Heeeyy

    Halloween. You have got to be kidding me. I have the most adorable nieces and nephews. Stink. I can't believe it's halloween!!! Thailand I don't think celebrates it very traditionally. I know our branch is having a branch halloween party on Thursday but they don't do the whole "trick or treating" thing out here. JEALOUS... But hey..... I don't know if anyone knows... But a year from halloween either mom and dad are chilling with me in Thailand or I'll be home for halloween. CAN YOU BELIEVE I HAVE ONLY A YEAR LEFT? I just really feel weird because I'm still a baby. Well not really, I have a kid now. I was just getting off the bottle and about to start solid foods when the ripped away my pacifier and made me a mother.

     OUR INVESTIGATOR YIM GOT BAPTIZED YESTERDAY!!! I love her more than words. 16 years old and a total stud in the gospel. She was the one if you remember, we gave her a card when we were contacting and she talked with the girls at temple square after going on the website. MIRACLE.... My companion and I are totally seeing miracles. Besides I got sick again and went to the doctors this week. But oh well...... What else is new. Bacteria in thailand is literally the worst..... But worth it.

     Life as a trainer you may ask? Pretty good actually:) Talking on the phone is still the hardest part about being a missionary. I thought talking in english on the phone is hard.... but thai? Oh poop it's hard. And I'm the one making all the phone calls.... And teaching....and contacting. But It's way awesome to share the little knowledge I have with someone else... I really love my companion. I want her to succeed and I remember what worked and what didn't work with my trainer and I'm totally fresh off of training so I can be a total asset in her life. I know I'm not perfect:) No missionary is. But something I've come to realize is that I know enough. I don't know everything but I know enough to train. Joseph Smith didn't know everything restoring the only true gospel on this earth when he was 14, but he knew enough. So I can and am doing this. I'm loving it too! I really am. It's totally weird when In the middle of a lesson I turn to her and ask her to bear her testimony, because I remember just being there. Haha. 

    Teaching is the BEST. I've never felt happier than teaching these last few weeks... I got to teach two new people how to pray this week with both of the lessons ending in tears. It's so touching to be able to understand this language and connect with people on a spiritual level in a different language. When I was training I definitely didn't know how to be a normal person in a different language and I can tell that my companion feels the same. But I know that right after she is done training she will be awesome and totally normal.... The language comes pretty easily to her. She is smart and a hard worker. Still has the new missionary struggles and can't understand anyone yet. But she speaks like a boss. I'm super proud of her.  

   Anyways, I'm probably totally ranting. But yesterday I had the sweetest experience. This girl who is a member who is my age, breaking lots and lots of commandments I have been working with her since the beginning of my stay in udon. But we have never been able to meet with her. But after months of not seeing her she finally showed up at church yesterday and after our baptisms we met with her and talked to her....And I have actually never cried in a lesson to be honest because speaking thai and having emotions I have just never had together. But I have also never called anyone to repentance like this before and we all just sat and cried and I loved her so much and I have never felt God's love for one of his children more strongly than that moment and I'm going to help that girl get on a mission. Ahhhh. I can't really describe everything about it. Just a really good refreshing experience....

  I'm doing good. I'm falling in love with the members more that they rely on me more than sister Carter. They are truly amazing. I love my family. THis gospel is true. The scriptures are true. Is there anything more I need to say?:) Have fun on halloweeeeeeeen this week! 

Much Love

IT'S OFFICIAL I'M A MOM!

  So I know some heard the story all ready.... but last monday after I finished emails we get home and we get a phone call. Sister Carter answers it and runs up stairs. And I'm a little stressed about what was going to happen with transfers so I thought I was moving or something strange.... Next thing I know sister Carter says "Sister Phelps, president senior wants to talk to you in your room with the door shut." By this point I'm pretty freaking stressed haha. Thennnn.... THEN.... The words in Thai from president senior. "Sister Phelps Dierap ganriag ben puobrome may khap?" I almost started crying haha. I was like "President senior. You're not serious. Did God really tell you I need to be a trainer." I'm like "President, I can't even speak this language perfectly, what am I going to do." I'm like crying. I'm like there is 48 sisters in Thailand. Only 7sisters are called to be a trainer this transfer. Why the trash does it have to be me haha... And president Sernior just was like, don't worry your the best. Also you have to be in Bangkok tomorrow morning at 9 for a training meeting. Classic.. Sister Carter walks in and I'm totally having like a panic attack hahaha. She had to meditate and pray with me and reassured me.... It was nice... then... totally had to pack Sister Carter's mission life away within a matter of hours. Say goodbye to everyone (That was hard everyone cried saying bye to her, she is great) Then we were on our way. 

