Sawadii!
Ok, so life here in Thailand is NEVER boring!
First off, my birthday was great, having real milk was divine. I won't even tell you how fast it was gone. Since we're back in Chiang Mai we might go get some more. Going to see the tigers was pretty awesome. We went and played with the full size ones and the 2-4 month old ones. It was weird to be that close to them and be able to touch them. They definitely aren't sedated either. One of the little ones was all over the place and got in trouble for trying to play with us by nipping at our skirts and hands.
So, you know how I flew back to Bangkok on the 9th. Well we did. Sister Sorge, Sister Yinn, and I all hopped on a plane for Thailand at 6:30 in the morning. It was a nice short flight, we got in aroud 7:15, found our luggage and got a taxi to our house in Saphaan Suung. There we met the Sisters who had been moved there, Sister Tano, Sister Knight, and Sister Lisch. They had actually been stuck in a members house for a week the day after we left Bangkok. We would've been there too if we hadn't left. Anyway, one of the streets next to our house was flooded but you could still get in from the other street but we knew that probably meant we would have to move that night. We were catching up with the sisters and eating some lunch (we can only eat packaged food in Bangkok right now because of contamination issues so we were just eating crackers, bread, and cereal) and just as we were getting ready to go to District meeting, around 10:30, President Smith calls Sis. Sorge and tells her that apparently the MTC decided not to send the new missionaries again (Pres. found this out on the way to the airport) and therefore the three of us needed to get on a bus back to Chiang Mai immediately, Sis. Sorge still needed a companion.
So yes, I am writing you again from Chiang Mai haha. Basically I went to Bangkok for lunch and came back. We were literally in Sapaan Sung for an hour and a half. After Pres. called we threw all our stuff back together and caught a bus that ended up leaving around 2:00 for Chiang Mai. It was a reasonably nice bus, one of those big tour buses. Anyway, the ride out of Bangkok, ususally a 20-30 minute ride, took 5 hours. I am not exaggerating. It was nuts! We drove through all the most affected areas, Rangsit, Ayuttaya. It was crazy. The main highway is high enough that it can still be used but traffic was unbelievably slow but I'm glad we had the chance to see the flood. It was completely surreal. We drove past the smaller airport used for incountry flights and it was completely submerged in water. There was a plane still on the runway and the water was all the way up past the belly of the plane. It was weird to see all the people hanging out on the side of the highway, and people walking, driving, or boating in the water. At the same time all the buildings seemed completely deserted. Where ever you go in Bangkok, even in the unaffected areas, there are empty cars lining the highways and bridges because people wanted their cars to be safe. I hear that the biggest danger from the flooding is people stepping on power lines and dying or people trying to help people who were shocked. After that is the problem with snakes and crocodiles. I also heard that the dog population dropped, sad but probably a good thing.
Anyway, we got back to Chiang Mai at the lovely hour of 4:00 am and got a good 2 hour rest before getting back to work on Thursday. On Thursday night we did have the chance to go with one of our investigators to play a little for the Loy Gratone Festival. It is the holiday where everyone sends floating lanterns into the air and floats flowers and candles in the water. It was literally like I was in the lantern scene from "Tangled". So sick! Meaning it was gorgeous. There was a full moon and thousands of lanterns lighting the sky. We were definitely lucky to be in Chiang Mai for it.
We had a bit of a rough week in terms of missionary work, part of that was not being here for a day. But one of our families dropped us and they had had a date. It was a bummer. The mom, who was super interested and reading and praying everyday, was also reading the gospel principles book in her spare time and she loved everything it taught about families and all the good things in it. But she got to all the commandments and I think she just got scared. She told us she couldn't keep them. There were too many and she couldn't do it and her mom couldn't either. Her mom has high blood pressure and the doctor told her to drink beer and neither of them can give up coffee. We told her that she is welcome to call us whenever she feels ready. Obviously the key word here is "can't". If she had the faith and desire, of course she could do it. We didn't feel like we should push it right now though. She'll come back when she is ready. She knows that every commandment is for her benefit. There were some other let downs but also some good things. Sister Ann, a longtime investigator, is getting baptized this week. She's been ready for a little while but we were all hoping her husband would progress a bit faster so they could get baptized together but it's time for her to move forward and we know he will follow. Her husband, Brother Jack, is great and will definitely get there but he's not ready to give up his job to be able to keep the Sabbath holy. He dotes on his wife and son though and everything he does is for them so he'll make it happen eventually.
We have some great goals this week so we know it will be better and that we'll find new people who are ready for this message. Tomorrow is Zone Conference and Elder Gong from the Area Presidency is coming (Is this our Elder Gong, I can't figure it out, I guess I'll find out tomorrow) so it should be a pretty great meeting. We have been asked to study the Restoration specifically to prepare for the conference. This morning for personal study I decided to read the Joseph Smith History to brush up on his experience. What an incredible testimony! I've read and heard it a hundred times but it never ceases to amaze me, the testimony he bears. I was definitely getting getting goosebumps as I read, the Holy Ghost's favorite way of telling me something is true. As incredible and unbelievable as Joseph's story is, you feel the sincerity and truth of his words as you read. As Elder Holland has said, no bad man could make up a story like this, could fake the Book of Mormon and no good man would. I love the Restoration and the way it just makes sense. Everyone needs to know that God still speaks to a prophet today, that his authority is back on the earth and that we have the ablility to return to live with God because we can perform the ordinances necessary to do so.
Love you all!
Sister King
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