blessing to us because we lost 2 investigators the other week (sadly including Geraldo) and Bo who was supposed to get baptized yesterday has kind of disappeared. We have been praying for new investigators and luckily Sister Fuai listened to the prompting and we found Boi! God is a God of miracles and I know that for a fact!

BEARING'S GOT TALENT

Every Sunday we eat dinner with the elders and about 5 members from the Bang Na ward on the roof of our building! Yesterday was the last Sunday before transfers this week and so apparently it is tradition to do Bearing's Got Talent. (Bang Na is a larger city so Bearing is the smaller city that we are located in.) Bearing's Got Talent consisted of a holding your breath contest. Yeah I know, kind of anticlimactic, but it looks super funny so here are pictures! Also for the record, I came in 3rd. Be proud.

Thank you all so much for your love and support! My challenge to you this week has to do with General Conference! I haven't watched it yet (because Asia is a week later), but I want all of you to pick something from conference to change! It is so nice to listen to all of the messages, but if you don't change then there wasn't really a point. So find something that stood out to you and go for it! God will help you and I have no doubt about that! :)

Have a wonderful week and if you're bored you can try to beat Elder Parrish's record of 2 minutes and 35 seconds of sticking your head underwater. I'm told it's quite the thrill.

Much much love,

Sister Hammon

More flooding photos...yeah you're probably sick of these haha

So for Sister Fuai's birthday we went to the NICEST buffet I have ever seen. You sat down and the food moved past you so you didn't have to stand up and get it! America needs to get ahold of this idea!