  

    The next morning was our training meeting. ALL IN THAI. Sister Stack was there, sister Tilley and another girl from my group so I was feeling a little less stressed by that point... But I loved it. It was a great meeting and I understood everything. I was like. Okay. I got this. I can be a trainer now and tell someone what to do. I was totes feeling excited. haha.... It was the most stressed I've ever been haha. Then life was getting better. We had our pday on wednesday in Bangkok. I loved it. Then came thursday. Transfers. I was soooo nervous. I was like I'm just a baby not even on solid foods yet! But thenn I got my new comp Sister Her. And I KNEW everything was going to be just fine. I CAN speak this language. I CAN love a complete stranger. I CAN be a support for someone that knows nothing about missionary work in the field. Tug yang dee.... I'M A MOM. Hahha

    

    In Thai the word for greenie is nong keyow. Which literally means green child. I always call myself a maa keyow. (A green mom). Everyone laughs. :)

  

    I'm glad you got to see sister Carter. I can't believe you stayed over night! You cute things..... :) I'm such a mother now! So boring. LIke every mother. (Yeah meagan we are cool). I didn't realize how much work goes into missionary work but being a trainer on top of that! It's beatiful. I really enjoy my time with Sister Her. She is a Hmong from sacramento... I totally have an asian companion. She is a babe though.... I love her. So sweet and she is almost 22. So that's awesome.One day I started telling her how to use the rice cooker and she looks at me. Like, are you serious right now. I'm asian. ahha. I think we willl get along just fine. She has adorable clothes and so I have to look nice when I'm around her, or I just feel so lame. Hahaha. It's awesome whoever comes up that's a thai, I start talking. And it throws them off and they start speaking crazy thai with her like she is a thai. She was like, I'M NOT THAI. Everytime. It's great. She came pre trained. She is a hard worker. Stinking tired all the time, I remember that but my favorite thing is she LOVES food and loves to eat. This is a beautiful realtionship. I think it will be just great.!!! We got her a bike and have done some little work here and there. We got someone a baptismal date already! We have a baptism this weekend! God is good. I love THAI. My thai is sooooo much better than it was last week. I'm just doing all the talking and understanding for two people! Sooooooo crazy!!!! I love it. I love my companion. I love being a missionary. I love the people. I love the Scriptures. I love Joseph Smith. I love being converted to the gospel! So many things in my life to be grateful for.......... Keep your prayers in my behalf. I'm learning how to speak aseon hahahaha. Who am I kidding. That will never happen! I lovey ou all. Keep up the good work!

Sister Phelps

I also forgot. I touched an elephant on the side of the road. It was awesome

I also forgot. I took Sister Carter (The young one) Dan jonesing and handed out a book of Mormon. 

I also forgot. Sister Stack isn't training. Sister Tilley and I were the only ones.... 

I also forgot. One picture is with sister Carters other girl she trained, who trained sister Tilley right after she was done training. And Now sister Tilley is training too..... And 2 of these pictures are our family photos. And We all wore asian clips. They are soooo asian 

I cannot explain the rest of the pictures because I can't see them :)

Thailand still

  "For behold the field is white already to harvest and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store and it perisheth him not, but bringeth salvation to his soul." Okay those who memorized D&C four may think I don't know my things because I may be a little off. But it's been like 6 months since I've recited that thing in English..... Thai all day every day..... BUT THE POINT OF THAT WAS GUESS WHAT I DID THIS MORNING....  I thrusted in a sickle because the rice fields were ready to harvest WHAAAT? How cool am I. Seriously. Can I get a plack that says "Sister Asian." Because literally I'm a khon Thai now. Does anyone actually know what a sickle is? It's a dinky little tool with a sharp edge to hack at the rice. There are certain techniques that work better and it's tough work! A lot of sacrifice and cut itchy legs goes into harvesting rice. No wonder they liken it unto missionary work. So many similarites. Haha. But anyways I just wanted to tell you we got up at 5:30 (Like a Boss) and rode our bikes way far out to our relief society presidents farm and harvested rice like an asian. In fact. I'm sitting in an internet cafe without showering first.... Classic.....

