Thailand/Lampang- week 28 Happy Birthday to Me!

Hey Mom! 

My week was really good. I actually don't remember a thing that really happened..... It went by way fast. Oh well, I'll try and remember for you guys! Tuesday we switched off with the STL's and they came to Lampang. It was fun, I got to switch off with Sister Ong this time. It was fun! I always get nervous for switch offs because you get so used to just being with your companion all the time, but it's always fun! Sister Miaw (the 22 year old) got her baptismal interview on Tuesday as well and it was decided that next week will be better for her to get baptized. So her and the other Sister Miaw (brother Santi's wife) are getting baptized this Sunday! We want their kids to get baptized with their mom so we're really going to work on that this week. We got lots of blessings last week! We were meeting with new investigators and they would bring their friends that were interested as well. It was awesome! We're finally starting to see things happen! While we were contacting at the park on Tuesday night I met a guy from the Philippines, I totally thought he was a khon Thai. I went up to him and starting speaking to him in Thai and he was like, "Sorry, I don't speak Thai." And I was like, "Oh awesome! Do you want to go to church?" Apparently he has cousins that are LDS because you know, the church is really big in the Philippines. So he was super open to meeting with us. Right before we taught the lesson he was asking us all these questions about why all other churches are so different from one another. Which was perfect because we were about to teach the restoration. It was a good lesson, me and Sister Rem are getting better at teaching in English. Not so awkward anymore! He really liked it though, he came to church on Sunday too and Sister Rem made me translate for him. I'm a horrible translator! I couldn't keep up with the speaker so I kind of just started saying stuff that I kind of thought they were saying. Probably not good! He said he liked it though, so I guess that's all that matters! Anyways, I've thought about it lately about how success as a missionary is so much different than I thought it would be or than I realized. I think I thought it's just all about baptisms but I think of it so differently now. I don't really count success in how many people I baptize but more in the way I touch others life. I try to leave everyone with my testimony and if they choose to reject what we're offering, at least they have that and maybe someday it will touch them. If I helped a member, if I smiled at someone that looked sad, if I succeeded in noticing the blessings the Lord gave me that day, I find that as a success. Success isn't always the big things we do in life. It's also in the small things that we do that make up the big things. 

Anyways! So my birthday. It was a good day! I made myself wait until my birthday to open up my package. So when the alarm went off that morning, that was the first thing I did! It was amazing how much stuff you smashed in there Mom! I loved everything, but I think my favorite thing was the notebook you sent me that everyone wrote in. That was my absolute favorite! For my birthday lunch, I chose to eat somtam of course. The rest of the day we invited! Sister Wadsana was super excited for my birthday, she's been talking about it for the past month (I think mainly because she really wanted to eat pizza). The elders, Brother Bob, Sister Noy and Sister Wadsana all went to eat at Long Jim's, the most delish pizza ever! Brother Ford bought me a cake, so we took that with us too and everyone sang to me super loud. I'm super awkward when people sing Happy Birthday to me! It was a good day though! I had lots of people that made it really special and really fun! I'm glad I got to spend it with Sister Rem too! We got to spend our birthdays with each other! 

Happy 20th birthday  to me!! 

 I couldn't think of anything I could be doing better to 

start off my 20's other than being a missionary!

 Lampang is great! We have two more weeks until we get the call which is so crazy, that means two transfers have already gone by. I'm hoping that I'll stay but I'll honestly go wherever President sends me. The weather in Lampang has been super nice but it's so humid it makes me sick! I got really sick on Thursday from it. Bleh. But unless you're throwing your guts up, you still work on the sick days. Like I said, Satan never stops and neither do we! Poor Sister Rem though, she had to drag me everywhere because I was so slow. And Sister Wadsana was dying over it, she said none of our investigators were showing up because Heavenly Father wanted me to go home and sleep. She's so funny! She literally is like our third companion.  She's helps us all the time with investigators and members. Whenever a new investigator comes to church we tell her to go befriend them and make sure they don't leave. And she does! She's also trying to learn English which is just so funny on it's own because she just speaks Thai-glish all the time. 

I truly am grateful to be a missionary. There are so many things that I have realized on my mission of who I want to be . What I wanted before is so different than what I want now or think is important. I've realized how much God truly does love all of us. I loved President Uchtdorf's talk in the conference from last October (Living the Gospel Joyful) where he talked about God's love for us. How He loves us even when we slip up sometimes. He loves because we try to reach out to others and He sees us trying to be better. And even when others or even ourselves don't acknowledge our successes, He does. No matter how dark or lonely life gets, He is with us and He loves us. I'm so grateful for that knowledge because I know that with God on my side, there is nothing that I can't overcome. Being on my mission has made me realize how great God truly is. And it's made me realize how homesick I am for the home that I don't even remember. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior. What a great day that will be when we are all united together and will experience a happiness that will know no end. I'm excited for that day and I'm determined to get there! 

