I'm here!!

Yes, that's right...I've finally arrived in Thailand. Ha, it's so great, I am in love with it already! I have so much to tell you all. Where to begin?!

First of all, I'm sure you're wondering where I'm currently serving. I am in the beautiful....CHANG MAI (also known as "heaven" around here)!!! It is so beautiful. There are lots of farangs (white people) here on vacation from America, Australia, Europe, you name it. And for all sorts of reasons--they're sick of corporate America, to studying Thai for a year, to wanting to become Buddhist. Haha. There are still plenty of Thais, though, and they are wonderful. My companion is Sister Young from Orem, UT. She is incredible! Jac, you said you spent a day with a greenie that reminded you of me? WELL, this sister is a mixture of Liz and Jaclyn--she's perfect! I seriously love her, and we've gotten along really well. She's very patient with me, and gives me opportunities to grow and learn. She is also Steve Young's niece! Ha, unnecessary info, but it's fun to know. We're going to get along great.

It was so good to talk to so many of you last week! I hope Shelby's birthday party went well. :) I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you, Shelb! Christmas is just around the corner, haha. We got to Thailand, were picked up by Pres Smith and his cute wife, and went to their house. We had a nice lunch, figured out a bunch of paperwork, then he gave us a surprise--we went inviting! I placed a Book of Mormon and got a return appointment with a family. It was super nerve racking, but it helped when the older sister I was with said, "This is her first day in Thailand!" Ha, they were pretty receptive after that. We then had an authentic Thai dinner at President's house, and hit the hay early. I honestly could not keep my eyes open at all. I've never felt quite so tired. But I woke up the next day, Wednesday, feeling quite normal! After that I haven't been affected much by the time change. After a nice breakfast of fried rice, hahaha, we went to moves meeting where I met my new companion! It was fun to see the older district that left before us, too. We soon after got on a bus headed for Chang Mai--11 hour bus ride! LIZ.................remember Ecuador and all it's glory? Just ponder those precious moments for a second and you'll know my first few hours in Thailand. Hahaha, it has been so fun. I got on the bus just sweating like crazy, and plopped in my chair totally beat. Luckily I slept most of the bus ride. We got to our appt in Chang Mai at 6:00 am the next day, slept for 20 minutes, and got up at 6:30 for my first day on the job! Haha, long day, but it was great! We've been having a lot of lessons thanks to the companionship here before, it's been really fun. Sis Young said we had more on Saturday than she did her first 3 weeks here! We had 6 appts that day. I don't say much in lessons, I'm mostly just straining to understand. But she'll turn to me and ask me to explain some simple concept, or bear my testimony, or whatever. I can do that! It definitely gets better with each lesson, and I feel I can add more and more. The Thai is coming! The hardest part is not being able to express myself in Thai the way I do in English, but that will come. Heavenly Father has already blessed me a ton just these past 6 days! It's been incredible to see and feel.

SO--Thailand. Ha, so many things to say! Our apt is nice, or "high so" (high society). We at least have a washer! There's lizards all over the walls, and I'm pretty used to ants all over everything. There are just so many things. The other day in the park we were sitting on a bench eating, and all the sudden across the way this old man turns on these huge speakers and people start gathering for an aerobics class in the middle of the park! Haha, it was hilarious. Picking noses in public is no big deal, either. Don't worry--I'm using lots of hand sanitizer. Oh, CRAZY story! Yesterday, Sunday, we were heading to church on our bikes (yes, we've been riding bikes a lot. White Rim crew--remember our sore bums on that trails? This takes a close second). Sis Young was ahead of me a ways, and we came to a corner when all the sudden this dog came running around the corner at full speed. We were cruising pretty fast, so all she had time to do was hit the dog! She nailed him, flew over the handle bars, and got a bit scraped up. It was a little intense in the moment, but now we just laugh about it. Haha. Who hits a dog at full speed on a bike? Sister missionaries in Thailand.

The bike riding is fun, I really love it. They have some clips here we can clip our skirts to the side so they kind of stay out of the way. Notice I say kind of. Haha. I'm pretty used to being wet all the time--either from rain or sweat. It's the rainy season now, so we've been caught in some storms already. It's just SO beautiful here! Get on google and look it up. This is the super touristy part of Thailand, with the elephant riding, rock climbing, hikes, etc all around. We'll be pretty busy on preparation days.

