Hey Family

Hey Family

    It's early I know. We are going to Ayuttaya today... It's a city of ancient ruins and Budda statues and wait for it... RIDING ELEPHANTS...... Yeah. My district is going. We are pretty cool. Pretty stoked. Last week for Pday we went biking around this Island (You think i would get sick of biking but...I don't) Anyways it was sooo beautiful. Very buddist with lots of wats. Oh man. Wats are litterally the weirdest things. Now people thing mormons are weird. Worshiping idols is way different. There is a giant budda with a disco ball on it's head. Lot's of insence and a TON of red Fanta soda for their anscestors (THe believe the red fanta keeps the ghosts away). But on top of that the have people wai ing the statues and doing crazy sand scrit chants and lifting boulders above their heads. I just guess I will never understand it. It's just weird but hey. I respect that they go to the temples and cherish their ancestors.. But anyways. The island was BEAUTIFUL. So many Thai Pottery things. Just a beautiful island with lots of dogs. Best part is taking the little ferry over there with our bikes. :) I have pictures.

    This week we spent 20 minutes on the phone with a member figuring out what we wanted for dinner. I love white people. Seriously. I'm in the right place. 

    THIS WEEK. ANyways. I won't say to much. Still a little stressed. I felt the spirit in our work a ton more this last week though. Something that I feel like prayers were answered on that part. I'm loving this baptizing stuff. But I think the pressure is more for the elders to be driven. None of the sisters really get motivated off of numbers. We get motivated off of getting a temple in Thailand. Numbers definitely concribute to that but I heard a story about 3 stone cutters for the temple and a reporter asked each one of them what they were doing. The first said he was cutting stone. The second said he is earning 3 pieces of gold everyday. And the last one says, "I'm building a temple of god." That story was in our investigator class haha. But I'm pretty sure it was for me. I'm building a kingdom of God. Not baptizing every asian I find. haha. But don't get me wrong. Still teaching towards baptism every chance we get. 

    Our pool of investigators is amazing. We found 2 of Gods elect this last week. They are ready. we are excited. One is a chinese girl who speaks very little english that was atheiest before she met with us. After she told us she knows she is closer to Jesus Christ. And she KNEW without a shadow of a doubt she is supposed to be baptized. We are working with her getting her visa first. But. Oh man. What a cool experience.....

    Yesterday. We had an investigator named Mongkhon that we gave over because he was in the other branch. But the sisters that are teaching him right now called us last night and was like Mongkhon prayed yesterday and said inhis Thai/English prayer: "Bless my best friends sister Ellis and Sister Phelps for helping me find the God."........It's those moments that keep me going:) Too great. Awe. Love it.

I'll send some pictures from my island trip last week! Love you tons!

Sister Phelps

Also. This is my chat with President last week. I feel better haha. Plus I'm hilarious when it comes to analogys.

"Hey president!

This week was definitely stressful. Definitely a lot of pressure from the zone leaders. We are seeing miracles but unfortunately our miracles end up in the other branches area. So we are working through them. We had some miracles show up yesterday at church. We are hoping they will be baptized on sunday! Pretty fast. But if there is one thing SIster Ellis and I have learned this week is that we are NOT in charge. At all. The big guy upstairs is pushing the shopping cart of his own work. We just are the little kids that are riding in the basket throwing our favorite cereal in the cart but then he obviously reminds us that there are better cereals out there. He just laughs and put our nonsense back on the shelf and continues to push his work the way he needs it. We just get to ride along enjoying the time we spend with him. What a good dad right? I hope that analogy was making sense just a little bit haha! Thanks for this month. It has really shown my potential as a missionary!"

-Sister Phelps

Dear Sister Phelps,

Great shopping cart analogy!  Don't stress to much about pressure from Zone Leaders.  A little bit of pressure is good in my life, as I seem to work better under it with heightened mental and spiritual acuity. But it should never get in the way of our ministry as representatives of Jesus Christ. I know that you will maintain a proper balance.  Have a great week.

President Senior

Island "Ko Kret" I am a fan of that tree picture. Too cool

Fhe last week... 

This is our Less Active Nam. She is so small

I killed the clown at the park

This hilarious Cafe you're just like. What? haha

My legs get FILTHY in Bangkok.... Oh soooo gross.

This is how we do it. Ice cream. FILTHY legs. Phone calls and planners at 9 oclock at night... Too fun.

This is a thai named YOK. She reminds me exactly like Maddie from college. Acts like her, super stylish and cute. Gosh I miss that maddie girl! haha. 

It's Okay. I'm alive.

