Thailand/Korat- week 3 This mission is really making me push myself

I got to ride in a Song Theew!

Hi Mom! 


Me and Sister Sirikwan, love her!

My week was really good! We left for Roi-Et last Monday night and got there late .It was way fun though, I really liked Roi-Et. They have a lot more American food than Korat does! We went to this Italian place and I pretty much ate an entire pizza and carbonara pasta. It was so good, it kept me full the rest of the day. I was companions with Sister Castell for a couple of days in Roi-Et while her companion and Sister Mamea did STL stuff. She was so much fun, I loved getting to know her. Roi-Et I think is more of what I pictured Thailand looking like. It has the coolest park! 

Loved this park!

We came back to Korat on Wednesday night and we got trained on Thursday. We did switch offs that day and so I was companions with Sister Sirikwan. She only speaks a little English and sometimes didn't understand what I was saying. I had to speak in Thai to her most of the day so I got a lot of practice in, it was great! We went to a members house that night to eat and it was one of the first times I actually enjoyed the food! I think they made it not very spicy for me haha. But it was way good, and I think they were happy that I enjoyed it so much. They also had the funniest dog named Pepsi! I could actually pet it! There are dogs EVERYWHERE here, I've never seen so many dogs on the streets before. 

Found some stray puppies on the side of the road while we were
out inviting.  They were so cute!  I wanted to take them
home with me!

So as I mentioned before, we got training on Thursday about the new vision for our mission. So we are not supposed to ask people if they want to go to church but instead invite them to be baptized or ask if they want to be cleansed from sin. They told us to be OBSESSED WITH BAPTISM. Our mission's goal for this month is to have 4 baptisms per companionship. This mission is really making me push myself. I'm so not the type of person to just go up to someone and start testifying but that's what we're being asked to do now. It's so scary but I'm going to keep pushing myself until it becomes second nature. In one of the talks we were given by the AP's it says that they don't even need to hear all the lessons or anything to be invited to baptism. It's just so crazy to me! It talks about how we just need to testify of Christ and baptism and teach by the spirit and once they recognize that we're representatives of Christ, we invite them to baptism. I'm going to learn to be so bold from this. At least that's what I want to learn from it! I really want to push myself even though I'm not that type of person. Heavenly Father will help me become that type of person! Everything we do needs to be surrounded around baptism and inviting people to come unto Christ. 

One of the ladies we met at the park a couple weeks ago came to church yesterday! She's so funny. She acts like our mom. She's so social though, she was talking to everyone at church and we were just thinking how well she fit in with everyone. I sat next to her in Relief Society and she told me she felt good inside. I was so happy! 

I'm getting used to the area! I'm starting to feel not so much like a newby, especially at church. I actually leave Sister Mamea's side and go and talk to people (or at least try). It's been such a crazy learning experience for me. Definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone! I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this heat. I've never felt anything like it before, and pretty much all the missionaries, not matter how long they've been here, complain about the heat haha. It's going to be weird though when I get back home to not walk outside and instantly start sweating. I sweat a lot! Yesterday was probably the first day since I've gotten here that I haven't sweated, because I was inside all day. I love it when it's cloudy here though! Usually when it's super hot in the morning, it gets cloudy and stormy at night. It's so funny, the Khon Thais are afraid of rain. I don't know why, since they live in it!

So with the food stuff, I don't enjoy it at all still. There are some things that I can eat but this last Saturday we went to a members house for a barbeque and I ate a pepper thinking it was like the ones you put in fajitas and my mouth was on fire! My eyes started watering, everyone was making fun of me. I really hate spicy food. But I try and buy a lot of my own food, we don't really eat at members house that much. I eat a lot of eggs, yogurt and fruit that's for sure! I'm obsessed with their fruit here so it's lucky for me that they have fruit stands everywhere! They have cereal here but it's definitely not as good as American cereal. They have Special K so I get that! The milk is fine if I just eat it with my cereal haha! Khon Thai's are so funny though. Here they are obsessed with being white! This one time when we were on a Song Theew (I thing that's how you spell it?) we were talking to this boy and I asked why he was wearing a sweater when it was so hot outside! (Yeah they'll wear sweaters and jeans in this heat while I'm dying in a skirt and t-shirt!) He said because he wants his skin to be white! It's so funny because in America it's SO opposite. While we wear tanning lotion, they wear lotion that whitens their skin. They think that being white is beautiful! So girls wear what looks like baby powder all over their face. It's so different. 

Things have been getting a lot better! Sometimes I get a little depressed but then I know that I just need to go do something to distract me. I'm constantly trying to distract myself. The hard part is is that I can't play the piano. Our mission president said we can only play hymns so I can't play my French song or Egyptian Rhapsody which are the songs that used to calm me down. I've cried so many times about it. It's so hard for me! I've begged Heavenly Father to not let me forget those songs if I be obedient. So I've been obedient because I need to be exactly obediently to the Lord if I want His spirit with me always. I can't ask others to obey God when I can't even obey Him. But I just take it one day at a time. The days go by so fast, I've already almost been here for three weeks! I'm really trying to appreciate it and take it in. But yeah, everything gets better everyday. 

I miss you guys! I honestly think about you all the time even though I try not to! It seems like it was another life that I was home. I hope everything is going good, I can't wait to talk to you guys next week! Have fun in Lagoon, make sure you go on Wicked for me ;) Send me pictures! 

Love you lots! 

-Sister Carrillo 

1 Cor 2: 9 - Love this scripture! The Lord has great things in store for all of us! 

Also tell Aubrie I was thinking about her all day Friday! I wrote a letter and everything like a week ago, I just haven't been here to send it. It's probably going to take a while to get it but I wanted to send something!

Riding the high bus back to Korat!

This guy in the store let us ride this,

It was so fun!

 

Bike Selfies!



On our way!

They have the prettiest sunsets here!

Stealing MEE Gop's bike. 

They're such fun elders!

Yep I needed a suitcase for a 2 day trip!

You better believe I got made fun of!

We were trying to be models!

Letter to Taeli-

Hiya T! It's been a good week, it's getting better! The weather is insane here but I'm pretty much used to it. I don't remember what it was like to go outside and not just automatically sweat. This place is so much different than home. I sleep on the floor with a mattress, we have the tiniest fridge ever, we don't have a stove just a little burner thing on the floor, we have to bring our water in from this thing that cleans it when we run out, we have one shower and there's absolutely no such thing as carpet here (except in the church). Boy, I did not know how lucky I had it at home! I feel like I'm such a diva here haha but it's been so humbling. Where we live is a lot nicer than most of the members homes though. I've almost cried going into others homes because I just didn't know people lived like that. I mean I did, but to see it in live action is shocking. The people here are so just not worldly though, they don't even care. They're happy anyways! 

I've missed you a lot too T! I try not to think about home a lot but when I do I always remember all our good fun things we did. I cried when I heard I might not be back until September. It's not a set and done deal but yeah I cried. I might not care until then but I was sad I won't be able to spend more time with you guys before I go back to school. We won't know until six months before I get back though! IT's ok though, I'll be back before you know it! 

Well I love you T! I pray for you all the time, I miss you a lot! I'm always an email away! 

Love ya! 

-Mais