Sister Maisie Carrillo

Sister Maisie Carrillo

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Thailand/lampang week 36 Merry Christmas

Hey Fam! 
Well I have a short amount of time to email today! This week was another great one, December has just flown and now Christmas is this week. Crazy! Anyways, Brother Big got baptized, which we were so excited for. 

We also had a really fun Christmas party and there was SO MANY people there. It was definitely a party. 

I think my favorite part of this past week though has been the spirit we have felt. We have seen so many miracles. This past week has changed a lot of me. I know the Lord is with us in this work and even though it still feels like July outside, Christmas has been with us this entire month. My favorite thing has been sharing with members and others what Christmas really is about.It was funny, last week we taught Sister Miaw about Christmas and Christ's birth and she said she had no idea. She said that she thought it was just for white people when you give each other gifts. We taught her about it's true meaning and I think she loved it because she turned to Sister C-Game and said, "where can I get a bible?" Haha! I'm so grateful for this Christmas season and that I've been able to spend it here in Thailand. This time has been so special! 
I love you all and hope you have a great Christmas season! I've thought so much about the gifts that God has given me throughout my life and one of the greatest that He has given me is my family. Like Nephi I've been "born of goodly parents". And now I get to share what I have been taught and know to be true.
Love you all!:)

ด้วยความรัก
ซ. คาร์ริโย
2 Cor 8:9
 I'm going to be skyping around 7 pm your guys time on Christmas Eve. Can't wait to talk to you guys, have fun in Phoenix!:)
Me and Sister C-Game got eachothers's gift 
for the white elephant exchange!

Everyone came to the train station to see Elder Lindley off!
Goodbye Elder!!
Brother Don made apple pie for us!

Trying on Sister Gift's boxing gear!

Inviting at the mall
 
We went and visited Sister Chomyong this last week.
 This is her working in her garden.
Sister Chomyong gave us flowers!
We went and visited Sister Wadsana and she wanted all her neighbors to know she had white people over at her house. So her and Brother Dang put on their Santa hats and we sang Christmas songs  really loud around this Christmas tree. Haha! 
 This is the baptism water. We tell the people that are getting baptized that it's full of people's sins, that's why it's dirty. And they believe us! haha!

Monday, December 14, 2015

Thailand/Lampang week 35 The Lord is in every detail of our lives. Let that be something that we never forget.

Hey Fam! 
This week was another busy one. I love being busy! We finished up teaching Brother Big and he passed his interview! SO he gets to get baptized this Sunday! :) So excited for him! We always check up with him every night and see how his reading and praying are doing. Last night he was like, "don't worry, I do these things everyday!" He's a "good egg" as Sister Parker would say. We had some more awesome people come to church yesterday! Sister Noy's student, Brother Bia, came! He's about 10 years old and kind of shy. So I went and talked to the other kids and asked if they'd invite him to play with them. They were so nice and went and introduced themselves and invited him to go and play football with them. He had a good experience at church, he felt so welcomed and said he wanted to come back again. I've realized how incredibly important it is to be welcoming to those that are new. Members are so important in this work. As cool as us missionaries are, they need members to hang out with as well! It turned out to be a great Sunday, I'm always so stressed out on Sunday's, trying to call people and get them to church. And then when not that many people come it's kind of discouraging. But then I can't enjoy the rest of church, I don't feel the spirit because all I'm doing is worrying about people not leaving or people that didn't come. But yesterday, even though some things didn't go the way I wanted it to, I saw so many tender mercies of the Lord. I found myself enjoying church for once and feeling the spirit. It was a great lesson that I learned, that even when things seem to not be going right, I always see the little miracles and blessings the Lord has given me. There's so much to be grateful for and sometimes we forget the those little precious moments that truly make life great. Something that I loved that was said in the Christmas Devotional  (I can't remember who said it!) was that the Lord is constantly showering blessings upon us, that we can't even comprehend it. The Lord is in every detail of our lives. Let that be something that we never forget.  
We went and taught Brother Kit's family with the elders!

