With His Stripes

I have so much to email from the last 2 weeks that I haven't emailed... oops! 

Hair Dresser Oh: about a month ago contacted a lady, who wasn't interested, but said that her older sister might be interested. She decided to draw out a map on my sticky note pad of how to get to her hair salon. My companion had tried to find it but instead found a new investigator at a different hair salon. So two weeks ago we decided that we needed to find the actual lady. We asked so many different people if they knew her or her hair salon (which of course had a very common name, and there are so many hair salons here!) We tried about 6 different hair salons until we finally found her! She was in the middle of working and it was kind of awkward but I didn't care because I was so excited that we had found her! 

Coconut Service: Remember the sweet lady I mentioned before who only asked that we pray for her? Well, we talked to the relief society president (the leader of the women in the church for this area) and we got a group together to go help clean up her garden and chicken coup. When we arrived, this lady was beaming! She almost squealed with happiness to see these people come to help her. It was true ministering. Seeing her face was priceless. After we had finished the service, she got some coconuts from her trees and we all had coconut water and then cracked them open and ate the inside too! It was so good. I love Thailand. 

Tithing: We have a new member that we are working with. She has hard time coming to church, and we felt that we needed to talk about the blessings of tithing. This can be an awkward subject to talk about, but we felt it needed to happen. We shared the story from last general conference "One more day" about the women saving and paying tithing to go to the temple. The new member loved the story, but didn't understand why she needed to pay tithing. Sister Gagarin shared an amazing personal experience about her family and how paying tithing blessed her family in difficult times. That really brought the spirit, and the other member with us helping teach supported what she said. I then felt prompted to ask some bold questions. "Sister, do you know the blessings that will come into your life and family if you paid tithing?" She didn't and we were able to promise her that God would bless not only her but her whole family if she did her part in following the commandments. I then said, "Sister, will you repent and begin paying your tithing?" This is a pretty bold statement in English, and it is pretty bold in Thai too! That experience just helped me remember that we are here to call others to repentance also (in a loving and merciful way, but to still be bold). This woman said that she would start paying her tithing, even though she doesn't know how it's all going to work out. God's blessings are greater. 

I would like to personally congratulate anyone who has read to this point. 

We went inviting at one of universities here (this is kind of like a college town here in Mahasarakham) and it has been kind of challenging but kind of fun talking to people my age. We approached a group of 5 kids at a table and when they saw us they got really excited and invited us to sit with them right away. Usually when we talk to groups of people it's kind of awkward, but these kids were way nice! They were kind of like a student council group, planning for activities to welcome in the new students. They asked us for ideas, and then we were able to share with all of them about prayer. They asked so many good questions. I then found out that they were all my age!! They started going crazy haha. We prayed with them, got all of their Facebook's and went on our way. I messaged one of them later, and she said "Thank you so much for teaching us about prayer! Whenever we have a problem, we all stop and pray." 

We had an appointment with a guy where whenever we would try to explain a part of the lesson, he would then ask permission to explain about his beliefs. We said sure, and then he would. I wasn't sure who was teaching who... at the end he said that is was a really good experience and that next time he might bring a dvd about his beleifs. "Did we just become his new investigator?" The member with us said. Hahaha 

With His Stripes: If you saw my facebook post you will already know this story. The girl sitting across from us on the Song Teaw had a phone case that said "By His stripes we are healed Isaiah 53:5" my companion and I were speechless for a second and then scrambled to try to explain to her what her phone case said and what it meant and everything! I got a picture of it, and then SHE GOT OFF! nooo what? It was crazy. For the rest of the story, head over to Facebook.  

One of the biggest miracles of my mission happened on Saturday. We aren't usually at the church unless we have an appointment or activity. We just had an appointment with an investigator who was just about to leave, when we hear a knock on the classroom door. A lady and her daughter peep their heads in. They asked if we knew someone (someone that they know knows a member here) then told her who we were and what missionaries do and she looked me straight in the eyes and said "Interested". So we gave them a little church tour and then sat down. The daughter said to me right away that she wasn't interested but that just came to bring her mom here. The mom talked a lot about how she's always loved Jesus Christ but never had the chance to learn more about Him. 

We listened and found out that her husband just passed away in March, and from that it has been very hard for this poor woman. We started talking about Who God is and how He is our father, Jesus Christ is his son and our Savior. She loved learning about the atonement (which usually doesn't click for most people here their first time learning it because it is a new concept). We then dove into the Plan of Salvation! I asked the daughter (because she wasn't really interested at first) if the husband that died was her Dad. She looked and said yes. We then told them that because of Jesus Christ, they can be together as a family. The mom said to her daughter "Did you hear that? We'll be a complete family together again". 

The daughter perked up and started listening more intently. The woman hung on to every word and nodded and said that she feels like she has come home. The lady came to church yesterday and the members were so welcoming. She's going to go to Family Home evening with us tonight! She readily accepted a baptismal date, and even asked for a sooner date! One step at a time, but she is so prepared to receive the gospel, and I know Heavenly Father loves this heart broken woman. 

But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ    Mosiah 8:16 

I know that this is true and this woman is beginning to see it. I take comfort in Christ also. I know that death has no sting, because of Him. I know that I will see my sweet, darling Great Grandma Callahan again, who just passed away a few days ago. And that "with His stripes, we are healed". 

Sister Peterson