    

    This week was definitely a happy week. I have to say yesterday looking at our numbers was completely sad for me because all of a sudden this week all of our golden investigators stopped answering their phones this week. Everyone is on "bid term" meaning schools are out everywhere for a month so I don't really know if that has anything to do with it. But we taught only like 6 lessons this week with members which is an all time low for us. We couldn't find new investigators either! We couldn't understand. We were so happy this week too haha. Ahh. Definitely frustrating....thrusting your sickle doesn't always produce, but in preach my gospel says if we are doing our best don't get frustrated or sad, our efforts completely make a difference.... So we decide to do just that:)

    

    As I went down to Sagonakhon, eating that dog meat all day long. Haha. But seriously.... I didn't eat the meat of heaven this week. I had a companion exchange in Sagonakhon this last week with the coolest khon thai companion ever!! Sagonakhon is known in THailand for eating dog meat. Which made sense because when I got there, no dogs barked or chased me down, because they know the consequences ;) Dumb dogs.... But I was like on a search to eat dog meat. I literally had to at some point in my life and everyone was telling me how delicious it was. We couldn't find it. I was sad to say the least. I wanted to eat it so bad. Every sort of food in thailand is so good. I'm sure I would love eating the dumb things that chase me. Anyways. I loved it there. Defintiely way more poor over there. We went to an investigators how where her house it literally HALF the size of my room in California and she had NO walls and just stilts with a tin roof on top. Her floor was concrete and she had 2 kids. One was severley autistic... It was rough to see these conditions. There church was a rented room on the side of the street with an english poster on it. Crazy.... Life is crazy in Sagonakhon. But I loved it at the same time. I really ate some sketchy food there. Some chicken gross bones with meat. Some fishy papaya salad that I'm pretty sure wasn't washed and some old sticky rice. Let's just say I prayed harder than I've ever prayed that it would nourish my body........... I'm here today, harvesting rice. God answers prayers. Also I ate some fish meatballs that night. And no. Processed meatballs with a solid color. Ohhhhhhhh soooooo nassssttttttyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy........ I just plugged my nose and ate.... woo. Mom I can eat your stroganagh now. Haha. Or mushrooms Gahday! I've got a steel stomach, or gag reflex.... ooowaa. Anyways I really enjoyed working with a native, my thai is fine, get's me around and holds conversations, and can teach any gospel principle, but it's good to understand words and learn more grammar from a native. Pray I get a khon thai companion! Haha.

  

    This week is transfers. Pretty crazy. I've been in this area for 16 weeks now. I would love to move to see other places but I'm fine here in Udon with my Recent converts that I love and Udon is so great. I'm for sure getting a new companion. I'm killing her either tomorrow or wednesday. Depends on if I go to bangkok or not! Wooohooo. Yeah we still haven't heard the news. A little nerve racking to know that in the next 36 hours I could be packing with sister Carter.... So stinking weird..... Tomorrow night she heads to Bangkok for a Pday on Wednesday. If I don't end up going to Bangkok I don't get a Pday this week. Because today we are working. Which sort of sucks I won't lie. But I got to email today. Hurray... Sister Carter is taking some things home with me... Still no ties. If there are ties it will be in Bangkok. And if I go on Wednesday then I will buy some for sure:) Love you all.

   

    Oh man..... Conference. It was soooo Christmas. I'm not joking.... I had a freak out the night before. I was buying lots of snacks and all 8 missionaries sat downstairs with comfy chairs and a tv and watched it in english. I've never had 8 hours of happier life in Thailand. I was so pumped they were talking about missionary work. Elder Uchtdorf obviously gave one of my favorites. I forgot my notes! But he said something about someone not having moral enough standards to come to church and he was like "Great! Our church nourishes our imperfections." I LOVED that. This gospel is supposed to make our weaknesses become strong. Only through Jesus Christ and his atonement that is made possible. We should all be working on our imperfections daily because we have the gospel in our life! So cool. And Elder Ballard? I can't remember but someone in Sunday Afternoon said that it's fine to have all these recreational activites in our life but what is our main focal point? What is Our Priority. Is it God? Something else I loved because in THailand no ones focal point is GOd. I'm grateful to live in a country that is "one nation under god." It's more than THailand has. Then ah. I can't remember... oh yes! The man with the"exclamation marks." He was a little rediculous but awesome and had great points. Does anyone remember his three points? Because I can't to be honest right now ha. But his second point I want to emphasize. He said "pray for your missionaries in your ward, AND their investigators by name. Go up to them. Find out the elders, or sister's names and ask them who their investigators are and pray for them." It's sooo simple. But SOOO impactful. If I had the members showing effort here and asking what my investigators names were. I would be so touched. I still haven't had anyone do it yet. But please. Take his challenge and go do it in your wards. The missionaries, the Investigators, and Heavenly Father would soooooo appreciate it if you put forth the effort to learn the names of those who are help building zion!

   

     Thats all for this week I think. Next week I"ll have a new copmanion.....WEIRD! I love you and miss you guys so much. It's okay to say you miss me. Because I miss you guys too. But I'm totally confident I'm supposed to be here right now. My Patriartichal blessings says so!

