Monday, August 26, 2013

what up

    No big deal. So I'm just being Asian over here. I PLAYED WITH MONKEYS. Seriously last P-day was soooooo awesome. I love playing with those little twirps of a mammal.... I need more in my life. Also the space bartoday isn't working very well. I'm sorry for that..... Monkeys! We we like okay, we are going to gumpawampi to play  with the lings... So we take a 25 minute bus ride, that cost 50 baht for both Sister Carter and I to ride, then we got off and took this song tow (A pickup truck with a hood over the trunks and builtin seats....so awesome) to the monkey park. You know, I thought it was going to be like a legit thing. But we just pull up to this random  normal park, with monkeys EVERYWHERE. Apparently like 10 years ago monkeys just took over the area.... Pretty cool.... But there was a guy in this tug tug with peanuts so we bought some from him and he only spoke aseon so we couldn't understand him. haha. Then all these wild monkeys started coming up to us asking us for peanuts, they were probably speaking Aseon too, I don't know, I can't understand either language. haha. But monkeys, are stray, so obviously. If they bite. It's bad. But they were so friendly because we had peanuts. They told us to stay away from the big monkeys..... So eventually this big monkey comes up to us and we just keep feeding it peanuts because it just chased us till we gave it another peanut. Then I met some monkey baby friends at the slide and shared my peanuts with them... That was sooo fun. I have a great picture from that.... made me happy. Their hands are so soft. I just want to pet them and hold them..... But they were so funny the little monkeys on the monkey bars....classic....wrestling down the slide....classic..... I miss those days.... AND On our way home we stopped at a market, and for a little over an american dollar we got two large bags of bananas and a HUGE bag of watermelon. everything is so cheap here I love it. We could go eat at sizzler for like180 baht for the salad bar... We are lucky with our Missionary funds because everything is so cheap in thailand, we can afford nicer restaurants. It's awesome. I love it here. good cheap food..... 

    So besides the monkeys this week definitely humbled me. I started becoming the leader every other day in our companionship, that really wears me out. haha. I have to teach the lesson and prepare for them and oh. It's a nightmare! But I realllly reallly reallly love it. Something I'm preparing for is training at the end of my training...... I really hope I don't have to.... But I may have to... 

    This week I became more and more asian! I'm addicted to soy milk! I had never drinking soy milk before my mission. Now it's all I drink. They have street vendors that sell fresh fresh soy milk in bags. We get one every night. It's like 5 baht..... But I really really love it... I also planted some more last Tuesday... Rice fields like a boss.... I'm getting pretty good now too......

    This week I had my first Buddhist funeral. A lady in our ward's son died..... It was definitely an experience I will NEVER forget.... We go to this wat and sit down and the monks come in and sit above everyone. Everyone is kneeling before them. They speak in their monk language and everyone does this ceremony with bowing and repeating the words..... It was crazy. The missionaries and the members sat in the back.... hahaha. Then they take the open casket over to the crematory right there in the wat and just throw him in...... Lets just say it was definitely interesting to dive into the culture that way.... It's weird, because they did this ceremony for like reaching his spirit and getting in touch with their relatives. And there were lady monks there too.... CRAZYYYYY..... It's weird how I'm experiencing these culture things on a regular basis. Oh for Buddhist funerals they pay"mourners" to go around town wailing and throwing money. It's definitely interesting........ 

    I remember someone asking about cars. We have this one lady in our ward who has a car that takes us around. She is awesome... And a life savor sometimes.....

