Sister Hammon: Week 23 - Kentucky Fried Thanksgiving

Hello to you all and HAPPY THANKSGIVING! (last week!)

Our district is only 50% American but that did not stop us from celebrating with a delicious meal of KFC! Haha Elder Bradner and I had a good time introducing this holiday to our companions, even if it is a super difficult holiday to explain. Also I was on the look out all day for falangs to tell them "happy thanksgiving" and I saw a total of 3...who were from Australia, New Zealand and England. So needless to say you are the only people I get to wish a happy thanksgiving!

MAAW (แมว)

In our mission, President Johnson emphasizes service, so every single day we are supposed to take the time to serve someone. A few weeks ago we had a service project at a member's house on Saturday. The next day the member was not only so grateful for the work we did in her yard, but she brought a friend! (Sister Maaw--age 45ish) We have been able to teach her and at first she seemed almost skeptical, but the spirit has worked wonders. We had a lesson with her this last week and when we started teaching she got out a paper and started taking notes. She has such a genuine desire to learn and our lesson was powerful. We taught the Plan of Salvation and as she was saying the closing prayer she said, "I am grateful that the sisters could teach me about this plan" and I was overcome with the spirit as a quote came to my mind, "this is the truth" (President Monson's last conference address). I was so grateful for the knowledge of His plan.

For as long as I can remember I have known that my family will be together forever, and coming to Thailand I realized how much I took that knowledge for granted. We know why we are here, we know the purpose of life! How can we not want to share that with every person we see?? Ah. This gospel is so perfect and I am so grateful my Heavenly Father is helping me see that more and more on this mission. My challenge for you today is to say a prayer of gratitude not only for our Heavenly Father's plan but to have a KNOWLEDGE of His plan...I promise as you do this you will begin to realize just how blessed we are.

STAKE CONFERENCE x 3

Yesterday we had a giant stake conference! Every member of the church in Bangkok gathered in a hotel to watch the 4th stake in Thailand be organized!!! It was amazing. Everyone was so happy and so full of joy! We had a miracle happen and had 6 people attend who we invited! (recent converts, less active members and investigators!) This was such a big deal considering we had to go so far away...we had 4 people go with Sister Bilavanh and I and it was so funny! I felt like a mother duck as I walked through the busy streets of Bangkok leading 5 others. I definitely turned around to count heads as we walked to make sure I didn't lose anyone...this mission is apparently preparing me for my future career as a preschool teacher. Thailand is GROWING! President Johnson has a goal of 8 stakes before he leaves (another year and a half) so everything we do is aiming towards that goal!

Have a wonderful week and enjoy the freezing cold! (I am saying that because I am currently in a small internet ron sweating bullets)

ร้ก มาก มาก

Sister Hammon

A Kentucky Fried Thanksgiving!!!

First Thanksgiving! (I sound like a proud parent with a baby)

Haha Take a second to realize how longingly he looks at that piece of chicken

He definitely thought this was a video

For p-day last week someone told us of this Naval Museum we could go to and climb inside planes! We had about 6 missionaries go and we showed up and they were so confused why falangs were there. Apparently it is a museum but NO ONE ever goes to it. Haha. Super sketchy but we were let in for free so no complaints. (Even though the plane out front was the only one we saw all day.)

Companionship unity.

Sorry. It's a blurry picture but this was the museum! haha We understood why no one every goes after we had a visit!

Don't ask me why this is in a Naval Museum

Dinner at our Ward Mission Leader's house...he doesn't have any walls and has this giant pond where he raises fish then eats them. Haha It was so cool!

Elder Tun apparently loves fish because he tried forever to get a picture of one.

We are secretly very jealous of their bikes.

For the family: I FOUND COOPER!

Haha I didn't want to show this to my mom and grandma, but the story is too crazy not to tell. This house is 4 houses away from where we teach every day and last week the owner came home to find a missing cat and a GIANT SNAKE on his door! (aka his cat was a goner.) A member took this picture because we didn't see it that day. CRAZY!