Transfer 2 in Country!

This week has definitely been a doozy. After traveling to Bangkok, I picked up a terrible cold and about a billion mosquito bites...so I've been pretty sick. But luckily my new companion Sister Weed has been taking very good care of me. I've learned so much from her already in terms of different ways to learn and improve in the language, and new techniques when it comes to contacting. On Saturday we were able to contact for a bit, and even with me being sick, we were able to see a ton of success and had new investigators at church!

Me and my new companion Sister Weed (turns out I know her brother Bryson from BYU. And we have the same first name! crazy!)

District photo before Transfers!

This week I also had the opportunity to study about meekness and humility. I learned that Meekness=godfearing, righteous, humble, teachable, patient under suffering, calm, docile, tolerant, and submissive. Being Meek means behaving with goodness and kindness, showing strength, serenity, healthy self-worth, and self-control. The Humble are teachable, recognize how dependent they are on God, and desire to be subject to His will.

I feel like this has been something I have always struggled with. But since being in Thailand and serving the people here, they have taught me a lot about these principles. Even when they have so little, the Thai people exemplify these attributes of Meekness and Humility. Hopefully I can improve in these areas as well!

New District photo!

Sorry kind of a short email this week! Love and miss you all!

-Sister Lam

Farewell, Sister Orchard!

Sister Bee and her family helped us get all of Sister Orchard's stuff to the bus station. Sister Bee rode Sister Orchard's bike and followed us in the car! soooo crazy

Some of the members came to see us off at the bus station :)

Me and Sister Orchard

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Sorry my email headings have been getting super lame and boring...feel like I've lost my creative juices when it comes to emailing haha.

This week felt like it just flew by. I can't believe it's already a new week, and Sister Orchard will be leaving me and heading home in a few short days!! We head down to Bangkok late tomorrow night, I get to check out Sister Orchard's last area Bungupi, where she wants to visit members and do some death shopping, and then transfer meeting is on Thursday and I get my new companion. I'm pretty sure I'll be staying here in Ubon though. Well at least I hope so because of how much work we have done here that I know is not finished.

Sister Nii and Sister Dune are both doing well, but we had to move their baptisms to next month and maybe a little later since Sister Nii still needs to get things sorted out, and President Senior doesn't think Dune has come to church or been learning long enough to be baptized yet since she's only 14. But we haven't been letting that get us down. We're still working really hard! The other day we had a miracle walk in to the church. Literally this guy, Piim, just walks into the church and says he wants to be Christian and asked if he could have a Bible. Luckily, me and Sister Orchard were there when he walked in, and we were able to give him a Book of Mormon and teach him about the Restoration. He has a baptismal date for march 16! He's like a big rockstar or something too, cuz yesterday he left for bangkok for the rest of the month to hang out with his friends that are in the band "Potato" which apparently is a super popular band here. All of the members of our branch knew of them, so ya, we're lucky to have found Piim!

This is a quote I think that helped me keep up a positive attitude this week. "Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless...There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved." (President Thomas S. Monson) 

Elder Christiansen and Heiner in our district had 2 baptisms this past sunday for Sister Stamp and Sister Film! It was amazing seeing these girls transform once they accepted the gospel into their lives! Fun Sunday!

There is always something we can do to serve others. I know I have a tendency like most people to think of myself a lot and why hard things are happening to me. But I know that as we turn our efforts and our hearts outward in serving others, the Lord will truly bless us. I saw that blessing this week when Brother Piim walked into the church. Heavenly Father knew we were having a hard time, but we were still trying our best and He blessed us for our efforts! So I challenge you all to turn outward this week in service!

"The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." (Luke 18:27)

K and I will leave you all with that! I love you and I hope you all had an amazing Valentine's Day! Keep updating me on things in your life because I love to hear about them!

It's getting really hot...:(

Well I guess the cool weather I was surprised to find in Thailand is no more. I am officially in the hot, humid, sticky Thailand I remember, and it's not the most pleasant, but I'm dealing with it. This week has just like every week thus far had it's ups and downs. It all kinda just hit me that Sister Orchard will be leaving me in 10 short days, and I will have to lead the area for me and my new companion here in Ubon. 

Last P-day Sister Orchard wanted to buy some authentic Thai clothing before she heads home...so she played dress up for about 2 hours. Productive, I know ha

 Sister Kate! She actually served her mission in Thailand and is back here working! I love her so much, and she is always willing to help us teach investigators! Yay for member missionaries!

