Ties in Thailand: Chiang Mai - Out in Sunny Side

Dear Mom,

This past week has been full of great experiences. when I first got here, I thought everyone was actually saying Sunny Side or Sun Side, but I quickly learned that it is actually called San Sai. It means sandy ridge.

We've had some great miracles and trials in the work in the past week. We've been facing a lot of good trials and have had a lot of good experiences to learn and grow. We've seen the Lord helping us a lot. Our first week we felt very good like we were doing good work and seeing results. This past week, we've been tried a bit and have faced several obstacles, but we are still trying to keep up our faith and enthusiasm.

Being able to talk to the branch leaders and district leaders some more, it seems like the big vision is to form a Stake (in the distant future), but in order to do that it we need another branch in Chiang Mai and then some wards. We sat down with the Elder's Quorum President and we're on track. There are less active members starting to come back and a few a good investigators and Recent Converts who can progress and get the Melchizedek Priesthood.

This past week, we've had two investigators really impress us. Sister Faang didn't know anything about Christianity before, was taught twice by the missionaries in the past, but never made much progress. She stopped coming to church and the missionaries never had much chance to teach her. These past weeks we've been able to meet her regularly, she's picked up her scripture reading, and has come to church every Sunday. She told us she wouldn't be able to come to church this past Sunday, but then she called us on Saturdayand said that she decided to come to church instead of going out with her family. It's cool that she chose to come to church, but a little sad for her family, but she seems much, much more willing to act than before. She regularly comes to our English class and has been coming to the regular Family Home Evening activities as well.

As I approach the end of my mission, things seem to be speeding up. There's no time to wait. Just like what Jacob says, it's time to prune and dig the vineyard one last time so give it your all and work with all diligence because soon it'll be time to gather the fruit and when we see all that has been done, we will have joy.

Alma 27:27 "And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end." -We need zeal!

The picture of the hedgehog is actually a porcupine. It was drawn by the greenie who is unofficial my daughter because her trainer or mom is the other sister missionary in our branch. Also because I haven't changed my hairstyle.