Three Cheers for Two Years!

Today marks my 2 year mark since entering the MTC.   June 12, 2013... what a day to remember.  The beginning to the rest of my life, and I had no idea what to expect or what was to come in the next 18 months.  I've reflected back often on what I learned as a missionary in Thailand.  Some things I learned early on, and some things I didn't learn until my last transfer.  Here are a couple things that I truly internalized on my mission.  I do wish I had known these things earlier, but I learned through experience, and therefore they are now part of who I am.

I learned that...

...we don't need to be afraid.  Fear is something that even today continues to influence my decisions.  Fear almost kept me from going to Thailand.  Fear almost kept me from changing my major at the time that Heavenly Father knew was opportune but I couldn't yet see it.  Fear isn't something we should live by, because that is Satan's way of keeping us from reaching our true potential.  If I had doubted instead of choosing to believe that God knows best, I would not be where I am today.  I know that sounds cheesy and generic, but it's true.  I would be kicking myself

...dedication is far more important than exact obedience and perfection.  On my mission I learned that the flesh is indeed weak, while the Spirit is strong.  I tried to be obedient, but I do admit that there were times when I sacrificed what I really wanted in the future for what I wanted in the moment.  Most of the time I really desired to be obedient, yet I always seemed to fall short.  These times when I fell short, I remembered thinking that I was a complete failure of a missionary.  I remembered wondering why Heavenly Father would keep trying with me.  Obviously, I was a "lost cause" to him, right?  Even when I resolved to be better, I still stumbled at times.  What I didn't know then, was that Heavenly Father wants us to be dedicated to His work.  He doesn't want us to be perfectionists, but rather dedicated and faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.  And what more is a disciple (or saint) than a sinner that keeps on trying?


...getting wet is okay, as long as you are dancing in the rain.  I faced many trials during my mission, as do most missionaries.  I faced some with courage, and there were times when, I admit, I murmured.  I didn't understand God's timing, and I knew I was doing everything I could, and nothing was going right. After long prayers, and meaningful scripture study, I realized that what I needed most wasn't a miracle, necessarily.  What I really needed was an attitude change.  I thought I was entitled to some great miracle, when I wasn't even being appreciative of what God was already giving me.  You can't curse the rain, then be thankful for the rainbow.  To this day, I remember to be thankful in my trials, in the slow times, and in my darkest times, because I know that with each set-back, the rainbow to come only gets more beautiful.

...faith is trusting in God and in His timing.  This revelation came during one of the hardest parts of my second transfer, and it carried me through my entire mission, and still remains one of the most parts of my testimony.  I know that we always hear "Faith brings miracles" or "You can be healed if you have faith".  So...what happens when you don't receive the miracle or the healing?  Does that mean you are faithless?  No.  It only means that you need to exercise your faith by trusting God more than you ever have before.  Waiting upon the Lord is not as simple as it may seem; however, being patient does get easier with time.  Just because you don't see the outward manifestation of your faith, does not mean that God doesn't see you unfit or unworthy. Timing is everything, and with our mortal minds, we are incapable of understanding what God understands.  His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways.  His way is better, and trusting and being patient are the best measures of your faith yet.

...sacrificing your mental, emotional, and physical health will not make you any better of a missionary. Taking the day off because you can hardly walk is acceptable.  Don't be afraid to let others see you be weak.  Being a missionary requires you to lose yourself in the service of God.  However, you will not be an effective servant if you are miserable the entire time.  Take time to unwind, and don't get bent out of shape when things don't go as perfectly as you imagined them to.  You're human.  Acknowledge that sometimes you will get sick, and sometimes you will be sad.  It's okay. Take a step back, let yourself heal, and then go forth with renewed strength.

...God called me to be ME, not my district leader, trainer, sister training leader, AP, or mission president.  He doesn't have a cookie-cutter standard for missionaries. People work differently, and we all have individual strengths.  If you have an impression that others think is ridiculous, all the better reason to go for it.  God knows you perfectly.  He knows you better than any leader, mission president, or companion ever will.  Therefore, He will give you opportunities for you to thrive, and also opportunities where you may not do as well.  Regardless of the turnout, God prepared that experience just for you so that you can more fully be the person He wants you to be.  I wish I hadn't wasted some of my precious time trying to make others happy instead of pleasing my Heavenly Father.  It doesn't matter what other people see or think, because we know that God sees and recognizes all our good works, and that is sufficient.

