5/11/15 - “I am a missionary in Thailand moment"

I just finished skyping my family and it was the best! I love them so much!!! I am just so grateful for my family! Talking with them made me so happy that I am here in Thailand to give the people here the thing that makes my family so happy—the gospel and eternal covenants! ALSO, shout out to my mom! Happy Mothers Day!! She is the best ever!

This past week was a good one and made me want to never stop being a missionary! The world is a scary place and my heart aches for the people we taught! We meet with a couple of less actives who are about to give up the fight and their testimony of Jesus Christ. It is the most heart wrenching thing ever to see people fall for Satan’s lies! BUT then I hear these people pray and I feel such a sense of hope! We taught this lady from the Philippines who is basically homeless and stuck in Thailand because of some unfortunate events. We met with her and she said, "Sisters I have nothing--no food, no clothes, no money, nothing... besides God. Please help me grow my faith in Christ because right now that is all I have." When she prayed she didn't just pray, she yearned, pleaded, cried to her Father in Heaven. We were all crying but at the same time we felt so hopeful. We just all knew that help is around the corner! It reminds me of the scripture in Alma 5, "notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you." He is always there no matter how deep in despair we are. Even with seeing all these people go through such hard times, I know that the Lord will take care of them! Alma 26:7, “But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day."

This week we had a baptism! It was our recent convert Sister An’s friend!!! She was so excited and happy to be clean!!! It was exciting! It is crazy how every baptism we have is so so special!! We also had a miracle. We were kind of struggling with investigators at church and about 15 minutes after talking about it we saw this man who looked familiar and we decided to go talk to him. He had never learned before but had been to church 3 times! Over time we introduced the gospel and then invited him to be baptized! He said, "I need this." That is basically it! He has a date for next week! We ended up giving him to the Elders to teach but we are so excited for him! It really was a miracle!

A couple of fun things that happened this week--we had an inviting activity where the whole ward went out inviting with us! We made a huge sign and sang songs and just had a blast!! It was a lot of fun and the Spirit was so strong! We also had an “I am a missionary in Thailand" moment! We were eating lunch and had to run to the church for an appointment! Right before we left it started to POUR rain!!! But that didn't stop us! The owners of the little shop gave us plastic bags to cover our heads and we were off. We rode our bikes basically blind looking like idiots! We were laughing so hard!

I love Thailand. I love the Lord. I love his restored gospel. I am so so so so blessed to have been called to represent him in the Thailand Bangkok Mission! Well there are so many things that I could talk about but I have to go เที่ยว. I love you all! Have an amazing week! DON'T FORGET TO PRAY! CTR! WWJD!!!

Love, Sister Herrmann

P.S. I am so sorry to hear about Sister Moss. She was always so kind.

5/4/15 - Talk to everyone!

This week has been really good! Every day I see the hand of the Lord working in the lives of my investigators! We have recently changed the way we do our contacting. We use to contact only during our 2 hour scheduled time, and now we contact everywhere! Last Monday on our way to FHE we took 2 song-tows and a bus and contacted the whole way. We were able to get a bunch of numbers! We really have to take that quote in PMG, "talk to everyone", literally! I LOVE IT!

This week I have been so impressed with all of my RC's!! They amaze me! On Tuesday we walked into the church right before English class and our RC, Sister Gung started freaking out and pointing to her friend! She said, "Sisters! I brought my friend to learn the gospel, will you teach him!?" And then the next day we were teaching Sister An and we mentioned to her, “Hey, maybe you could bring one of your friends to meet with us!" An hour later she shows up with a friend ready to learn the gospel! Now, the girl she brought has a baptismal date that she is so excited for! She called me last night and said, "I 100% want to get baptized on the 17th, I felt SO good at Church!!!" I was amazed at her faith!!

This week there was a youth activity and a single adult activity. For their activities they just go down to a private island and go snorkeling and then go play with elephants! They asked me what I did for my activities in America and I told them how we get to do a “cool sewing marathon and bake cookies”! Most of our RC's went to the ward activities and really bonded with the ward! When they came home we overheard Sister An and Sister Patty talking about the temple and wanting to go. We were ECSTATIC!

Sister An (the other one who is 18) got baptized on Sunday! She is amazing! She wants so badly to keep all the commandments to a tee! The faith of the people here really strengthens my faith. Later that Sunday one of our former investigators randomly showed up at to church with her friend. She told us that she has no time to learn but her friend does. So we taught the friend (Carrot) and she wants to be baptized!

Sunday night we usually eat dinner at Pa and Ma's house! We made a plan to share a really spiritual thought and sing a song. We were all a little nervous because we know they have been questioned about the gospel before. At the end I just bore my testimony. I started to tear up because I love them so much and I know this is what they need! We all bore our souls to them. I don't know how much it helped but the Spirit was definitely there. We could all feel it!

