Siam I Am: well hello hello!

July 6, 2014

isn't this world a lovely place?

a world full of missionaries, of birthdays (HAPPY BIRTHDAY WHITTUS!), of inviting, of adventures, of training meetings, of other meetings, switch offs, rainstorms, and riding in the back of more trucks than i ever thought possible. as well as the stood-up appointments, weird looks, and almost-fainting companions...

life is so good.

and we all accept the good as well as the bad.

(that's one thing i learned from president uchtdorf. i think i wrote about that last week too... so i won't digress.)

all in all, this last week was... fairly normal. normal for a missionary in thailand that is. a few miracles. daters we didn't plan for. other people that just... disappear. but it makes me more grateful than ever that we aren't doing this work alone.

wow. this letter is really very short. nothing super great to report... just working really hard in a new area, with a new companion (the name's sister norrell. she's a quarter thai.) and trying to make miracles happen. it's good work. and the miracles ARE happening. we're just waiting for them to transform into baptisms.

it was really cool though. we contacted a lady one night. i was sitting on one of the big concrete barriers that you usually see in the middle of a freeway (i was NOT in the middle of a freeway btdubs) just chillin on the sidewalk. asking everyone that went by if they wanted to wash their sins away. we started talking to this lady. pretty nice. kept saying how cute we were. gee thanks. can i get your number? deal.

so i called her the next day. and the first thing she says is "i have problems." well. this is the message for YOU! didn't say that. i just invited her to come and meet with us and told her how much this gospel has helped me in my life. so she came. exactly at 6:00. that's definitely a novelty in thailand. but we had an amazing lesson with her. she just couldn't get over prayer. "you mean, i can ask HIM for help?" why yes. yes you can!

i think that was something that i've always taken for granted. the innate knowledge that i have that i have a heavenly father who listens to my prayers. that will answer those prayers. the think that i lack is the patience to wait for those answers. but often... the faith that these people use when they pray and sincerely ask... is amazing. and God WILL answer. because he wants them to come to know him.

it's amazing.

we had a training meeting on thursday... my favorite line of the day was "there is no such thing as a burnout with the lord."

having spent too much time on youtube watching videos of burnouts... i thought it was funny. but oh so true. god IS hastening his work. he IS preparing people to accept the gospel. and he won't let us fail. we just have to trust him and do our very best.

oh. one other thing. went on switch-offs on saturday with my trainer's trainer. it was so fun. she was also companions with my last companion in the mtc. lots of reminiscing. we have oodles of connections. it was kinda crazy. so our taxi took FOREVER getting back to thonburi... so we get there and BOTH investigators are there. so... "we're going to split up. you teach this girl the restoration, gospel, and all the commandments." say what?

i've never completely taught a lesson before. like without another missionary there.

freakiest thing ever.

but i survived. and she wants to get baptized on the 13th.

if the desire is there... if the spirit is there... no missionary (or member missionary) can do anything to mess it up.

anyway. that's my little ramble of the day!

hope you all are healthy, happy and keepin in touch with our father in heaven! he wants to hear from you. (i basically have to remind my investigators of that every single phone call...)

it's a pretty good thing to remember i think.

love you all!

sister ellis