What a week...

November 24, 2013

what. a. week.
so. i'm going to work backwards. otherwise my brain might explode.
yesterday. (was a sunday here)
we had two of our investigators confirmed at church! (the same one who got stabbed the day before his last baptismal date...) they are so stinking cute. last night we had a fireside... which was so amazing. i had to sing a solo. less than amazing. but the pianist made up for it all... so i think that all
those people will still come back to church.

Saturday was crazy as well. we went to go meet the parents of one of our investigators that is 15. so she needs her parents permission to get baptized. apparently they are fairly buddist. and as of yesterday she can get baptized... when she's 18. which is better than last time apparently. (the answer then was never...) we had boat and lipi's baptism. it was so great. lipi got up to bear his testimony and i couldn't understand a single thing he said except for "tin ten" which means "excited". (i can't ever understand him for some reason...) but his smile and the spirit that i felt made up for the lack of understanding. they know it's true. they've changed a lot for the gospel. i came into their story at the very end... after they had stopped smoking, drinking, drinking coffee and tea, started living the law of chastity... and taken out all of his 5 earrings. they changed everything for the gospel. and i am so grateful that i got a chance to be even a little bit involved in their story! they are so great.

so. we have officially been "those sisters" this week. my companion, sister tilley, got sick on Saturday night. she woke up up Monday with a fever. so the official mandate from the powers that be was "let her sleep". i got in trouble for letter her sleep too late... i knew my real orders though. ;)
we got back home on Tuesday night... calling the elders to bring her some gatorade. since there was no way we were going anywhere. they show up at 10:00. yup. someone's going to be late home... they gave her a blessing... and although she didn't get up and start running around... i know it helped. her dad came on tuesday. he was here for business, and normally... family just doesn't show up in thailand. so we got to eat dinner with him. they basically adopted me as family for the night. it was a good homey feeling.

tuesday we went crazy. it was one of those days when all of our plans fell through. we literally had nothing that we could do other than contacting. so we did. and it turned out great! we ended up seeing three of our less actives and having another 7 lessons. don't even know where they came from... but it was a great day. 

 

Thursday we got to meet with our good friend puja. have i told you about her yet? she is from nepal, teaching english to business students at one of the colleges. she came to english to see how we taught english to thai people. and of course... we did what we do best and invited her to come unto christ. and because she's international... we get to teach her! she's awesome. and so spiritual. she just seems to soak in the things that we teach her. it's so great. we had an amazing lesson with her, and felt the spirit so strongly... then we went and got lunch with her afterwards. she's one of those people that i want to be friends with forever. whether or not she wants to get baptized or not. but i want her to soooooooooo bad!!!

 

we had dinner with the nelson's on Thursday night. i'm really soaking the international stuff up... because i'm probably going to go to the boonies later... where they speak NO english at all. so i'm going to live up eating the american food and speaking english...as much as i possibly can.  our investigator called us up at 7 (our appointment was for 7:30) saying that he was already at the church. the problem with bikes and thailand... is that you don't get anywhere fast. it took us another 15 minutes to get to the church. sometimes planning is a blessing... and sometimes planning... is just hopeful thinking. 

 

on the way home from our lesson... i'm cruising along  on my bike and... it feels weird. i look down... and my front tire. is flat. like absolutely no air. at all. dead. (or sia cheewid as you say in thai) so we walked about 2 miles home. good thing that it was on one of the busiest streets ever. and good thing i look like a thug. no one would even try to beat me up. 

 

that's one of the funniest things here. people don't have a problem telling you you're fat. or that that you have man-hands. (that happened AGAIN!) the first thing most people ask is "are you an atlethe?" yes... i am an "ATH-lete." they can't say it right. they do give it a good try though. 

other things i've learned:

i need to work on staying WITH the peloton... i'm not trying to be in a break away... (i get so focused on beating the wind... i forget to stay close to my companion some times...)

making chocolate chip cookies is difficult when you do not have measuring cups. 

you can finish the book of mormon really fast when you read it for an hour every day. you also tend to find it like reading a best-seller. what's going to happen in the next chapter??? is this the one when shiz's head gets chopped off? my favorite! 

