Week Six in Thialand

Well this week has been busy and fun.  My weeks are always busy aren’t they?!

We got a new investigator, Noot, on Tuesday and he wants to get Baptized! We are still working out the date but he is so ready!  We've been teaching him all week and asked him to pray about being baptized.  On Friday, Miracles of all Miracles, he got his answer!  We were fasting as a district for our investigators and this was a great reminder that God is waiting to give us blessing, we simply just have to ask!

On Thursday we had switch-offs with the Sister-training-leaders!  I was with Sister Reedy, who has been serving for over a year.  We had an amazing day of contacting and lessons.  Even though Sister Reedy wasn't familiar with anyone we taught, I could definitely feel the love of God through her, as we taught truths to God's children.   The longer I'm out here the more I realize that in this church, we are blessed with the capacity to love those we are called to serve, be it a Sunday school class or an entire country of people.  I can truly say that I love the Thai People!

These last few days have been really busy because we had Mission Tour, which is when a member of the Asia Area Presidency comes and trains all the missionaries in a zone.  So yesterday I was in Chiang Mai!  It was a busy day but I learned so much.  Much of the conference was on the power of the Book of Mormon.  Reading the Book of Mormon and praying to know if it was true was how I gained my testimony of the Restored gospel.  The real blessings of this book come from reading it and studying it over and over again.  Every time I prayerfully study the teachings from the Book of Mormon, I receive guidance to my problems and answers to my questions.  It is truly THE Word of God and I'm so thankful to have it in my life.  As I've shared this book with others here in Thailand, I've seen it change hearts and lives for the better!

 

District Sisters and my companion.

 

In the back of a 'song taw'

After the conference we got to eat with the missionaries in our zone and because we were in Chiang Mai, they have really good Western food!  So…for the first time in months, I had really good pizza and got to meet really awesome missionaries doing the work we all love!  I love Thai food but the pizza was a nice reminder of home.  Will miss you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love Sister Peterson

No mail Sunday night.

It would be way too easy to flip out, think the worst, panic!  Keeping my cool, I decided she had a busy day or was out of town for a conference or something to do with her mission. 

I opened my mail tonight and I was right.  Conference and her prep-day got pushed back a day.

Blog and pictures will soon follow.

One month mark! (Week 5 in Thailand)

I've been in Thailand for more than one month now, which is so crazy!  Time definitely moves differently when your a missionary.  This week has been a week of trying new things and not knowing before hand how they will work out!  So basically, it’s been a week of trusting in the Lord! and I can't say with a complete testimony that he will never let you down!

I've been struggling with inviting people (inviting:  where we go out and talk to a lot of people and invite them to learn with us.)  My language, though improving, is not up to conversation level, as I still have a hard time understanding people.  So I was feeling ineffective and unhelpful to my companion but the Lord knows what we need.  On Wednesday our Zone leaders came and trained us on the new method of “inviting” we are adopting here in Thailand. It’s actually really simple.  We just ask people if they are interested in being baptized and explain a bit about it.  I love it and it’s inspired.  As my district has been using this new method for the past week, my testimony that the Lord prepares people for our message has grown so much.  He truly is Hastening his work! 

Also we got a new investigator this week.  Her name is Daa and she's so awesome!  She loves studying the Book of Mormon and I can see her personal testimony of it growing every time we meet.  She has a date to get baptized and I'm so excited for her!


Which brings me to the highlight of my week:  We've had several members help us teach lessons this week and I've have never been so spiritually uplifted, as I felt this week listening to there personal testimonies of Christ and I know that our investigators felt it too!  Members can make such a difference and when we work with them it makes me so happy!

Sister Pink (Member) and Sister Peterson

This week in Thailand was a holiday called Leey Gatan (I don’t actually know how to write it in English?) but for the last four days people have been sending off floating lanterns and little boats with candles, around the river to let go of their goals of the past and start a fresh year.  I can't help but relate it to the atonement and feel grateful for the opportunity I have to repent and take the sacrament every week.  Anyways yesterday was the last day so, unfortunately, I won't be riding around looking at a beautiful scene from the movie Tangled anymore.  L  It was fun while it lasted! 

Hope everyone has a wonderful week,

Love Sister Peterson

 

My Kitchen and ice cream sandwich.

Look close, it is on bread.  LOL

 

Yum!

  

Excerpts from my letter to Dad:

I’m really excited to Skype! I miss home for sure but every time I’m starting to get discouraged or tired, something miraculous happens and I’m ready to work again…It is a lot different than when you served your mission.  We have email, digital pics, Skype!  You just had stone tables and chisels.

On Friday we went to a member’s home and learned how to make Thai food.  It was beyond awesome and next P-day, we’re going to try to replicate…wish us luck!

I can't wait for her to make it for ME...without the hot peppers that is.

Now that it’s been long enough that you don't have to worry...I got hit by a truck on my bike, like week one.   My injuries are thoroughly healed, tender mercies that they weren't more serious.  I was riding and a truck decided it didn't want to go out of the parking lot any more and backed up into me…scary. 
I was lucky and had only minor injuries.  More lucky for my wallet, my bike was okay!  LOL  So God loves me too!  He is watching out for both of us.

I also scolded her for not telling me earlier. 

Week 4 in Thailand...Three months have gone by fast!

Best week EVER!

This week was so awesome!  First off, on P-day my district went to “Suko-thai,” which I loved!  It was nice to recharge for the week!  Then, Tuesday was English class!  I love teaching English.  My students are so amazing!  We’re currently planning a Thanksgiving Day activity for the English students and my advanced class is going to put on a short skit of the First Thanksgiving.  It’s going to be so fun!  

