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
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