Sister Phelps: The Land of Smiles: 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