Sister Maisie Carrillo: Thailand/Lampang-week 21- Tender Mercies and Donuts!

Heyyy!

It was a really good week! We found a lot of LA (less active) homes by the help of some of the members. We went to Brother Bob's house on Friday afternoon to help him and his mom do laundry (that's what they do for a living). We were asking him about people that he knew that were LA and said he knew some people that we could go visit. Which was awesome because we didn't have any plans after that. We had tried making appointments after that and nothing was working out so this was perfect! We biked all the way to the University in Lampang and just stopped by to meet Sister Mam and Sister Am. Sister Mam was really nice, it was good talking to her! She's really busy though, she's like one of the teachers there and seemed to be in a hurry so we only got to talk to her for a few. Then we went over to another building and waited for Sister Am to get out of class. We waited forever and then she finally came! She was super flattered that we had biked all that way to find her. I really liked her! She does special learning on Sunday's so she can't go to church. That seems to be a problem here in Thailand. Everyone does extra learning on Sunday's! She came to sports night that night though, which was really special because she hadn't been to the church in forever. We also found Sister Uum's house by the help of Brother Ford (the BML - Branch Mission Leader). She wasn't there when we tried to visit and so we just left her a note and a pineapple (it was Bro. Ford's idea haha). Me and Sister Rem decided to go back the next day and she was there! She was super excited about the pineapple. This poor girl though. She can't really leave her house because her parents are really old and can't take care of themselves, I think they both have dementia. So she's pretty much going insane. I feel so bad for her because she wants to get out and go places but she's stuck. We're going to go and visit her again this week. So many people here have such similar situations where they're just stuck. Like Brother Son and his family, they can't go to church because they work all day and night but he still pays his tithing which is awesome. We visit them a lot. Sister Dxan, his wife, is looking for a new job so she can go to church but she can't read or and didn't really have any schooling so she doesn't have very many options. It's really frustrating for them I think. We're trying to help them at least by lifting up their spirits. They're amazing people though, they deserve so much better! It has just made me so grateful! I don't know how I got so lucky but I've been super blessed and being here has helped me realize how blessed I truly have been. I'm only here for a short time but they live like this all their lives. I want to help and the only way I know how to is by bringing them the gospel. It really does have the power to heal! Something that I want to always remember is that it doesn't matter what I'm going through in life, because I have hope always through the gospel. Nothing is the end of the world or unrepairable. I know that if I have faith and stay close to the Savior, everything will work out for my own good. I know that that is true!

So our investigators! We have a lot of really good people. Brother Jeff is really solid, he thanked me yesterday for calling him and reminding him to read his scriptures that night. He said it brought a good spirit into his life. He told me that I had a good spirit about me and was grateful to be able to know us. It was so nice! We also taught this girl Sister Sa yesterday. She's 19 and has a 4 year old daughter. She just happened to walk into the church a couple Sunday's before. She's been going to a Catholic church but she wanted to start investigating the Mormon church. We taught her the restoration yesterday and when we got to the part where we talk about Christ's ministry, I felt like I needed to talk about the atonements ability to heal us and how Christ already overcome everything so we could overcome it. We told her how much the Savior loves her and she was almost crying the rest of the lesson. She's had a really hard life and this definitely helped her. The spirit was definitely in the room! She's set to get baptized on the 20th! We're so excited for her! Except now she's looking for a new job, she's a janitor and it's just not a good job for her. But there's nothing really here in Lampang for her. So we're praying that she'll find a job somewhere where there is a church!

Life here in Lampang is great! Me and Sister Rem are on this thing where we're not eating Thai food and we only braid our hair and it has done wonders for me! I don't feel tired all the time and actually have energy, and my hair has stopped falling out so much! (I'm sure this is from the help of the pills too). I'm kind of scared to get a khon Thai companion because that means I might have to go back to eating Thai food. Bleh. It's rained this week. It's nice when it rains but it sucks afterwards when the sun comes out. It's like being in a sauna! It gets super humid and that's when I feel like I'm going to pass out. It's really fun. I got stuck playing the piano yesterday since Elder Parker conducted during sacrament meeting. I can play a good amount of hymns but they picked every single one I can't play. So that was a really fun sacrament meeting. I need to practice hymns more! Brother Jeff was so nice and told me I played good. Yeah, he lied. There's a lot of white people here in Lampang. I see them everywhere! It's funny because they wear like backpacking gear and look like they haven't showered in forever. They just look like they're hiking through the mountains. It's really funny. Whenever we see a white person me and Sister Rem yell, "Hey! It's a farang!!" (farang is just a white person). We think we're pretty funny. We're such a funny companionship. Mainly all of our conversations consist of talking about food. We miss food a lot haha. My Thai has gotten a lot better, kinda? Sometimes I'm so surprised that Thai is actually coming out of my mouth. And then it surprises me that there was a time that I didn't know Thai. Apparently I talk in my sleep in Thai. And apparently it's really funny because it makes Sister Rem laugh every time but she can't remember what I said! I can't wait to come home and no one knows what I'm saying. That's what I'm looking forward to the most! Haha!

Anyways, here are some fun things that I've noticed about Thailand:

1. Men will just walk outside of their houses in a towel all the time. I don't understand it. They also like to not wear shirts. They should really wear a shirt.

2. They eat everything with a fork and spoon. It's as brilliant way of eating and now I have a habit of eating EVERYTHING with a fork and spoon.

3. They're painfully bold. They'll tell you that you look fatter than you did the day before. That happened to me and Sister Rem the other day. Brother Ford told us that and all I could say was, "wow, thanks??). Haha I didn't take it personally though!

4. Yeah along with the above one, they're obsessed with fat and skinny. They won't eat farang food because they said it will make them fat. They literally think all we eat is pizza and hamburgers.

5. They dish up your plates for you. That is my biggest pet peeve. Like this one time I went to go get a smoothie and I asked for banana and strawberry but she thought that I'd like a different one. She told me it was soooo delicious. I said no, I want a strawberry banana. She makes me the one she wants me to eat anyways and then charges me for it. She has me try and and says, "alloy chay may?" I lied and said it was good because she was nice (except for the fact that she ruined my smoothie). It was gross too, I was so mad. If we go to someone's house they'll dish up my plate if I didn't take enough of something or putting something I didn't want on there. I try to not get mad because they're just trying to be nice, but it drives me insane!

6. After church, we eat lunch together! Everyone brings food to share after church. I like it when people bring fruit!

7. People will randomly ask to take a picture of you. Especially if we're eating at someone's restaurant, they want a picture of you eating their food. It's so funny haha!

8. Monks walk around everywhere here. In Korat they'd walk past our house every morning to the wat close by. People stand out on the streets and give them food and then the monk blesses them or something. It's pretty interesting!

9. You really do get sick after it rains. I have no idea why but it's happened to me every time it pours.

10. Thai people won't answer the phone if it's raining. They just won't. They're afraid they'll get struck by lightening.

That's all I got! I'll try and think of some more culture stuff!

Hope you have a good week! Love you guys! I pray for you guys all the time! Elder Baldwin gave me a blessing last month and one of the first things that he said was that Heavenly Father is taking care of my family in every way possible. It was a good reassurance for me. I know that's true!

Love you!

-Sister Carrillo

I read these talks this last week during my personal study! I loved them!

The Justice and Mercy of God by Elder Holland

His Grace is Sufficient by Brad Wilcox

Alma 36 - Alma's conversion story, it's so good!