9/5(c) + 32 = fahrenheit

it still feels like i'm breathing water. 

God prepares people to receive his gospel. every single day. in thailand even. even when they are sitting in their shop where they sell coconuts and you drive by and decide to stop and talk to him. he looks at you like you are nuts. you ask him to be baptized. and he says yes. (stunned look at companion - this actually happens???) alright then. 

 

it's a great work. 

i am so lucky to be here and to be able to serve.

keep up all the good work wherever you are called!!!

love you all!

sister (jess) ellis

Tomorrow is one month. In thailand.

November 17, 2013

 

so for the weekly review! 

there is a sign on the door of the internet ron (ron = store) - you basically say food-store (restaurant), internet-store... i like the simplicity of the words most of the time. 

the sign: it says... something in thai. i don't understand. but then it says 10 hours for 80 baht. that's like a little over $2. it made me think about josh and brian with $2 and unlimited internet time....

our mission has an facebook page! i know they post a lot about the new missionaries, but if anyone is interested in what's going on... you can check it out!
www.facebook.com/thailandbangkokmission

so our mission president wants us to finish the book of mormon by christmas. i'm definitely on my way to getting it done! i am in 3 nephi... which is such a great place to be. my favorite scripture the other day was 3 nephi 12:13. and thinking like a missionary.... we stand out. i used to wonder why heavenly father would send a tall blonde amazon to a land of... not-so-tall, not-so-blondes. there are always people that see us... "oh yeah! i see the two "poo-ying" (women) riding their bikes down tiwanon all the time!" yup. that's us! you teach about jesus christ? yes. ohhhhh. sometimes that's as far as it goes. other times, creepy taxi drivers ask me for my phone number. good thing i have people in the car that know more thai then i do. so they give them the number for the elders. gotta love trainers...

but we are different. we are sent somewhere to stand out. something that i've learned over this last week is that missionary work is not for a bunch of clones. it isn't because he wants us to be a specific missionary and teach a specific way. i need to come up with my own words and my own way of teaching. which, i have learned... often requires a few bumbles and "pood-pits" (things said wrong) i'm pretty sure how much everyone knows how i hate making mistakes. and how i avoid looking stupid at all costs. it isn't a commodity i get to have here. i talk to people. and i sound like a baby. a very cute baby apparently. my favorite thing was that i thought that i would get away from all of the "sweety" and "honey" type terms of endearment.... i think the fact i can't talk and just sit there  and smile makes people say it more. "na-rak" means cute/loveable... i get called it a lot. 

it's great being a missionary. it's cool when people look at you and know that you are different. that you live differently than they do. and when they WANT that too. 

 

so. being a missionary is all about the service. even when you walk into the church and get asked to do a special musical number for a wedding/funeral. you still do it. i just pray that my sub-par piano skills (of which i regret every single moment i ever wasted sitting at the piano... which is a LOT) still manage to invite the spirit. the bride was crying... so i either did a good job or i ruined her wedding. i like to think it was the first one...

we have some pretty awesome investigators. boat and lipi were supposed to get baptized... yesterday. we ended up moving it again because he had to get his cast off of his hand. (did i mention that he was shanked the first time they were going to get baptized? i don't remember.) he just got the cast off saturday. they'll be getting baptized this saturday. we told him no soccer until AFTER this baptism. just to cover our bases... then we have another investigator named cherisa. she is amazing. we gave her a date last sunday... and she is so excited to get baptized! i just can't believe that people fall into your lap like this! she's getting baptized in december. 

we had another interesting visit. with a man that wasn't so interested in the gospel.... but he sure does love uncle sam. he says that he will always put americans first. since uncle sam was so good to him. he was a hoot. and told us to call him uncle vis. alright. this really is too much. i was thinking about all of our investigators... donut. cake. boat. may. see. soup. these names here are ridiculous. but i love them so much! (the people...)