The other day we were riding through a neighborhood inviting, when we stopped at a house on the corner. The walls are garage doors, so everything was open. We saw a grandma sitting in there and decided to talk with her. We call her khunyay, which is like a respectful way of calling elderly people. (yay=grandma). She reminded me so much of Grandma Rosie! She is the sweetest woman, and so generous and kind. We got to talking, and telling her a little bit about ourselves and what we were doing. As we talked we found out (well, Sis Young found out and told me after) she is 78 years old, has a couple children and lives alone. Furthermore, she has never heard of God before, let alone Jesus Christ. That's common in Thailand, but not necessarily in Chang Mai, There's actually quite a few Christians here. Anyway, Sister Young gave her a Restoration pamphlet and asked me to say a prayer after she explained it. She said she felt something! I felt so much love for her at that moment. I know it was the love of God working within me and helping me love this woman. It amazed me that God has been aware of this woman for eternity, let alone these 78 years on earth. He has watched her, helped her, grieved with her, rejoiced with her, all the while she has never known of his name. Is that not mind boggling? We're going back to visit with her again, and she wants to come to church with us. We'll see what happens.

We've had lot of other incredible experiences already. A couple of people have even told us that they had dreams of farangs just days before we showed up in their home. I was beginning to think that was a common occurrence, but Sister Young assures me that these stories are not typical. We've seen some awesome and miraculous things! I love it here. I'll continue to help her teach, doing all I can, and trust that God will touch their hearts as I put mine out there. It's already happened.

Last night I had quite a different Sunday dinner than I've ever had. We took a few investigators to the District President's home, with his family and the Branch President. We were on the floor, with 3 little flame stoves out, and a bunch of raw meat/fish with noodles and cabbage out. We all just sat down and started cooking our meals to order! Ha, it was so fun. Nin, a 13 yr old investigator we have, was with us. She speaks English very well and is my little tutor. Everyone got a kick out of me not being able to use chopsticks, but I was determined not to use the fork they kept offering me. Everyone just laughed and laughed, the little 9 yr olds were in total awe I couldn't use them. It's like seeing someone not be able to use a fork! I felt a little foolish, haha, but improved significantly by the end of the night. :) Everything is so fun here. Different, but that makes if more fun, right? I love it.

Well, I love you all so much family! I have an hour to email, so don't be afraid to send a little note if you'd like. Not necessarily novels, but I'd love to hear from you! Preparation Days are Monday. It is 4:00 pm Monday here, so it's 2:00 am Monday there. I think. Anyway, I love you so much. I'm so grateful to be here! Sometimes it's a little overwhelming, but then I remember I'm on a mission and qualify for help as I work for it. So, I've decided I'll just get to work, pray hard, and expect miracles. They've already come to pass! It's interesting being on the other side of these letters as the missionary. Dad says I'm a little preachy, I'll try to tone it down. :) I just wish you could see inside my heart right now! There's a million things going on, changes being made. I love it. I love you all! Make it a great week!

Love,

Sisdah Naygun
(emphasis on the "gun", haha. They spelled my name wrong! I think they though it was Nay-gul, of course, but that doesn't translate into the Thai alphabet very well, Haha. So, I've been Sister Nay-gun for the past week, haha. Thailand is the best. Seriously.)

LAST WEEK!!!

I cannot believe how time is flying here. I am down to my last week. Some of you know already, but I have my flight plans for SUNDAY NIGHT!! That's right, I fly to LAX at 9:30 Sunday night, then to Taipe, Taiwan, then off to Bangkok. Oh my goodness I can't believe it's here. But I'm so ready....mentally. Haha. I'm expecting to be terrible with the language for the first while. I won't understand most of what's going on, and it will be difficult, I'm sure. But I expect myself to still be the best misisonary I can. I can still smile, I can still serve, I can still love. You don't need language to feel the spirit! That will be my focus for the first while, as I try to get the language down. Anyway, needless to say I'm ECSTATIC.

