January 28, 2015

1/26/15 - Pay your utility bills!

This week has been crazy! I’d like to start with an important lesson I learned! On Monday night we came home and all of our electricity was out. No air…no lights…no nothing. We went downstairs and decided to check our mail and inside we found 5 different bills. (In my defense in Sisakate the landlord would always bring over the bill so I had no idea I should be looking for it since I was the “house leader”.) That night we took our bedding and slept at the church which was actually kind of creepy! The next 2 days were stressful figuring out the bills and trying to get them paid. I am so grateful there were lots of missionaries willing to help me.

We got the transfers call and Sister Morgan, Elder Williams and Elder Davis were leaving! We spent the next day packing and getting things organized and ready! I am going to really miss Sister Morgan and have learned a lot working with her. On Wednesday we had a little party at the church and for some reason it just hit me how much I love the people here in Bangnaa! They really are so great and I love them so much! At transfer meeting it was so fun seeing all the other missionaries! I feel like we are all best friends.

I got a new companion and her name is Sister Hatch! She is one of the kindest most loving people I know! I am so excited to serve with her! She is from Springville and was serving in Udon before and has been out just one transfer less than me. We already started to work on our goals for this transfer! One of them is building the young women's program! I don't know why but the young women's program has always had a special place in my heart! Right now there is only one young woman in our ward but we are so excited to change that!

On Thursday night we went out to dinner with our RC Sister Kwan! As we were walking she said, "SISTER, you guys were right! You told me if I got baptized and took a leap of faith my dad would come along. And the other day my dad said he was happy that I got baptized!" I was so happy for her.

This week we had the most amazing miracle happen! On Monday night I had the feeling to call Sister Aom! She wanted to meet with us. She walked in the church and just started bawling! She told us that the guy she was living with walked out on her. She was devastated but she knew that this was God's plan for her. It opened up the chance for her to be able to get baptized. My heart ached for her because she was so sad and now had all these expensive bills, but at the same time my heart rejoiced because now she could enter into a covenant with God! It is amazing how God knows each and every one of his children so specifically! His timing is perfect and His ways are perfect.

On Saturday we had the opportunity to go down to Asoke and hear from Sister Gong! It was more of a discussion but it was such an amazing conference. The whole theme was "Fear not" and "I can do hard things!" I feel like this has been a theme for my whole life! haha I have come to realize that with the Lord I don't need to fear and with the Lord I can do hard things! The Lord knows what we need and will help us. "For your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." We need not fear if we put God first! Once we are over the fear part we need to press forward with faith, knowing that God is right there beside us. "Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days."

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." At the end of the meeting a couple of sisters and I did a special musical number which was "Be Still My Soul." The words in that song go perfectly with this theme.

Be still, my soul
The Lord is on thy side
With patience bear
Thy cross of grief or pain
Leave to thy God
To order and provide
In every change
He faithful will remain
Be still, my soul
Thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways
Leads to a joyful end

Be still, my soul
Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future
As he has the past
Thy hope, thy confidence
Let nothing shake
All now mysterious
Shall be bright at last
Be still, my soul
The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled
Them while He dwelt below

Be still, my soul
The hour is hastening on
When we shall be
Forever with the Lord
When disappointment grief
And fear are gone
Sorrow forgot, love's
Purest joys restored
Be still, my soul
When change and tears are past
All safe and blessed
We shall meet at last


I love you all so much. Thank you for your love and support. Have a great week. Remember to pray and read your scriptures!!!  สิ่งที่สำคัญมาก!

- Sister Herrmann
Transfer Day
My new companion- Sister Hatch
Sleeping at the church. No, I didn't pee my pants- just hit with a water gun :) 
I am eating a namtok- so good!
Sister News and I 

January 20, 2015

1/19/15 - We won the battle against Satan!

Wow, I can't believe this really is the last p-day of the transfer. It went by so so so fast!! A lot of good things happened this week but I will only mention a couple of them! One of the highlights was going on a switch off with the STC which was so fun! Since Sister Morgan doesn't really like carbs at all we decided to make the most of eating things she won’t eat. So we went crazy and got McDonalds, pizza, and all this yummy food which was SO FUN!

We now are teaching 4 investigators who have a different lifestyle. It is so fun and entertaining to teach them. I know God loves them so much! We have a new investigator named Moses who is so cool! He reminds me so much of Simon in Sisakate!!! Our cute Bang and So are just progressing like crazy! I love them so much!

This week we won a battle against Satan! We had 2 baptisms on Sunday!!! We had Duay who had been learning for 2 years with many different missionaries! He has come such a long way and now knows this church is true. His testimony after was beautiful! We also had Sister Kwan! She is one of my new best friends! She is so cute and has been learning for 4 years!!! On Tuesday we had a lesson with her and she said the best words a missionary could ever hear, "It is time for me to be baptized. I am ready." She was just glowing!! I am so grateful for both of them and their decision to make this covenant with God.