    This last week on wednesday we went contacting at a market. We sang hymns in the middle of flowing traffic in thai and we handed out baptism pass along cards and committed everyone we talked to about baptism to be baptized. We have 2 new investigators from it:) It was definitely one of the coolest experiences telling people hey. Do you know why we worship Jesus? We worship him because he takes away our sins, we can do this through baptism, will you be baptized? It's way cool being the only Christians because anything you say to these Buddhist based religious people is the first time they hear about Christ and how much he loves them.... It's so great because if anyone wants to meet with us and we teach them and they gain a testimony of Jesus Christ. Everything else in the gospel makes complete sense to them... Joseph smith was a prophet? Easy, they believe it instantly.... We are the closest things to Christ these people have ever met..... It's seriously a huge responsibility to be personally worthy enough to have his spirit with us.... It's the make or break point with these people.... I love being a representative. I definitely have a lot to grow as a missionary. But it's so rewarding. 

    We are working with a lot of Less Actives right now. Which is awesome. We are so getting closer and closer to a temple with this less active work.... We have 1 investigator Yuuey who is still working towards baptism. She is the sweetest thing I've ever met and I love teaching her... We also have like 8 other investigators we are teaching that are just at the beginning and we hope to see them progress.... Please pray for Udon! We need it!!!!!! 

    I love this language family! It's my favorite thing in the world!!!!!! I speak the coolest language. I love when people get surprised that you know how to speak their language when you order food and go contacting. they love it. They speak like cavemen out here. The grammar is so simple. Like Water is :Nam in Thai and ICe is :Nam Kang which litterally means "water". Like vaccum means a machine that sucks.... Prettyfreaking legit. Anways.... I'm getting Fatter the healthier I eat, So I'm not sure why my body is slightly being dumb. I'll send some pictures.... Also... If someone could find "As I went down in the river to pray." by the mormon tabranacle choir, I would love that!!!! Also, Me and sister Carter are so legit and do some bike tricks... It's so fun
That is all. Love you tons and tons

Sister Phelps

Notice the baby monkey holding on to the mamma monkey's tummy?

I love this pictures... I love monkeys.... I'm such an asian

First things first. That giant nasty monkey stole our bag of peanuts. And when he did. My genius companion decided she wanted them back because she was pissed, so she went to grab them back and all the thais freak out and the monkey swats at her.... Such a dummy..... But in the end. The rest of the peanuts went to the ape of a monkey.


Monkeys everywhere... I was a little nervous to take this picture. haha oh well. I love monkeys

Kop Phom and Sister Carter and I eating mini bananas and about to go work in the field!

This is what happens when you run into a member while contacting and trying to teach others about baptism. You get a bag of fresh delicious donuts, a delicious fresh strawberry drink, and a pile of fat left to show for it.... Also don't remember me this way.... I look scary in this picture

us on our soi this morning doing bike tricks. Legit.

Some more classic bike pictures (superman) Sister Carter just leaned over and told me i'm so weird

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

HHHHEEEEYYYYYYOOOOO

    So I've learned and grown from a couple of things.... One I have a lot of tan lines...... Let me tell you about my tan line..... I have a lot of them... You see... If you get bit by a shark.... and lived.... You would want a scar or a limb missing right? Just to show your battle wound. For me I of course have the white white thighs and shirt tan line... Oh it's so bad... But something I didn't think of was... Well. My dumb watch tan line. It's the worst.... I guess it shows my battle wounds of being a Thailand missionary :) Yeah. I will have to cover it up the rest of my life..... It's so awesome, yet so gross....... Next. Let me tell you about motorcycles.... Motorcycles you see. They run solely off of gas, and technical elements. It's not like a bike where you have an exhaust pipe to blow stuff out of. Okay. Maybe I don't know how a motorcycle works. But i do know that after you ride one of those suckers the exhaust pipe gets super hot and okay long story short. I burned my leg for the first time parking my bike. I am actually surprised it hasn't happened yet.... I park next to motorcycles all the time with a tight fit.... Anyways!