...I didn't realize how much I would miss my days as a missionary.  Honestly, there were some days that I wished were over as soon as the alarm clock went off.  There weren't many of these days, but I'm sure there times I could have lived with more gratitude in my heart.  What I wouldn't give to go back to even the hardest of days, just to feel like I did then.  I know now that each day is precious, and I won't waste my time waiting for tomorrow, because I can make and see miracles happen today.


Even though I was tried and tested beyond what I imagined, I wouldn't trade those 18 months in Thailand for anything.  I came to know my Heavenly Father and my Savior more than I ever thought I could.  I felt close to Heaven, and I saw miracles.  I sweat a lot, cried some, and praised God through it all.  No, I wasn't perfect, but I know that I did what God asked me to.  I did it because I love Him and my Savior Jesus Christ, and little did I know that I would be blessed this immensely.  I have a new family, new friends, and a greater ties to my Heavenly home.  I know that I was stubborn at times, and that it wasn't always easy, but I will never doubt that it was worth it.  Even though I didn't know these things when I started, I knew them by the time I finished, and they continue to carry me through each day.  Never doubt that God loves you and is aware of you.  He knows your needs, even before you ask for help.  I know He loves me, and that Jesus Christ died for me.  I know that He lives today, and stands at the head of this true church.  What great joy I had being His representative in Thailand, and I owe it all to Him.

Empty Spaces

There are some times that I just expect life to be peachy all the time.

But that's extremely unrealistic.

Coming home from any great experience requires a lot of adjustments.  I think for all people experiencing a major life change, there must be a great amount of soul-searching and personal revelation and evaluation.  Maybe things have changed - before you may have seemed so certain, and now what?  You have goals, but haven't actually considered the plans and investment it is going to take to get there.  So what do you do?

Lately, I'd been feeling empty.  Not from the lack of funds to buy food, or from the lack of sleep I know I am suffering from.  But really just spiritually empty.  There's was a hole, and I didn't know how to fill it.

Over the past 2 years, it seems as if I've learned the same lesson over and over again; but obviously I haven't internalized it as much as Heavenly Father would like me to yet.

I think it is natural to try to shun negative feelings of sadness or being lost.  Instead of trying to act like they don't exist, why not just admit them to ourselves and work through them instead?  These feelings are going to come up in life, and I promise they will last but a small moment (even if they do feel like an eternity sometimes).  This is not only my promise, but this is God's promise to us.

7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.
D&C 121:7-8

So I've come to grips with the feelings I am having; there's really no use in ignoring them.  There are changes going on in my life, and to be quite honest, I'm not sure how to handle all of them.  Sometimes I feel lost and alone; like a part of me was left behind in Thailand, and the rest of me is just confused.  However, that doesn't change the fact that I still have mountains to climb right here, right now.  Running away or returning to what is comfortable does not change the fact that God is refining me and has things for me to learn.  Change is good, because that is how we learn and grow.

I'm a hermit crab.  Yep, that's me.  I just got a new shell, and let's just say that it's kinda roomy in here.  Almost like an uncomfortable void - what am I supposed to do with all of it?  I had an equally uncomfortable shell placed on me 20 months ago, and now I've outgrown that one and I'm getting a new one. (To be honest, it's a miracle that I ever grew into that first one!) I forgot what it was like to have to change...I just got used to my missionary shell!  I was finally filling it out, and now I have to start all over again.  But you know what that means?  I'm progressing.  God saw that I was getting too cozy in my old shell, so He blessed me with a new one.  So this is the new and improved me - but I admit that I'm still adjusting.

So how do I fill all this empty space while I'm in the process of growing into my new shell?  What is going to fill the void that I feel is inside of me?

I did a brief search of the scriptures, and there are several things that I feel like can help the hungering soul.

First, my thoughts led me to the New Testament (and Book of Mormon) to the Sermon on the Mount. The Savior gives the Beatitudes, one of which is as follows:

"6 And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost." (3 Nephi 12:6)
Then I remembered the sermon given to the Samaritan woman:

"14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14)

God has promised me many things, many wonderful blessings.  That is what I have hope for.  I have hope that God will keep His promises to me, and I have hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Through Him, we can do all things.  We can receive all the things that God has prepared for us individually.  Even when times get rough and the waves start to beat upon the sides of the ship, we can be sure that God is there with us. One of my favorite quotes from the MTC is this:

"When you feel like you are drowning, remember that your lifeguard walks on water."