 

last night was loy krathong. it is a festival... and i don't really know much else about it. but we went and put little bread boats into the water... and sent some prayers/wishes out with them. only to watch them get devoured by gigantic catfish. there is a reason people don't swim in this water... you can't see anything... and you would most likely get eaten. but it was great. we went and sang hymns for a while and then invited people to be baptized. the whole time they had floating lanterns rising up into the air... so the sky was full of them! we sang a little "at last i see the light..." and then went back home to do some numbers. 

i can't think of a whole lot else to say... it is being a missionary! the hardest, and yet most rewarding thing i have ever done in my whole life! and i can say that with complete confidence! the only thing that i think is easier... is that i actually get 8 hours of sleep every night. with makes the rest of the stuff much more manageable! i can definitely see WHY bedtime is so important. there are nights when i know that i want to go to bed before 10:30. what is happening to me??? ;)

i love you all. thank you for your love and support! in everything! 

i'm sending prayers your way! 

sister ellis

Divine protection.

November 10, 2013

does not apply to my shoes. apparently. i didn't read the contract before... maybe i should be better about that. like reading on boxes. i just usually assume that i can't read things here without spending 20 minutes figuring out that "whole wheat" actually says "whole wheat" with thai letters. anyway. about the shoes. we were at dinner at a members house (that really ONLY happens in the international branches by the way) maybe once or twice with other members. and the husband walks in and says that someone's shoe just got eaten by the neighbors dog. they were the grey ones. oh wait. that's mine. oops. well.... i guess i'm riding home barefoot??? turns out, the dog just ate the criss-cross shoelace-type part. so with the members shoelace wrapped around my shoe... we made it home just fine. (it's not like mourning for the loss of a cat... but i did feel a little tinge of remorse.) i'm going to see if i can fix them, or if i'll be using the shoelace from now on...

i've found out that my comp loves hallmark christmas videos. sound familiar? not that we can really DO anything about that. just a fun fact that reminded me of you all. and i find it funny... a lot of the things that i thought i would miss... just don't matter. at least not in the way that i am not able to wait until february of 2015 to make it happen. but if i do pull out the christmas movies in february... don't judge. 

 

i feel a little like the little kid that is learning how to talk. "what's this?" and "this?"

lots of pointing. and giggling. and i'm sure the members think that i'm so silly for not knowing how to say "pants". but i mean really? i haven't worn pants here yet and i don't think i ever will. i sweat enough as it is. there is no way i'm going to add jeans to that problem. i actually am coming to like wearing skirts. it is an interesting talent. wearing skirts and riding bikes. not something that i thought would ever be necessary. but you make it happen! 

my companion and i were asked to speak in church. again. in the english branch. it was... wait for it... on missionary work! we were just told to come up and share a little 2 minute shpeel on 1) how missionaries can help the members and 2) how members can help the missionaries. feeding us was not on the list. ;) i really don't want to come home weighing more than when i left... that would be sad. just kidding. 

 

so. on the spiritual bizness. cuz there's a lot. i was having a kinda hard week. trying to overcome the feelings of inadequacy and stupidity and awkwardness that were not letting me speak up. it was rough. and i was constantly feeling like i was a burden to my companion. (i'm not saying it all changed at once.) but it was a hard day. we had gone to rangsit in order to help our fellow missionaries find "daters". basically... going out and asking everyone we saw if they wanted to be baptized. i kinda went into it expecting that i would just be able to walk up to people and tell them about baptism and i would be able to speak thai and they would just want to run to the church and be baptized on the spot. nope. but i learned a lot. and i left the day feeling like i never wanted to feel like that again. SO. the next day. i made it a goal just to TALK to people and stop being scared. it's a weird concept for me to realize that i really won't ever see these people again. EVER. but i tried to only think about it. and wouldn't let myself think about the future. just loving them enough to believe that this message was something that could change their life. anyway. that's what i've been working on. the language is hard. but it is coming. and i left that next day feeling sooooo much better. i just know that i feel better when i bear my testimony and tell people what i believe. it works. i know that most of them probably won't accept the gospel right away, but there ARE people that are waiting for it. there are people that want to change. and we go out and talk to everyone so that we can find that ONE. 