    I LOVE BEING ASIAN..... I love it I love it I love it!!!! I get to do so many asian things like for example I get to go plant rice tomorrow... How asian. Oh and friday I planted a thing called "man" It's like a really bland potato. I will send pictures. Just don't remember me that way. I swear i've been cuter in my life, right? Anyways. So I'm fat again. I eat way too much bread things and sweets. And I used to get a chocolate milk shake on the side of the road everyday. But since Thai people just tell you how it is. I had member come up to me on saturday and touch my stomach and say. oh. "Thai food make you fat right?" Obviously in thai. But I'm like, ouch. SO Sister Carter is way intense about healthiness anyways, So we have a new rule. Som Thom (papaya salad) for lunch and an omlett for dinner. Needless to say, It's still the most delicious diet ever..... Still lots of flavors and super healthy..... It was the sticky rice holding me back. Oh my gosh I lOVE sticky rice so much..... But it's really cool.

    I'm so sorry I don't have much much to say this week! We really haven't had the best week of our missions. It was a little more of a struggle this week working with the members and Sister Carter and I could've been more on the same page but I know we are doing our best. The members here are such a different story than america. You don't even know. Most of the members are pioneers in their family so they all struggle a lot with knowing how to organize a church when 98 percent of them never went to primary or young women. So it's really hard to understand a good organized ward. In america the ward members look at the missionaries as leaders. I remember so clearly not knowing the missionaries and what the do. But here. The members look to the missionaries as leaders. It's a huge responsibility. We have to teach these people from square one to know to say a prayer before primary starts. It's so crazy! We went to the Primary Presidents house this week to teach her how to sing primary songs. Simple ones.... It really made me grateful for a functioning ward. Our calling as missionaries is way more important than finding people to baptize, but it's also to help the ward come closer to christ as well..... Mostly all the people in our branch are part members. It's so sad to hear their backgrounds and there families. We visited a less active family this week and they had all these idols in their house with pictures of the temple on the wall... And I just... I can't imagine worshiping Idols. It has been a really big personal struggle for me to know that scripture "You cannot serve god and mammon" And it really was never important to me until I came out here. And some people really have a struggle to stop Waiing idols and worshiping them. Some of our new investigators have a hard time getting answers from god and our first commitment to them is to stop Waiing these idols and then god will answer you.! It's crazy. Can you imagine worshiping worldly things? I CANNOT... It's so mind blowing. Anways. That was my rant for this email.

    The people here are still receptive to the gospel. And the members have such great testimonies and that is all they need to thrive in the gospel. Our branch president has been a member for 2 years now.... Hasn't been to the temple. Can you imagine? My mind gets blown everyday! Hey dad. I have a project for you. Count the number of rooms in our church building...... I am curious. The church here is the biggest in the area... But yes :) We have our sacrament room upstairs with a small overflow in the back. Then we have a small kitchen, probably the size of the washington buildings with nasty nasty appliances, and 2 rooms downstairs the size of the young mens room. Be sooooo very grateful for our building. It's so clean and beautiful. I love Thailand but I'm missing America more and more. But I really can't complain. I'm in such a beautiful country and building up zion! What more could I want. 

    Oh and I'm playing with monkeys today. I'm excited. Peace out family. Until we meet again.... Which is next monday........ :) Loveeee you!!!! 

Sister Phelps


An idol people worship.... It's pretty legit...

PIGS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, OBVIOUSLY I WAS SO HAPPY

Sister Carter found a cat in her chair when she went to go sit

working in the field with sister carter.... so asian

working in the field with sister carter.... so asian

our awesome Thai sisters.... they look so asian.... Makes me so happy.

our awesome drive through udon


our daily som thom

me on a typical Sunday morning reading the liahona :)

Monday, August 12, 2013

Hey Family

Hey Family,

    Thanks for all the Emails this week it was great to hear from the ones I love most. So cool Connor is walking, I miss those chubby thighs. I'm sure they clap when he walks:) And Lyla. So adorbs and just the little alien butt picture was a little freaky.