Much Love,

Sister Phelps

Sis C. and I eating chocolate chip bread and watching conference in our comfy chairs...

 My companion and I matching in our awesome ugly skirts (I don't know why I bought those. They are terrible.) But we wore them every Sunday for 9 weeks straight.

Today planting rice with Sister Phon our relief society president!

Me and a water buffalo in Sagonakhon.....

Sister c and I eating Moo Bing (Pork skewer sooo good)

The family and I with no walls in Sagonakhon..... So crazy... Thats their house.... 

Today and the rice

Me and my khon thai companion...... SIster Somboonitt in Sagonakon....

Family Friends....what up?

สวํสดี คะ! 

    

    I've returned from the promise land of Bangkok. But seriously. Aseon is the craziest third world country anyone has seen compared to Bangkok. We wash our dishes in giant buckets up here. We have squatter toilets that we have to pay 3 baht to use. (I feel way too bad for whoever has to clean that crap...no pun intended). We also take our shoes to go off in a dirtier house. It's crazy!!! I love it though. Udon is seriously my home. I love living in this poverty. Our house just barely got a water heater the other day. Oh my, we are sooo lucky.... BUT I'M IN THAILAND. I had that realization the other day. I have almost gotten through 6 months of my mission. There is absolutely no way..... I'm seriously SO asian now you wouldn't believe. I use toilet paper for everything. I absolutely love love love rice and get sooo excited every time I eat something. I see people making my food without gloves off the streets and it doesn't phase me one notch anymore. ..... now this is where is gets really asian...

           

    I GOT RICE IN MY SHOES SATURDAY.... Okay. I may have worked that up more than it's worth but seriously. Went to a rice factory. Honestly the coolest thing ever. Our relief society teacher took us there to de seed her rice( did you know that was a process, I do now) after a teaching appointment she drove us to. It was such a classic rice factory in the good old aseon with workers that only spoke aseon...... Oh man. Giant machines that turn brown rice to white rice. de seeding machine. Oh my. my life seriously. Is . The. Best.... Sister Carter and I were having SOOO MUCH FUN. Seriously. we created videos. That she will show you when you go see her... I love it so much haha... I'll see if I can send pictures...

     

    Sounds like conference was a dream! We get to watch it this saturday and sunday. I'm so excited there are no words to describe this little school girl feeling inside!!!!!! I'll tell you my thoughts next week.!

   

    This week was a good week. We had no investigators except one meet with us this last week. It was rough. We got 2 investigators in church yesterday. So that was good. We have a responsibility to teach EVERY member in udon about tithing this month. Because we need Melchizedek priesthood holders and no one here pays tithing. And you have to have tithing to buy a temple and you need Melchizedek priesthood holders to get a ward then a stake and so on.... So we have been doing that this week. I'm a boss at teaching tithing now. In Thai. Just kidding. Always room for improvement but I really feel the spirit every time we teach a family about tithing and the blessing of the temple and the only way you can go to the temple is if you are a full tithe payer. Because obviously the temple means so much to me and so telling everyone that we are working to get thailand a temple brings the spirit so strong in a lesson. Oh man. Temples are awesome. A 3 hour plane ride is the nearest this country, cambodia, burma, myannmar, and loas has to a temple...... makes me SICK. Sick family. haha DON'T TAKE THE TEMPLE FOR GRANTED. Oh you have to mop the floors today instead of going to the temple to do a session? Guess what. Thailand doesn't have floors or a temple..... haha. I'm kidding. They have concrete. But seriously. I see the struggle it is for the members saving up all their money for a week trip to the temple to take their endowments out. More than half our ward doesn't see the blessings of a temple... And I have. I feel guilty. But hey. America is the promised land. Don't forget.

      

    This week was cool. One day we prayed so hard to find a family to teach the gospel to. We went to a grocery store and sang hymns and passed out pass along cards and this guy takes one and me and sister carter like prounce on him. We are like hey whats up. Come learn the gospel. And he said this whole week i've known that I need to switch me and my family to a christian religion. BAM PRAYER ANSWERED. See in 3 Nephi 14:7-8 I think? But ask and ye shall receive knock and it will be opened unto you. Classic. All we have to do is asked. Sister Carter tells me that if I wanted to stay in udon or move out of Udon this next transfer that the Lord will answer my prayer if I aline it in Christ's name my prayer will be answered...

   

    Oh something cool from personal study.... Something I learned about closing in Christ's name. Have you ever gone to the bible dictionary and studied about why we close in Christ's name. It's the last paragraph..... It really opened up my mind to my prayers I offer. Anyways. Homework. Do it. Live it. Love it! 