One scripture that I have been sharing a lot with our investigators is Moroni 10:32. I am obsessed with that scripture! It outlines the exact meaning of repentance and the atonement! [ Yea come unto Christ and be perfected in him and deny yourself of all ungodliness (Repentance) ] and then you add in 2 Nephi 25:23 [for we know that it is by grace we are saved after all we can do (try our best, put in some effort) ] and then [then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. (atonement) ] I love these scriptures and find them so comforting.

This week my studies have been amazing! I am starting the BOM over again and it amazes me all the new stuff I find that applies so perfectly to every situation! I love Nephi! He is so cool! Another thing I have been studying is virtue! Virtue is so much more than having morally clean thoughts. In PMG it says, "Virtuous people are clean and pure spiritually. They focus on righteous and uplifting thoughts." It is so easy to be annoyed and angry about something and then dwell on it and have it turn all your thoughts negative. Being virtuous means focusing on the good and on the positive! I have noticed when I focus on these things it is so much easier to LOVE. I am so grateful for this mission and all that I am learning and becoming! I LOVE YOU ALL! Have a great week!

- Sister Herrmann

January 13, 2015

1/12/15 - I got to hold a tiger & a monkey- no big deal :)

This week was interesting...good but interesting! I’ll start with p-day last week which was the best day ever!!! As a group of missionaries we went to the crocodile farm and got to watch elephant and crocodile shows. We were able to play at the zoo and feed the crocodiles. The best part was that I GOT TO HOLD A TIGER AND A MONKEY! My dreams came true!! It was so much fun!!

This week we had some highs and some lows or rather miracles and trials of our faith. I will start with the bad and go to the good. On Wednesday I went to the hospital in Asoke and the doctor diagnosed eczema all over my head and neck. It is OK because they gave me medicine and it will hopefully go away soon! A lot of our investigators were not progressing so we had to move on. It is the worst!! We went over to one of our investigator’s apartment the other day and we figured out that he breeds rats for a living! Kind of weird but we still love him! Our favorite guy, Tongchay, decided to go to church with his daughter at the protestant church. It broke our hearts but we just have to remember that God has a plan. (I am guessing he is going to go there and not feel the same spirit and realize the difference.) We visited another investigator at his home and found out that his wife and 2 kids died in a plane accident. He watches over his sick mom most of the time! After hearing his story my heart should have been sad but it was happy because I knew that he could live with his family again! I knew that an understanding of the doctrines of the gospel will make him happy. Also we are kind of in a sticky situation because one of our investigators is really opening up to the gospel but SHE has a girlfriend. Soooo, yeah. Lots of people with many different situations. It is crazy how much I love every single one of them!

This week we have been working really hard with Duay! He has been learning with the missionaries for 2 years and is super smart and into science! He is always bringing the big bang theory back into things but the other day we had really spiritual lesson with him. We KNEW he felt the Spirit and he couldn’t deny it! He committed to a baptismal date! Our RC (recent convert) Choo is SO awesome!! It is amazing how much more she understands now that she is baptized and has the Holy Ghost! She comes to all the activities and is just a light to everyone. The other day we celebrated วันเดก here in Thailand which is “Children’s Day”! Everyone gets work off to go hang out and celebrate their kids! I think it is the best holiday ever! On Tuesday night a random girl named Bang showed up for English class! She was early so we taught her about the gospel a little and now she is very interested! We went and visited at her house on Saturday with her mom and family and it was amazing! I just have this vision of them entering the temple in a year!

This year the President really wants us to focus on the family! Hearing this made me so happy! Knowing how much the gospel has helped my family and the knowledge that we get to live together forever makes me so much more excited to share it with others! In the bible dictionary it says, “Through the gospel of Jesus Christ the family can be sealed together in a permanent relationship for time and all eternity!" I also love what it says in PMG, "The most important of the Lord’s work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home." The gospel teaching that I received in my home from my family is my most valuable knowledge and experience! Without it I would not be the person I am today! I see it here in Thailand as well. The families who teach the gospel in their homes and apply it are so much happier!! By teaching and living the gospel in our families we receive--peace, joy, a sense of belonging and identity, and it helps resolve misunderstandings, contention, and challenges. Families can be healed through the atonement of Jesus Christ! Applying the gospel in our families is based on the principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome activities. I know 100% that all those FHE's, family prayers and family scripture studies, not only made my family close but has made me a better person. I am forever grateful for my family and all the spiritual strength I receive from them! So even though FHE, family scripture study and family prayer is hard at times and can involve complaining and arguing PLEASE STICK WITH IT! You will be grateful in the end!

I love this gospel and am so grateful to be a missionary! Have a great week! LOVE YOU ALL!
- Sister Herrmann

Coolest experience! 
I love monkeys! 
Feeding the alligators
Our favorite chicken - and we are matching.
News and I waiting at church for the bishop