Tessa in Thailand: 10/27/14 - Little girls get baptized (with our help)

Wow I can't believe another week has passed and I am writing again!! I felt like just yesterday I was emailing!! So, on my P-day last Tuesday we emailed, ate, and then taught a lesson and stayed at the church till 6:00 pm. We were working with our investigator, Muk, who had a lot of questions. It was great to answer them and then see her do well in her baptismal interview. Earlier in the week we taught the children at their house and I was kind of playing hide and go seek in the forest with them and got attacked by red ants! Oh well! Saturday, we took the girls to the Church so that they could look at the font and get ready for their baptisms. They were nervous because they were scared of the water. We went inside the font and showed them how high the water was going to be. We even practiced in the font (with no water) how they were going to be baptized. That was a first! I've never stood and acted like a priesthood holder performing the baptismal ordinance. After, they had their interviews with much encouragement on our parts since they were so shy to talk to the Elders and the branch President.

Sunday was a day of miracles but not in the way I expected!! Sister Muk called and said she was stuck at her parents’ home that was an hour away and her scooter broke. After that I was so sad…I was praying so hard for a miracle that she would find a way to make it. Little did I know that God had different miracles in store for me. We got to church and the little girls were all there dressed in their Sunday best, ready for baptism. It was wonderful and they looked so cute! THEN a guy we had contacted who said he wasn't going to come showed up and said he wanted a better life! The whole meeting he was studying the Book of Mormon! THEN two random people walked in looking for a church that would give their life more meaning. It was just so amazing because we were struggling to find new investigators this week but God had a plan. I see over and over that when we do all that we can do and try our very best and give 100%, the Lord will do the rest! I love this gospel!

Getting the girls to their baptisms has been an exhausting roller coaster ride but worth every second! At Church this Sunday I sat in between the 6 of them and I felt like a mother trying to help her children, "Stop hitting! Be nice. This is a time to remember Jesus, we want to be reverent.” hahah I guess that was just Heavenly Father’s way of preparing me for my future calling in life! The actual baptism was really exciting since we had to overcome a lot of challenges to get them baptized. They didn't have any baptism clothes that were small enough so their outfits were kind of hanging off of them. And the older one who is 10 years old was SO SCARED OF THE WATER. We helped her down two steps and then she refused to move. It took us 8 minutes before we suggested that she could let her younger sister go first. The 8 year old walked right in and did it in a heart beat! We were relieved but then we had to keep reassuring Belle that she could stand. Finally, I said, "Let's just go in the font together!" So, Sister Carter and I each took one of her hands and in our nice Thai skirts walked down into the font with her. We were soaking but she finally did it and was baptized. It was quite the adventure. I've never had to go inside a filled font before since I got baptized in the Sweetwater River. They were both glowing after the baptism and listening to them sing, I am a Child of God, melted my heart. It was a great day!

I am so grateful for the branch in Sisaket! The members have helped me so much! I am constantly amazed what these members do and give up to help forward the work of salvation! For example, members will take their one day off to spend hours helping drive us to an investigator’s home and teach a lesson with us. Or they will stay at the Church for 8 hours to help the missionaries teach and find out what they can do to improve! They are so amazing and so full of love for the gospel and each other! My heart is filled with so much love for them, a love far beyond my own.

God really knows what we need. I feel confident and understand that God is personally involved in our lives. He is there to help us with what ever we need. It only takes a simple act of faith to believe he is there and then to reach out to him. There is no possible way we could be successful missionaries without Gods help and influence. We are 18 and 19 year old boys and girls going out and asking people to change their entire lives. The Lord will testify of the truth to those who humbly desire to know. God knows that I needed to be in Sisaket at this time. The people here have helped more than I could ever imagine! Wow, I am so grateful to be a missionary!! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!! Love you all. Have a great week!

Sister Herrmann

PS. I have decided to follow my companions lead--when dogs attack I now scream my lungs out and the dogs freak and run away! I am going to Bangkok this week for transfer meeting and to renew my VISA. I love everyone’s emails and really miss Cole, Quinn, and Brady! Send pictures of the “Herrmann Family Halloween Party”.