   

    Like I said. Not much happened this last week. But I'm loving being a missionary. The language is awesome even though somedays I feel like I can't speak a lick of it. haha. It really doesn't phase me because I'm probably doing just fine with the language. Every loves me and loves to speak with me. Wow that sounded self centered. I'm 20 now. I'm far from that. But yes. Sister Carter dies next week! She is so excited. I'm excited for her too. Life is good. This is the best thing for me. Also marie your letter cracked me up about the boys telling you your hair looked like mine. Miss those butt cheeks. Kiss them for me!

-Sister Phelps

Our kid adventures

Our Train adventures

Sister CARTER and I got these things that make our buns perfect. We match everyday. And I got a flat tire. Classic pictures

our rice adventures

This week

    What's up lovely people?! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA. I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANY SISTER IN LAW I WILL EVER HAVE..... PLEASE STAY PRETTY.

    I'm in Bangkok! The greatest ride up EVER. Sleeper train anyone?!?! SIster Carter and I were like. Okay. This is an adventure we are going on! SOOOOO AMAZING! Such a ghetto train. We both were on top bunks. They had little curtains for the beds. The bed next to me had a broken curtain and there was just a man....with no shirt sleeping there. I obviously got a picture! haha..... Anyways.... I slept pretty good. I won't lie...... Comfy old mattresses..... 13 hour train ride....worth it....

    Last week really started off with a bang.... And by that I mean I fell in a sewer..... Great ending to my pday......I had 7 Thai people lifting me out of it..... I really enjoyed washing off...... You never know what to expect in Thailand family! Hahaha. Okay. I really did fall in....but.... it's a little bit more sad than my whole body falling in.... There was a grate to a sewer.... and I started to fall in it because i have little feet and didn't see that there was a bar missing in the grate. But here is the sad part....my fat legs kept me from falling all the way down...... my fat part of my leg was my saving ordinances from becoming a crocodile...... I don't know what was worse, the thai people trying to pull me up but had a hard time because the fat part of my leg was stuck, or the fact that my leg is just sitting in poop....... In the end I decided that the worst part of my body troubles was that I was hungry. And then laughed it off with sister Carter......

    Next. Tuesday. I went to a school! For Thai children. And they were soooo obsessed with the fact that sister Carter and I were white... Oh my gosh. It was so fun. The children were like 6 years old or something. SOooooo funnn.... One of our less actives is their teacher and invited us and the kids looved it... We sang them I am a child of God.... They all bowed down to us and waied us and hugged us. Probably totally against the rules. But hey. I wasn't going to throw a little child off of me. Especially well behaved children that are asian. I was in heaven. I miss them..... That was soooo amazing!

    Thusday I had a companion exchange! I love it!!!!  Wooop so awesome. Sister Packard which is my nong in the MTC... I went to Roi Et. It was pouring and it was my first time I waded through water..... WE taught some lesson there and we just loved working with each other. Our THai is so incredible I can't believe the Lord blesses us so much as missionaries.... I love this language! It's hard, I won't lie. But it's awesome! And I can't believe it that mom and dad ate sticky rice! The real stuff! Isn't soooooo amazing? I litterally just get 10 baht worth for lunch sometimes and some fruit. Soooooo goood! ANd Som Thom (yes mom you spelt it wrong) is honestly the best. I'm excited for everything..... I can't wait till you come pick me up! Right? You guys are coming yeah? I have to experience THailand with you guys. Marie, you would love it here. THey have free zumba like classes at every park at night. It's seriously so awesome. I'm so jealous. I just always want to go join. They look soooo fun. The have like 3 at each park.... I miss our "gym" days. And by that I mean our free trials that we got too lazy to even go to those hahaha, 

Man i miss every single juan of my sibs. Watching simpsons with tyler, LOng car rides and life talks with Jessica, playing wii with meagan, taylor...ahaha watching taylor buy shoes(I know taylor I'm the worst at our memories), Erika and I just being the only 2 at home for a couple years and all of her boyfriend(haha), Wes and our apps obsessions, Marie and our awesome last few months together with tanning, movies, and painting nails, and Colby and going crazy at work those last 8 months of my life..... Oh Pdays. I love them.

I don't have much planned for today but I go back on Wednesday! WE have lots more baptismal dates.... We are hoping for 4 before sister Carter leaves.... I love the work in Udon! I love my RC's. I can't live with out them. I'm obsessed. 

I pray for everyone every night! I love you so much! Keep reading the Book Of Mormon! It's amazing!

Sister Phelps