Just Talked to You!!

Everyone looked SO great! I love you all, and I hope you had as much fun as I did. SKYPE IS A BRILLIANT IDEA!!! It was so good to not only hear your wonderful voices, but I was able to see your smiling, happy faces, as well. I know that with some of you I teared up and probably didn't look too happy--BUT, please know that there was not a greater present in the whole world than to see each of you. I am grateful for the packages you sent, but something that means even more is knowing who each of you. Cheesy as it sounds....it's the truth. I know that you are precious children of your Heavenly Father who loves each of you very, very much. I could feel that love as I talked with each of you personally today!

Bottom line is this. The best Christmas present I could ever ask for this Christmas, is my incredible family and best friends. Don't worry too much if my packages didn't come--I have you! Thank you for being who you are, and motivating me every single day of my mission. I pray for you daily, and love you more than words express. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2011!!!!!

All My Love,

Sister Nay

..Christmas Time..

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I cannot believe it's already here. I thought it would never come a few months ago, and now it feels like 3 weeks have passed and it's here! Needless to say, I am STOKED to talk to you all this weekend. I can't wait! I hope you're all going to be there, and I'll be able to hear from everyone. I don't have much time to write, I got caught up checking emails and figuring out the phone call this weekend. But suffice it to say that I am SO excited to talk to all of you!

It is definitely a surreal experience being in Thailand, a non-Christian country, halfway across the world, during the Christmas Season, preaching about Christ in all I do. Who would have ever thought I'd be here at this point in my life? I can tell you that I never thought I would. But I can also tell you this. I would not trade this experience for anything in the entire world. It's hard not being with all of you for the Holiday Season. I miss you like crazy! I love my family and friends, and Christmas is my absolute, hands down, favorite time of year. I'll be honest--I miss snow, too. :) BUT--this experience in Thailand has become a part of me. I can't put it more simply than that. I have realized this past week as I have studied the Savior's life, that I am essentially the same person I was before. I like the same things, I feel the same things, I have the same desires, etc. However--all of those roots have just sunk deeper into my soul! I'm feeling more! I'm loving more! I'm living more! And I'm becoming closer to my Savior Jesus Christ as I do so. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here in Thailand. I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ during this Christmas Season. Most of all? I'm grateful to be spreading His love to His children who are unfamiliar with Him. Just this past week, 2 women on 2 separate occasions told me they didn't want to pray in their personal time because they were afraid of the truth they'd feel. They cry every time they pray for us in the lesson. and don't want that experience on their own. Ha, they're afriad of change! I tell you this to illustrate how prominent and real the Savior's love is for these people. They know it, and feel it, if their hearts are prepared. I love this gospel. I hope you take 5 minutes to sit and ponder, personally, what your relationship is with the Savior during this busy season. I love Christmas time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MAKE IT A GREAT WEEK, and I will talk to you soon! Just a couple days away! I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All My Love,

Sister Nay

Happy Holidays!!

Yet another week has flown by, and everyone is about the Christmas Spirit--even in Thailand! I don't think it's a typical thing celebrated, but the Chiang Mai branch is going all out. Plus there are tons and TONS of farangs (white people) here on vacation during the cool months, and lots of Christian sects in Chiang Mai, anyway. Everyone is hustling and bustling about! Even if it is 80 degrees outside. I love how everyone told me to expect the COLDEST WEATHER EVER, and I was sweating my brains out yesterday. Oh well. I'll get plenty of cold weather next year. When I get off the plane next November it will be freezing for me....I can't comprehend snow.

Thum and Bing Bong were baptized yesterday!! I am so happy for them. This has been quite the road getting here, but they were ready for the step, and are moving forward with faith. I can't believe how much her life has changed! She just bought a new house and lives in it with her 2 daughters. We were helping her move in all last week, painting walls, etc, and she's in it! It's the cutest little pink house I've ever seen. As we painted the outside, I asked Sister Harris, who is an interior design major, "How is your design radar doing?" She simply gave me a little siren sound, which was explanation enough. Ha, so it's not the most fashionable, but it's adorable and it's her. She is so thrilled. We asked the Elder's Quorum to dedicate her house after she was all moved in, at her request. Then she was baptized on Sunday! It was a hectic baptism, as usual, but the beauty is you get to be the power behind the scenes and put on a smiling face for everyone on the front lines. :) I played a piano solo, "A Poor Wayfering Man of Grief," which was fun. Well--let me just say that I started playing it the first time, and about 10 seconds in to the song, the 2nd speaker just got up to speak about baptism. Hahahaha. Oh my word, I wanted to bust up laughing. I just stopped playing, and she went on with her talk, as if nothing even happened. We all kind of looked around, like, "What is going on...?" She finished, and I just started over like nothing happened. Hahaha. I love Thai people. There were quite a few other ridiculous things that happened throughout the day, but luckily Sister Harris and I were able to pull it off. I'm grateful it went well, but glad it's over! :) That night, she said, "I feel like I can see everything now. My eyes are just opened to my life, and the world." And little 11 yr old Bingbong said, "I want to get baptized every day!" We're still working with her 19 yr old daughter as well, hopefully things will progress in the future. I attached pictures of the people that baptzed them (the district and branch presidents), and then with both of them right out of the font. Boy I love them.