Love you guys, take care!!

ซ. คาร์ริโย

Brother Kit took us to this famous wat here in Lampang. 

 I have no idea what its called, but there were a ton of people there.

People walk around this huge black building and the say Buddhist prayers. 

 Going to wats always makes me sad.  Its weird watching people worshiping these things.

Got to switch-off with Sister Ong!  

It was a fun day!

Inviting at our favorite market.  

It's my favorite part of Lampang!

Buddhist Trees

The Streets of Thailand

I neglected to send pictures of our house... 

 This is our living room study room (I'm standing at the front door)

The bathroom!  This house is really small, 

but I really like where it's at, so its ok!

Our Kitchen!

The Freakiest bug I've ever seen!  Me and Sister Lor 

were so freaked out by it (she was over for a switch-off)

Thailand/Lampang-week 27 zone conference and a hair cut!

Hey Mom! 

My week was super good, we only had about 2 days in our area before we went to Chiang Mai. So we were working hard those two days to get balanced! Chiang Mai was so fun though! We got to stay in a hotel (that had breakfast!). And we had zone conference on Friday and District conference (like stake conference) was on Saturday. Zone conference was so good! Elder Funk and  President Johnson spoke to us about obedience. It was really good! I think I've always justified myself in why I didn't have to be completely obedient in everything but the Lord wants us to be completely obedient in everything. Commandments are there to make us better and help us to become more like Christ. One of our first commandments is that we love God above anything else. I never understood the significance of that.  I never understood why God needed our love and wanted us to love Him so bad. But it's totally not like that. It's for us! God knows that if we love Him, we'll want to keep His commandments and those commandments that we keep will help us to be able  to return to Him. I love that! God doesn't need our love. But we need Him and we need His love! I learned so much at Zone conference. I'm so grateful for our president, I feel like he really wants us to focus on what we're becoming. Just as Elder Holland said, "Let your mission change you!"

Zone conference in Chiang Mai! 

Elder Funk of the Seventy and his wife came and spoke to us

One thing that I love that Elder Funk talked to us about at District meeting on Saturday night was about  the sacrament. I never understood the significance, I knew what it represented but that was about it. It's one of  the most important ordinances that we perform, something that we  need every single week. We renew that baptismal covenant, that we will always remember Him in everything we do and keep His commandments. And  the promise is that we will always have His spirit to be with us. ALWAYS! What a great promise that is for us. During that time is a time to think about the sacrifice the Savior made for us, so that we could overcome our fallen state and live with our Heavenly Father again. What the atonement means to us, our relationship with our Savior, what we have overcome because  of the atonement. I feel like the sacrament has been put on such an emphasis for the past couple of weeks. It was mentioned a lot in conference too! I think because, as I said before, we need it every week. Something that I read from President Smith is that a person who goes to church humbly and partakes of the sacrament each week is not going to ever purposely break commandments or falls away from the church. That's why it's been emphasized so much. We need  this spiritual power! I wrote down one thing that really stuck with me from Elder Funk's talk, "How will you remember Him?" 

It was a really good weekend! We invited a lot! It's really hard  to invite in Chiang Mai though because there's so many tourists. So many white people! I'm not used to being around white people anymore, I'm used to being the minority. It's going to be weird when I go  home and not everyone is Asian. I love  my Asians! Really though, I didn't even know most of the people that were at  the conference but everyone will just come up to you and tell you how pretty you are and then five seconds later they're your best friend. They're so friendly and just love everyone! I love Thai people, the members are super strong here.  I always smile because I feel like almost every single one of them has a picture of the Savior or the temple as their screen saver. I have so much to learn from these people, they're all so inspiring! 

Sister Ban, She's in the Chiang Mai branch, 

 but we are still best friends!

 So last Wednesday, I got my skirt caught in my bike, and so we were on the side of the street trying to get my skirt out of my chain (it was such a struggle!) and  these Thai people come over with scissors and pliers and get my skirt out for  me. It was so nice! My skirt is nice and ruined though, the joys of biking!

This past week was really good, I cut my hair short. I figured that since I'm turning 20 I needed  to do something crazy. And since I'm a missionary, cutting my hair is as crazy as it's going to get! I really like it though, I thought I would hate  it but I actually like it! 

