My Thai Missionary: Challenges, Miracles, Noodles and....Pumpkin Pie--3 times!

This week was HARD. I'll start it off with the fact that our brand-new fancy missionary phone broke after charging in a puddle of water on our counter. Now we have a backup phone.

Backup phone! Yes that is me.
No, I'm not sure why it
looks like an x-ray

We received about 40 new numbers from people on the street, but no one wanted to meet with us. Investigators cancelled on us. I didn't understand a single thing that was going on in the lessons that we did have.

But this week was a MIRACLE. Since I've been working on likening the scriptures to my life, I'd like to point out that it's true, what Aaron says to the king about faith in Alma 22:16.

"Call on His name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest."

It's been a little less than two weeks since I've been out [of the MTC]. But so far this is what I've learned: the times that were the most hopeless were the times I had no faith. When I didn't believe that inviting on the street would bring us to find investigators, we didn't find anyone actually interested. This last week I poured out my heart to God, asking him to help me believe in this work. And then we went out and invited. Some people listened, most didn't. My attitude was different though. Every time someone waved their hands at me and walked away, I thought back to my prayer and felt comfort and faith.

Saturday we received five new investigators. Two were walk-ins. We found a lady who practically begged us to teach her and her friend. We met a Palestinian Christian who loves God and wants to learn more. His Muslim wife bought us a bag of grapes. The only two white women we have ever met on the street (besides ourselves) both wanted to know more about our church. The next day, seven investigators showed up to church. We didn't even know what to do with ourselves. We taught eight lessons in two days after teaching only one the whole week--I still don't understand much during the lessons in Thai--but the Spirit is evident.

The work is good here. I've never been so busy, but it's a good kind of feeling.

I've been pondering 1st Nephi 8:30 this last week. It talks about always progressing and holding on to the rod. I have a lot of weaknesses here and reading this and praying to improve keeps me always on the track of progression. Like Brad Wilcox says in his talk, "His Grace is Sufficient", we are not earning heaven, we are learning heaven.

I hope you all have a good week. Let the Spirit guide you-- And if you're not sure whether or not it's the Spirit, check out Alma 5. Interview yourself with the questions in versus 14-17. If you can't answer those questions with rejoicing, make some changes to your life and the Spirit will help. Also, read verse 41, and if what you seek to do brings forth good, do it. Anything good is following the Spirit. If it's not bringing forth good, try again. It goes back to that continual progression. I'm still trying to follow my own advice, but I know it works when I do it!

In other news:

Found Pho...sort of. It's called ก๋วยเฅี๋ยว (Guay-Thiaw), and I've yet to get all the correct portions of ingredients and flavor that I like. It's kind of hard to do that in Thai. But I won't stop until it's home. In doing so I've been eating a lot of it lately. The first one we tried at a market and it was probably the best one. But it had pork and I went a little too crazy with the peppers so my digestive system was flaming that night. The next time I tried it at the mall, but I accidentally ordered the noodles that are the consistency of embroidery thread. It was a weird experience.

Stringy version of ก๋วยเฅี๋ยว (Guay-Thiaw)

It kind of got worse from there--because the next time we ordered it we unintentionally got the fish version and THAT was weird. The broth tasted like fish oil.

Fishy version of ก๋วยเฅี๋ยว (Guay-Thiaw)

Anyway we're thinking about trying some from a market that just got set up by our house--it's only 12 baht. We might call the mission medical lady first though, to determine if the setbacks of really cheap sketchy food is worth it.

Also, I had pumpkin pie last Wednesday. And again on Saturday. And we are having it again this Thursday. The Church is true!

Sister โพธิ์สวัสดิ์ left us on Thursday which was so sad, we will miss our trio! She will do amazing things though, she was such a good example to me.