 

At the end of English, one of the missionaries gives a spiritual thought.  This week it was about our bodies being temples and the plan of salvation.  So many people asked for pamphlets and made appointments with us.  It was amazing.  It helped me remember that everyone has the light of Christ and when were teaching the Doctrine of Christ it’s so familiar to them.

 

This week for “district inviting,” we decided to get complicated and set up a Tree of Life - Iron Rod activity that kids could do while we invited their parents to read the Book of Mormon.  We made rice-crispy treats (except with cornflakes) in the shape of fruit and hung them from a tree.  Then we tied a rope between two trees and had people follow the "rod" to the fruit.  J  It was really fun but the treats were really hard to make because Thailand doesn't have marshmallows and rice-crispies are really expensive here.  In the end, it all worked out and most importantly we got a new investigator from the activity!!!!!  What really made this week awesome was she came to church on Sunday!

 

Miracles Happen!  I've studying a lot this week about keeping the Sabbath Day Holy and attending church.  As a missionary, when members, investigators, and whoever are at church, it makes my day because we go to Church to take the Sacrament and strengthen our resolve against temptation and receive support from members.  Church is always the best part of my week! 

 

Love to everyone, Sister Marina Peterson

 

 

Bathroom...

At least we have a toilet with a lid.

 

This is the shower-thingy I was talking about

last week.

 

Snow...

Snow...even though I'm in "The Oven" of Thailand right now, I still don't miss SNOW  :-) 

I am going to miss Thanksgiving...Grandpa's mashed potatoes especially :-).  Our district eats dinner together on Sundays because the Church has a kitchen.  We all tried to make cornbread and chili.... LoL  no corn meal in Thailand .... and the chili was more like a thick tomato paste soup,  but it was still nice :-)  I really miss cornbread!

--Inserts from Dad's email.

--Fun Fact:  49 people read Marina's blog last week.  I am so happy you are enjoying it.  I sure am!

Week Three in Thailand!

Things have been crazy as always, but I love it!  I'm starting to adjust to, adopt, and love the cultural differences in Thailand.  First adjustment was to our shower...we don't really have one.   LOL  The bathroom is more just like a giant room with a toilet and sink and then as a bonus, you get a shower spray, hose thing on the wall...but the water is warm so it’s not bad.  J 

Next, the kitchen.  What can I say, we don't really have one.  J  We have a fridge and a hot plate, which we use to boil water for “mama” (the Thai version of Top Raman)  Mostly we just by food from the street!   Reason, because it’s delicious and really cheap!  So I don’t cook much which is a change for me but I'm still eating a lot of really good food.  No one has to worry.  J 

The food.  It didn't take adjusting to, in fact I thought I would have to adjust because I would be obese from how much food I eat every day.  Luckily that hasn't happened.  Probably because of the biking.  LOL  Meat here in Thailand is interesting.  My whole life I’ve be taught that if you leave, even cooked meat, out for too long, it will kill you or something just as bad, get you really really sick.  But in Thailand, they kill and prepare meat, then it sits out for hours/days until it gets bought.  Sits out for hours/days until it gets cooked.  Sits out for hours and then you buy it and eat it and I'm still alive...as for the rest of the country, I don't know if they do the same.  We'll see if this is true in a year.  LOL  But regardless I’ve yet to eat something I didn't enjoy!

 

This week was really awesome because our branch had a Halloween party which we got to help plan and bring investigators to.  We had everyone eat doughnuts off of a string and race to make toilet paper mummies.  A lot of people dressed up as ghost/zombie scary looking Asian things, like from Asian horror movies…and then, because we’re in Thailand, the youth had a costume contest/ fashion show, which I got to judge.  J  We elected a popular Halloween King and Queen.  It was so fun and everyone loved it but what made it awesome was that a lot of my/our English students came!

Which brings me to English!  I love teaching English!  My companion and I teach the advanced class (because I can’t really speak Thai yet).  Half of our students are like 17 year-old girls and they are so giggly and cute.  Then we have a variety of people who are so sweet and enthusiastic in learning English.  Sometimes, throughout the week, I forget how much I love talking until I get to English Class and get to chat with the students!  (because my conversation ability in Thai is pretty low. LOL)  It also helps me remember how much Thai I have learned in such a short time.  I know that the gift of tongues is so real, because I’ve been studying Thai for like 1/10th of the time I studied German and I'm leaps and bounds ahead.  I pray every day for help in understanding and learning Thai and I definitely see the results, mostly when I'm teaching.  Sometimes, actually most of the time, I don't really know what is being said and then my “Khuu” (companion) looks at me and I just start saying things that I've barely studied and it always fits in perfectly....or so my Khuu says.  My testimony of the gifts of the Spirit, especially the one given in Luke 12: 11-12 or D&C 100 5-8 where we are promised that if we study and ponder truths we need not worry about what we will say because in the very moment we need them the, spirit will tell us what to say.

Yesterday was Fast Sunday and my “Khuu” and I were fasting for our investigators and the ability to teach them with the Spirit.  After riding around in the country side all day, sweating like crazy, we had one last appointment with one of our progressing investigators.  Though we were both tired and it was really hard to focus and understand what our investigator was saying, I know the Spirit was there, helping me answer questions and addressing concerns that I really didn’t know or understand what he was talking about.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary and to witness the power and the blessings of the spirit hourly!

Well, more next week I love you all!

Love Sister Peterson