    MOBS IN THAILAND. They are fun. No worries. They are harmless. Just are really loud and cause traffic. But it looks like they are celebrating for something. Obviously being a missionary I'm out of the loop on basically everything...... This morning we walked to the internet cafe and we knew that the 13th it was going to be weird with the mob. But we start walking and bam. Huge groups of motorcycles just start block off this intersection and start cheering. Lots of flags. Lots of Asians. And a lot of rice. Haha just kidding about the rice.... But me and Sister Ellis had no idea what was happening so we jump behind this giant cylinder haha. Just for like 1 minute until we decide that we wanted a picture and it seemed harmless.....  And it was really harmless. Just a bunch of happy asians...... But we are in Pak kret. I wonder what is happening down town. Anyways.....

    Merry january. I have some really good news. I taught someone named "Poo"..... He obviously didn't want baptism but it's fine. Having poo in the baptismal font is just not a good idea to begin with:) Just kidding. Gosh. I'm immature. But i think Tyler understands me...... This is why we love the Simpsons. Speaking of which I love my simpsons pillow case. Still gives me a piece of my life....

    Well This week. Ugh. Full of Miracles and Full of disappointments. Definitely ended on the latter part. But our mission every companionship needs 2.6 baptisms this month like no exceptions. And we had 6 daters at the begining of last week for this month. We were like. Ok. Thats fine.... Then we taught the family:) I've never felt more successful as a missionary and I knew god was behind it all. They were ready to walk into the water. They are so excited. Then we found someone else whose name is mongkhon. He was actually a referral from Sister Hughes my MTC companion in CHang Mai. But he was AWESOME. jUst ready to walk into the font too. But then we had 2 daters we ended up dropping because they weren't keeping commitments then we found out the family and this mongkhon guy are in the other branch so we had to give them to the other missionaries and then another dater pitted. So yesterday we were left with one dater. We were so upset. On top of that I had a fever saturday and yesterday. We went to church and on the way there. There was this dumb perv that was on a motorcycle and grabbed my companions butt and she was ticked. I was ticked to until he wouldn't leave us alone and grabbed my butt and I'm on my bike and shove this idiot and he just drives off. I'm like you've got to be kidding me. We were pissed. Ticked beyond belief. I almost chased this dude down. But I had a fever so whatever. Then as we are crossing the street to get to church this idiot decided to speed up in the last lane of 8 lanes. Almost nails me. my comp stopped behind me thankfully and the dude swerves and causes an accident. Like this guy was so dumb. But we were pretty shaken up about it. Then we get to church and the dumb elders tell us they have a golden referral for us and then totally forget her before they got to church. I'm like. Elders. Please just have a brain! But yeah. It ended on a bad note. I went to sleep last night at 5 pm and woke up this morning at 8. Definitely feeling better. But we are stressed this week! We are praying for a miracle....... Pray that we will get a miracle.

I got back into my kick of chocolate milk shakes.... They are just too good. No more coagulated blood for me..... 

I also miss my car. Send a picture of her please...

This is Sister Phelps. Signing off.

What's good

    Happy New year! It's good to see wesley is a banana and Owen and Jacob are just adorable as ever!  I come home this year. I feel totally sick thinking about it actually. 9 and a half months..... 2 weeks I will be half way done with my mission.... THAT'S insane. Seriously...... I swear I was just in the MTC so innocent and knew nothing about missionary work. And now I'm in North Bangkok training... i've just changed so much in 9 months. We received this awesome talk about the 10 gifts you get to take home from your mission by president Hinkley and I just like sat and cried( what else is new? I just cry all the time haha) But I was just really really grateful for what a mission has done for me and how much of a better daughter, mother, sister I will be. Feels like a good accomplishment.

    Like most of you. I have a new years resolution to get skinny. I have a plan to be sexy by the time I get home. It's a good thing sister ellis and I run every morning on treadmills.... Yeah. I'll be sexy. Can't come home fat. Can't happen. But also I am going to read the Book of Mormon in Thai. That will be hard. Although I am in 2nd Nephi. I just don't understand everything everything ahaha. 

    OH this is hilarious. There is a joke flying around. They save if you serve in the States you go back home a scriptorian. If you serve Spanish or French speaking you come back a linguist. And if you go to an Asian speaking mission, you just come back. Hahah. I sometimes think. Will I ever understand everything? Spanish missionaries have it so easy.... What's establish? Establicion.... Yeah. owned. Asian language is hard.... Love it. But I don't think I'll ever be perfect at it.. haha. Oh well. I'm pretty good now..... I'll be patient.....

So I love my comp. She is adorable. And I found out why we love each other..... Because.... BAM her dad is an appliance dealer owner store man. Hahah We bonded pretty hard over that.... Except he owns a small sears store...... but yeah. Pretty sweet.... She was also valedictorian. So she is freaking smart. It's weird haha......

My gag reflex ever since the coagulated blood has been a little flimsy. I'm like. you have got to be kidding me. I was getting pretty good for a while. I was eating mushrooms. Sketchy sushi. All which were delicious. But my reflex yesterday eating a squishy mushroom was a little rough. haha.... Oh well. I'll get good again....

