"Someone shoot that dog right now!"

This week I saw the ugliest dog I have ever seen. I almost fell off of my bike in shock and threw up when I first saw it. It was so ugly. I'll have to take a picture of it next time. 

There are so many dogs here. Pray for me they are so scary! We were walking down a little quiet street with hardly anyone home. We were walking and we see this dog come out of nowhere. It starts growling and then a few more dogs come out. We froze for a little bit (usually we're on bikes) and backed a little and then tried to turn back, when like 4 or 5 dogs from behind come out and they start growling and barking. I bend down slowly and pick up a rock, and my comp just freezes in fear. Thank goodness there was a man close by working on his car, I called to him and asked him to scare the dogs away. He picks up a stick and starts swatting, and we were happily on our way! 

“I wake up every morning eager for the adventures of the day. And I hope you feel that same exuberance for the gift of life.”

President Nelson

I love this quote from President Nelson. It reminds me to always be grateful and joyful in life. I hope I can be more like that! 

 English class we had a fashion show with a runway and music. The rest of the students had to be like the judges and describe what they were wearing. Way fun. 

For the first time yesterday I saw rice fields! Like real ones!! They were so beautiful! It actually reminded me a lot of southern Alberta and all the fields there. The members in the car thought my face was funny gaping at all the rice fields. Thailand is so beautiful. We've been able to help women sort chili peppers for service, picking off the stems and flip sun baking bananas. 

I hear roosters every morning (and dogs moaning and this old guy who coughs and coughs until he spits- so gross). So grand. 

Despite everyone not answering, saying they're not free, saying they're only interested in learning English, we were able to get 2 of our few investigators to church! Even though as missionaries we experience disappointments everyday, Heavenly Father ALWAYS sends blessings and something our way - your way. We just have to have the faith to see the miracles. 

Love, 

ฃิสเตอร์ พีเตอร์สัน

 Pictures:

- branch presidents house is a house on stilts. There was a HUGE water monitor under the sketchy bridge that got startled and slithered away. Freaked us out. 

- me saving the cat last week. That is still the highlight of last week and this week. 

- tire ripped. Had to replace it.

Saving souls, saving cats

Sweet Sister Mittavong

At some ancient ruins

One day I'll get an elephant ride!

This week has been so crazy! Crazy but good! 

First off, I'm in a new area! I cried leaving Bang Na. The members had a get together dinner at the church the night before transfers. I bawled like a baby! 

Even though I was really sad about leaving, I did feel like it was time for a change. I'm now in a city called Ayutthaya about an hour north of Bangkok. It has a bunch of old Wats and is more laid back than Bangkok. We ride bikes here - which is terrifying trying to ride an old elders bike where the gears make weird clunking sounds, and then riding in a skirt is a whole different story. 

My companion is Sister Mittavong! She's awesome! She is from Laos!! She's been teaching me how to cook and she is already a way good missionary (she's just starting her 2nd transfer). Let's just say that my Laos has improved A LOT! 555 

We were biking down a little street and we passed by an older couple (not of our faith) we ended up talking to them and they were curious about us and then they tried explaining what they believe in the bible (they were German so it was interesting because they were speaking a mix of English and Thai (both with German accents) they acted weirded out when we told them what we believe about God and the plan of salvation -even though what they were trying to explain was way weirder and I didn't know how it had relevance to me. I was talking to the older man, and the older woman was speaking in Thai to Sister Mittavong. He asked about the Book of Mormon and I tried explaining it in a simple way. It was hard in English with someone who already has a Christian background. The only thing that I felt I could say clearly was "I know  that the Book of Mormon is the word of God." Nothing else I had said before got to him until I said that. When I said that, I meant it, and I felt power backing me up and he couldn't say anything back to that. Sister Mittavong was able to tell the lady that she likes the Book of Mormon better than the bible because it contains the fullness of Christ's gospel. Atta girl! So proud! 

The HIGHLIGHT OF MY WEEK WAS... When we were returning from trying to find an investigator, there was a little girl and a lady pointing to a cat on the roof of an old shed thing. We parked our bikes and tried to call to it, poke it with sticks, until something came over me. I found myself climbing up this rusty old gate and then pulling myself up on a concrete wall thing (which is so not like me because I don't like climbing up on things like trees or high things) I grabbed the cat, but then it tried to go escape on the nearby tree. I had to pry this cat’s claws off of the tree, with one foot on the concrete wall and the other on a sketchy wooden beam. Eventually I saved the cat!!! I didn't even get scratched! I had apparently attracted quite a group of spectators too! Then a bunch of people helped me down, we told them we were missionaries that teach about Jesus Christ and teach English for free, and then we were on our way! 

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a missionary. I am grateful to be in Thailand with these people! I know that the Book of Mormon is true! Read it! 

Alma 7:23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive

ฃิสเตอร์ พีเตอร์สัน

Pictures

Canadian Dress!

There's no need to be a scrub!

Ever since serving with Sister Ballif, the word 'scrub' has been added to my vocabulary. It's perfectly ok because it's a direct quote from President Hinckely from a while ago... you can go look it up. So yeah, no being scrubs you guys! 

Exciting news: TRANSFERS! I will sadly be leaving Bang Na (southern Bangkok), and going about an hour north of Bangkok in Ayutaya. I will be follow up TRAINING a คน Laos. I am so excited and nervous too! 

My dear Pakistani investigators made me a beautiful Pakistani dress. "Oh yes sister you will look beautiful. Oh no you can't wear it like that. Not beautiful." I will miss them and the other investigators and members. 

We had a really funny sports night on Friday... a recent convert calls us and says she's bringing some of her friends to the church, and we're thinking "great! We'll teach them!" But it turns out it was a few middle aged women who were trying to sell us shape wear... yeah my poor companion, they get her to put it on, so she goes in the bathroom and puts it on over her sports clothes and then they try to convince her to buy it and then they put these weird tight socks on me and so 2 ladies are trying to hike up these socks on me and I was trying to not bust out laughing and fall over. Yeah it was way awkward telling then that we indeed did not want to buy shape wear from them. But if they wanted to come to church on Sunday they could! 

On Saturday, one of our former investigators found out that I would most like be leaving Bang Na so she took is out to dinner (we tried to get her to investigate and come to church again haha) but she wore a Canadian dress haha!  

Saying goodbye to the people here has and will he really hard. I am understanding more and more already the statement "you will cry more leaving your mission then leaving home" or something like that... I'm not that good at quoting but oh well. 

A scripture that my district leader shared in district meeting that I really liked was in 2 Thessalonians 5 

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19 Quench not the Spirit

I'm trying all I can this month to not quench the spirit. I know that this is God's work and that I cannot do it without the help of the Holy Ghost. 

Love, 

ฃิสเตอร์ พีเตอร์สัน