Before

After 

I was nervous!

 Sister Miaw, brother Santi's wife, invited us over  for lunch before we left for Chiang Mai on Thursday. She made  us khao soi, one of my favorite northern Thai food dish! It was really good, but the chicken was sketchy so I didn't eat it. Sister Rem did though and she got food poisoning from it! She was sick all weekend, I felt so bad  for her. Sister Miaw, the 22 year old, is getting baptized this Sunday though, we're so excited!! I also got your guys package, I'm saving it until my birthday to open :) I got letters from the yw, it was so nice of them to write me! Uncle Kit also added  me to his group of people he sends letters to. Which I loved! This week is going to be a good week. It's my birthday and Sister Wadsana has been talking about it for the past month now. She wants everyone to go to Long Jim's to eat pizza for my birthday. So  I guess that's what I'm doing! I'm excited! But other than that, it will be a normal missionary day. Satan never stops and neither do we! 

Love you guys! Have a great week! 

-ซ. คาร์ริโย

My ponderizing scripture for this week! 2 Cor 4: 17-18

 We  went and ate at Butter is Better, an American Diner.  

Sister Remington was a greenie here in Chiang Mai and

 this was one of her favorite places so she took us here.  

I miss pancakes so much! And btw- I like bananas now. :)

We went inviting at this really sweet market.

  I'll have to take you guys there someday.  They have the coolest stuff.

We went to the really fancy mall, Maya 

and I invited up in the movie theatre.  

The view from the balcony!

Chiang Mai is so beautiful!

District conference!  Sister Wadsana made sure we got a picture

 with her while we were here haha

 My and sister C-Game!  One of my favorite members in Lampang,

 I was super excited to see her at the district meeting

 We went to sister Chomyong and her neighbors puppies came running after us.

  They are so cute, we had to take a picture with them!

Streets of Chiang Mai!

Thailand/ Lampang- week 26 Conference! The thing I looked forward to literally all week. It was such a good conference! I didn't think I could ever receive so many answers in just two days!

Hey Mom! 

It feels like spring here in Lampang! We're going into cold season! :) My week was super great! Really so many of our prayers were answered in this last week. On fast Sunday we fasted that we would be able to teach and meet more people. We just wanted some investigators so bad! And it was cool, we got two new investigators in one day. One of them, Brother James, was just a random contact we met last Monday. We literally had been talking about how groups of boys are pointless to ask because no boy will say he wants to learn about Christ in front of his friends. But there were these two boys that walked past us and we invited them and one of them was interested! His name is Brother James. He's such a cute kid! So nice, kinda shy, but we got to teach him once and taught him how to pray. He's been busy with work but we call and follow up with him and he says he prays all the time. He said whenever he feels sad he just prays and then feels better. I love that! It's so crazy how happy you get when you see the gospel blessing the lives of your investigators. Like Sister Miaw, I absolutely love her! She's changed so much since we met her. Last week when we taught her we asked her how her life has changed since she first started learning. She said that she used to get really stressed a lot and that's why she drank, to drink her feelings away. But now she just prays and she feels better. We asked her again what she thought about getting baptized, because she's so ready! We told her all she needs is a willingness to follow Christ and keep His commandments. She has nothing to be afraid of! She said she'd pray about it. So we called her this morning and she just said, "yeah, I'll get baptized on the 25th." We were so excited! She was laughing because we were so shocked that she actually took a date! That will be the best birthday present ever for me if Sister Miaw gets baptized! She came to conference yesterday, I think she was bored but she told us things that she really liked. Like how Jesus was the only one that was perfect and she didn't need to be perfect just repent and try her best. She got a lot of answers from that conference which was awesome! Sister Miaw (Brother Santi's wife) is doing good, she's still quitting coffee but we haven't been able to meet with her this week. Brother Santi always says that he has a headache or his back hurts so they can't meet with us. Sometimes it's kinda frustrating. But we're trying with them! We got to teach a guy from Africa. So we taught in English and lemme tell you, it is SO AWKWARD to teach in English! I couldn't remember words in English, all that was wanting to come out was Thai. I never thought I'd get to this point, but I did. It's way hard to teach in English. But I also like it because it's good practice for me! This guys name is Raul and we just met him on the street when we were going back to the church. He's really nice! We'll see what happens with him. We still need new investigators but we're being patient and just doing our best! We're grateful that Sister Miaw finally accepted a baptismal date! 