How was the wedding?! Kell and Dave I'm so excited for you. By the way---I met Ph>>n and Sanyaa in the TRC on Saturday--they were my investigators!!!! They are wonderful! We started off the lesson in Thai, finding out a little about each other. I said I was from Bountiful, they asked if I knew a Kelly Week. I was shocked, and told them, "She's my sister!" They got so excited and proceeded to tell me the connection. I just started crying on the spot, it was sooo special. They described the wedding, the tent, everything (though they weren't there, their daughter was and told them about it?). Anyway, It was a little taste of home, and I loved it. They are such sweet people. I even understood them a little bit! :)

Happy Birthday to Shelby, Mom and Lauren Ashley this week!! :) Sorry if I'm forgetting anyone, this is off the top of my head. I hope you're all doing well, and have great birthdays. I love you so much. Shelb, I can't believe you can count to 10 AND sing the ABCs! You're so big! Happy Birthday Lauren, you're a sweetheart and I love you! Mom...you are the best. I hope you realize the impact you've had on my life--you've helped me prepare for this mission and I love you for it. You are so wonderful, and an angel in my life!

I wanted to use this email to tell you about my experience at the MTC, overall. As I've pondered over it the past few days, I've realized some incredible things. Before I came to the MTC, I was so sure this was going to be the greatest experience of my life. I wasn't quite sure how, yet. I had just heard that a lot, and expected it. Within the first 2 weeks, I was humbled a lot. I thought I was ready and prepared to do this. And I was, but not by myself. I needed God's help more than I ever have in my entire life. I needed Him. If this was His work, then He needed to help this helpless human being accomplish it! I know that God knows my weaknesses. All of you know that I tend to be rather analytical about everything. Especially myself. I've wondered countless times if I really have what it takes to be here. The beauty of the past 2 weeks have been life changing for me. I know that God know my weaknesses! He knows more than I do, in everything about me. BUT--He's okay with those weaknesses. I was still called by Him to perform this work. When I compare myself to others (which is easy to do in our District, they're all incredible!), it is not for my benefit. I am essentially telling God that my gifts and talents are not good enough (see Moroni 10:8)!! God knows what He blessed me with. He knows that I need His help. He knows that I also have the gifts and talents to do what He's asked me to do. It's like a symphony. We each have our own harmony! We each have a role. When played alone, any instrument sounds sad, lonely. But, when the whole orchestra is combined, it's incredible! I've realized that this is precisely how it is with our talents. We need each other. WE NEED the talents and gifts of all those around us. Who cares if they're better at you then something! Shape up and realize that you have talents from God too, that are just as precious and profound as so-and-so down the street. This work on earth is so much bigger than us. I've never been closer to the veil than here at the MTC. I need to realize that we need each other, God, and hard work to make this come to pass. I am one of the sons of Mosiah, going to preach to the Lamanites in a distant land. BUT, you are the Alma's of the world, staying to strengthen people right in the middle of the church! There are so many people that need you. You need them. I can't adequately express the changes I've expereinced at the MTC. If I were to return home now I'd be a different person. I can't wait to see what awaits me in Thailand! As for each of you, do your best to hold down the fort at home. You are needed, no matter your talents and ablities. I love this gospel. I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and His perfect and infinite Atonement. I've never felt His power so much in my life! It is REAL! I testify that as you experiment the things that are asked of us in the Book of Mormon, you will feel His power. I have felt it time and again here at the MTC. I love this work, and I love the people of Thailand. I have been praying for them every single prayer I've prayed for this past week....I can't believe I'm finally going! Please pray for me, the missionaries and Thailand, the Mission President, but most importanly, the people. They need it. They need this gospel. I love this work, and I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! I love you family. Have a great week. The next time I email, I'll be in THAILAND. Oh my goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Sisdah Naegle

Less Than 2 Weeks!

I say this every week, but where does time go?! It's absolutely insane how fast it's flying. But I'm loving every minute. Several of you have asked about travel plans...I don't have them yet, but we're hoping by Thursday we'll have them. I can't believe it's here! I supposed I'll never feel ready. I've realized this week that it isn't that I'm not learning anymore at the MTC, it's just that things are coming a lot slower. I'm going to be much more effective if I'm just thrown into the fire. Turns out I get my wish in 2 weeks! Pray for me!!!!

