July 30, 2015

7/27/15 - Back to Sisaket for a visit!

I am only on for a couple minutes today and then I am off to ride elephants! But there are lots of pictures this week!

Many amazing things happened this week! First off I got to go to Sisaket on a switch off. I felt like I was back at home! I LOVE Sisaket! I remembered every street and every street vendor. We got to visit all my favorite people! Lots of tears and lots of love! I got to teach my recent converts and the less actives that I was working with a year ago. It was a very rewarding day for me to see the growth of the people that I have helped come unto Christ. The best part of the day though was seeing my very first RC who is now 100 years old. She is one special woman. As soon as I walked in the door, her face lit up and a tear ran down her face. Hundreds of tears were running down mine. She said, “Kab Khun Lielie” over and over again ("thank you" in the Esan language). She remembered me and her baptism. She remembered it to the day - October 12th 2014. She said she wants nothing more than to live with her family for eternity, and she will be able to:) I never thought I was going to see her again in this life. It was such a little tender mercy of the Lord. Those members of Sisaket are very very special people to me. They are nothing less than family to me.

We got to do some service at a member’s house. It was a very humbling experience. I got to cut open 3 coconuts at 3 different times this week (I have this obsession with getting coconuts from coconut trees!!). I caught a frog, I plowed weeds, I fixed a house, and I made some somtum. I love serving! I also had an amazing inviting experience! We had less than an hour and all I wanted was to get 5 phone numbers. I prayed my soul out. I worked harder than ever before and at the end of that 45 minutes I got exactly 5 numbers. I know this sounds silly but it was just a testimony to me that God is in the details IF we put in our effort. One day we went to go visit a member and it took a long hour and a half car ride to get there.

This week I have been working so hard on consecrating myself. I have been stressing out by wondering if I have done enough or what else I could have done more. I only have this year and a half to give Him 100% consecration. There is no other time in my life that I will get this opportunity to devote everything (my thoughts, time, energy) to my God! I just want God to know how much I love him. And my consecration is the way to show him! BUT I am human and fall short sometimes. I decided these next 3.5 months I am going to work harder than I ever have! “Stick to you task till is sticks to you. Beginners are many but enders are few”. I am going to sprint to the finish. I love my God. I love my Savior. I know that no matter how hard things get in life, I will never be left alone or comfortless. All I want in this life is to be a valiant faithful servant of God.

Hope you guys had fun at the family reunion. I really am sad I missed it. I Love you all soooo much!
-Sister Herrmann

Me and Sister Hayes having a BLAST taking pictures at the wat! 
Service at a members house!
My 100 year old convert. I love her!
Pictured Below: SISTER RIBBON & TUN! SISTER GIG- My RC!BROTHER NOOY, SISTER SOMKID, SISTER MYURY, SISTER YOOOOOOO, MAAA DAW (We surprised her and the moment I entered in the house she screamed and hugged me :)

July 22, 2015

7/20/15 - Glimpse of Heaven

This week I spent LOTS of my time traveling!! We spent 4 days traveling to Bangkok and then around the Esan doing MLC and trainings! I learned SO much but boy am I exhausted! (I guess that is what happens when you get 1 hour of sleep on the night trains and buses!) BUT the things that I learned and was able to share from MLC were definitely worth it! We also spent a lot of time traveling around Ubon on our bikes- trying to find members’ and investigators’ homes. It resulted in us getting lost and inviting in a lot of weird places!! (See pictures below!) Through all the sweat and getting stuck in the down pour of rain storms, I love missionary work!

This week I had many special experiences but there were 2 in particular that honestly felt like a glimpse of heaven!

#1. Monday night for FHE we were heading to Brother Banhaas house. We were riding our bikes down the dirt path with chickens running all around us. Everyone in the little village was trying to save their homes from the rain/flood that just happened. When we finally made it to their house, we saw the adults helping each other and the children singing primary hymns. I sat there on my bike with tears streaming down my face in amazement at what was happening before my eyes. The scripture in 3rd Nephi 12:15 kept coming into my heart, "Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house." This family was literally a light set on a hill. Their house was half on a hill and half hanging over a river. In the hardest of times they were trying to help others and lift others and through it all they couldn't have been happier!! It was truly a glimpse of heaven!

#2. We had a baptism this week! Here's a little background on this baptism--Elder Bunme from America who is currently serving in Bangkok had a bunch of relatives that live here in Thailand. About 5 months ago his Aunt, Sister Nok, got baptized. This past week his grandpa, the one we have been teaching and Sister Nok's dad, got baptized! Elder Bunme got to come up to Ubon to baptize him! At this little baptism service we had Elder Bunme, Sister Nok, grandpa, grandma and their son (who we are currently teaching) all together on the front row . THEN they starting singing "Families Can Be Together Forever" and my heart was about to burst! My joy was FULL!! To see this family come together in the gospel will always be a sacred and unforgettable memory to me.

I have been blessed to be able to have so many glimpses of heaven here on my mission. These are the moments that keep me going through the hard times. What a glorious day it will be when I get to see heaven as a whole and be able to embrace my Savior. This is how I picture it, "We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber. His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying: I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father." D&C 110:2-4

LOVE you all!!! Have a great week!!!
Love, Sister Herrmann

PS Have fun at the Bennett Family Reunion! I will really miss all of you!!! 

I’m getting eaten alive by mosquitos again! 