    Welp, I've got a bunch of lovely coconuts, duu duudly duudly duudly. Look at all of them standing in a row.... Anyways. Eventful week. A coconut tree branch fell on the side of the road so Sister Carter and I got some free Coconuts! I also went to Bangkok and back, got my first BAG of coke, almost got eaten by another dumb dog in Korat (this time was closer, I had to throw my legs over my handlebars because the idiot dog was jumping up and trying to bite me...a miracle saved me...it was struck by lightning...just kidding. it was just too dumb so it stopped), I had my first McDonalds (so yummy), Made it through my first transfer (Sister Painter moved out sad), Had a companion exchange with Sister Stack (best thing ever!), traveled around Thailand w/ Sister Stack and the very little Thai we know (So proud), Taught Some Japanese Jehovah's Witnesses missionaries (Classic obviously they were trying to convert us too bahaha), rode a sky train in Bangkok, taught a lesson with the mission president's wife, we had 2 confirmations this week, took the the nicest bus to Bangkok (better than first class on an airplane), ate some homemade waffles, had a classic bus stop guided by the spirit missionary moment, drunk man told sister Carter in English that he needs Jesus in his life, Saw the nicest mall in Bangkok I've ever seen (Terminal 21 look it up), ate some meat (finally over my fears), I have stinking buff legs from bike riding, we got stuck in a TUG TUG with Elders in a monsoon (giant rains thunder storms that floods the street), it poured for 6 hours straight one day, and you know....taught the gospel obviously.... classic.

    Bangkok was so awesome family. I was there for not very long at all. But the bus stop was my favorite! We were guided by the spirit out of hundreds and both had the same impression to talk to this one girl and taught her the gospel and she is now a potential investigator, pretty awesome. And We were able to see the mission president. Oh man I love them so much. My companion exchange with Sister Stack was honestly the coolest ever. We worked so hard in her area for 30 hours and saw miracles. I was so grateful to go work with her! Ahhhhh I love being a missionary. I've pretty much said everything! I love everyone so much. I'm sorry for a short letter this week. Not much time haha. :) I love my family. I really was grateful for everyone in my family during personal study this morning and how much the gospel has blessed our family! Love you and pray for you always.


-ฃิสเตอร์ เฟลพส์ 

Sister Stack and I and her less active we taught that told me to never leave Korat

Sister Stack and I eating "mi kwamsuke" which is oreos with peanut butter and banana soaked in milk..... mmmmmm 

Our Mall... Legit right? It's huge....

A cool Wat

Our Jehovah Witnesses we taught haha classic

Sister Stack and I in Korat

Teaching with Sister Senior and our RC Nam.

Sister Stack and I in Korat

Our family. Blessed by the gospel

Sister Carter and some coconuts we found

This lady wants me to marry her son. She is so cute and stylin. That is our senior couple too.

Sky train in Bangkok

Monday, August 5, 2013

What Up

    I'm the WORST human being ever family. I cannot get over the feet thing here. Like my feet. And pointing them at things and using them to move stuff! I'm the worst, a couple times a week I get YELLED at by Thai people and Sister Carter HATES when I do it too. One time I had my hands full after opening the oven at the church and my instincts wanted to close them and I got so much crap from the Thai's no joke. Haha. I need to get better at that before I get put in Jail. I never thought I had a problem until I realized that when I'm trying to show a candy bar on the bottom shelf to my companion that I use my foot to point at it and I get yelled at. Haha. I'm the worst. 

    This week was, a week! Yesterday our two investigators น้ำ and พี got baptized!!!!!! I'm sure you don't even know how to read that haha. But you'll get used to it.... I love Thai! But yes our investigators got baptized. And I love them so much. Literally have become my best friends. This last week I got pretty sick again. so Frustrating. But I got a cold....in Thailand......Frustrating. Anyways, I haven't had a voice like all week. BUT the other day at their baptism interviews they showed up and พี had tissues and vitamin c pills. and SO DID I. We were so excited we are like, We are so sisters. Oh my gosh. I love them. I've never really built relationships of the gospel, but they are the best relationships ever! We all have so much fun with each other. Laughing and such....and they are english majors. So that was a HUGE blessing. They don't speak much english but I don't speak much Thai. But they have helped me improve my Thai so much. When we all study the scriptures, I study and read in Thai and they do it in English. Makes me smile. But yes..... huge blessing. We mostly speak in Thai though. But I like Thai and them, so win win! But yes, I had my first 2 baptisms..... Something in the MTC that stuck out to me was that your converts will ALWAYS remember you.... Their missionaries will always be Sister Carter and Sister Phelps..... The first week in Udon, we found them. Super special feeling... The holy ghost converted them but we will always be their missionaries <3

