Monday, August 10, 2015

JANUARY 2015

SOOO Much to catch everyone up on! AHH!

First matter off busines:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! (2 days ago<3)
I love you so much.

(Right now in the internet rawn they are playing "I'm a Barbie Girl"...... ? ...... hahaha and headphones go on! hahaha)

Second: 

Happy New Year!!! I hope everyone has fun and stays safe. I am still alive over here... SO safe to say the world isn't going to end this year. New Years in Thailand..... These people LOVE New Years. They. Love. It. Especially our awesome neighbors.:) They've had their big stereo hooked up all week now blasting silly Thai song with lots of bass. Awesome. How was my NY? Wow it was socraaazy. All the missionaries ate at Sister Lek's house- On her ROOFTOP. 

--->Food fun: They gave us a big bowlof raw meat- squid, liver, shrimp... other mysterious things. So you just needed to watch out... But they gave us these meats to cook ourselves on the hot pots in the middle of the table!!! It was so fun.And tasted SO good. (they best part was... "thailand didn't hit when we got home.... Well at least not for me...:( lol Poor sister Brown<3). And then they had these huge bowls of mystery soup.. With all sorts of... mysteries waiting at the bottom.. Beware the soups. hahaha. They had fish balls,spicy mystery hot dogs, and blood chunks... And chicken feet that I could recognize. SO fun!!!

---?Curfew @ 7... Because people like to party. :) We went to bed @ 10:30 but probably didn't sleep till around 1ish. haha It was cute though to hear all the Thai accents saying "Happeeeey New Yeahhh!!"<3 hahaha We knew it was midnight for sure when they set off all their fireworks that all would hit our tin roof <3 SO fun!

Third: It's time to be updated on investigators. Whoa.. 

>Taste- Dropped off the face of the earth..:/ She called us Friday and told us she wouldn't be getting baptized anymore... That was kinda hard to hear. Because we could see clearly she believed so sincerely in the Savior.... She just wasn't quite ready. So w yes were a little bummed... BUT that's when Heavenly Father sent....

>Tuck & Nee- We were at the church last Friday the 26th making calls.. When in walks these Nee(mom) & Tuck(daughter)... "We would like to learn about Sasanakhit" (religion Christ)...Us "day!!" (okay yeah!)... We have literally met with them almost every single day since. They both accepted baptismal dates for THIS SUNDAY. Tuck has already had her interview. And passed with flying colors. WHAT IN THE MIRACLE? God is so good. These people are so solid. And so ready for the gospel. What an experience and privilege it has been bearing testimony of Christ during this season...Keep these people in your prayers.. With it being New Years... Almost EVERYONE here goes traveling... SO we are praying so hard they will be back by Saturday. Baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost are SO important. Why delay/postpone/procrastinate blessings when you could them now? And also... Once an investigator has a date... That is when Satan tries harder than ever to dissuade. He knows that baptism is the door- gate to going back home to our Father in Heaven/... Our ability to live forever with our families. To have eternal happiness. And he will do ANYTHING to stop that. Help me kick satan in the face.... Pray. :)

>Shampoo (the color "pink"in Thai)- Met her last Sunday. Taught her the following Tuesday. She has a date for this Sunday. YOU GUYS. I wish I could explain this girl to you... She is so special. There is something about her. She has this light in her eyes. Ah.... I cannot even explain it. She IS SO SPECIAL.... Ahh... Teaching her with Sister Brown on Tuesday was something else. It was the clearest I have ever spoken Thai and the best I have understood. It was the best sister Brown & I have taught together. The spirit in that lesson took over. It taught her what she needed to be taught...Which was way more than the Restoration...Whoooaa.. We taught her the Restoration, Gospel of Jesus Christ, the WoW & the Law of Chastity in one sitting.... Because we both felt SO prompted... I was right in the middle of teaching The Savior's Earthly ministry when I turned to Sister Brown and was like... This girl is ready we need to teach her more.... Ah.. It was so cool. Shampoo said that she knew everything we were teaching was true...And it really wasn't because of us at all... It is because she was prepared by Heavenly Father... And the spirit was there. The spirit was teaching her.... She said that she loves the peace that she can feel when she comes to the church.... Ah. God is so good. I am so excited to see her have peace and feel loved every single day. BEING A MISSIONARY IS THE COOLEST THING EVER. The situation with her is that her dad wants her to bebaptized in her birthday month.... February...That is too far away.. WHY DELAY THE BLESSINGS!!?? She is going to pray to know when she should be baptized... and talk to her dad. Please keep her in your prayers.\

The next 3 investigators Sister Brown calls our African community hahaha:

>Charles from Nigeria
>Dauda
>Salidan? from Sierra Leone (how ever you spell that)

It has been a cool experience teaching them... Because for one it has been in English... And two they have a Christian back ground... They were all WAY interested in Joseph Smith. When we said the first vision.... The spirit flooded the room. They could SO feel it. They are coming to church again this Sunday.:)

>Shark- Still gettin' baptized. Not this Sunday but the next.:) He is a cool guy.He gets it. I thank Heavenly Father everyday for softening Shark's heart. Please pray for him.

