November 2, 2014

Hello hello everyone!  Wow where start.

Monday: We left for the airport at about 3:30 ish.. Hopped on the front runner... Which was crazy stressful will ALL of our luggage... I am not skilled with luggage. Thank heavens for Elders. From the front runner we took the trax.. Even MORE stressful. My arms were dead. At the airport we had glorious Cafe Rio. Wow. WOW. It was so delicious... Goodbye MTC food... :P Got to talk with the family! That was great! Got emotional :( Just love you all so much!

Tuesday (was basically non existent- crossed the international date): Flew from SL to LA.. Ew All airports minus SL are gross! :P  That flight was fast and pretty random! I met Stuart Edge! Haha so random. Go look him up on Youtube. Good guy! Boarded Cathay Pacific Airways... so Asian.. And so uncomfortable. Especially when you are you sitting between two Elders. Didn't sleep at all. Ate some super weird Asian airplane food! Landed in Hong Kong.. Were there for like 30 minutes before boarding again.

Wednesday: Landed in BANGKOK! Bwahahaha.. Ah... That was so cool. The second we stepped off the plane we were blown over with this thick thick hot shower water air. YES. so awesome. Loved seeing all the cute Thai script signs and hearing the first "sawatdii kap!".. Ah that was so special. It took us awhile to go through customs and baggage... But was so worth it when while we were walking we saw a huge angel Moroni sign sticking up out of the crowd! And there they were. Ah. I was a little star struck. The Seniors are special special people. They took our luggage and we took a subway to the mission office! Looking out the windows of the subway was like.... a movie. I can't even explain it. Palm trees and rice fields everywhere. Everything looks very close to being 3rd world. At the office! We had lunch... Which was so weird.. Because it was really like Midnight in SL. But we ate lunch. And wow am I in trouble. My poor poor baby mouth! Everything was very Thai. And then Wisan, bless his soul, brought out fresh watermelon and pineapple. Oh my word. The fruit was made in heaven! AND THEN they brought out Mangos and sticky rice.... Celestial glory... Next came orientation. Were given the down lows on money and apartments, etc. Went and got our blood drawn. OW. Tried talking to this cute Thai lady hahaha. That was funny. Came back and had an interview the President. He is. So awesome. And then we went Dan Jones-ing for 20 minutes. Whoa. So fun! I went with Sister Ference- we chose a street and asked every single person we saw (which was a ton) if they were "soncay khaw bood" interested in going to church! Everyone was so kind about it. They either politely smiled and said no- or we would talk with them for a second and get their number! So fun. :) One lady seemed interested.. And Sister Ference was talking with someone else. So i gave it my best shot hahaha.. I ttried to explained that today was my first day in Thailand... But instead I told her it was my birthday.. hahaha too good. So fun! I was SO tired. But it was only 4:30... We had dinner with the Seniors in their BEAUTIFUL beautiful home. We were all so tired. I almost died. We watched a little bit of a talk by David A Bednar.. About bring people back One by One.. And that's what we are going to be doing here in Thailand! We walked to our hotel... Took a speed shower and the second my head hit the pillow I was gone.

Thursday: Transfer meeting! Wow that was so fun! I was the first one to walk in the huge room with all the cheering missionaries! What an awesome feeling that was. We introduced ourselves in Thai, said goodbye to the all the leaving Thais! and received NEW companions. OH. MY. WORD. There is no doubt in my mind that President Senior is SO inspired. SO inspired!! Just first looking at Sister Jackson I could tell that we were meant to be! :P hahaa  We were both sent to Samphan Suun- and we are white washing!! Meaning we both have never been to this area before. It was bitter sweet to say goodbye to my disctrict.. But all of their companions looked like a perfect match and we were all ready to go. :) They had a separate room set up in the church we were in for packages and letters. And I was pleasantly surprised to find 2 letters for me! Wow! Thank you Serena and Karly Willes (who is on her mission right now in Florida!). The letters were both sent at the beginning of October Like 5th and 7th? So it doesn't take to long to get here! Yay! Sister Jackson and I took a taxi to our new home... Oh my goodness it is the cutest little house!! Has a fun mint gate.. And two little hoses for a shower... We have frogs and cockroaches in our outside kitchen area.... AND it is all wonderful :) We are way close to the church and plently of Tescos and 7/11's.. We are taken care of and watched over.

Friday: Happy Halloween! Today was the first real day. We already had 3 appointments set up my the previous missionaries. Only 2 of them showed up. We taught them at the church. Um it was awesome. Sister Jackson teaches so beautifully! I can understand almost everything she says... The Thais are a different story hahaha I'll get the hang of it one day. Not too worried :P That evening Sister Brusso (from Utah <3) Invited us over for dinner- GUESS WHAT WE HAD. CHILI! Ah... That was a tender mercy. Heavenly Father is so cool! The only thing that could have made it better would have been a cinnamon roll. :) That night we went to the church and our investigator Kwaan was interviewed for her baptism and we got know some of the fun recent converts! Everyone here just LOVES to hang out at the church. Super cute!

Saturday: Love studying with Sister Jackson. Had Somtam for lunch.... SO good. I got mine without any prick (no spice).. So good! The food here is pretty good minus the spice. There are a few things for sure that I will have to get used to! I have yet to get sick.. We don't drink any of the water unless it's bottled.. We don't eat anything from vendors unless it is cooked right in front of us or unless it is on good ice (fruit).. The meat here.. Looks rather untrustworthy... hahaha Seriously it all looks super sick haha. We taught an RC today- Fern and her son Fong... Oh my goodness. Fong is Thai Lyncoln. He is SO cute. One day I will get a picture.

Sunday: It was nice and really different going to church today. I sat next to this sweet sweet Thai sister who is 15 ish.. Her name is Ju-lean. Oh.. How i love her and understand nothing she says! Sister Jackson and I made plans after church on how we can create a more reverent atmosphere in sacrament meeting and in the church in general. I don't think these people realize just how sacred and important sacrament is. I was missing my home ward just a little! But am excited to help out these new members and little ward. After church was Kwaan's baptism... That was awesome. She speaks a little English (which was SO nice) She told me that before she was baptizzed she didn't really feel anything.. But after.. She kept placing her hand over her heart and saying.. I just feel so warm! So wonderful.

Everything in Thailand is an ADVENTURE. Everything including their hospitals hahaha... Went the hospital/clinic because I have a awful cold AND terrible Ear Infection.. Seriously those are the worst! Please pray that get back to normal soon! The hospital was so Asian though... Oh my word.. So weird! Hahaha so many of  the nurses wore opened toed high heels and their uniform was one of those little nurse hats and a short skirt. Ha! The physician who saw me spoke pretty good English.. hahah her exam consisted of stick plyer things into my nose- stretching my nostrils open to look inside hahahaha while wearing a huge lamp on her face hahaha. And then she had me lay on a table where she used a little video camera to show me the inside of my ears... Hahahaha what on earth? I was perscribed like... 5 different sets of Antibiotics.. Sketchy.. BUT I know heavenly father is watching over me!  

Love you all!

Xoxo,

Sister Coates