Fireside. Fireside.

So... this week.  Was a good one! :)  It's scary that October is over (scaaaaarry... Halloween is apparently a thing in America.  Just kidding.  We're having a party here too!  Who knows why? :))

I really can't believe how fast time goes though... lets see what I can remember from this week.

This week... we... did a lot more contacting than I have in the past!  I kinda like it... I always get a little bit nervous... but really trying to follow the spirit.  Trying to be bold, trying to be friendly... and not worrying about being a little awkward, make contacting so good!  We try to contact for a bit as a district every week.  This week... we sang hymns by the river, and took turns swapping out to talk to everyone.  "Why do you think all of those white people are standing over there singing?" is always a fun way to start it up! :)

Probably the real highlight of this week was a Fireside that we got to have on Friday!  We did a fireside about missionary work.   You guys.  Think about how awesome this is... here in Phitsanulok we have... I'm pretty sure over 10 potential missionaries!  That's more missionaries than my ward in UTAH has out right now!  Wowza! :)  It was a really good activity, President Senior came all the way out here for it!  He did a finding activity with them using "Where's Waldo" to teach them the importance of the spirit, and using your companion!  We had my companion, Sister Sararad, Brother Boy (who is an AMAZING returned missionary) and Sister Dxey (also a returned missionary) as speakers!  We did a role play with everyone, where we practiced giving a Book of Mormon to someone!  At first... I was a little bit interested in how this activity would play out... because we had a couple of investigators and other members come to the fireside.  I was "companions" with one investigator (a friend of one of our youth) and my companion was companions with another woman, Sister Saa, who we've had the chance to begin teaching!  So... how are they gonna pretend to give out a Book of Mormon?  :)  Well... I started... I talked about how there was only one true church on the earth, and there was a way to know if this was it!  I gave my "investigator" (who actually... is an investigator) the Book, and then when it came time to switch, she said "wait... how will I know?" :)  I was delighted to not exactly do the assigned activity... but instead pull out a picture of the Godhead and explain about prayer, and the Holy Ghost!  She left the activity early with her friend... but I left her with the Book of Mormon, which she has apparently read from!  I'm excited to meet with her soon!  Our other investigator... Sister Saa left the activity with a date to be baptized!  Hooray! :)  I think the youth were also affected well :) it was really good!  I'm gonna attach a picture of everyone wearing there missionary shirts :) these are our sharp youth :) Way to go Phitsanulok!

Another awesome thing... the Elders had another baptism this week!  Hooray! :) I was invited to sing a musical number for it, which was fun I suppose!  This girl is awesome! :)  It's so exciting to see people get the chance to make covenants with God.  It was really cool to hear her talk in a Sunday School class for recent converts about what faith is.  That topic has come up so much recently... faith.  Haha... well... it actually comes up ALL of the time.  But.  I suppose people in talks, and thinking about different investigators, my thoughts have turned often to Alma 32.  Which has got to be one of my favorite chapters.  The analogy of the word and the seed.  Our faith growing as a tree grows.  I love that it makes this point of doctrine clear.  Sometimes... in our lives, we want to experience the blessings, see the miracles, feel the spirit, before we exercise our faith.  We just wanna eat the fruit.  We think... once I taste the sweetness... I'm gonna start watering my tree!  Buuuut.  In all actuality, we have to water that tree, we have to take care of it, looking forward to the fruit of eternal life.  But I can promise that keeping the commandments, going to church, reading your scriptures... all of it!  Really is a blessing.  It really does lead to the fruit.  We just have to be brave enough to keep watering our trees when we meet concerns, trials, and troubles.  The fruit will definitely come!

Annnnd.  I dunno what else to tell you about this week :)  Sorry this might be kind of a short one.  Maybe that's a relief though! :)  You guys, the gospel is true!  I love it so much.  And I'm so lucky to know, and to be able to have nothing else to focus on.  This is the true church!  Jesus Christ IS our Savior.  Heavenly Father really is our Heavenly Father, He really really does know us.  He really does love us.  Every one of us!  Regardless of what we've done!

You guys are the best. :)

Have a WONDERFUL week.