This Christmas season definitely doesn't feel like Christmas at home. If you walked outside you'd think you were in the middle of July! And I always thought it was so cheesy when people said that Christmas comes from within. But now with the trees, the food, the lights, the snow, everything out of the picture, I feel like I understand more. I love the Christmas Mormon Message put out last year (I literally watch it everyday and show it to all our investigators and the members). In it it talks about how our Lord and Savior is the gift. He is the gift that Heavenly Father gave to us. As I thought about that I thought of what that meant to me. I looked over my life in this past year. How different I was from the beginning and how much I'd gone through and overcome. And I knew that all of this was done because of the gift of the Father. I realize that there are so many things that I can't do on my own. But there are so many things that I can do because of Christ. And that in it itself is the greatest gift. So even though it's not the Christmas season you'd picture, it's been one of the most amazing Christmas seasons I've had. So I'm going to become one of those cheesy people when I say that the Christmas spirit truly does come from within. Our charity and love towards others and the Savior. The things that we give instead of receive, that's where the true Christmas spirit lies. A Savior is born! And because of that, we can become who we were destined to be! 
 They made a cute little nativity in the church back yard! So cute! 

It's transfer weeeeek! I swear, I blink and the transfers are just over. This transfer was only five and then the next one will be seven so that those dying can go home before Christmas. I'm putting my guess on the table and I think I'm staying :) Six months in Lampang, I'm so up for that! This last week, we had some fun things happen.
1. First off I talked to a white guy from Holland and talked to him about Christianity and God. He ended up telling me that I didn't know that there was a God. Apparently I think there's one but I don't know for sure that there is one. Haha! I just said I know that God lives and He loves us. I wouldn't sacrifice 18 months and come to Thailand to lie. So that was fun!
2. Elder Darby also shared a fun scripture with me. He started off by telling me that when sharing Nephi 3:7 with an investigator who just agreed to baptism, to make sure it's 1 Nephi not 3 Nephi. Read it. I died laughing. Finding scriptures and pretending to share them with our investigators and picturing their reaction. That's where us missionaries get our laughs from! 
3. It's also been cool enough for me to wear a sweater (sometimes). 
4. We went to eat pizza at Long Jim's with a bunch of the members. They were impressed (?) that I could eat five pieces of pizza. They were dying at three! I was still hungry.  

Love you all, hope you're all having a great Christmas season! Have a great week! 

ด้วยความรัก
ซ. คาร์ริโย

1 Nephi 21: 15-16
Biking! (this is the road we live on, it's so pretty!)
I love this dog! It's one of the neighbors dogs and every time we come home it comes running. We named it Happy because he always looks like he's smiling.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Thailand/Lampang week 34 Christmas Zone Conference and switch off in Chang Mai

Hey fam! 
This week was such a rush. So we taught Sister Nat and Nang on Tuesday and they gave us their answer that they wanted to get baptized! And they wanted to get baptized that week. So all week we tried to teach them as much as we could before we left for Chiang Mai on Thursday. I love teaching them, they were so prepared by the Lord. It's always cool to hear their testimonies at their baptisms because they always share their experiences while we taught them. Sister Nang shared how when she went home after we taught them that she sat and read the Book of Mormon and just felt in her heart that this was Christ's church and that what we taught had been true. And then Nat talked about how when she felt a certain spirit and happiness at the church that she didn't feel anywhere else. It's always so great seeing the hand of the Lord in your investigators lives. I forget that He is on our side and helping us as well. It's not  just me and my comp teaching and helping them. Heavenly Father is working with them as well! They got baptized yesterday, it was another great day!


 We were so happy for them, it's amazing how happy it makes you as well to see others come closer to Christ. There really is no other greater happiness that you could have! We went and visited their mom afterwards, we really wanted to meet her. I was kinda scared at first but she was super nice, told us we could come over whenever we want. She totally supports her daughters going to church and being Christian because she has seen the great happiness it has brought her daughters. It was a fun little experience! 
So Friday we had zone conference in Chiang Mai! Except it wasn't really a zone conference it was more like a Christmas devotional. Sister Parker was asked to sing and didn't have a piano player so I kinda got stuck doing that haha. She sang Oh Holy Night while I played. It was fun! Anyways at conference we played Christmas games, ate lots of good food and best of all we got to watch The Best Two Years!! That was a nice surprise. It was a great conference though, at the end President talked about how this Christmas probably won't be like the Christmases we've had at home. Where there's Christmas lights everywhere, Christmas music, trees, snow, Christmas food. None of that stuff. But he talked about how no matter what we can have the spirit of Christ with us no matter where we are or what time of year it is. It definitely doesn't feel like Christmas at home. But even without the tree, the lights or the food, I still feel like it's that time of year.
Got Santa hats from President and 
Sister Johnson to wear at zone conference!
Sister Sirikwan and Sister Bon (I was with them in Korat) 
are now in the Chiange Mai zone with us!
 I was so excited to see them!
Our District!