Other than that...this week has certainly been a trial of our faith. It was rough! We were working hard, but felt like it wasn't going anywhere. Wednesday we had 5 of our 8 lessons with a member, which was great! Then...Saturday? Literally nothing. We were out inviting all day, with all our appts pit (cancelled, in Thai). I guess this is the extremes of the mission that everyone talks about at home, right? :) I'm learning and seeing a lot, every day, when I think to myself, "Oh this is what they meant about missionary work...." Basically the truths and difficulties of a mission are universal, no matter where you serve. But the way around it is also universal! I am learning how to put into play everything I have ever learned throughout my entire life. It is the best testing ground for the promises of the Lord. I wish I could just shake these people's shoulders and tell them what they're missing, and possibly hand them Dad's dream book, "Free Agency and How to Enforce It." But, that is not the way of Heavenly Father. So Sister Harris are putting into play some things we've planned together, and we'll see success this week. It's a test of faith, but the miracles will come after the trial of our faith!

I have a talk from Elder Gene R. Cook that has been helping me get around some of the faith barriers I'm facing. One strong and simple statement has helped me more than anything: "Faith is not physical exertion. It is utilizing words." Think about that! Sometimes I focus so much on my actions, and demonstrating to Heavenly Father that I'm willing to work hard. That's all fine and good, but there is an entirely different aspect with my WORDS. I know that postivity and speaking with faith, just as the Savior did, is one of the most important parts of the work. The Savior never said, "Will you...um....maybe would you like to....pray for us.....please?" NO! The Savior SPOKE WITH FAITH and expected that these people would follow Him, and follow the commandments He gave. This is something I'm really working on. No more "maybes" no more "ifs". They are all "wills" and "whens" now. It's just amazing to see when we're inviting, and when pure testimony is shared, these people have a rekindling of the memories of the premortal life. You can see it in their eyes. The hearts of good people are prepared, and we'll find them.

Quick story--Jan is the cutest lady ever. I don't know if I've mentioned her, but she is prepared as they come. Right after we taught the Resoration, she started bearing her testimony of how she felt this was true. The Book of Mormon gives her peace that she's been missing all these years in Buddhism. She knows that Heavenly Father is aware of her because of her simple prayer and the love of God she felt after that prayer. We certainly have a date for baptism! These are the kinds of people God has prepared--now we just need to find families.

I love this work. I know that Jesus Christ is at the head of the work, and Heavenly Father is leading us where we need to be. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. Every day is not a handful of roses. BUT--I've never felt and experienced so much in my entire life. My mind and my perpective is being opened to more things than I have imagined possible. I love this work! I LOVE THE GOSPEL. Please, please, please find someone to share it with this week. It's your greatest possession, why wouldn't you? I LOVE YOU ALL! Make it the greatest week and most wonderful holiday season ever. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!

All My Love,

Sister Nay

P.S. "Will the Lord mark the way in your schooling, in your employment, in your future marriages, in your families? HE WILL. He desires you to be one who causes things to happen. He desires you to draw upon the all-powerful arm of God and the power that resides within you to do things in God's own way....To enrich and accelate the growth of your faith, you may wish to measure it by the number of your predtermined righteous desires that are fulfilled. However, you must always remember that, when you pray and exercise faith in something that does not occur the way you hoped it would, your only object in view must then be to redouble your faith the next time." --Gene R. Cook

Christmas Celebration!

MERRY CHRISTMAS SEASON!!!! I got some questions about calling home, I'm not quite sure how it's going to go down yet, but I do know that we'll be calling from our cell phones. Be thinking of a time that may work--I thought about doing Sunday morning (the day after), because it's after all the festivities, but then I have church that day...so we're not sure yet, Let me know what you think!

