Week 5? Whaaa?

This week I have learned lots! 

We got 11 new investigators! Yay! 

One of our new investigators, we had a really good lesson with! It was a humbling experience for me because she new next to nothing about Jesus Christ and was so willing to learn. She struggled with reading, and would ask us - non thai people - to correct her reading to help her understand. When she prayed, she said after "Wow, this isn't like Buddhist prayers at all!" she also said that all she could see in her mind when she prayed was the image of Christ. She knows hardly anything about Him, but has already has a powerful experience! 

The people here are so kind and generous. They will make us meals right on the spot when we visit and are so patient with me and my Thai!

So last night we were at the church eating dinner with some YSA, and we had to leave to go home, but it was like monsooning outside so we got my little umbrella and hiked up our ankle length skirts and started running home, trying to dodge lightning and frogs, while running through streets that were beginning to flood. I felt like it was one of those moments where I REALLY wish my life was a movie because there were just these 2 sister missionaries running, (screaming, might I add) getting soaked and trying to make sure our crocs don’t slip off in the river that is forming before us "Ahhhh we're gonna die!" 

BTW everyone, a picture of me is on the Thai Mormon news room.... 

Keep praying and reading your scriptures EVERYDAY. DO IT. 

I love you all! 

Love Sister Peterson

With Kit. She calls to make sure we get home safe and she sets up her own appointments. Love her! We hope that she can get baptized soon! She's so cute!

This is Koi diow (I can't remember how to spell it in Thai and it would take too long) and I love it so much. It's only like a dollar (american) ฿35

After running through the rain!

The animal of the week: The Burmese Python

Pictures

At the crocodile farm

Traditional Thai clothing

Week 4 "For this is my life!"

Crazy crazy week. 

News flash: We had a baptism!!!!!! Like a really last min baptism. 

Last P-day (which was Wednesday b/c of zone conf.) I held and fed a baby tiger! We went to a crocodile farm and watched a crocodile show!

We went on switch off's with the STL's and my comp for the day was Thai, and she was awesome! I learned lots and left feeling way excited about spreading the gospel. :)

Earlier this week I was reading Alma 26, where Ammon rejoices in the goodness of God. I realized that I am doing the same work that Ammon was. "my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.... FOR THIS IS MY LIFE, my light, my salvation, etc.. That really hit home for me, and I am so grateful that this is my life for just a short time to help spread the joy that comes from Christ. 

 "Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others...By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves." President Gordon B. Hinckley

During switch off's Sister Courchaine got a call from an old investigator. This lady had learned the gospel a few months ago and wanted to be baptized, but was held back because she was in a bad relationship. fast forward to this week, she got out of the relationship, and we reviewed the lessons and commandments with her. And she got baptized yesterday! I wish I had a picture (I'll get it later) of Sister บีม. And guess what else? I gave the talk on the Holy Ghost! Ahhhhhh IN THAI!!! I was so grateful for that experience though! I was able to catch a little glipmse of the significance of this work and a glimpse of God's love for Sister บีม. 

The funniest part of my week was at church. There is this REALLY old lady that comes to church every now and then and she has to have her two daughters help her, she should probably have a walker, but she just walks hunched over. She LOVES the missionaries. and she will hold your hand and pull you in for a hug. So she did this to me (she has before) but this time was well, extra special because she pulled me in, but because she hunches over her head is at like my stomach, so then she pulls my head down, and I thought she was going in for the kill, I mean for a kiss, and so I turn my head so it lands on my cheek (because I have experience from visiting Great Grandma Callahan and her giving me grandma kisses) but instead of a kiss, she gets really close and then SNIFFS my cheek with all of the force she could muster, and then nestles her head into my uh.. bosom. 😂 And then she hobbled away. Love that lady. I don't even know her name. So yeah in Thailand and a few other SE asian countries, to show affection, you sniff the person. It's more of a Grandmotherly way to show her posterity affection. hahaha I was so startled and shocked when I got sniffed. 

I hope you are all doing well! Be grateful for everything! I send to you all lots of hugs and sniffs! 

Love, Sister Peterson

Week 3 Pictures

Sister Kit has a baptisimal date for the 27th! She's so cute.

Week 3 in Bang Na!

This week was great and sick. Like unhealthy sick. But I'm better now! 

Last P-day we went to Shabu where you cook your own food in front of you and the food comes down on a conveyor belt. I could totally see Josh (Elder Hubbard) Loving this place! 

I love helping teach english class! It's so hard for some of them to say their "th" sounds and it's super cute seeing them try to say things like "th" tongue twisters haha. 

I had a really good experience on Tuesday. Our Pakistani family is going through a really rough time right now and it just breaks my heart what they have to go through. I felt so useless, but then I thought of the scripture in 1 Cor chapter 2... (I think) that says "Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" or something like that. They have so much faith in Christ. After that, they asked us about the Word of Wisdom so we taught them the WofW and they immediately said that they wouldn't have tea or coffee anymore before we even asked them. This amazed me because they had just told us about the hard things they are going through, and amidst all of this they were so willing to live the word of wisdom! They strengthen my faith and testimony! 

Last Wednesday is when I started feeling sick and had a stomach ache and a fever. We went out in the morning anyways, and having a fever in the heat.... not fun. So much sweat. so we went back and I fell asleep for the rest of the day.

The few days that I was sick were hard because it's hard to stay positive when sick. A scripture that really helped me was the last words of Enos. I read them and it made me cry. 

On Saturday was the Queen's birthday, so that meant that it was a holiday weekend and that it was mother's day! Happy Mother's day!

 On Sunday we with 4 elder and some YSA members handed out 2,000 free english class inviting cards! It was crazy! I almost lost my voice from yelling " raw sawn passa engrid FREE!" thousands of times and scurrying around trying to get people to take a card! I collapsed on my bed that night. So exhausted and dirty from walking through markets and busy streets. 

Monday was Zone Conference and it was so good! I love President and Sister Johnson so much already! It gave me a lot of motivation. 

Fun fact about Thailand. A commandment that you don't really think about, but that I see being broken all the time, is "Thou shalt not have any gods before me" idol worshiping is everywhere here with the dominant Buddhist culture. everyone wais (bows) to the shrines that are like every 10 steps here and I kept seeing all of these red fanta pop bottles with straws everywhere and didn't know why, but then Sister Courchaine told me that they are offerings to the spirits. apparently red fanta is the spirits favourite.... don't know why.... they usually have incense burning to summon the spirits to partake of the red fanta... yeah. interesting. 

I love Thailand and being a missionary. Everyday is a battle, but I always feel so good when I know that I've worked hard that day :) The Gospel is true and if even half of Thailand even knew about the Gospel, it would bless the whole country so much! 

Thank you for your prayers!

Love, Sister Peterson