COOL THINGS:

>>>(OHEMGEEE ANNY "Chandelier" just came on...hahaha you know I always think of you when I hear it. HA! And of you two Sis Jax.)

OKAY wow... Miracles every single day seriously... But this one was a different kind of miracle... I still cannot wrap my head around it.. And am going to try my best to explain. Sister Brown and I were crossing a busy road... Since there are not really cross walks,stop signs or stop lights in Thailand... Pedestrians... Just have to step out in the road and the cars will stop.... SO we are making our way across the road... 3 lanes of the cars had already stopped for us... But the next 2 lanes... There was a car and a motorcycle come WAY fast... SO we stopped to let them go by BUT the motorcycle guy sees us and I think it scared him and he jerked his bike a little... The front bike wheel like... Slipped on a piece of garbage that was in the road... And the driver lost control of the bike... The bike tipped and was seriously parallel to the ground....And then as if there was a hand underneath it... THe bike popped up and came to a stop right in front of us..... THE BIKE AND THE DRIVER SHOULD HAVE HIT THE GROUND AND GONE UNDERNEATH THE SPEEDING CAR. OH MY GOSH. We COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT WE HAD JUST SAW. And neither could the motorcycle guy.. He was in pure shock.... There is no doubt in my mind that we saw a hand from heaven that day..... Yesterday... AH. Angels are all around us. Heavenly Father is keeping us safe.

Family Home Evening!!!  @The bishop's house... Ah it is so humbling to see the people here... Literally give all they have... Time, money and lives to the savior. Even though they have so little in the first place. What a blessing to have spent time with them..It is true what is says in the scriptures... That the humble.. The truly penitent are those that get to know the mysteries of God.. Or in other words... Be more aware and sensitive to the blessings and spirit all around them.. And be able to share that same spirit with those with them. 

This sweet family fed us what they heard American/Falaang's favorite foods were: Donuts, Chicken Nuggets and French Toast.:) :) :) Nailed it. <3

Seriously family... This place is AMAZING. Miracles.. Are EVERYWHERE. God gives them to us because we are obedient. And because we have faith enough to expect miracles. These miracles are for anyone and everyone of us- wearing a missionary tag or not. Don't procrastinate receiving blessings or seeing miracles. HF wants to give them to us!! Cing Cing. (truly).

Which reminds me... Something that has been on my mind. Family & friends...Are you reading your scriptures?.... Beeeecause it's commandment. hahaha :P Seriously though.

Sometimes I think that we forget that God has commanded us to: read scriptures, to pray, go to church every sunday.. etc..

These things aren't suggestions.. or requests... But COMMANDMENTS! They are EASY EASY opportunities for us to receive blessings AND show our Heavenly Father we LOVE him and have FAITH in Him.... If we don't keep the commandments.. We don't have the promise of blessings..:/... How many times in the scriptures does it say... "inasmuch as you keep the commandments ye shall prosper in the land".... Keep them commandments... And RAP (recieve) them blessings! It is so easy. 

Also.. It's important to remember why we have commandments. They aren't there because they benefit God.. Rather, it is because they benefit US. 

People that I love SO much please.... Take advantage of the opportunities to receive blessings... Take advantage of the miracles that you can expect for yourself and in the lives of those you love. 

Ah. I have a testimony of keeping the commandments.
I am thankful for members.. Here on my mission I am learning how to really be one.
I am thankful for all of you. My word I love you all so much!

2 0 1 5 

Start again.
Commit to keeping the commandments!
Read Scriptures ER day! 
Pray EVERY DAY. Morning & Night. Include HF in everything you do.
Try. 
CTR.

This year. Will be my full year of being a missionary. I AM SO STOKED! 
Jessica.... YOU WILL BE HOME THIS YEAR.
Dylan.... YOU WILL BE HOME THIS YEAR.
ANNY... You start high school... AND WILL BE DRIVING... What in the heck?

YOU GUYS: The church is TRUE
I love being a missionary. 
I love Thailand.
I love my companion (and past companions... I think of sister Jackson.. tuk wan TANG WAN!<3)
I love my family. My friends.
For real this time I will talk to you next Monday. No more switchin P days. :)

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL.
Sawadiikaa
kaa
Sister Coates

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