    Yesterday! Miracles. FAMILY WE HAVE A FAMILY TO TEACH. It's honestly a miracle. Sister Ellis and I fasted for this and guess what happens at church. A family shows up wanting to change there lives to meet God. It's there new years resolution. Guess what else. I contacted the wife at this soup restaurant. And guess what else. I do not remember it one bit. I usually get several phone numbers in my planner and I will write a small bio about the people I receive and this time. No bio. Nothing just a number. So I was so confused and just couldn't remember this number. The following week this lady calls me and I have her name connected with the phone number. But OH my gosh. I don't remember talking to this lady. I swear the Lord just put her name in my planner because he prepared their family to hear our message. Anyways. We are really really really excited. It was a huge miracle..... HUGE miracle.... Goes to show that talking to everyone is a huge deal. I can't believe I barely talked to one person at home. Now I'm talking to about a hundred in a couple days. haha.... gosh.

    Also I ran into another man at the park invited him to church. And he wants it so bad. It was way cool. So solid in the gospel. We handed him over to the elders because they didn't have a lot of people to teach..... We miss that guy haha. He is sooo cool. But when I contacted him I just really didn't feel like a necessity to talk to him. It was just a normal contact but it just really is amazing who the Lord puts in you path. 

    I'm stinking tired. Our English program in Bankok is out of control. SO many students. At least like 200. We have 12 teachers (some are thai students) But It's crazy. Our class rooms are filled. It's sooo much fun. We love it. Sister Ellis and I teach Intermediate students. They are pretty good at english. Know vocab well just aren't fluid speakers..... Last week in class we showed a picture of a skyscraper and someone (confidently) Said LOOK IT'S A SKY CRAPPER. Hahaha. the Missionaries were dying..... Oh we lost our selves... We are so innocent and awkward anything works haha....

    I had a really good personal study again. In Phillipians 4:11-13. Talks about being content will your life and how we are always needing to be hungry and full(spiritually) all the time and finding strength through Christ. I must admit, it's been a heck of a journey with how hard it is. But I'm living these scriptures. I'm totally content. I don't need things in life. It's just a thing. Maybe an iphone 7s but nothing else :) haha. But really

    This week was way good though... I can't believe it's 2014. I can't fathom it. I swear this last year was the fastest year of my life. I had a dream i was back at the singles ward and someone asked me about my mission and I told them it was the fastest year of my life and I was balling in my dream so upset my mission was over. But then I woke up and was so freaked out ha. I was like. That's exactly how it's going to be. This mission is a time warp. I'm loving it! I don't want to leave Bangkok. It's where i need to be haha. President senior just pops out of no where all the time. It's just excellent.... I love it. I'm loving life..... Old things are done away with in 2013. Time for a fresh start! Next new years I will be miserable about to start school. I'll always want to be back in Thailand haha. LOVE YOU ALL..... 

Sister Phelps

one of my less actives lives on a sweet island. Definitely the coolest..... 

We got new name tags. I will admit. I'm a huge fan.

And a small pic of our apartment...... 

This is my poem

Whats good. I just saw your faces. It was christmas. This is my poem. 

    But seriously! I'm sorry all I could do was cry.! I had nothing good to say. But it was way sweet to see your sobbing faces too! I'm super happy about the skirts and ties! They are just the coolest!!!!

    Christmas here was absolutely great! about 55 people called us to wish us merry christmas even if they were thai and didn't celebrate it. I enjoyed it thouroughly! We had lunch at a members. THey fed us honey roasted ham. It was a stinking dream. They gave us a christmas present of aall these american foods. We were in heaven. Peanut butter. Jelly. Popcorn. Granola bars. Pringles. Top ramen.... just a ton of things..... So sweet. then we went shopping at central. I got a sweet pair of new shoes for a hundred and something baht. So like 5 dollars.....They are freaking adorable..... I'll have to take a picture one day. i'm like debating if I want to save them for my wedding that will never happen or just buy another pair............ Still haven't decided. But then for dinner we ate at another members house some chicken stuffed with stuffing. So delicious. THey also gave us a few gifts. They are just the sweetest!

    MY AREA! I've been here for two weeks now. Definitely the happiest i've been since my mission started. My companion Sister Ellis is honestly so sweet. We are working hard and seeing Miracles. My companion is from Boise Idaho. She doesn't live on a farm. She worked in a bakery. She has a boyfriend waiting for her and it's so stinking cute. They are 23 and were going to get married but she just had a huge gut wrenching feeling she needed to go on a mission. He has been way supportive and it's just the cutest.... She is in love but not distracted whatsoever. She is a stud. I'm finishing her training and she had a rough time with her old companion. We get along probably the best out of all my companions to be honest. We are just both very fun people that just like to work with no drama. I don't see any flaws in her. She is honestly the greatest. WE laugh and have lots of fun working together..... She does struggle in the language though. I'm trying to help her through that. But it's good that about 40 percent of our work is in english. Because she is a scriptorian. Way good with the scriptures. I'm way excited to be her companion to get some secular knowledge from her. She went to Jeruselam BYU on a study abroad and just has a founding love for the bible and it's made me totally motivated to go to Jeruselam too.... If I'm rich when I get home I totes might do it. There is no price for knowledge. She is way cool though. I'm really excited to be here In Pak kret with her. 

