9/22/14 - I LOVE being a MISSIONARY!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! This week was different because we had transfers. Tuesday night we got a call saying that Sister Croft was leaving for another area! I was so sad!! Sister Croft was such an amazing missionary and taught me so much! I am so grateful for her!! I am going to miss her a lot! My new comp is Sister Carter! She is really nice! She has never been a senior companion before and is new to the area so a lot more responsibility has fallen to me. It has made me realize how much I love these people and would do anything for them. As I plan and pray for the Thai people I love them more and more. I never want to leave this area! The day we left for Bangkok the whole branch came to the train station to say goodbye. Wow, I can't even describe the love I have for them!! In Bangkok at the transfer meeting I stuck to Sister Croft's side because I was so sad to leave her! I got so see all my friends from the MTC and Elder Tanner from high school! It was so much fun!

This week I got sick with a cold. All the members now have colds as well, so they l said I spread it to them! Oops, I hope not! On Tuesday some photographers from the church came and wanted to take some pictures of us…it ended up being an all day ordeal. They followed us around taking pictures of us teaching, and inviting and riding our bikes etc. It was so weird. Also, since I had a cold it looks like I was crying in all the pictures because my eyes were watering!

So my investigators are so AMAZING!! Sister ปาน and Sister ออม are awesome. They have learned so much and are just waiting for their mom's to give them permission to get baptized! For เซญา we still are working with her mom. They are all so strong! Guess what! Our favorite 100 year old investigator is getting baptized and has set a date! Pray she doesn't drown!! Two of our recent converts are getting the priesthood and now Brother หมุ can baptize his kids! We are hoping to have them baptized within the next couple weeks. I am so excited for their family! I can't wait until they can go to the temple together as a family! We have 2 new investigators this week! They are pretty solid! Sister รักดี (our miracle girl) and Brother อม! I just love them so much! I am starting to feel like the sons of Mosiah. Thinking about people not accepting the gospel and not realizing the importance of it hurts me. During the week we visit lots of recent converts and have lots of Investigators lessons! We usually teach about 20 lessons a week. The members here are so amazing! They render so much service! For example this family (the Somsaks) picked us up from the train station at 5AM and then took us all around town helping the new missionaries out. They fed us lunch and dinner and literally spent the whole day helping us. Then the next morning they drove us to an investigator’s house which was really far away! Then they came back and cleaned the church and that is how all the members are. They are such a great example to me of service! I want to be more like them!

This week I have really been focusing on the scriptures. I love what it says in Nephi 15:24 "And I said unto them that it was the word of God; andwhoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast untoit,they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction." I was thinking if we use the scriptures the same way we use our phones we would have strength to make it though any trial. We will not perish of we hold fast to the scriptures! If we don't use them it is at our own cost… "Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice. Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction."

I also have been noticing how the Lord strengthens us. In Alma it talks about how there was a war and the Nephites did fall but were strengthened. At that time the Nephites were good people and obeyed the commandments of the Lord. It just shows that bad things happen to good people. BUT if we keep obeying the commandments and rely on him the Lord will give us strength to push us through our trials. Ahh I love studying the scriptures! I wish I had more time!

I was thinking about something the other day, how much I love our investigators and want them to follow Christ and get baptized and read their scriptures etc. And when they do that I am so happy and when they don't I am so sad!! Then I thought that it is probably the same for Heavenly Father. When we do good and obey he is up there cheering for us and is so happy but when we do bad he is so sad... We are all Heavenly Father’s investigators. How I feel as a missionary has given me a little glimpse of how Heavenly Father feels about us. He loves us so much and yearns for us to follow Christ.

Pres Senior is the best. I love him! My foot is all better!! I still have scabs but they are better and are going to scar for sure. That is so exciting about Chase Orwin getting baptized!!! I miss the temple so please go for me.

I seriously love being a missionary. It is the best! I am sad it is for such a short time. Telling people about Jesus Christ and how they can live forever with him and their families is the best calling ever. I see miracles happen ever day! The Lord is really in all the details of our lives! Well I am going to go visit some ruins now peace and blessings!

- Sister Herrmann

P.S. I should have listened to you Mom when you told me to practice the piano because I might need to play on my mission...I now not only have to play but also have to teach piano lessons. Now, I remember that Spencer also taught piano lessons on his mission.

Sisters from my MTC district at the transfer meeting