Last Tuesday we had the opportunity of hearing from Sister Elaine S. Dalton, the Young Women's General President. What an inspiring woman! Anyway, she usually has some sort of imagery from running in each of her talks, if you remember, and she did that night. She mentioned that in running, you "never quit halfway up the hill." What an inspiring thought! We must keep pressing forward, PRESSING forward with all our might and continue on the way. She also told a story I'm sure many of you have heard. I didn't read it, so I might butcher it, but I'll try my best. She told of a man that came to the U.S. from Tanzania to run some marathon. Part way through, he was injured terribly, but couldn't bear the thought of not finishing. So not only did he finish, he ran the rest of the race, injury and all. After the race a reporter asked him what kept him pushing along, and he simply replied, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to begin the race; my country sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race." Not sure why, but that quote really impacted me this week. I am here to FINISH! Heavenly Father did not send us here to fail. I've adopted this quote as my mission motto, because of the meaning it has in my life. My country=family, friends, all of you at home...but particularly my Father in Heaven. He's sent me here to succeed, and that is precisely what I'll do!

Life has been good this week. I feel like we're definitely getting planning down, and it's making us much more effective. The Elders like to make fun of us..."Oh, E. Leyva, when did you want to schedule our bathroom breaks?" and "Dang it! I forgot to plan what I'm going to dream about tonight..." They're weasels, to say the least. But it makes the day go so much smoother, and we're learning so much. It's amazing what we accomplish in a day when you put a little thought into your plan.

Last week we were given the opportunity to clean the temple! It was wonderful. KELL--I heard you went through!!!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't it the best place in the whole world? Ah I miss it already. If you go to the Provo Temple any time soon, just think that I was in there a week ago today cleaning in the women's dressing room. :) I love you! I'm so excited for you and Dave this Friday.

AND Dan and Janet! Give little Liam a kiss from me, I hear he's adorable! I hope all is well, I love you both so much and I'm praying for you.

It's amazing what a little entertainment will do around here. We get to watch a Sunday night movie every week after the devotional, and it's always some church movie. This past week, however, was "Legacy," and I'm pretty sure the last time I watched it was with Mom on your bed! Ha, I couldn't have been more than 6 or 7, but I remember it vividly. It gave me a little taste of home. Thanks Mom!
I've discovered the beauty of callus (?) knees. Haha, my ankles are as well, from all the teaching we're doing on the ground/praying. It's great, though. We have a bunch of teaching mats we use to teach on! Lots of fun. And Sister Noppomas gave us a lesson on how to sit on the ground. Needless to say, all the Elders really struggled here, haha. It will take some getting used to, but we're trying to practice now so we don't have too much of a problem in 2 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll keep you posted on my travel plans. Hopefully they're here by Thurs.

Thank you Jac and Katie for emailing Elder Hardcastle's emails. I really appreciate it! You are both so sweet and thoughtful. Kate, how are you feeling? And Jac and Kirsten, how was your trip??? Hope you had fun!

I've had some time today to reflect on my setting apart. It's amazing how so much of what Pres Martin said in my blessing as already been fulfilled, and will continue to be. I know that I am set apart for a reason. It feels so good to know that Heavenly Father is on my side. I've had a lot of witnesses this week that I am simply the avenue that Heavenly Father works through. This is not my work at all. As I've come to realize this, I've been suuuuper blessed in this work. I'm not to Thailand yet, but I have plenty of language study to do. I've set some lofty goals, as I think I mentioned last week, and I'm really striving to accomplish them. No time for details--just know that when you have righteous desires, plan with the Lord, and work with all your might to achieve it, He WILL come through for you. Ah I wish I could explain more, there's just too much! I've been very blessed with the gift of charity this past week. I can't describe the love I feel for my companions. I'm embarrassed to say that I started the MTC just thinking, "We can get along, learn from each other, etc. That's fine...we'll just kind of get through this together." HOWEVER, I testify that charity is real! I have been so blessed! I can't describe the feelings I feel for these sisters/elders. There are a couple particularly, that are sooo different from me. But I feel this love that I can't withhold! I just want to serve them and help them be the best they can be. I love them!

Anyway, I have to run. Time flies. I hope all goes well with the wedding this week! Kelly and Dave, I love you so much! Maybe I'll break my leg on Friday....:) I LOVE YOU!! Family you're the best. Keep being great examples for all those you know, and invite anyone and everyone to hear this message. I love you!!

Love,

Sisdah Naegle