Happy Easter!

I can't believe Easter has come an gone...and the weeks keep flying by....but I just attached some pictures of our Easter adventures. We made Mom's delicious no bake cookie birds nests for Easter! And Grandma Rosie's cadbury eggs came in handy, too--they were great robin eggs. :) Haha. My companion and fellow sister missionaries loved it, and they'll be going as presents for members tonight. I love Easter. We also got to dye some sweet eggs, too! Never thought I'd do that in Thailand. They're little monsters, too. :) It was from a package from home.

I've been horrible with birthdays--but Happy Birthday to Kirsten, Maere, Nate, and Jaclyn! I'm sorry if I've forgotten anyone else, but I hope you're birthdays were wonderful! I love you and am grateful for you.

I have to start off by telling you about last Tuesday. It was a particularly hard day. I just felt...emotionally, physically, and mentally drained. Before we left the house, I told Heavenly Father that I needed His help to get anything done that day. It was like I was giving my 100% that day, but in reality it was like 20-30% on a normal day. I gave everything. And even though it was difficult, I kept my thoughts turned upward. I tried to keep praying, keep asking for guidance, keep looking to Him in all I did. Just 10 minutes into inviting, a woman invited us into her house. We taught a first lesson, and the Spirit was powerful. I KNOW we were made instruments in His hands. There is no other feeling like it. Anyway, after explaining prayer and the ability we have to receive personal revelation through asking/receiving answers through our feelings, I asked her, "When you know this is true, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ?" She said she would. We invited her to pray and ask if she should follow His example. Afterwards, her feelings were "hard to explain," but she felt warm. She felt...happy. Nothing huge, just happy. I said, "Do you believe those feelings come from God?" She said she did. I then invited her to be baptized on the 29th of May, telling her that baptism was the way we follow Jesus Christ. She ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!! First lesson! I then explained this message is for the whole family, and invited her to ask her husband to join us the next morning, when we'd return. We came back the next day, and her husband was there. And not only that--after just 2 minutes of talking he expressed his desire to quite smoking and drinking. He has a little 7 yr old girl, and 6 mon old boy. After the most sincere, genuine testimony/promising blessings I could muster, he was touched. And RECEIVED THE BAPTISMAL COMMITMENT THAT DAY!! Not only that, he was asking us questions, like, "What do I need to wear? How do I prepare?" 2 daters, a family of 4, in 2 days. And the little girl is so excited to turn 8 this year so she can be baptized, as well. I played with the little boy and talked to him in baby talk, saying, "You're going to make a great missionary someday, aren't you?" And the mom answered for him, "That's right!!" About stole my heart at that instant.

It all sounds a little too great, doesn't it? It was the greatest blessing ever. It was yet another realization that the blessings truly come after the trial of our faith. I know that we are put in places at specific times, but Heavenly Father doesn't expect us to be perfect. I think that's where many of us get confused. Any other day, I would've thought myself to be suuuuper lazy. But I was doing my best that day. And look at what happened? I LOVE THIS WORK. I know that God qualifies who He calls, just as President Monson reminds us.

This Easter provided me the opportunity to reflect on the things I'm learning as missionary. Which are endless, so it seems....but I love what I've learned of the Atonement. I have learned that agency is of utmost importance, but the beauty of agency is that we only have a choice because of Jesus Christ. If our Savior did not make the sacrifice He did, and provide a way for us to return home one day, would we even have a choice? Would we even be able to return to heaven? NO! We'd all be forced to follow Satan. We would eventually do something wrong at some point in our lives. And what's more than that, we would all die eventually. We would be aimless, yet forced. This Easter, I had the distinct impression that I have a choice because I have the Savior. That's it. End of Story. We can choose where we want to go, and I'm learning more every single day what path I want to take. I know the only way to true happiness is following our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I hope each of you took at least a moment to ponder the infinite blessing of the Atonement this Easter. I LOVE THE ATONEMENT, and the gospel, and all it entails for me and my family.

Keep giving Him your all, in whatever stage of life you are, under whatever circumstance. You know that's where happiness lies! Make it a fantastic week...

All My Love,

Sister Nay

P.S. Matthew 10:39 "He that findeth his life shall lost it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."