Love,

Sister Croft

It's so hot my liver is gonna burst.

hat's a Thai phrase I learned this week!  Hooray! :)

You wanna know how I learned it?  This week we had TRANSFERS.  Which... honestly... before my mission I was like "Yay.  People had transfers"  But actually packing up your suitcases... moving to a new place and then having a new person you're gonna spend 24 hours a day with... is actually kind of crazy!  My entire district ended up in Bangkok this week (a 6 hour bus ride to get there... and 6 to get back!).  Annnnd.  This is what happened.  Sister Muller left.  Sister Stewart, my trainer, left!  Sister Sararad who is a Khon thai, and who WAS Sister Muller's companion is now my follow up trainer.  And we got a new companionship of sisters.  Sister Mullen, and Sister Peterson, who just got here this week!  Crazy! Mannnn.  I am so lucky to have Sister Sararad!  She has been so patient with me so far... I can't even imagine having to listen to my Thai all day :P  Haha... that can't be fun at all.  But.  I feel like my Thai has improved already... having to speak Thai all day has taught me that... there are lots of things I don't know the word for.  And also that Heavenly Father is so good to me!  I have no doubt He has expanded my ability to understand and speak.  I feel like... I can understand a LOT of what's being said (depending on the subject matter and who is talking :) but still!) and that I can respond and at least... use circumlocution if nothing else!  It's crazy.  I just have to remember that none of that is me!  I feel like I'm like... driving a car... and all I have to do is push on the pedal and then I shoot forward.  It's crazy.  Man I'm blessed.  I still have miles and miles and MILES to go.  But I'm really really really blessed.  (Three reallys worth :) it's true!)

Annnnd.  What else.  This week has been so crazy because of transfers.  You spend a whole day in Bangkok, plus travel time... and my companion had to pack all her bags, and we had to help the new sisters.  So unfortunately... this week has felt a little bit less than productive!  Buuuut.  It's been good.  Right now we have a good handful of investigators (that's another weird thing... we were like... who do we teach... who do the new sisters teach? Crazy!) one of them is named Jonrag.  I think I mentioned him before.  He walked into the church one day by himself.  So he hasn't been baptized quite yet... but with in the next couple of weeks!  He should be!  I'm still amazed by that.  Literally nothing to do with us.

Annnnd.  Also.  Just a story for y'all.  Yesterday Sister Sararad and I went to visit this less active woman who I am pretty sure the Lord has been thinking of recently! :) I randomly (but prayerfully) called her several weeks ago just looking through our phone.  And Sister Sararad did the same thing a couple of days ago!  Yesterday Sister Stewart called me from her new area saying that a member there wanted us to go contact that exact same sister.  Wowza! :)  We had better get our tails on over there!  So we did... she seemed like a really nice woman!  Her story kinda hurt my heart though!  She was a strong member in her last branch, but when she moved here... she came for 2 months.  And no one talked to her.  So she just stopped going!  Ouch.  That just kills me!  It makes me want to vow to always look around when I go to church.  Always introduce myself, always be loving and warm!  I hope that we can show her how much we love her!  And I hope that we can help her come back to church and then feel the love of the ward members there!  It makes me think of that scripture... where everyone's names were recorded, so that they could be nurtured, and watched over!  No wonder we are supposed to do home and visiting teaching!  And no wonder every new convert needs a friend! :) It just hurts my heart to hear that she felt so unloved at our church!

And.  What else.  Oh yeah.  This week.  We had a Somtam cook off at our church.   Haha... I love it!  It's like a CHILI cook-off.  But THAI style.  Plus... I think I prefer Somtam to chili.  Anyway.  I ended up being one of the judges somehow... haha... the Brother that asked me to judge was like... "can you eat, blah?"  Which... is fish... when I was talking to people before it started they showed it to me... it's like... fish in a bag full of slimy... fish juice.  And it smelled really strongly... and was kinda scary.  I said "yeah... I probably can down it!" And so I did... :)  Haha... Sister Sararad told me I would get "Thong siia nanon" (sorry I spell stuff whatever way I want!) A.k.a. Diarrhea was sure to follow!  I was actually fine though!  :) Anyway.  That's just a random story.  :)

And finally.  This week I've had some very sweet experiences with learning from the spirit.  It's amazing how you can tell when Heavenly Father is working with your heart... for me sometimes it's subtle.  Definitely LINE upon LINE.  But eventually you come to a conclusion... and then realize that you've been learning all along!  I've been feeling like I needed to have a good long prayer with Heavenly Father about it, and so last night I did!  And what a sweet feeling!  To know that Heavenly Father teaches you, is aware of you, and is listening to you!  It was a prayer that I didn't want to end, even though I wasn't sure I had anything more to say!  Heavenly Father knows us, He loves us, and we can trust Him.  