    Pak Kret is the COOLEST. I have the best area. It's fairly freaking large area. 35 minute bike ride to our apartment from our church.... In our Pak kret branch whcih is the Thai branch we have 6 missionaries. Us and 4 Elders and then in our Changwattana Branch with is the international branch it's just me and Sister Ellis. It's way good. We have a lot of Africans that we teach. 3 out of our 4 daters are in the international branch. It's pretty dang sweet I won't lie..... Black People are honestly the coolest. I won't lie. They are born with natural abilities...... It's the cooliest.... Our international ward pretty much all the white people are in this goverment community because they work for the US Embassy. There area is called Nichida. Rich community with Maids that are phillipino or thai. It's pretty funny. Whenever we go over for dinner they actually don't cook. Their maids do.... But some of the maids are in our ward. The phillipinas are the cutest. They live right outside of the nice community in small little shacks and they are just the humblest people. I always talked about grandma and grandpa petersen and they always are like, where did they go? So If I could find that out it would be great. One of our investigators is phillipina. I just love my area so much...

    Yesterday in our international branch Sister Ellis and I gave talks AND taught primary. It's crazy to see how much this branch utilized there missionaries.... Besides the 6 hours of church. Sundays are the coolest.....

    We definitely see a lot of miracles from being obedient. I'm just missing Asean food is all. But my digestive tract is pretty normal here. So I guess that is good..... 

    Somehting funny about my area is Sister Carter, my trainer, trained sister Sahagun here in pak kret. Then sister Carter moved to udon and trained me. Then sister Sahaagun stayed here and Trained Sister Tilley. Then Sister Sahagun moved to udon with me aand we both trained there and then me and sister Tilley just swapped places.... So this area and udon have been in my training family. Sister carters last area was Chang Mai so we all joke that we will meet up in Chang Mai after this haha. I love it.

    Last week on Christmas day I finished the book of Mormon again. It was a happy day. Good feelings. Now I'm reading it in thai. Some phrases in Thai kill and crack me up.... Oh jeez. It's just cavemen is all.

    I'm so happy everyone had an awesome christmas. I will be honest. I'm pretty sure Asian skirts have never been worn with boots. So congrats on being original:) Haha. Love you all. You're all great! This morning in my personal study I was studying in Moses chapter one. I honestly don't think I've ever read it. It reminded me of the cartoon Hercules when I was reading it though. So if you want to have fun reading. Read that chapter with Hercules in mind.... But anyways...I thought it was so legit that after God and Moses were speaking face to face, Moses falls to the ground for several hours and realized how much power God had and how much man had nothing. He recognized that mans strength ONLY comes from God. And it was totes cool feeling the same in my life how I've seen that only God has power over my life and man has no power. I've been grateful to take this gift into my life and to really give God all my credit. After that happens to Moses Satan comes and tries to tempt him and Moses is like, really dude? You are an idiot. I just had God come and now you little ninny are trying to take that away from me. Then he just tells him to get out of his life. I know that if we make God our anchor temptations will be alot easier to stay away from. SO COOL.

    That's all I got. I'm loving life right now..... I'm eating meat. Not sketchy meat. Sorry erika you were barfing and hershey squirting it over in colorado. Next time I do that, I will think of you. WHY ARE KIDS SO ADORABLE. Connor told me I was blessed. Even though he said I'm the best. Which both are freaking true. I'm going to take a nap now. I can't believe I'm almost half way done with my mission. I'm always like. I'm a new missionary, i can't do this yet. When it's pretty much a lie...... Oh well. I'm way excited to see this area BOOM. Pray for us! 

Love always,

SEEEESTER PHELPSSS

goodbyes in udon. Way rough....

our swapping of companions.... yes me and sister her are matching

Sister Hughes my mtc comp. is training too. I was so excited. We both took pictures with our children.

my second born child

 my coagulated blood incident. It was so gross.. never will i eat that again

my girls sister Du plessis and Sister Stack. Miss them terribly

my companion and I rode a "Klong Monster." Which is a boat that rides on the sewer....It was fun till it splashed...

This was at the christmas party for bangkok mission.... 

just some fun...pb&j sandwiches

just some fun

tried to baptize a turtle

goodbyes continued

first born child (yes....after transfers i just put on a helmet to go home haha)

dad and connor