I had a minor freak out about it because I just feel like my Thai isn't very good, I don't know the members as well as I should, blah blah blah, and I realize that I just have a tendency to stress myself out, especially since being on a mission. Some of this stress could be due to the fact that our investigator Nii has some things in her life that have not been completely settled, so now we have to postpone her baptism, and I don't think Sister Orchard will be here to see it :( But it's ok, I know that Nii will get baptized eventually, and I (or maybe other missionaries) will be there to help her!

Me and Sister Dune!

Good news is though, another one of our investigators, Dune, is sooo ready to get baptized!!! Because she is under 18 though, we need to make sure we get approval from the Mission Presidency because she has been investigating for less than 3 months. (as a minor they are supposed to be going to church and learning for at least 3 months before they can get baptized) But I think President will make a special exception because how readily she reads the scriptures, how attentive she is when we teach, and how great she has been at keeping commitments!!! So the Lord is still blessing us in other ways :)

These little girls are the cute "sisters" of our investigator Dune! They come with her everywhere!

So because I first saw Sister Nii's trials a setback for us, I felt a little torn up this week. It's never easy when someone you loves has something you can't really help them with. But I read this random quote in the Liahona by Carol Dweck...I don't think she has any relation to the church, but I really liked what she said. "Never let failure progress from an action to an identity." Not only have I decided to apply that to myself, but I've been trying to help Nii and our other investigators apply this principle to themselves, especially when a lot of them feel so helpless and like they can't repent. But everyone, even when their trials and problems seem so helpless can be helped through the power of the Atonement!

This is the cutest half-asian I've ever seen!!! (besides my niece and nephew of course). I just wanted to take her with me everywhere!

And though I was frustrated at first that Nii would not be able to get baptized this week, I know that everything is done according to the Lord's timetable, and not my own. And there is a scripture that just threw that in my face when I happened upon it this week: "Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will." (D&C 88: 68)

Me with Sister Fa and Sister Fern (they're sisters). They are some of the young women in our branch and they are always willing to help us teach. They have actually been the ones fellow-shipping our investigator Dune :)

Well that's it for this week! I hope all of you are doing well and have the best Valentine's Day! I love you all!!!

love,

Sister Lam

Happy Chinese New Year!

It's the year of the horse right? Ha I probably should know this, but all of the members keep telling me it's the year of the horse, so hopefully they're right. It's amazing how many people are obsessed with the fact that I'm Chinese...I wonder if it's just cuz Chinese New Year happened...but they were pretty obsessed before then. Honestly I don't even know how they can tell that I'm a different ethnicity. So many people here look Chinese, yet they don't get asked every 5 seconds like I do...

Me and Sister Orchard trying to pull a selfy in front of this huge Chinese New Year set up at the park.

Anyways, thank you all for the love! I'm feeling a lot better this week. I'm pretty sure it was the flu...but I'm not positive, but I'm ecstatic that it's over and that we're back working really hard helping God's children find the truth!

This week I feel like I learned a lot about District unity. Our little district of 6 has been working so hard, but as we come together and share our efforts, our success only gets better I think. It's funny how much you really do rely on the encouragement and support of your district. I think a lot of people feel like missionary work is a competition sometimes and they just tend to keep to their companionship. But I've learned so much about teamwork. If you share your issues, efforts, finding tactics with each other, it doesn't matter who found more investigators because it's not a competition and it's not about the numbers. It's all about helping other people come unto the knowledge of the gospel! And it's funny working with the Elders here because apparently this is the first time they've ever worked with Sisters haha. So I feel like they are just way more willing to help us with anything because we're girls haaha. When I was sick, they were so good about taking care of our investigators and bringing us food, etc. since we couldn't leave the apartment. District unity!!! Such an amazing thing.

Sister Orchard and I like to wear matching sweatshirts to sports day at the church every Friday ha. (I'll miss the matching once she goes home :/)

In other news, Sister Nii is progressing so well!! So before she met us, she was in this Chinese sect of Buddhism that restricts like any male/female interactions...terrible I know. And because she has a daughter she feels like she's done this great and terrible sin and like she's not worthy for baptism. But we got to explain to her how families are such a central part of our gospel and our role here on earth! She's soooo cute and so humble, and I think she just worries too much about being perfect after baptism, which no one is! And that is the reason we partake of the Sacrament each week, so that we can renew those baptismal covenants and be re-cleansed from our sins! Gosh I feel like so many parts of our church just make more sense now since I've been out here serving! So hopefully, she will be ready to get baptized this Sunday. And they great thing is that the members have completely been taking her under their wing. It's so easy to feel loved here in Ubon. I know that I felt it the moment I got here, even though my Thai isn't perfect :/ they still love you!!

