20?? + A Baptism! + A Christmas Party + INVESTIGATORS + an elephant!

Wow.  Looking back to the beginning of this week feels like... foreeeeever ago.  But also.  I just barely wrote to all of you!  Weird stuff.  First of all.  I'm 20 years old.  Ewwww.  How is that even possible!  My birthday wasn't too significant.  My district was really sweet and bought me an icecream cake from dairy queen on Tuesday.  Then on Wednesday Sister Sararat bought me a slice of chocolate crepe cake.  Gooood stuff.  :)

Second of all!  We had a BAPTISM here in Phitsanulok!  The other sisters' investigator, Sister Da got baptized!  It was awesome! :)  I really love what Sister Mullen said when she was giving her talk, "when we invite people to get baptized, we do it by specifically saying Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ?"  Which when you think about it is amazing... wow!  The spirit bore testimony to me again of the importance of baptism, and the privilege that I have as a missionary... to invite people to come unto Christ, to follow His example and get baptized!  I love it when a new convert gets to share there testimony! :)  I love it!

This week.  Was also our Christmas party! :)  We had a room FULL of people!  Which was really awesome! :)  Some of the youth in our ward put on a nativity, the missionaries sang in a little choir.  I got to do a couple of songs!  Annnnnd we ate some good food together!  It was a really good day!  And even though it doesn't quite feel Christmas-y here in Phitsanulok :)  It's good to have time to think about Christ, and gather together to see a representation of His birth!  Especially in a country where those that do celebrate Christmas don't know what it came from!  Those that have heard of Christ... don't really know who He is, or what He did for each of us!  

Our Investigators!  Are doing pretty well this week!  I'm so excited for them!  And SO happy for them!  One of them... her name is Sister Wun, is a friend of a member in our ward.  She's already read through 1st Nephi!  If you can remember back to our missionary fireside... she is the girl that I gave the Book of Mormon to!  She has been reading!  And she is learning and progressing towards baptism!  :)  She's way awesome!

I also had several awesome experiences this week where both Sister Sararat and I felt like we needed to do the same thing as we were out talking to people.  One of those experiences... lead us to Sister Juey!  She works at a little hotel type thing near our church!  We were walking around talking to people... and then just as I was thinking "we should go talk to whoever is in that store with the Christmas Tree!" my companion said... "We should go talk to whoever is in that store with the Christmas tree!"  Welllll in that store.   Was Sister Juey!  She's awesome!  She really does want to get baptized!  It's going to be exciting as we start teaching her!  Hoooooray! :)

Hooray!!! :)  It's amazing to be out here... in Thailand!  Preaching the gospel.  I can't believe it's December.  I can't believe it's almost Christmas!  I'll get to talk to you next week!!  Weird weird weird.  Yep.  That's weird.  

I love you so much! :) I hope you have a wonderful wonderful week! :)

Love,

Sister Croft

P.S. There is my birthday cake.  Complete with my name in Pink Frosting :)

Also.  Bummer.  This picture of our nativity is all blurry.  Because I was the Choir pianist.  And I ran to the back and snapped a picture.  And it was dark.  My battery was gonna die.  I dunno :)  Haha.  It was prettttty "hi so" though (that's a real word in Thai.  High Society... you just say it! "Hi So")  That's all!  Talk to you next week! (weird).