I love you so much! :)  I hope you have a really awesome week!  YAY!  I love Thailand.  And I love the gospel!  And I love my fambly.  You guys are the coolest.  

Love,

Sister Croft

P.S. This is our district right before we all parted ways.  My new companion is in the purple/yellow dress.  She's awesome! :)  She's hilarious and sassy, and a really skilled teacher! 

Switch-offs, A New Investigator, Conference, A Baptism!

Okeeeeeey Dokey.  This week.  Was really good :)  It was kind of an odd week, because we had switch-offs AND we watched General Conference... but here are some of the highlights...

This week.  We had switch-offs with the Sister Training Leader from Chaing Mai!  I was with her companion, Sister DuPlessie, who was my Sister Training Leader in the MTC!  She is really awesome, and we had a great day of walking around and trying to talk to people about the gospel!  

This week... we had the chance to teach a referral from a Brother in our ward who helps us teach a lot, Brother O!  He referred us to his little brother, Brother Daw!  These brothers have such a funny dynamic, they're both quiet but really funny! :)  I love it!  We invited him to be baptized, and extended a baptismal date... and he kinda just said "yep" to which Brother O said "Do you understand what they just said?" "Yeah... do I wanna get baptized?"  "Oh... okay." Haha... it was heartwarming and exciting!  It's gonna be really exciting to get to teach more of the lessons... and help him progress towards baptism and conversion!  He came to watch conference, and he also got to see a baptismal service yesterday!  So that is so wonderful!

Also... we got to watch CONFERENCE!  I love Conference so much!!  It was wonderful to hear so many strong messages about the family, about missionary work, about covenants, about conversion, about the unchanging nature of God's laws, and about waiting on the Lord in our trails!  Conference is SUCH a spiritual feast, and I was so PUMPED to watch it!  :)  I also love that we are so able to receive specific spiritual guidance through Conference.  While there are clear themes in what the speakers talked about, I also feel like there were clear themes in what the Lord was trying to personally teach me!  I love those moments of clarity when the spirit speaks to you and helps you understand what the Lord wants YOU personally to know!  Just some other cool thoughts from Conference...

We invited some of our investigators and members to think of questions for Conference.  One of them had a question about how he would pay for his mission.  President Monson, the very first speaker in Conference, spoke about how people's donations have helped so many serve missions already.  WOW! I loved hearing him share his experience with such clear, powerful, and perso

nal revelation!  Another investigator told me that he had 3 different questions, and that each of his questions were answered.  He said something to the effect of "that conference question thing you told us about really works."  Yes sir, it does! :)  What an incredible opportunity to listen literally to the word of God, and then to have our hearts personally touched and instructed!  Conference is the BEST!! :D  I LOVE it! :) :)

Annnnnnnd.  My last thought about this week... yesterday we had a baptism here in Phitsanulok!  Wow!  :)  This adorable sister, Sister Pink, is just so awesome!  She really studied out the gospel... I wish we all had the desires to learn that Sister Pink has.  Seriously.  This is how awesome she is... she asked me to teach her the Plan of Salvation one day, just because she really wanted to know!  She also wanted to know what the 10 commandments were.  She read from the scriptures and wrote down questions for the Elders ALL of the time.  She read the doctrine of Christ and then... her question for the Elders was basically "So... I have to have faith, repent, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Endure to the End?"  Yep.  That is correct!  It was exciting to see her testimony grow... when she first began meeting with the Elders she said she believed something like... "50%" but... slowly she increased her percentage, until, as she said yesterday as she bore her testimony.  "I am 100% sure that this is true!"  Her faith grew brighter and brighter... until the perfect day!  She is so great!  I am so amazed by how much she really did study this out, and I hope she never loses that zeal for studying and learning the gospel!  

