6/22/15- "Sister Hermet" & Sister Hassaya

Well folks the awkward/awesome trio has come to an end and I have gained a new child who is Thai!! Let me tell you about my companion because I just love her so much!! Her name is Sister Hassaya and she is so cute and little and from Chang Mai and when I say little I mean TINY! She is literally half the size of me!! She actually doesn't speak any English which has made me realize how much my Thai can improve! But I have LOVED being able to speak Thai with her 24/7. We have been together just a short couple days but I feel like it has been forever! AHHH I just love her so much!! We had a really busy week! We visited a lot of less active members and 3 of them came back to church. It is amazing how showing our love and inviting them back works! One of the many perks of being with a Thai comp is when I am lost I just hand the phone over to her and she will get us where we need to be! She is such a good sport, if any of you don't know, I am a pro speed walker. It is just a habit that I have always had. My legs are twice the length of my companions so she is basically running all the time to catch up with me. I told her I can slow down but she refused to let me do that.

I have learned that when dealing with greenies they miss home a lot so it is my job to help distract them. I realized that though I love and miss you guys, it has gotten to a point where I know you are safe and I will see you soon so it is not a sad kind of missing!

On Friday we were trying to get to a less active member’s house. We had to take a couple busses and the MRT to get there but we ended up lost in the middle of nowhere. We were talking on the phone to the lady that we were going to visit and she had no idea where we were. Then suddenly a girl walks past us and say, "Who are you looking for?" We told her and that girl just happened to be her daughter. Later we came to find out that right before she found us she was planning on going home the normal way she goes home, but she got an impression to take the long way which led her to us. (Keep in mind this girl is not a member.) Her mother kept saying, "Wow, God really did lead you guys here to me!" It was a cute experience.

This week it rained almost every day. I LOVE THE RAIN. There is nothing better than inviting everyone to come unto Christ in the pouring rain! On Saturday we had a plan to teach a new investigator. When we called him on the phone we were a little worried because he sounded drunk and he didn't actually show up until 2 hours after the appointment. But he brought 4 friends!! We found out they weren't drunk just BURMESE! (The languages of Thai and Burmese are COMPLETELY different.) They didn't speak that much Thai but wanted to learn the gospel so badly. They didn't understand a lot but they did understand the things that the Spirit was telling them. They were all so happy! After the lesson was finished we wanted to give them pamphlets to read because the Book of Mormon is not yet translated in Burmese, so all 5 of them and some members walked to the office together to get the Burmese pamphlets. It was a way cool experience!

Our investigator, Gone, got baptized on Sunday!! It was a really good baptism! He was so happy! (For some reason he keeps calling me Sister Hermet and I don't have the heart to tell correct him! haha) He was one that the Lord truly prepared! When we met him he was actually searching for the right Church. The morning he met us he was planning on going out to find a church, he prayed to God to be lead to the right church and then found us!

This week I have been thinking about how much I have changed over the course of my mission! There are the little changes such as enjoying waking up early or cleaning a house or the love of working hard! (Who would have ever thought it.) I have also changed in the sense that my whole outlook on life is different! I understand that there is something AMAZING in everyday! Whenever something is hard or not the most fun thing to do I tell myself with a smile, "THIS IS FUN!" (haha) I am having my companion do it too! I honestly can see the hand of the Lord in everything that happens! Also, I have found that lots of things haven't changed but just increased! My love for the scriptures and people and Christ have become so much stronger. It is funny, the more I change and grow, the more I see how much I still need to change and grow. I have never felt so weak YET so strong in my whole life. Through all the weakness and trial of being human, the Savior pulls through for me every time to give me that strength which slowly changes me. "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." I am so excited to devote these next 4 and a half months and then a lifetime after that to changing to become more like my Savior, Jesus Christ!

Well, have a great week everyone! LOVE YOU ALL!
- Sister Herrmann

PS There was stake conference for the other stake which has Bangnaa and Bangkapi and I was able to see a lot of the ward members! MADE MY DAY!

PSS Brim cut my hair!

PSSS I have now deeply organized the phone, area book, and house in every area that I have served!

PSSSS Happy 30th anniversary to my parents!! I am trying so hard to get my recent converts to get married! In Thailand it is a cultural thing to wait a long time before marriage…finish school, have a job and house, etc. I finally made a deal with them that when the temple comes they will be ready to get married! YAY!

My two children :)

Cleaning our house on P-day