Relying on Christ is the only way we will feel full and find satisfaction in life.  Change is inevitable, sometimes scary, and oftentimes we have to walk in the dark before we receive more light, but God won't let us fall.  Christ is the living water, the bread of life.  When we go unto Him, we can't help but to come away full.  This "fulness" does not mean that everything will be perfect, or that there won't be uncertainties in life, but it does mean that we don't have to be afraid, because God has a plan for us and His promises WILL be fulfilled.

Endless Hope

Thought you could get rid of me after my 18 month missionary service?

Think again.

Don't get me wrong, being a missionary in Thailand was the best thing that ever happened to me... but life doesn't stop.  It may be the best thing up to that point, but we gain new experiences daily, and I have so much more appreciation of life after serving the Lord and my brothers and sisters in Thailand.  I never thought I could love so many people in my entire life.

I have been thinking a lot about what I have learned most from my mission.  I came to the conclusion that if it was one thing that I really gained a testimony of, it was God's love for His children.  I felt His love daily, and even when I felt like I couldn't possibly love myself, I felt His love picking up all my broken pieces, mending me, healing me, forgiving me, and encouraging me.  The only times that I felt like I couldn't feel God's love are the times that I was just wallowing too much in my sorrow to realize that His love was all around me.

For those who have finished missions, I bet you will add to my witness that leaving is one of the hardest things you will ever do.  For me, I came to love the Thai people and the purposes of missionary work - something that felt so foreign and odd at first had become so tightly woven into my heartstrings.  It was so much that it felt like I had a gripping, anxious pain inside of me whenever I thought about leaving it.  I just really prayed to feel God's acceptance of my work in those last months and to just be able to accept the fact that I had no choice to go home.

I realize now why it was so hard:  Everything I know, everything that I am, and everything I desire in life, I learned on my mission.

I've mentioned it over and over again, and it never gets old.  President Uchtdorf said:

"...We are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny."

If that was true, why did I feel like I just couldn't go on?  Everything I had come to embrace and love were the things that I coudn't imagine my life void of.  I felt like once I left, things would never be the same.  I would never have an experience like that one again.  Perhaps I wouldn't see some of the people I loved ever again.  There was a lot of doubt and uncertainty as I coped with the feelings of leaving where had become my home.

While these things may be true, however, I was forgetting an essential part of God's plan: Hope.  I don't know God's plan, and I don't know where I'll be in the next year.  I don't know what it is going to happen, but hope is the one thing I can control.  It is the one thing that will keep me on track so that I actually do end up with God once again, just as He planned.

You would think that after having the greatest experience of my life, I would be easily and even giddy when it came to hope.  I've seen miracles.  I've seen lives changed for the better.  Those who refused to believe were touched by God's love and became a part of His family.  I spent 18 months on the other side of the world, completely out of my comfort zone.  I came home bilingual.  I should be invincible, right?  My family grew immensely, and my love for each of them expanded beyond comprehension.  When we didn't know what to do, we trusted God and kept going.  He never let us down.  How could it possibly be that hope is what I was lacking??

I didn't realize it at first that my lack of hope was the problem.  I realize now that I was afraid because ultimately I didn't know what lie ahead of me.  It was stepping into darkness once again.  It is exactly what it took to get me on a mission in the first place.  I remember being terrified and not knowing what to expect in the least.  Those exact feelings were presenting themselves once again, but this time after having been through the greatest experience of my life.

I look back now and I see the person I used to be.  I was content and complacent with where I was.  I had goals but I just assumed that somehow they would work themselves out with little effort on my part.  But now I see the changes that have happened in my life.  I see how much my testimony has grown, and I can't imagine being the person I used to be.  And that was what I was afraid of.  I was afraid that my progression would be stunted.  Somehow I believed that the things I had been doing my whole mission wouldn't be enough to keep me progressing after I left.

But have I told you lately how great God is?

Things were rough at first, but they have gotten so much better since then.  It really started looking up when I was finally able to go to the temple again for the first time in 18 months!  I was nervous, but I felt the most at home than I have since I've been home.  Just those few hours in the temple were enough to rejuvinate me and help me to see that all is well.  Here's what happened:

Normally when missionaries finish their service, they have an exit interview with the mission president.  One thing President Senior told us is that when we get home, we should go to the temple, do a session, then go to the Celestial room and report our missionary efforts to the Lord.  So that's what I did!  I felt so comfortable and extremely calm as the Spirit washed over me; even just walking onto the temple grounds brought a familiar Spirit back to me.