Me and Sister Shampoo...yes her name is Shampoo haha. She is a recent convert and we bond over all things pop culture. Don't worry though Ally, she'll never replace you!

This is a quote that really stuck with me this week from Elder Richard G. Scott. "God uses your faith to mold your character. Character is woven patiently from threads of doctrine, principle, and obedience. Character is the manifestation of what you are becoming. your character will be the yardstick that God will use to determine how well you have used your mortal life. Strong moral character results from consistent correct choices in the trials and testing of life."

I can't believe I've almost made it through my first transfer here in country!!!

Keep on emailing me :) and send me pictures of yourselves cuz I miss all of your faces so much! Well I mean I don't ONLY miss your faces, but you catch my drift ;)

Love,

Sister Lam

ps. Oh and a member from our branch just got his mission call!!! He's going to the California, Arcadia mission!!! All the members love that he's going to California cuz that's where I'm from!!!! So exciting!

Brother Dam with his mission call!!!

Miracles Happen! (hopefully you all know that song ha)

This week was rough in terms of my health. I got super sick, probably the sickest I've ever been in my life...so that wasn't too much fun. But we still managed to see miracles.

One day as we were heading home, me and Sister Orchard got the impression that we should just stop by this food market really quickly. So we got off our bikes, and literally the place was pretty empty. The only people there were the merchants, and they were all packing up. So we just took our time walking up and down these aisles of merchants, and we were at one of the last rows when this lady yells out to us. So we go over and talk to her and end up committing her to baptism right then and there! Her name is Nii. And we have met with her everyday since then. And she said that the reason she called out to us was that she felt that we had something important to tell her. So cool right!!!! And now we have it planned that she'll be baptized next week! The Lord truly prepares people to receive the gospel.,

And here's my spiritual thought for the week:

President Uchtdorf said: "The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets...Let us resolve to be happy, regardless of our circumstances."

Though this was a rough week for me in terms of health, I still saw the fruits of my efforts as I tried to find souls to bring to the Lord. So although I feel pretty weak right now in terms of physical ability, my spiritual strength has only increased, and I'm so happy we found Sister Nii at that market where we felt prompted to stop!

Hope everyone at home and at BYU are doing well!! I love hearing from you all!

love always,

Sister Lam

ps. sorry no pictures this week!

Thai Iron Chef

So I would have to say, one of the funniest things I experienced this week was when the youth here invited us to participate in their "Iron Chef" cook-off activity. They chose me to be one of the judges, and ya...I got to eat some interesting food. Bless their hearts though, they tried their best making European food haha. Basically I ate spaghetti with like a Thai sweet chili sauce...don' think they really know what goes on spaghetti. haha But they got the noodles rights! Ya...I ate a lot of weird things, but it was just such a fun time spent with the members.

Youth Iron Chef activity

 This is Brother Noy (he loves the spotlight ha and I really think he should be on tv)

And that is something I've learned a lot about this week: our relationship as missionaries with the members where we are serving. So I think before coming out here, I didn't really realize the importance of members in the conversion process. But rarely will we teach an investigator without a member present. The reason for this is, yes although the missionaries are the ones who teach the lessons, the members are the ones who help fellowship and experience with the investigators! Missionaries get the investigators to church, but it's the members that keep them coming to church. And this week we worked a lot with the members to see what we could do to help them more in this process so that our investigators really felt like they were coming home when they come to church and really as they come unto the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Baptism of Brother Saw (he's the cutest little tuk tuk driver I've ever met!!! He was one of the Elder's converts, but I needed to snag a picture because he is just so humble and cute!)

At home, I heard about the Stake Conference theme, which was centered all around hastening the work of salvation. It has become so much more evident to me how Satan is working to corrupt the most innocent things. All in all, everyone has their own agency to choose right from wrong, good from bad, but we should help make the choice easier by showing them the good that is right in front of them in the gospel of Christ! Don't be afraid to offer a helping hand or serve anyone because these are missionary moments most of us tend to overlook. People can tell there is a light about you just by the simple ways we act and we serve!

