Feb 2, 2015

First matter of business: HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNCOLN!

Second: Email time

Monday: Poor Sister Samitra was in the hospital with Bronchitis (seriously aint no   body got time for that) we took them Tim Tams.. As anyone tried to find those yet?

Tuesday: There are so many  faraangs in Udon.. It's kinda ridiculous. And a ton of them are from Germany. I have said avederzain to a handful of them this week! Ha.. Too bad I don't know how to say anything else but what my sisters have taught me: poopsagalossan. HA.

Wednesday: District meeting witht he Seniors!!! Oh they are so good. Such good and wonderful people. And just so happy. It's because they keep the commandments. and serve God in everything they do. A few things I loved from the meeting:

-Obedience + Diligence = Conversion : Obedience is the pathway to conversion.. Just like you can't plant a seed and expect to eat fruit from it the next day.. We cannot expect to be fully converted after a day's worth of obedience. We must be diligent! Going to church and really BEING there every Sunday. Praying every morning AND every night. Everyday try. Give Heavenly Father your best effort. We must be really really good at being obedient... Diligence. And then as were are trying to become obedient and are being diligent in it.. It is then we BECOME converted. Becoming. There is a scripture.. "..Those who were converted unto the Lord NEVER fell away.." You can still be a member of the church and not be converted... Change what you need to so you can be converted unto the Lord! To our Heavenly Father who promises true happiness and eternal life with our families.

Oh so good.

-We are representatives of Jesus Christ. The word for representative in Thai is Tuataan. It translates to "stand in place of"... So as tuataan of Jesus Christ... I am expected- we are expected to say and do all things in the place of the Savior. That changes everything! How we react to others.. How we testify.. All of it.

Thursday: Helped my companion take lice out of her hair. Yay for being in the cleanest country ever! :P Oh I seriously love it so much. She is all healed now. After many hours of scrubbing, coming, sleeping with olive oil and lice shampoo.. All is well.

Friday: Went to the boonies of Thailand with the the Brown's! We met a sweet less active.. Who fed us some food...... Oh my word. Had my first real... Uh oh experience with food. Let's just say I prayed extra hard before I ate it. :) Yay for fish chips... Crunchy chips because you eat the bones. And... That's it. :)

Saturday: I MET SISTER GOW!!!!! Oh my word word word... It was so good getting a huge hug through her from Brittany! Oh... She is so wonderful. She was so SPARKLY! Like... Sparkly shiny new.. Right out of Salt Like City... My home! Oh it was nice to see her.. And oh it was SO fun to get the package brittany sent!!! Thank you!! Love love love all those pictures. <3 You're all so beautiful! I can't believe how much Zurie looks like Anny did when she was little... And Lyncoln's teeth! Oh my word. Everyone is changing!

Sunday: Paa Somyot didnt pass his interview again.. because.. he smoked seven times the day before.. So he has another date for nest week! Pray. For. Him. :) Walked in to our first meeting not really sure if we were going to have any investigator in the 9 o clock service.. To find a man we had contacted sitting close to the front! Whhooooa. Thank you Heavenly Father! I sat with him during sacrament meeting and learned that his name was Billy.. He's a little rough around the edges.. Looked kinda like a rock star haha.. Was wearing a bunch of jewelry and a sweet vest.. :) He had a lot of questions.. I was so grateful for the book of mormon! I opened up to 3 Nephi 18.. And told him to read verses 1-12 as they talk about the sacrament... He ended up reading all of chapter 18 AND 19! Bwa! Miracle a little! :) He doesn't have a phone.. So I don't know how we will contact him but I think that he will come back... He's got a Book of Mormon and a Restoration pamphlet. All he needs now is to be baptized! :)

This week ahead: We will be preparing for our family history fireside!! Thailand is seriously being lit on fire with family history work. If we are going to have a temple.. We need Thai names. :) It is so exciting. The spirit of Elijah is here! It is bringing so many families together.. And so many people to the church. I am so excited!

Monday today... Emailing a little later than usual because.. We went to a Thai funeral today. Hmm! Interesting. 

I love all of you. 

Working really really hard here. 

There is a million things to do always.

I am so grateful for the scriptures. 

I am so grateful for my family.

I am so grateful to be a missionary.

Love, 

Sister Coates 

I cant send pics today because this computer is TERRIBLE... All is well.