I remembered sitting with my Trainer, Sister Ng, during a hard time of our service together and just longing to go to the temple.  There was a feeling that accompanied us as we poured out our sincerest desires to the Lord in prayer.  Those are the feelings that I felt once again - the feelings that I missed.  I missed closeness with the Lord and even a longing to be in His presence once again.  The temple is the closest place we can get to His presence, and I wanted to be there more than anything.  Finally, after 18 months of dreaming of going again, I was home.

After the session was finished, we were brought into the Celestial room.  I remembered being in the MTC and going to clean the scances in the temple.  I marvelled at the beauty and cleanliness of the room, and thought of how clean and pure we must be to enter into the Lord's presence once again.  I found a chair, sat down, and began to pour out my heart to the Lord.  I reported my mission labors to Him.  The words flowed easier than normal because I felt so close to Him - like He was just sitting next to me.  I felt the calming assurance that He was proud of me and that I just needed to trust Him.  I felt like my mission on this earth was not over, and I was reminded once again that those things, such as temple blessings, relationships, and experiences, were eternal.  They may come to an end in this life, but never would God take those things away from us permanently.  These are things that bring us eternal happiness, and they are part of God's eternal plan to bring us true happiness.

I prayed for purpose and help in still being an instrument in God's hands even if I am not a set-apart missionary.  I finished my prayer, then started people watching.  I thought about how many prayers have been answered in this sacred room,  I saw everyone dressed in white, and I was thankful that God gives us temples to show us what our purpose in life is.  The temple gave me hope.  I saw people praying fervently, smiling with eternal joy, radiating with God's love.

Then it happened,  I saw a familiar face.  A Sister - a Thai sister whose area I never served in, but whom I had met on several occasions.  I saw her enter the room, and I found myself automatically walking towards her.  She saw me and we just hugged.  I couldn't help but to cry.  A heavenly answer from our Heavenly Father.  My love was expanded yet again for a daughter of God.  I couldn't believe how wonderfully brilliant God is and how far-reaching His love for each of us is.  He gave me hope that I still can be used as part of His plan to help His children be happy.  He still cares about me, and He is aware of me in every way.  How does He know??

We don't have to understand His plan to be part of it.
We don't have to know all that He has in store for us to receive it all.
We don't have to worry, fret, or stress about the future, because He's got it under control.
All the greatest things in life never end.

We just have to have hope that He knows what is best for us and will reveal it to us in due time.  :) Find hope in the eternal promises God has given you and always be worthy to qualify for those blessings.  God will make them happen.  Just have hope, there are great things to come!

I love you all.  It's good to be back.  :)
Amber

It's all over but the work

I always wondered what it was like to be a missionary close to going home.  Now the feelings are very clear, yet sometimes I still can't sort out my emotions.  I feel happy to get to see my family and to see what else the Lord has in store for me.  I feel grateful for all the people I have met in Thailand - both those that touched my life and those that I was privileged enough to touch their lives.  I feel amazed that the Lord has performed so many miracles.  I feel sad that I won't be in Thailand anymore and that I won't physically be wearing my missionary badge anymore.  But overall, I feel hopeful that the Work of Salvation will continue on as stone cut out without hands.  I feel hopeful that the Lord will take care of those I love in Thailand.  I feel hopeful that the Lord will still use me as an instrument in the Lord's hands to bless the lives of His children.  I will always have my missionary badge painted on my heart.  These last 18 months will always be a part of who I am.

We aren't made for endings, but just endless beginnings.  We are made of the stuff of eternity.

 6 And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen.
-Doctrine and Covenants 16:6

Over my mission I can't even express the spectrum of emotions I have felt.  Seeing the change that comes into the lives of others, however, is worth all the stress, sorrow, or tears I could ever give.  

 21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
- Alma 36:21

This in itself is a testimony to me that Jesus Christ lives.  He suffered so much for each of us individually, but it was because He loves us.  He didn't think of Himself, but thought only of us and how much we need Him - how much we could not do it on our own.  I know that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.  I know that He loves us and desires us to be happy.  He has prepared the way for us to have real joy - eternal joy.  That is our Heavenly Father's greatest desire - for us to return to Him, well polished and thankful for the refining.  Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, gave himself a sacrifice  for sin so that the repentant sinner may have eternal life.

Miracles exist.  They happen every day.  All we have to do is have faith - not faith in ourselves or in others, but in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I promise that I will always be a faithful servant to our Lord and Savior.  I will always have my missionary badge painted on my heart.  The work doesn't stop, and neither should we.

For the last time from Thailand:  I know this Church is true.  I know Jesus Christ is our Savior.  I know that God loves His children.

