6/15/15 - I LOVE THAI PEOPLE!

I don't even know where to start since this week was literally all over the place and crazy, I guess the most important thing to know is that the work is still moving forward!! Working close to President Senior has its pros and cons--earlier in the week we were contacting right next to where President was eating lunch, of course the moment he looked over at us there was no one on the street--I finally saw someone way up ahead and started running to them. One thing that I have learned here is that everyone is watching us! This week there was a huge flood and one of our Elders wanted to get across the street without getting wet…he got very creative using these things on the street to get across. And before you know it, 2 hours later, he is all over Facebook and the news!!

I had 2 days of zone conference this week for the east and west zone! It was President Senior’s last one. It was so good and I felt the Spirit so much I just wanted to cry the whole time!! It was all about hope and not giving up, I really learned a lot! (SIDE NOTE: President is a really spiritual man but also a really funny man. This is what he told all his missionaries at zone conference, "I know that not one of you will have a free Friday night when you get home because my missionaries know how to find and contact!")

Our investigators are awesome! Teaching them is so much fun! It is so exciting to see the gospel take over their lives! Right now we have about 12 investigators but only about 4 are strongly progressing! I met Sister Suu in English class the first week here and at first she was not interested in our message at all! BUT then she prayed and her whole perspective has changed! Brother Gone is a 25 year old guy who has studied Christianity before. He has been to church a couple times and whenever I call and follow up with him he just says, "I feel so so so so good!!!!" Brother A is a 30 year old man who is just like the character Johnny Bravo!! HAHA, he is like that suffer "cool bro" type guy! When we showed him the font and explained baptism he said, "Wow, that’s awesome...awesome!" We are teaching another lady who is actually the mom of a returned missionary. She is so CUTE and has so much faith. She keeps telling me, "My son and daughter just changed so much after joining the church. What is this change I see in them?" This gospel is so cool! I LOVE THAI PEOPLE!

Remember Lod and Ploy? They are the cutest!! They were teaching us the restoration one day and they kept going back and forth trying to figure out what a particular scripture meant. As we were discussing it Lod asked, “Why are the verses so long? I read the verse and thought to myself that it could be restated in one sentence. Then Sister Ploy said, "Haha Lod, have fun taking that one up with the Lord!" They are awesome and already have so many friends in the ward!

Let me sum up the awesomeness and weirdness of my week in a paragraph. So my investigator bought us roses? We taught a lesson through sign language. (My acting skills really came to life!) I ate ice cream 4 times a day. The awkward moment when you invite someone and you are making this ugly squinting face because sweat is dripping into your eyes. ADVICE, never sleep on a tile floor, it is painful!! People come up with the weirdest rejection excuses here…"my dog will cry if I go to church, I just can't do that to my dog!" (said in a deadly serious voice). One of my favorites is when they point one way and then bolt the other way OR when they say in English, "I am Buddha!" Ahhhh, I love it. Because so many weird things happen here we wanted to try inviting American style by knocking on doors. We were so scared but finally got up the courage to do it! We knocked and were ready to talk all about Jesus Christ, then a Muslim woman with her head covered and wearing a full burka answered. We all just stood there shocked, not knowing what to do. We took the risk and shared our message after an awkward 15 second silence. They were not interested but at least they know more about our church! I am glad I get to serve in Thailand and don't knock doors! Ahhh being a missionary is the best!

This week I was thinking a lot about hope. I tried to imagine what my life would be like without the gospel and the Church, and all my sense of hope would be lost. It all starts with the hope that we are children of God and are saved through Christ. That hope leads to the hope that we can change and help others change too. We have to let that hope push us to keep moving forward. I agree with Elder Holland who said, “Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."

Have a great week everyone! Love you all!!! :)
- Sister Herrmann

PS My new companion comes Wednesday!
PSS HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mom, Chase, and Grandma!