Sister Maisie Carrillo: Thailand/Lampang- week 19 I Moved!!

Hello FamBam!

This last week was a super crazy one. It was transfers week and so I was going crazy waiting for the call to come on Monday to know if I was going to move or not. I really didn't want to, I love Korat! We got the call around 5 and me, Elder Bingham and Elder Baldwin all got the call to move. Sister Jo stayed! I kind of knew that was coming though, I was much too comfortable in Korat. I was sad though saying goodbye to everyone, I've gotten really close to the people there. I packed like crazy all day Tuesday and Wednesday and then Brother Ohm and Sister Namtan took us to the bus station. I didn't get to say goodbye to everyone though, including Brother Miit, and Sister First! i was so sad about that! I didn't get to say goodbye to any of our investigators. It was sooooo sad! I was pretty sad about saying goodbye to the elders too. Even though we all drive each other nuts, we were a pretty tight district. I was sad it was over. But anyways, we stayed with the Bang Khen sisters that night (Sister Mamea and Sister Mags). It was fun to be with Sister Mamea again! We went to the transfer meeting and I was dying over where I was going to go. I thought for sure I was going to Bangkok. I actually really want to serve there which is funny because I remember when I was coming into the country I would've died if I had to serve in Bangkok. But they went through all the Bangkok areas and I didn't get called and so I thought for sure I was going back to the Issan. They got through all those too and I still didn't get called. And then the Chiang Mai zone came up and I started freaking out because I've always wanted to go up to the north. Sister Remington got called to the Lampang area and I was crossing my fingers I'd go with her and then my name got called! I'm serving in the Chiang Mai Zone, about an hour and a half outside of Chiang Mai. And serving with the most awesome person ever! I've known Sis. Rem since I came into country and I've always wanted to serve with her. I was wayyyy excited! We have two elders too, Elder Parker and Elder Lindley who's a greenie. It's weird, I feel like I was just in his shoes! I love our district though, we have a lot of fun together. We got to Lampang at about 6 in the morning on Friday and then started working. I absolutely love it here! Lampang (Laam baang) is this cute town that's surrounded by mountains and forest. It's really green here and there's a river that runs right next to our house. I honestly feel like I'm camping here because we live on the outskirts of the town and it just smells like trees and campfire (I'm not sure why?). And our house feels like a camper. It's a little bigger but not much. But it's ok, it's cute!

It's kind of hard here because we are all white washed in so no one is familiar with the area and the work is slow. We're determined to change that here! They have a lot of LA's so we're going to start working with them and work on retention here. I'm really excited! We have two investigators that the other sisters left us. Deer and Noy. We met with Noy on Saturday and he's a pretty funny guy. He says that he knows 100% that the Book of Mormon is true (he even testified of that to people at his own church) but he doesn't understand why he has to get baptized again if he's already been baptized. We focused on the priesthood a lot with him and told him to pray about the things we taught. He needs to open his heart! He's already Christian so it's hard because he already has a lot of background, but he has sooooo many questions. He will be an awesome member when he gets baptized (he's gonna get baptized someday!) he's very strong in his opinions about Christ and reading the Book of Mormon. I think they gave him a BoM last week and he's already half way through 2 Nephi (what??!). He's awesome though, I love teaching him!

Church is pretty different here. They have church in a rented out building which was really different to me, but the same spirit is there. There's not a ton of members in this branch, there's maybe about 40 that actually come to church. That's a big change from Korat! The members here are pretty crazy, but they love the missionaries and they're so friendly! They're amazing people here in Thailand. One thing that Elder Holland shared with the saints here last Sunday is that none of them are alone. There were a lot of people at that meeting and he told them that he wished they could go stand up with him and see what he saw because the church has grown here so much. It's amazing considering how it must have been about 20 years ago! I'm grateful to be able to help the church grow more in Thailand. I love the people here!

Well this change has been easier for me than most. I've always had a hard time with change but each transfer seems to get easier and easier. It was really good for me to get out of my greenie area, because there I was just known as the greenie! I definitely feel more of the drive to be the best missionary I can be. Sister Jo was a super good missionary and I feel like she instilled a lot of her crazy missionary ways in me. I was really lucky to be comps with her!

So I got the package! Thank you so much for all the stuff, the shirts are great and so cute! I had to pay money for it though, sorry I didn't know you have to pay a fee if it goes through customs. Apparently there's a better way to send it so it won't go through customs. I'll try to find out more about it, but I'm not exactly sure! I've only been using the pills for a couple of days so I'm not sure if they're working. My hair is still falling out. I think I'm going to go and chop it off sometime.

That's crazy the kids are starting school again. I feel like they just got out for summer! Next summer when they start school I'll only have a couple weeks left as a missionary. That's crazy to think of!

For my next package, could you send me some protein, I lack a lot of that here. Also brookside! and jerky and fruit leather and trailmix. Just that kind of stuff. I really miss food a lot!

I never got your postcard but Lauren did!

So the fruit from last weeks letter- it's a weird tasting fruit. It's kind of sweet and not really sour which is how I like my fruit. It's ok tasting. It's cooler looking than it tastes.

The bombing - the missionaries in bangkok all had to stay in their houses for a couple of days. I was surprised they had a transfer meeting. I know they don't know who it is. Elder Stoker was telling us that the army took over last year and a bunch of crazy stuff and Elder Bingham was saying that the government is kind of unstable here and very corrupt. I don't know, I hope nothing happens. I don't want to get pulled out!

I love the pictures you've been sending! What the heck is Aubrie wearing though?? Oh and thanks for the quote, I miss pinterest quotes!

Love you all so much, take care! And good luck on all your first days of school! :)

-Sister Carrillo

Moroni 7: 13