This week I have been studying about the sons of Mosiah. They have become my new favorite scripture heroes! They are just so cool! Every morning this week I was so excited to study and read more about them! They really inspire me to be a better missionary! The reason they inspire me so much is because they truly have the characteristics of Christ! They had so much faith in the Lord; they were repentant; they trusted in the Lord; they had JOY; they prayed continually; they were selfless; they were patient; they were bold; they had charity; they taught with power and confidence; they showed gratitude and used the scriptures'; they led by example, I could go on and on! Because they had these Christ like characteristics, God was able to work miracles through them! I think about how the Lamanites were so deep into iniquity, they were people who delighted in bloodshed and transgression! BUT the gospel changed them 100% to the point where they became a people who sacrificed their lives because of their love for God and his children and because of their hatred against sin! I think the reason why I love these stories so much is because I see the same thing happening here every day! People are changing themselves because of the gospel! I think of my RC Satabon. When I first met him he laughed when we told him that he is a child of God. He delighted in sin...but over time the gospel changed him! I got a call a couple days ago from the Sisters in Bangnaa and they told me that Brother Satabon bore his testimony at Book of Mormon class. She said that he just started to cry because of his gratitude and love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!

I testify that this gospel can change anyone! I have seen it over and over again. I now really understand what Ammon said in verse 35, "Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name."   "Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the {khon thai's}, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work."

HAVE A GREAT WEEK, LOVE YOU ALL!!!
- Sister Herrmann

Talking to everyone! 

June is going on a mission!

4/27/15 - "MAYracle"

This week was like a roller coaster, lots of ups and downs! At the beginning of the week it was apparently the hottest it has been in more than 55 years! And to make the situation even better our AC was broken. I literally thought I was going to die! We would come home at night and before planning we would stand (in our dresses) in an ice cold shower and get completely drenched to cool us down! I have never experienced heat like that in my entire life! I think that God realized we were dying so he sent us rain for the whole weekend!

A cool thing that happened this week was that our new investigator is a movie star! We sat down with him and the members with us were all shocked because they have seen him in movies! He has such a great desire to learn and wants to change his life! I am excited to continue to work with him!

On Wednesday we had a MLC meeting to get us all ready for MAY! We have this goal to have every companionship have 4 baptisms in the month of May! It is going to be called "MAYracle"!!!! After that meeting I was so pumped to work 1000% and achieve this goal! We spent the next 2 days delivering this message to all the districts in the zone! (Going to all the districts made me realize how old I am! I was the 2nd or 3rd oldest out of the whole zone ewwww!!!) I was so excited, full of hope and ready to just work harder than I ever have in my whole life!

Then Friday hit and things just started crashing down! At about 5PM we were supposed to have a baptism for Sister lugbla but she ended up calling me and freaking out because her boss wouldn’t let her off work. Then at the same time 15 other people decided to call me with a huge load of problems, all of them wanting us to fix the problems! And to make it better some of the YW were having some problems and pulled us to the side and just bawled their eyes out. That night I just prayed and prayed that I would be able to help his children! I don't know how much helping I did but I tried my best! lugbla didn't get baptized that night and rescheduled it for Saturday. Saturday came around and she came to the church bawling because her parents wouldn't let her get baptized. It was so sad because she has wanted this so much for so long! Satan is just working so hard on her... it breaks my heart. We just have to remember that God has a plan for her and will help her. Keep her in your prayers!

We have this other investigator who is SO amazing! She lives 3 hours away and has major back problems but still comes to church! She wants to get baptized but the only problem is that she is married but not legally. They would get married legally through the government but the problem is that her husband has declared bankruptcy and if they get married through the government she would have to pay all his debts…and they would lose everything. It was so sad talking to them at church yesterday. They were telling me how they have been "married" for 30 years and all they want is to be members of this church! We are currently in the process of figuring something out so they can enter into the covenant with God! Pray for them as well please! We also have this really cute investigator who is 17 and literally learned everything before she started learning with us! She wants to follow God with exactness!

One thing I have really been thinking about this week is EXERCISING faith! For example in our goal to get 4 baptisms per companionship we can have 100% faith that it will happen, but if we just sit there and don't put in any effort and only have faith nothing will come of it! "Faith without works is dead!" Earlier this week Sister Forte and I came up with some goals and thought, "Great, we are going to achieve every one of these goals!" Three days later we looked at them and realized we had not been doing anything special to achieve them. We realized that exercising faith is really putting in all your effort towards the Lord’s will. For us that meant making measurable little goals to achieve our big goals! When we exercise our faith instead of just having faith, God works miracles! I know that this is true because I have seen it in my own life and the lives of the people in the scriptures! We need to go and DO!

For p-day today we are going to go to a zoo! I hope you all have a great week! Thanks for all your love and support! LOVE YOU ALL!!!

-Sister Herrmann

PS We aren't allowed to take taxis anymore so we have to be smart and use #thaicitytransportationlife. It has been super interesting but super FUN! Wow, I am sitting here crying in the internet cafe about Moki and her cancer diagnosis. It is so sad. I really didn’t think she would actually die while I was gone. She is such a part of our family, I can’t imagine life without her.

The official name of Thailand is really long!