We had a surprise call from a girl last Monday night, The elders were generous enough to put our number on all the English pamphlets we hand out, inviting to english class. Well--we get english calls all the time! Until Monday night! Any unknown number we get, we assume it's an english call. I answered, and as she asked about english I started giving her the whole rundown we usually give people (what time, what they need to do, etc). She interrupted me and said, "And what do I need to do if I want to learn about Jesus Christ?" Um...."Come again?" I asked. She repeated the question. I said, "Are you free Wednesday?" "No, I have learning...how about tonight at 7?" "Great. See you then...." I hung up the phone and looked at Sister Harris in awe. Hahahahaha. Wow. So we made it from our 6 o clock appt in Jed Yod, usually a 20 minute bikeride to the church, in about 8 minutes to the church. I know angels were pushing our legs to peddal a little harder, it was a tight squeeze. That appt, as I testified of how the gospel has helped me in my life, she cut in and said, "How? Tell me an experience from your own life." I thought for a moment, and shared something dear to me. As I testifited to her of my personal conviction, the Spirit whispered in my ear, "This is why you're here." I knew at that moment that I, Sister Nay, was supposed to be there testifying to her at that moment in time. She was softened and needed that conviction from someone, somewhere, even if it wasn't her own. After 2 appts with her, we have a baptismal date with her in January! Ha, what's more, in that lesson she was asking us what she needed to do to be baptized after we taught her about it. I don't know what it is, but Heavenly Father is seeing fit that we receive blessing after blessing. There are miracles all around us if we just look! Honestly, more often than not the miracles I see day to day aren't as blatant as this experience. But as I have made a concerted effort to write down a daily miracle (at least one) every single day of my mission, I have noticed more and more and more and more....in other words, LOOK for the miracles and you will see them!

Thum and her daughter, Bingbong were interviewed this past week, and the verdict? BAPTISM THIS SUNDAY. We are so excited for it to happen, and they are thrilled. In fact, yesterday at church, Thum was beaming throughout. One of our other investigators, Ying (whom we've been struggling with on getting her answer--though we know she's already recieved it! It's just a matter of her overcoming those feelings unsurety) asked her why she was so happy, kind of nonchalantly. Thum looked her square in the face and said, "Because my daughter and I are being baptized next Sunday!" We haven't yet met with Ying, but from the look on her face, it was clear it made an impact. Heavenly Father is preparing her path, as well. :) Anyway, we are so excited for Thum and Bingbong. They are the cutest little family. I've attached a picture of them with Bingbong as a future missionary! :)

Funny story--we're teaching this cute, softspoken, sweetheart 50+ yr old woman that is so accepting of all we're teaching. She is the epitomy of a prepared heart in Christ. Anyway, she would never kill a fly, or so I thought--until this last lesson I was following along in the Book of Mormon reading, as my companion was explaining the passage we were just about to read. All the sudden I feel this big smack on my leg and look up surprised. Jan was standing over me with a hand stretched out, staring at the mosquito she just squashed on my skirt. Hahahahahahah, oh my heck it was so funny. Quite gross, actually, with the big blood spot on my skirt, but at least it didn't get anyone else! SHe just said, "Ok, go ahead, Sister Harris, and sat back down." Thai people are the greatest. Hands down.

Shelby has friends here in Thailand! Ying, the same one I mentioned before, was having some family problems the other day. We went and visited her as she was crying and telling us the story, and when she was down I had the idea to whip out Shelby's picture in my scriptures. She immediately starting laughing through her tears, and repeated Shelby's words, "Snow....haha....snow...." If you don't know the story, ask Manda. :) I love you Shelby! Thank you for being everyone's friend at home, and making friends in Thailand! You bring a smile to a dark day for everyone around you. Ying wants to meet you!

I know that this work is the work of the Lord. I know that we are able to see miracles every single day if we just look. I love my mission, even on the days I want to buy a plane ticket home. It is changing me slowly but surely, every single day. I know that this is just the spring board to life! I have so much left to experience, but this mission experience is changing it all within. I love you all! I hope you're willing and ready to look for the miracles in your own lives this Christmas season. RIGHT NOW, take 2 minutes and notice one miracle within the past 24 hrs. It's there. I love you all! Make it a great week!

All My Love,

Sister Nay