 

that was not the point of that story... that's the background info. anyway, a tender mercy of the lord came into my life. in the form of a letter from my dear mtc comp sister barber. she had been at the church the day before we went to rangsit... and left me a note. i didn't get it until 2 days later (the day after we had gone/bad day for sister ellis). it was amazing to read - she said she had wanted it to be all hugs and smiles... but instead felt impressed to tell me how much confidence she had in me and my ability to overcome the difficulties of this language and in being a missionary. i'm so glad someone was listening to the spirit and wrote me such a spirit-prompted answer to all of my prayers. 

another crazy story.

 

we met an investigator at church. she learned with the missionaries over a year ago, but they left and she went somewhere... and just didn't get baptized. she had a date and everything. so. are you still interested? yes. ok! we can make that work. 

so we met with her yesterday at church. she said that she hadn't met with the missionaries for a year. but had stopped reading the book of mormon about six months ago. "is it normal to cry when you read this book?" was her question to us. and then she said "i've finished it twice... i probably should start it again." and the whole time, i'm just sitting there thinking that heavenly father just plopped this amazing investigator right on my doorstep. thank you? that just seems SO inadequate! anyway. she is getting baptized in december. 

she was asking us all of these great questions - like why we say "i know the church is true" in our fast and testimony meetings, and why we don't have any pictures of heavenly father... things that i had never thought about. but she is so eager to learn and ready to accept all of the things that we have to teach her. 

 

i wrote this scripture down to share. Alma 17:3.

our mission president encouraged us all to finish the book of mormon by christmas. this is one time that i really am not stressed about being able to finish.... it was really funny. the other day during study i was wishing i had more time. and then i found myself really shocked by the fact that there were times that i "only had time" to read a verse. it's crazy the things that being a missionary will make you think. ;) i'm weird. 

 

the one thing that i think has made me appreciate missionary work more than anything else is seeing the members of our ward work together with us to make missionary work happen. i don't know if it was just me... or if it is new, but i love this kind of missionary work! it isn't up to the missionaries alone. it isn't supposed to be done that way. the best way is for people to have someone that they trust and respect show them how the gospel can bless their lives. to give them someone they can turn to when they have questions. the missionaries... are 18, 19, and 20 year olds (and some 23 year olds) that really have not had a whole lot of life experience. why listen to them? because you know them. you've seen your friends live the same things that they are teaching. and you believe that they can help you, because you've seen it in someone that you admire. 

that's the kind of missionary work that works. that's the kind of missionary work that will keep converts active and engaged. 

 

i love this work so much! 

i'm so excited for this next week!!!!

i love you all soooo much! 

thank you for your examples and your love... i know that our heavenly father loves you too and blesses you for your own sacrifices and missionary work! 

love love love love love

sister jess ellis

 

ka kret! (gah gret)

 

For Christmas: deodorant and prayers

November 3, 2013

hello all!

so. to wrap up yet another week... where did it go??? 

i actually am beginning to understand what every single missionary means. each day seems to last an eternity... and then *poof*! the week is gone. i think that the first week was the hardest. each one seems to get a little easier and a little easier. which actually scares me. because i know, that when i finally get to the point that i'm comfortable... BAM! the lord is going to throw something else at me. maybe it is a good thing that i am expecting it. i just never quite know or expect the things that he tends to ask me to do... 

 

i have a lot of time on my bike to think. i don't know if i've told you about the 40 minute bike ride that we make every single day (one way) to the church. it's pretty much a constant prayer, plus an adrenaline rush... and a lot of time to think. being the solitary person that i am, and being with someone else 24/7, the biking is definitely a necessary part of our companionship. in a good way. i had a spiritual experience a few nights ago. i had just gotten rejected by some guy at a bus stop. he was nice, had a confused face most of the time (i couldn't figure out if it was confused... or if it was a mixture of a face torn between feeling bad for the missionary speaking really bad thai, and grimacing at all of the bad tones i was making...) but he wasn't interested. sister tilley gave me some great advice. she said i was making my job harder than it needed to be. she recognizes the fact i'm a little more shy... especially when i am uncomfortable. and that i was trying to small talk my way into a lesson. which wasn't really working. she said, "they don't teach you small talk in the mtc for a reason. they teach you how to testify. so you will save yourself a lot of trouble by doing the things that you know." i'm still working on it. but i know that's what i need to be doing. i need to tell people they are children of god. i need to testify of my lord and savior, jesus christ. cuz it's a pretty awesome message. 