    Companion exchanges! SISTER STEVENSON this week:) So awesome right? Besides the fact that I had too high of a fever to work the rest of the day but we shared stories. It was great to be reunited with someone from the MTC.... But wait. Guess where I get to go today? Bangkok son! I'm stoked. We have a ten hour bus ride tonight and Sister Carter has zone training meetings for Aseon. We are so stoked. Her cousins live there so we will hang out with them a little bit:) I'm so excited to eat some normal food with the mission president. I love him and his wife so much! THEN Wednesday guess what companion exchange I get to go on? Well, since Sister Carter is the best and the Aseon leader over 8 companionships Guess who I get to go be companions with? Sister STACK! I'm so excited I can't contain myself. WE are having a huge companion exchange this week between all the companionships, so I actually get to for the first time get OUT of my area and serve in Sister Stacks area....I usually just stay in Udon.... But I get to go to the province of Korat! I'm stoked. 

    This week, I ate some fermented fish.... I didn't know it was that...... Until the members watched me eat the Som Tham Puu Blaa.... Which is papya salad with fermented fish..... Needless to say, I ate it before I knew what It was..... And after I ate it. I didn't nor will ever touch it again...... Yum. I also ate the Thai's famous mystery meat meatballs. I'm not quite sure why but they are terrible hahaha. I have to try everything once. Right? I also ate chicken feet curry. Again, before I ate it. I had no clue what it was. haha.... not too disgusting until i pulled up a whole chicken foot.... Haha....oops....

    SO. I almost died. Well, Almost..... I decided one night I needed sticky rice... It was like 8 at night and we were just going to go get some from the restaurant next to our house. It's pitch black.... Then there was a pack of wild dogs... I remember saying before that dogs are scary. I freak out every time I pass them... Then. All of a sudden, pot hole. And I see it seconds before I would've hit it, so I swerve my bike out of the way, and my bike slips on the gravel... and my bike falls. But somehow I'm super man and was standing next to my fallen bike.....with a pack a dogs...growling. And barking. And Charging me. And I start shaking so bad. Because it's scary. And needless to say I jumped right back on my bike, Sister Carter is far ahead of me waiting for me but watching while I may get eaten by some dogs.... But I just jump on my bike and start riding for light. And the dogs, chase me.... A little bit. And I'm freaking out haha. But they stopped, because they saw my name tag finally...... Saw that I was a representative of Jesus Christ... So. I'm Safe. But I'm not going to ever get sticky rice again. At 8 oclock..... Yeah....SKETCHY. 

    "Ok, so I have a good idea :). I'm sure you get a lot of questions each week from us, but we never see any answers to our questions." I will answer your questions now mommmmm:)
    
    My clothes are great. I'm investing more clothes, the more transfers we go on. Haha. I get them free from all the sister missionary houses who don't want them. My polk a dot skirt was ripped from it getting stuck in the spokes of my tire. It was so sad. But unfortunatly for the pepole of Thailand I still wear it haha. The maxi skirts that were cut are the best for riding bikes. They are gold. I wish I had more. But yes the rain and the heat does minimal damage to my clothes haha. They look a little worn. We only have a washer and no dryer. So we hang dry everything. It gets crazy. My crocs are the best things ever. I wear them everyday and then I got a pair of Jelly sparkly shoes for 100 baht. Like 3 dollars that I'm obsessed with and I wear every Sunday. They are ALL around Thailand. I love it. The Bike sucks haha. I have have SBS, sore butt syndrome. But this week was better, I'm getting buff legs and I pretty much lost my MTC weight. Thank goodness.The Language is definitely a struggle, I can get us around and share all the lessons, but communication skills are a head ache. But I love the language and I'm getting better and better everyday. I can't wait to not have to worry about that barrier:) 

