Feeling Overblessed

Sister Peem was baptized yesterday

Here's a fun picture of a baptism from yesterday! Her name is Sister Peem and she rocks.

Guess what I'm going to the Messiah Sing broadcast too! I think it's Saturday for us at 6:00am. We are getting up to watch the sunrise at Chaengwattana building, watching the broadcast and eating breakfast together. Kinda cool we will be at the same broadcast!

Here in Thailand it's hard to tell the time, how fast or slow things go, how much longer I have. I certainly miss my family tons but then I think back to the little sacrifice I am making--being away from my family for a short time in order to help others learn they are part of a big loving family where our God is at the head of it all.

I have also realized how appreciative I am to have been raised in the gospel, and for my parents to have been raised in the gospel as well. It truly is a miracle to have an entire family who is Christian--there is a blessing of unity I never realized until now. Growing up, and I'm sure my parents can agree, there have been little moments where, at the time, it felt like we were not on the same page at all, or even the same book. I think back to those trivial moments where I didn't agree with something my Mom or Dad said, or to that one Family Home Evening (FHE) lesson we were sure it would be the beginning of World War 3, and I think--wow I am so blessed. I am blessed to have parents who want me to follow Jesus Christ, to guide me when I begin to walk astray. I am blessed to have FHE on Mondays where our family tries to try to bond. I am SO blessed to have a family that, amidst all of our ups and downs, truly loves each other.

Sometimes I feel a little too blessed--how come there are so many good people and their family situation is so difficult? Do I truly deserve to have it so good? I feel spoiled, but I also feel motivated to work my hardest here. I hope to help others grow in the gospel in Thailand, so that one day, generations later, someone living here in Thailand will feel the same way as I do know--overblessed--because their whole family has grown up in the gospel, thanks to their great-great-great grandparents who were converted way back when.

Yesterday, we had a crazy experience! One of our recent converts has some special needs and I was never so scared at church before! We are so grateful to have members that stepped up to take care of her so that we could help our investigators. Let's just say that there was a lot of screaming and running and even body-slamming involved yesterday. Looking back, I have some funny images ingrained in my mind. The good news is, God loves all of His children, and everyone is welcome at church no matter what problems you have.

Yesterday I also had the opportunity to study in Hebrews 12:1-2. I think it's my new favorite passage in the Bible. It reads:

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I love this because right now my goal is to have more patience. There's a lot of things I wish I could be better at, things I wish I could change concerning myself. Where missionary work is concerned, I know I need to have patience with my skills as a missionary, with our investigators, and with Heavenly Father's will. I know that as I hand over my sins and am patient with God, He will take care of me to make sure things will turn out. Jesus Christ is the finisher to the things that we lack, so as we look to Him and have patience in ourselves, we will achieve success. I am so grateful for the gospel and for the light it has poured into my life, a light that has penetrated through every single dark spot of my life. I have a powerful testimony of the Atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ and because of it, death has no sting and all can truly be clean without spot. I hope you have a great Easter as you remember and appreciate the glory of our Savior!

Keep it real :)