 

anyway. on to the bike ride. i was riding home after a rejection like this, and just beating myself up for not being a good missionary. and kind of moping because i didn't think that i could be the missionary that my heavenly father wants me to be. and then i started thinking about all the times in my life that i told myself i couldn't do something. 

the time i couldn't play basketball. i wasn't good enough.

the time i couldn't play piano.

the time i couldn't talk to people. because i was too shy.

the time i thought i couldn't date...

the time i thought i couldn't go to jerusalem.

the time i thought i couldn't be a missionary...

and i thought.

and thought.

and it finally hit me. that every time i say "i can't do something"... it's because i'm afraid. and i don't try. i thought of how i have always had help. and i remembered that i have always succeeded. i have always been able to overcome and to do the things that i thought were impossible. because they really aren't. so, as i was peddling my guts out, and pouring my heart out to god, i realized, a little bit more, why he sent me to thailand. 

i bore my testimony in church for the first time yesterday. 

it was fast sunday, and they asked me to lead the music. i'm pretty sure it was a funny sight... the new missionary up there leading the music... when she doesn't even know half of the words. i also had the hymn book about 3 inches from my nose because i was focusing so much on reading. i'm still giggling it was so funny. but i'm a missionary. i can't so no to service. i just can't. 

so. i was sitting on the stand after the sacrament, and the branch president invited the congregation up to bear their testimonies. i knew that i had to get down off the stage somehow... and rather than have to come back up (and to be "forced" to bear my testimony)... i decided that i was just going to do it. 

it probably lasted like 40 seconds. and sounded like something a 5 year old would say. 

but i did it. :)

all by myself. (a five year old would probably say that too.)

there have been a lot of things that i've learned here. in just 3 weeks. 

they DO have peanut butter here. in the import isle. :D

when it gets hot, it rains. it hasn't gotten hot enough to rain yet. 

i sweat all the time. 

they like to sing ALL of the hymns in the hymn book that i DO NOT know. especially the ones with 4 sharps and flats. 

they have 8 baht pens. (30 baht is a dollar). 

they have 10 baht mentos. 

they have sweet and salty popcorn. a lady sells them from her "store", in which she also tailors clothes. i knew that clothes and popcorn went together!

everything here has whitening cream in it. lotions, deodorant... you name it. (hence the reason i will be asking for nothing more than deodorant for christmas.)

you can find everything here. in most cases cheaper than america. except deodorant. 

Rs and Ls. apparently they sound the same. right? i don't know if i'll ever understand when someone is trying to tell me they like lice or like rice. yes. it transfers over into english as well.

everyone is nice. they want you to speak good thai. even if you mess up. a lot. like me. 

i eat 2 peppers now. maybe one day i'll graduate to 3... 

my lips don't burn like they used to... now, there is just a nice little tingle and my tummy feels all nice and warm. i wonder if food will seem bland after this. 

thanks so much for all of your emails! they really mean so much! it is so great to know that heavenly father is taking care of you all! i know he loves you!!! 

(i really just love this!) 

THE WORK IS WORKING!

:D x infinity + beyond and forever and ever and ever and ever...

(so i forgot to explain the subject line. next time i'll be better. the only thing i want for christmas is peace on earth, deodorant without whitening effects... and your prayers!)

love you all!

 

 asian notebooks and pens. not good for my obsession....

 

 

 

Pakkret baby.

October 27, 2013

alrightee. down to business.

your letters really make my whole week. well... it just happens to be a very big highlight in an already very blessed life. i feel too blessed for my own good some days. 

it has definitely been an interesting experience adjusting to missionary life. i don't have a problem waking up in the morning or going to bed at night... i think the bakery prepped me well for physical exhaustion. maybe i'll get to go to sleep when i get home. but i have learned a lot about exhaustion in every other sense of the word this week. emotional, mental, and sometimes even spiritual exhaustion.

