Week 31 - The Sun Always Rises

My title seems super deep, but really it is because of my challenge at the end and because this morning we woke up around 3:30, drove to the border of Cambodia/Thailand and watched a breathtaking sunrise! God's creations never cease to make me oh so grateful, especially as a missionary. Also never in my life would I have thought I would watch a sunrise over Cambodia. Crazy how God's plan works!

SWITCH-OFF'S IN ROIET

Since the Esan is super spread out, we had to travel about 5 hours to switch off, but it was so worth it! I was with Sister Panasuto (Thai) and to be frank she is incredible. Works SO HARD and I loved every second of it. We were only together for half a day when we saw a miracle happen and basically found a new investigator! A huge testimony to me that God blesses those who qualify (work for it).

Randomly we started talking about our favorite foods and she all of a sudden had this craving to go eat at a 'cook it yourself' Thai place. I wasn't really craving it but she was so excited I didn't want to say no! We went and our waiter immediately asked us what religion we were from, and was interested from the get go. Throughout the night he kept asking us questions and was so eager to learn. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he couldn't stop smiling. So grateful to have had that experience. Honestly there are prepared people EVERYWHERE...thankfully Sister Panasuto recognized a prompting, even if it was in her craving (Best Two Years anyone?)

INTERVIEW OR POTENTIAL INVESTIGATOR?

So on Sunday right after church/lunch (everyone eats together at the church) we were getting ready to leave when these 4 girls (17 years old) came in and asked me if they could interview me! This happens kind of often, students have to interview native English speakers so everyone goes to the nicest falangs in town..the missionaries! The interview was short but afterwards we just started talking to them. I am LOVING being able to talk to people about life and actually understand them! Goodness it is amazing.

Anyway we were just talking and had to wait for the elders to finish teaching so we decided to give them a tour of the church. They were so cute. "This is my very first time in a church, I am so excited but kind of nervous!" But as we showed them the church and just talked I know they felt something. The spirit is so powerful because we can be talking about a random topic but being in the church and with the missionaries you can tell that they feel something, and they don't want the feeling to end. We began to teach some of our doctrine and bare testimony and they couldn't stop smiling. I am so grateful for the spirit, without it this work would be a lost cause. 

We left the four of them with their own copy of the Book of Mormon. I don't know what will happen to them but I hope and pray a spark was lit. Unfortunately they live too far for missionaries to visit them but we hope to see them again in the near future! What a miracle that 1-they chose to come to the church when we were there and able to help them, 2-they could feel the spirit of the message we bore, 3-that we were used as instruments in the Lord's hands. Ah. I will never tire of being apart of this glorious work.

THE SUN ALWAYS RISES

Watching the sunrise today made me think about something I read recently. (Yes I applied the sunrise to the gospel because I'm a missionary and we do that with literally everything we see.) Yesterday in church I read about President Hinckley's attitude about optimism and I couldn't help but feel happy knowing that I was trying my best to do that very thing!

"Everyday in the mission field is a good day" I have tried my best to apply this and it has honestly changed my life. He talked about instead of waiting for the train to get to the station you should, "thank the Lord for letting you have the ride" and that is when you will find happiness. 

No matter our situation the sun always rises. Each day is a new day to learn and grow and have JOY! The light of Christ Atonement can brighten any day. We just have to be patient enough to watch the sunrise. 

My challenge for you all today is to find the sunshine in life...and usually you don't have to look very far:)

Much much love,

Sister Hammon

SUNRISE OVER CAMBODIA

The sun always rises  : )

How beautiful is this world?

Sunrise with Sister Panjaree

Every Khon Thai (native) we saw was FREEZING to death.  

Haha All the falangs were fine.  Proof 1

Proof 2 (wearing scarves and hats)

Proof 3

The trees at the bottom of the picture are in Cambodia! 

Probably 100 yards from where we were.

Cool carvings to the left and Cambodia to the right.

As close as you can get to leaving the mission! (Cambodia is RIGHT behind us!)

Our travel crew! Elders + Sisters + Driver (and best member ever)

Make-shift birthday cake

Love this place

Teaching an investigator at his farm during switch-offs!

I seriously adore Sister Panasuto. This was the said restaurant she craved 

and found the potential investigator!

Switch-Off’s in Roiet!  Sister Black from Bountiful (so so so fun to talk to her!) 

and Sister Panasuto from Thailand.

Found this little guy in our room last week…the scary thing is we lost him…in our tiny room!  How? No idea but yeah, it is a good time.

Trying to catch the frog. In her English Sister Panjaree said 

“Where is frog” over and over. Haha it was so cute.

I told Sister Panjaree she couldn’t take the box home on her bike. 

I obviously didn’t have enough faith.

Here is an adorable puppy for you all to love.

Our investigator randomly had EIGHT puppies behind her house! SO ADORABLE  

(And so full of rabies. It took all my will power not to take all of them home)