    My nickname is Sister. Because sister in Thai is PSaww or NongSaw. Depends on if the are older sister or younger sister. So sister is a name brought from the english language. It's weird how vital english is in this country. Everyone knows something in english. They answer the phone and say, "Hello." or everywhere the signs on the streets are in Thai and in English. I'm like, crust I'm glad i'm in the most desired country speaking the most vital language. But seriously. You wouldn't believe it! My actual name Sister Phelps is hard for them to say. Really hard haha. So the say "Sidter Felt, or Fep...." They crack me up, I can't say there names and they can't say mine. We have a great relationship. haha. But the call my sister or sis all the time. haha. 

    I'm actually not the tallest crazy tall here. I'm so much taller than most people but you wouldn't believe that it's not a huge deal here. I get comments every now and then especially when I give hugs haha. But yeah, It's pretty sweet. Lots of tall asians. I'm probably the only blonde give or take a couple of people that I've seen all month haha isn't that funny? I do get  A LOT of people commenting on me being white. Even though I'm tan.... haha. They are like hey Farang(means foriegner) Come eat some food. Or I'll be riding my bike and everyday I have people yelling at me in Thai hello Farang, suay mag. Means very beautiful. Something weird is that no one wants to be tan. Everyone wants to be whiter than they are. So they will wear long sleeves and wear lotion with bleach in it. How crazy is that? 

    Yes Mom, I have a huge love for the people of thailand. I've never felt so much love for groups of people. WE are seeing miracles day after day, and I can't help but think of them all in white. I just love them so much. They are so willing to hear our message in Udon even if they are buddhist. We never have a hard time getting people to want to talk to us. And they are more than happy to talk about Jesus. The most success we have is when we hand people the baptism pass along card and say, "This is Jesus, people worship Jesus because he takes away our sins, and we do this through baptism." Everyone is so receptive to that because there is sooo much sin in Thailand. And mostly everyone feels guilty about it..... It has been so amazing and such a blessing..... Next we aren't allowed as Thailand missionaries to ask for referrals from members of the church because they are already working so hard. But we are allowed to take referrals from them. But we mostly find most of our investigators through english and the spirit they feel at church. 

    That is so cool you got to watch the TV show about the markets. Sister Carter and I ride down to this large market 3 times a week to get cheap fresh produce. I spend like 100 baht each time and get so much fruit, peanuts, veggies, fresh juice, but not the meat that's sitting out haha... But it's really awesome. I need to remember to bring my camera. Oh but, the worst thing at the market, I was with Sister Painter this morning instead and they were just skinning live frogs.... And they were still alive after they were skinned! Sister painter and I both decided that besides the hospital that is the most traumatizing experience.... I think that was all of them right mom? Anyways. I'm love my mission everyday!!!! That is all I have for this week! Love the baby pictures! Keep it up.. Pray. Do what is right.

Love Sister Phelps

Last week we went Ice Skating on Pday... In Skirts.... TALENT. Yeah. It was weirdly weird to ice skate...in thailand.

Making myself some pad thai in our kitchen. It was terrible. But I tried.

Me and พี our investigator being our sicky selfs... Oh we are so aweosme.

Street of Khon Khen. Sorry I forgot to get pics of Udon!



Going Away party for a girl going on a mission in our branch.

Baptism of our investigators!!!!

Me with brown hair. hahaha. Funny night. Her name is sister เอ้. (sister A) YSA in our branch

Me and a little autistic girl that loves the sister missionaries. She is so adorable. I love her.