i hate to admit this to anyone. but i cried. it was one of those really hard days. and then - for the miracle. (because right after we feel totally lousy... God always blesses us with a miracle) i turned to  philippians. of course. it's my favorite for a reason. chapter 4. verses (i think) 9 through the end. i know how to be abased and i know how to abound. for whatever reason i feel like that is especially the case as a missionary. and it all happens at exactly the same time. i feel such love from god and for my investigators... and for people in general. and yet... i feel so lacking. i feel so inadequate for the call that i have been given. and then comes verse 13. i can do all things through christ. and i can. even learn thai.
well. enough about me being a cry baby. 

on to awesome missionary stuffs. 

we were supposed to have 2 baptisms this week... but due to certain circumstances.... it was put off. mainly the fact that he hurt his hand and it couldn't get wet. which.... is a big part of getting baptized. so. baptism is still on. the church is still true. eternal salvation just has to wait a few weeks. ;) i'll stop blaspheming now. 

oh. and church. i love church. it is a little different as a missionary. for one: i don't understand most of what's going on. i understand words... but my comprehension of sentences is fairly limited. i did get asked to speak in my first sacrament... in the english branch. he he he. the topic was.... wait for it..... MISSIONARY WORK! big surprise. i know. but i have been really working on NOT scripting my talks. i am really trying to let the spirit speak through me by coming up with an outline and a lot of ideas for a talk... and then speaking with the spirit. so far... i like it. either people lied to me, or it was a pretty good talk. but can you lie to the missionaries???

i knew that missionaries were supposed to serve. but what happens when their service is sub-par? like me being asked to play the hymns in sacrament???? i mean... that's almost mean to the congregation. the branch president asked me if i could play... and i couldn't say no. i mean... it was that or accapella. but i tried to tell him i didn't know any of them and that i'd only be playing with the top hand. well. he said ok. and that's what happened. me, plunking through all of the hymns... one handed. it works i guess.

what else? we teach a LOT. you would naturally think i would teach thai people. but we have taught a man from india, a family from sri lanka, a man from ghana, a sister from the phillipines... and i can't even think of how many others in the last week! serving in an international branch is definitely fun. and always interesting. 

i was riding my bike down the road the other day and was thinking that it reminded me of premium rush. (the bike movie) nooooo... i don't do crazy stunts like that. but in a city where they have "some" speed limits... but relatively no enforcement... it is always an experience riding anywhere. driving on the left hand side of the road was weird to get used to as well. no four-way stops.... but they have occasional u-turns that you can take to flip around. there is just never a u-turn when you need it. 

so we just end up crossing 6 lanes of traffic. 

the nice man at the hotel right next to us comes and saves us with his light wand though. i feel so special making traffic stop and wait for us. kinda like you feel in 3rd grade crossing the street and holding hands. 

it has been an interesting week. the first real week as a missionary. we went contacting... and i'm not an outgoing person normally. ever. i usually don't talk to people i don't know. and now i have to do it in thai. funny. 

but then sister tilley leans over and says "be a missionary!" 

i've come to realize that they don't teach you the whole language in the mtc for a reason. you get here... and the rest of the language will come. but what is the most important thing that you have to do? you have to testify of jesus christ. they do teach you how to do that. the rest of the language will take care of itself... right now i am learning to put a lot of faith in god and believing that he will fill in the gaps where my language comes up short. because it does a LOT. 

they usually end up smiling at me (probably thinking... she's so cute for trying. but what in the world did she just say? she is a nice person. i feel good........ my bus is here.) 

i've been told this gets better. by pretty much everyone. 

maybe it's time i should start believing them... 

it's just really hard when i can't understand people and i just REALLY want to talk to them! 

frustrating.

but then there are moments that you don't need words to talk. like the cutest old man on the planet (remember him?) brings me some strange dessert with bananas... in purple juice... and gives me the cutest smile... and i don't even know what he's saying. but there is no way that i'm not going to eat this strange concoction with him smiling at me like that! 

i love thailand. 

i love this gospel! 

i love everything about this experience. even the crying. the tears. the smiles. the laughter. it is all part of it. and i wouldn't trade a single second!

i love you all! :)

keep up the good work wherever the lord calls you to serve!

sister ellis

MY FIRST ELEPHANT!

 

and earnest!

i promise i'll actually get a picture of us together soon... 

i can't get away... even in thailand.