Sister Phelps: The Land of Smiles: 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.