Love,

Sister Croft.

P.S. Photos.  One of these is at Family Night... we played a game... involving baby powder.  Fun times!

 

Just a couple of miracles!

Things are really good here in Phitsanulok!  I wish everyone could come here and talk to the members and get to know Thailand!  It's awesome!  This week... the weather was really hot!  This week.. we ate a lot of Somtam.  This week... we saw several miracles, and probably many more that I didn't even notice!  It was a good week!  Especially for all of you that got to watch Conference!  Conference is the BEST! :D  YAY!  Watch it. :)

Here are a couple of miracles.  Talk about incredible.

1. Last Monday, a man walked into the church during Family Home Evening.  Nobody recognized him, so the other sisters went over and started talking to him.  I honestly don't know a whole ton about him, except that he really was prepared by God!  Wow.  I think his baptismal date is this week!  We literally did NOTHING to find him, as it says in Preach My Gospel (I think :)) God will either place prepared people in your way, or they'll find you!  Wowza.  That is incredible.

2. On Thursday Sister Stewart and I had an appointment pit, and so, on a thought, I mentioned a less active member of the church who lives about a 30 minute bike ride away.  We decided to go visit her, so we hopped on our bikes and pulled up at her work!  Just as we pulled up a younger girl who we got to teach until she stopped meeting with us because of tests at school randomly shouted out to us and came up to say hello!  Meanwhile the less active member, who saw us and was not necessarily happy to see us, snuck off.  The miracle that happened was... this young girl Oom.  Is the granddaughter of the boss of this less active.  We found this less active member and began talking to her.  We literally saw her heart soften from "I'm going to avoid these missionaries" to sitting down together.  This member talking about her mission fondly, and remembering what kind of work she did and why!  Wow.  I think there still may be some obstacles to be overcome before we can help her come back to church.  But think of how intricate and perfect that meeting was.  We came right as her work ended.  Sister Oom was there right in time to see us and soften this member's heart towards us.  Wow.  AMAZING!

3. Maybe like a week ago, Sister Stewart and I were at 7/11.  And this man said "Hey Sisters, how are you?" or something like that!  Sister Stewart asked him how he knew the sisters... well... it turns out he is a less active member of the church!  We had an appointment with him that didn't work out... and then that very same night we ran into him at the grocery store randomly.  Yesterday we met him at the church and talked with him.  He explained how he hadn't planned on going to the grocery store, but he felt tired so he went to go get some coffee.  He pulled up to the grocery store and saw our bikes, and thought that that was weird.  But it's a big store!  So the odds of us seeing each other weren't very good.  But right as we were leaving and he was going in we ran into each other.   He said something that I really loved!  He said "I don't know why I keep running into you, there is only one person that knows why I keep seeing you!  God!"  Wow.  Amazing!  I'm so excited to get to meet with him more!  

I'm sure God's hand is in our lives so much more than we know!  I love the verses in 3 Nephi where Christ says "How oft have I gathered you... how oft do I gather you... how oft will I gather you!"  It's amazing to see that God works with people way before missionaries get there.  And that He is always looking to gather us and help us!  It's not just the lost sheep that He's looking to gather under His wings either!  He cares for each of the 99 and He knows the 1.

I love you so much!  And I hope you have a wonderful week!  Next week :)  I'm pretty sure I'll have watched Conference too!  Hoorah!  Hopefully... I'll get to watch it in English :P  Though... I guess if I don't... it could be because we had an investigator come.  So maybe... hopefully I DON'T get to watch it in English :)

Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Croft

P.S. here are some pictures from Saturday... we helped someone move... and so we ended up all traveling on a big open moving truck through beautiful parts of Thailand.  It was kinda fun! :)  And really hot.  :)  But really good! :)  Hopefully it's not bad that my Ma snapped a photo of me and my little brother (we technically are in the same group... so he's my twin.  Buuuuut.  He just graduated from high school.  So he can be my little brother!)  I promise we weren't the only ones there :)  Annnd.  A 9 year old girl who is so sweet got baptized on Sunday!  The church is growing! :)  Hooray! :)  That's all!