Last week, us missionaries planned a branch party. They don't have parties here for some reason. But we wanted to help make the branch closer and have more unity so we decided to have a party! And to get everyone to come, we gave everyone an assignment (bring food, decorate, bring games, do the spiritual thought etc.). The worst part was that it started raining right before the party and everyone still was not there! We were alone at the church with Sister Miaw waiting and she said that we should just pray about it. So we did, we made her say it haha. And it stopped raining! We knew it would though, Sister Miaw has a lot of faith. Lot's of people came, it was a really good turnout and it was actually really fun. I don't think I've laughed so hard since I came to Thailand. I absolutely love this branch, having that party made me realize how much I love these people here and how they're pretty much my Thai family. We're going to have a Halloween party soon! We're excited for that! 

Conference! The thing I looked forward to literally all week. We watched it at the church in the Bishop's office with the Elders and Brother Ford. It was such a good conference! I didn't think I could ever receive so many answers in those two days that I watched it. They all had such different talks but there was definitely a theme to it all. I had been praying to know how to be better, what more I could do and what I need to be when I get home and how I'm going to keep all this up! I loved so many talks because so many answers came from all of them but I love the one that talked about how we need to get on our knees and sincerely ask the Lord what we can change and be willing and humble enough to accept that answer. Really so much of what I got out of it is that we need to be better, we need to be strengthening our relationship with the Lord. Something Elder Clark said really hit me, that our testimonies aren't good enough now for the things that are going to come. These really are the last days, the final scene and everything is getting more and more black and white. There are so many ways they gave to help strengthen ourselves. Praying, reading our scriptures daily, observing the sacrament and keeping the Sabbath Day holy, serving others, and being a light to those around us. One thing that I noticed they said in 4 talks is "His grace is sufficient for us". I love that saying. It doesn't matter how young or old, how inexperienced, how incapable we feel. We aren't perfect, we're mortal and we make mistakes. But that is why Heavenly Father sent us a Savior to redeem us and to make up for what we can't. One thing that Elder Stoker (one of the senior couples from Chiang Mai) said is that our one main weakness in this life is that we can't save ourselves. It is by the grace of God that we are saved, after all that we can do. I got so much out of conference, I hope you guys did too! These truly are the last days, we need to prepare and be ready! How lucky are we that we get to listen to modern day prophets, apostles, seer,s and revelators, to guide us in these latter days! 

It's been really cold here the last couple days. Like a cold spring day. It's been so nice! I hope it stays like that. We only have about 2 days here in Lampang this week because on Thursday we leave for Chiang Mai again! We're having another zone conference with Elder Funk and then it's district conference so all the members in the Chiang Mai district will be going up for the conference. Super excited! I've really loved serving up here in the North, I hope I'll be able to stay here longer. My Thai is getting there! I'm working on it, I guess I don't realize how much I'm progressing since that's pretty much the only thing I speak all day! People always ask me how many years I've been learning Thai and I'll tell them eight months and they get all shocked. I'm pretty good for only learning Thai in such a short amount of time! Me and Sister Rem realized the other day that us and the elders are the only people we speak English with. Every other moment is in Thai! Sister Wadsana is trying to learn English so she copies everything we say. Apparently I say "mmmhhhmmmm" a lot haha. Anyways, I really like Thai! I remember in the MTC when I hated it because it was so weird and hard but now I love it, I want to get really good at it. It's such a fun language! 

Love you guys!  

-ซ. คาร์ริโย

 From conference I loved the talk about "ponderizing" a scripture every week. I decided I'm going to do it! This week I'm ponderizing Moroni 7: 48! It's a good one! We should do it as a family sometimes and take turns picking scriptures!

 Found this big Buddha and we had to take a picture with it.

 

 

We had a Party!!

 

 

 

We lost one of the games so here in Thailand if your a loser,

 the winners get to put baby powder all over your face! Haha!

By the end of the night we were covered!

 

The losers of the game!

 Brother Ford and Sister C-Game's neice.  

Such a cute picture!

Went out to dinner before English for some somtam

 with Sister C-game, Miaw and Sister Wadsna.  

As Sister Wadsana would say we are," Phuan Sanit Kan!"

Picture of our food!

 While we were out inviting at the park we saw these guys

 doing a dance with a fan and a sword. 

We thought they were so cool we asked if we 

could take pictures with them!

Its Sister Rem's year mark since she entered the MTC!  

So in honor of this day, she's burning stuff up!

We found this buddha and we had to take a picture with it!

This is probably my favorite wat (it's super close to the church) 

it's totally northern looking! 

 These are the faces Brother For and Brother Kid give us everyday!

This quote is hanging on the wall of our house. 

 It's one of my favorite quotes, I read it everyday before we walk out the door.