This past week I thought a lot about what Christmas really means to me. What a great blessing it is to us all. It was a day that changed each of our lives. It was a gift of love from a father to His children so they could have hope and eventually attain everything He had. I'm so grateful for my Father in Heaven. I know that He loves each of us, and if we ever doubt that all we have to do is look to our Savior and we will understand. It's the most wonderful time of the year that's for sure!! As this season goes on, I encourage us all to remember and think about why it is the most wonderful time of the year for us personally. 
So this week: 
1. For the first time ever, since I got on an airplane from Salt Lake, I was FREEZING. It rained really hard Friday night in Chiang Mai and I was so cold! It probably wasn't even that cold, I'm probably just a baby now.
2. The other day was Father's Day. Brother Santi brought me and Sister Parker flowers yesterday since we didn't have our dads with us. It was so nice! 
3. Apparently I look like Katniss Everdeen from Hunger Games. It's probably only cuz I'm white and have brown hair and no one else does. 
4. Whenever I get frustrated with myself or other people or just anything in general, I sing "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus". It really works!! 
I'm excited for another week of the crazy missionary life. I love this life though. I'm not a perfect missionary but I know I'm not here to be perfect but to learn. Everyday things get easier and I get stronger. And then Heavenly Father gives me something else to work on. Haha! But I know these things are here to help me. Help me on my road to becoming like my Father. 
Love you all, have a good week! 

ด้วยความรัก
ซ. คาร์ริโย
Rev. 17:14

Got to go on this fun adventure with Sister Belnap!
 It was a fun switch off!
I was half expecting to see Tarzan swinging through the trees!
My switch off in Chiang Mai involved visiting a
 little mountain tribe on top of the
 mountains outside of Chiang Mai.




This is Sister Noke, we got to teach her family!
 Their house was literally on top of the mountain!

Went to go เที่ยว to Mae Moh today. It was so pretty!

We went Sliding!
Mae Moh was such a beaut!

Took this for you mom!  
I know how much you love my funny face pictures!!


 Sister Chomyong! She is one of the RC's that we take care of.
 I love this lady! We went over on Tuesday to celebrate
 her birthday with her. She was super happy!
Our Christmas tree! 
Haha Sister Parker's grandma sent it to her.



Monday, November 30, 2015

Thailand/Lampang week 33 Love truly does have so much power. Even though I'm not a perfect teacher, or exactly perfect at Thai, that's not the important part. When you love truly love God's children, they can feel it.

Hey Fam! 
Well it was Lantern Festival week! It was two nights in a row, Wednesday and Thursday. There was of course so many people so we went inviting. I'm always so amazed of how much I've gotten over my fear of talking to people. I have to talk to people all day so shyness is not really a thing for a missionary. It's a trait that I've developed on my mission that I'm really grateful for! So we did that Wednesday and Thursday down by the river where people were lighting lanterns and watching fireworks. People really weren't listening. Of course because the thing they were doing was for a Buddhist celebration, they go there to do Buddhist stuff! We felt like it was kind of pointless at one point but decided to not give up. Even if no one is listening, we do it for Heavenly Father to show Him that we love Him and that we're willing to work! 
The Lantern Festival
You put these things in the river but before you say 
something that you're sorry about and this is kind 
of their way for repenting for the year.

This is me and Sister Parker putting it in the river. 
Too bad it died as soon as we put it in the water.
 It was obviously our first time!
Sister C-Game took us out to go invite.
 There was so many people, it was a missionary's Heaven!