I’m learning to not get offended. I think the times when I do get offended is when I don't like a quality in myself (like impatience or lack of charity) and I want to change and then others see it too. It kills me!! And some of the things that I want to change about myself are happening sooo slowly--but that is what life is all about right??

Recently I have had a lot of conversations about creepy ghost stories--Thai people have so many freaky weird ghost stories they want to share. So I have been waking up in the middle of the night. I am learning how to face that fear with faith, trying to control my thoughts.

Brother Ganhaas family!
SO I was about to walk accross the bridge to get the house and invite a lady there. I started going and heard them yell out to me " STOPPPPPP"! They said over and over the path is broken and you will die if you go. It took me 3 times to understand so I was awkwardly inviting accross this big gap of space just yelling to her "WANT TO LEARN ABOUT JESUS!?" hahah so awkward! 
Inviting down a street while lost
Overnight train!
The Bunmi baptism

July 14, 2015

7/13/15 - Getting "Lost"

This past week has been amazing! So much has happened, I love the business of missionary work! On Monday we got "the call" that all 4 sisters were white washing out of Asoke! So we all spent the next 3 days packing, cleaning, updating area books, friendship books and saying goodbye to everyone! We got to help welcome the new greenies and I got the opportunity to talk to my Grandpa Herrmann over the phone which was great!

Thursday came quickly and I found out that I was going to UBON with my companion Sister Hassaya! I was ECSTATIC to be going to the ESAN! Ubon is about 1 hour from Sisaket, my first area, the area where I was born!! I have only been here 3 days and I already LOVE the ward and the area so much!!!! We are white washing the area again so it is fun to start fresh! In these past 4 days so many miracles have happened!

On the way to Ubon we were waiting at the train station when a monk walked up to us and started asking us about what we do and who we were. We explained about the gospel and then we gave him a Book of Mormon. At that moment I felt like I was doing my job, declaring repentance to EVERYONE!

We have this investigator who is the cutest 76 year old man I have ever seen! He is always cracking jokes and is just so happy!! He told us that when he heard about the strength he could receive from Jesus Christ and actually tried to use the atonement, he was able to stop smoking right away! His daughter is a member and his grandson is a missionary who is going to come and baptize him on Saturday!!!

One day we were riding our bikes to a member’s home who lived about an hour away. And of course, not knowing the area, we got lost. (I have learned that getting lost is not a real thing as a missionary because every time we "get lost" we see a miracle so it is more of tender mercy.) As we stopped outside this Wat (Buddhist temple) there were a bunch of little kids running around so I marched on over and pulled out the bubbles that my mom sent me and started playing with them! As I was playing with them my companion started talking to their mom. Come to find out, she has seen the missionaries a lot but never had the time to go talk to them or make it to the church!! We taught her a little and she told us she wants us to come back!! SO COOL!

On Saturday morning we were heading to a member’s house and we were planning on meeting her at the store. When we got to the store we were all sweaty and gross from the 30 minute bike ride in the BLAZING sun. We realized that neither of us had her number saved in our phone! We tried getting it but no one in the ward had it! Finally I decide to go through my phone and find her number from the time I called 2 days before. The only problem was that I had called over a 100 unsaved numbers that day! So I picked one, started calling and said a silent pray that it would be her. Right when I said Amen, I heard, "Sister!! Where are you?” IT WAS HER!! Honestly such a miracle! We also learned that in her 38 years of being a member she had never had someone visit her. She was so happy to have us over to the point that she was in tears. God is GOOD!!!

Last night I was talking to Sister Hayes in the house we share, and we were just crying happy tears because of our love for the gospel! I don't know what got into us but we were just rejoicing!! I love my God. I love my Savior. There is nothing I want more than to glorify his name!! "Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Every time I walk up and down the streets of Thailand and see Gods children, my brothers and sisters, I know what they need and I can give it to them!!! It is these moments when I want nothing more than their salvation!!! The other day I was walking down the street and saw this really old grandma. I looked at her and this amazing love came over me. I decided to go and sit down by her. I started to explain the gospel and her face just lit up! I could see the hope in her eyes! When I left I looked back and saw her staring at the pictures of HER savior. THAT is why I love being a missionary! There is nothing better than giving others the opportunity to know Jesus Christ, their Savior.

Next week I am leaving for MLC in Asoke due to STL duties from Tuesday to Thursday and then on Friday I get to go visit all our areas. I love serving!!! Talking about sacrifice this morning with my companion I realized once again, that being a missionary is not a sacrifice because I am changing and growing more than I am sacrificing.

Fun facts about this week: I am burnt to a crisp.

When I get back to the church everyone asks if I just took a shower because I am so sweaty my hair is wet!

It is rainy season so we have spent lots of time in the pouring rain! The only negative to rainy season is that the Thai people are scared of the rain and won't come to church if it is raining!

I LOVE walking out of my house and being surrounded by GREEN!

Love, Sister Herrmann
At transfer meeting
Two of my mission children. Sister Forte and Sister Morgan
Some MTC group friends
I love all the sister in the mission! BFFs for life!
Talking to my almost 90 year old grandpa and grandma Herrmann 
The Monk and the Book of Mormon!
Me and my mission child matching
I felt like Harry Potter at the train station and the overnight train
I love how green it is here!
Playing bubbles with the children
The cute Grandma looking at Jesus Christ!
Riding to church in the rain! Thanks to my Maa in Bangkapi for the raincoat! 

Thanks Mom for the brownies!