Brother Don, Sister Jaa and me :)

Elder Robert D. Hales said: "We need not be afraid if we are grounded in His (Jesus Christ's) Doctrine."

And this is a quote I love from President Henry B. Eyring, and I hope we all take this counsel. "Every covenant servant of His within His kingdom on Earth and in the spirit world will receive His guidance by the spirit as they bless and serve others for Him. And they will feel His love and find joy in being drawn closer to Him."

I think that this is just an incredible promise from our Savior. As we strive to serve others not for us but for Him, I know we will truly see the blessings.

 This is Sister Kat, one of the recent converts in our Branch. (She bought me a panda keychain cuz I'm Chinese hahahahaa)

This week we also had some trials as a member here traveling from Roi Et lost her mother here in Ubon. We had the opportunity to teach her mother, a nonmember, before she passed. And it was truly inspired how the words of comfort and peace flow from your mouth when you are trying your best to rely on the Lord. I know that she now has the opportunity to learn and accept the gospel in the spirit world, but it was still a sad thing to teach someone one day and have them enter the Lord's hands the next. But this experience just solidified my testimony of the plan of salvation and the truthfulness of our gospel. 

This is Sister Fern, one of the youth who is such an amazing help and teacher when it comes to helping investigators! She is going to be an incredible missionary some day!

Another cool thing I got to do was give a talk during sacrament meeting...ALL IN THAI!!! ya...I got the news on Saturday, which left me very little time to prepare, but I managed with a lot of prayer to give an understandable talk in Thai ha. I think everyone was impressed at my reading from the scriptures in Thai...little did they know, I practiced reading those verses (Moroni 10:4-5) A TON with Sister Orchard so that I wouldn't mess up come Sunday. Granted...probably shouldn't have made it look like I was such a good reader because then they called on me to read from the Gospel Principles manual in Thai during Sunday school....and ya that went rough. But it was funny :)

K sorry for the obnoxiously long email. I guess I didn't realize how much we did this week! I miss you and think about you in my prayers daily! Trust in the Lord, and He will bless you!

Love always,

Sister Lam

They Just Love Sports Here...and Food :)

This week was so fun! I had my first switch-off ever, and I was left to lead the area because Sister Bentley came here to Ubon...no pressure. But it went great! We met a ton of people contacting and I learned a lot from her. It's always nice to get a different point of view on things even though I love Sister Orchard (my companion) to death.

Some Ubon members and Sister Orchard!

This week we also had "Sports Day" in Sisagate. So all of the branches in our zone traveled to Sisagate to participate. It was basically a huge stake activity, but the Thai people go all out I'm realizing. There was SOOOO much food, a huge outdoor stage set up, dancing, singing, a ton of activities..it was basically a riot. And it was ALL DAY in the sun...so ya me and Sister Orchard were pretty drained.

 Me and Sister got matching hoodies for sports day to show our unity!

So some things I learned this week...street contacting is hard!!!! And we do this thing where we invite people to be baptized right off the bat as soon as we meet them. It's really fun, but some days it's just challenging to find people who are ready and willing to learn. So in my personal study and happened upon this scripture, which just really helped lift my spirits during the times where I just feel discouraged that people don't immediately jump for joy at the sound of baptism:

"Whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth." (Mormon 9:21)

This is me and Sister Blaay :) She got baptized on Sunday!

Group photo before Blaay enters the waters of baptism!

Again and again I'm realizing, it all just comes back to the faith we have in our Father in Heaven and in His son Jesus Christ. When I get discouraged or feel beaten, I know it's because I let my faith waiver. But I know Heavenly Father wants to use me to bring His children the knowledge of the Gospel. So my message to you, STAY FAITHFUL! and the Lord will truly bless you as you do things in line with His will. AAAHHH I just love this gospel so much guys!!! I want everyone to love it just as much as I do!!!!!!

Me and 3 cute ladies in our ward (the 2 around me are sisters and the one on the end is their mom, and they LOVE the missionaries!)

Well that's all for this week! I miss you guys!! Keep sending me updates!!! I love hearing from all of you, and though you may not believe it, you all really lift up my spirits when I read your emails!

Love,

Sister Lam