Clock Tower Intersection, where the party was at!
The elders and Brother Santi came and joined 
up with us in inviting. It was a party!

Thursday, that was a fun day! I was actually really sad that day. Not because it was Thanksgiving and I wanted to be home but because I felt like no one was listening and no one had time to meet with us that day. It was so frustrating for me because I felt like we een working so hard but nothing was coming from it. We invited right before we went and ate pizza at Long Jim's with the elders, and I was almost in tears but trying to keep strong for my comp. I was frustrated and Heavenly Father definitely knew I was frustrated. But then I told Heavenly Father that I don't understand but that's ok and I'd take anything that was inflicted upon us with patience. I felt better after that. It was almost a calming feeling of Heavenly Father telling me that I didn't need to worry and that I wasn't alone. I know I'm not alone! Our Thanksgiving pizza was delish! We each just got a pizza to ourselves, it was Thanksgiving so I thought what the heck! Eat a whole pizza! After that we met up with some more members and went inviting! And then at 7:30, we lit some lanterns. I felt like I was in Tangled :) It turned out to be a great Thanksgiving day. I have so much to be grateful for.  
 
 Thanksgiving Dinner



Well, we had some miracles happen this last weekend! We met with one of our old investigators, Sister Pen and she said she still wants to get baptized. So her along with our investigator, Brother Big took a date for the 13th to get baptized! And then another amazing thing happened yesterday. None of our investigators were able to go to church. I prayed so hard that someone would just walk in on their own to church. And what do you know! Two miracles came! Two sisters walked in and went and sat in the front. They sat there all through sacrament and afterwards I went and talked to them. They said that they had just seen the church before and had always wanted to go to church. So they came that day! Their names are Nat (19) and Nang (14), and they are so golden. The branch president went and talked to them afterwards too and they asked him how they could become members. He called me over and asked me the same question. I turned to them and said, "you get baptized!" We got to teach them afterwards and they said they wanted to pray about getting baptized first and they would let us know by Tuesday what their answer was. I think they really just loved the spirit they felt at the church and how welcome everyone made them feel. Everyone just went right up to them and talked to them and made them feel apart of the branch. I thought it was so special. They didn't want to leave, they hung out at the church for the rest of the day. I was happy that they were happy! I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for leading them to the church and that we had the opportunity to teach them. He heard our prayers! I'm so glad that I was patient. Everything really does turn out for our good in the end. 

This last week was amazing! I learned so many lessons and one of the biggest ones I've learned about throughout my mission that charity truly never fails. I never really understood charity, always thought it had to do just with service. But I've realized it's so much more. It's the Christ-like love you share towards others. It's when we think of other's needs above our own. It's when we decide to turn "outward when the natural man would turn inward". I'm going to sound like a cheesy Disney movie, but love truly does have so much power. Even though I'm not a perfect teacher, or exactly perfect at Thai, that's not the important part. When you love truly love God's children, they can feel it. I always thought that when someone fought with me that I needed to fight back. But I've come to realize that is not what I should do. That's not what my Savior would do. No matter what others do or say to us, the power does not come from our anger or showing that we are greater. Charity and our love has greater power, to change others hearts as well as our own. I'm so grateful for this realization. I love these people here. I actually just love people in general. I've never been a "people person" but I now know that people are good. They have families, they have worries, things they love, things they're afraid of. They're a person just like me. They're one of God's children. I love my Heavenly Father and I love my brothers and sisters! And I'm grateful that I get to share the most important message in the world with my brothers and sisters in Thailand! 
Heavenly Father loves us. That is something that I hope none of us forget. That has given me the power to keep going when I've wanted to quit. His love is our strength. 
Love you all so much! Hope you all have a great week! :)

ด้วยความรัก
ซ. คาร์ริโย

Alma 5: 26
Moroni 7: 45, 47
Sister C-Game, my bud!
Sister Noy taking us to one of our investigators house.
Teaching Sister Wadsana and her husband at their house!
I found mint chocolate chip ice cream at Swenson's!
 (they have it out for Christmas) I about died, bought
 some right then and there. It was so good!
Visited an LA yesterday at her house with the elders. 
She was so nice!