I love you all. See you all soon!  :):)
Sister Norrell

Getting close!

Hello all!

This week was good and absolutely crazy.  A lot of things going on - some good and others not so desirable. 

We helped a member move her house and then the next day we were the ones moving houses.  I got a cold, and then that same day had to bike in the rain to get home.  I also got food poisoning Saturday night...that was less than fun to say the least.

But more than that, there were great things that happened this week!
We got new investigators this week!

Brother Uan - A referral from a different investigator.  Actually, it was his boss.  This was the appointment we were at when we got soaked with rain.  Our investigator called us to see if we were free (yeah, he sets his own appointments.  He calls us!  When does that ever happen??)  We taught them both together which was hard.  It ended up where we were teaching our normal investigator while the member talked to the referral.  Brother Bauk is awesome.  As we taught him the Plan of Salvation, he said that he felt like it was something familiar to him and that it made him want to learn even more.  The next day we met with him again (He was free so he called and again set his own appointment) and he's doing really good!

Sister Som - She is actually the first person whose number I got here in Korat.  And we just recently got the chance to meet her!  We taught her prayer over the phone a while ago, and she really liked it, but since then she has been out of town.  When we met her she was going to the hospital for an exam (she has cancer).  She told us that her family was all Christian, and that she was interested in learning.  She tried to come to the church twice last week, but she got lost and her phone died.  Then she got sick and had to sleep in the hospital.  Teaching her was one of the best experiences I've had.  It reminded me of how prepared God's children really are.  We went to her house and she revealed her story.  She said her family had been inviting her to become Christian for a while and she saw their lives improve after they changed.  Then a couple days after she made that decision, we met her at the market.  She said after that, she went home and told her husband that she was going to change religions.  Her house is normally in a different city but she moved so that she could be closer to the church.  Her son is also interested and I am so thankful for her.  She is free on Sundays, is legally married to her husband, and has no problems with the commandments.  She is absolutely perfect.  She is on track to be baptized this month!

Brother Golem and Sister Bon - Yes, I think his name really is Golem.  Weird, huh?  He's Catholic and she is Protestant.  We met their friends at the park and they were like "He's Christian" and referred us to Golem and Bon.  He expressed his curiosity about the LDS Church and a desire to know if it is true.  We met them Saturday and they were really focused.  Apparently his curiosity stems from a Catholic Priest that told him that the LDS Church has the teachings closest to the actual teachings of Jesus Christ - that we have the truth.  Yeah, that was unexpected.  Golem really wants to know if it is true - as he said the closing prayer, he prayed to know the truth as soon as possible.  It was an experience that reminded me of that tender experience with Brother Ford in Chiang Mai when he prayed to know the truth right then.  It came for him and I have faith that it will come to him very soon.

Miracles are happening here in Korat.  Prepared people are everywhere, and God's hand is always playing a part.  It is up to us whether or not we will take the time to recognize Him.  It is never too late to help God's children.  God's plan is perfect and we can always find ways to take part in His work.  Trust God and believe that there are great things to come in His work!

Love you all!
Happy late Thanksgiving too!
Sister Norrell  

Wheat and Tares

Hello everyone!

This week I have found that I am especially thankful for the Spirit and for the love that can be conveyed through the Spirit.  We were working with some Less Active members of the Church - people who have been members for 30-40 years, have been Branch Presidents, and haven't been to church in 20 years.  It is really sad to see how they let things of the world take hold of their hearts and that they don't have the Spirit with them anymore. 

We had an interesting encounter with one brother in particular:  his heart was especially hardened.  he is a lawyer, and at the beginning of the lesson he was practically yelling at us.  He said he wasn't really free, but I felt impressed to ask him if he was going to go to church this week.  He was a little perturbed that I would ask him right after he said he wasn't free, so he started talking about how he needed to choose if he was going to be with God or against him.  He went off about how the world is changing and how when he was 20 and a new member he looked up to others for sources of strengthening his testimony, how then he was persuaded much easier.  I am not completely sure that he even believes it anymore.  But all that kept running through my head was "truth never changes".  We are told over and over by modern day prophets and apostles of our Lord that God's standard never changes even when the world's do so rapidly.  Over and over again in the Scriptures we are told that God never changes and if He does He would cease to be God.  I also had the thought to share with him the Scripture in Mosiah 3:19 :

 19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.    

He was so hardened to the Spirit -so caught up on intellectual knowledge that he had forgotten what the most innate and tender feelings we could ever feel felt like.  The Spirit is that which connects our Spirit to God and helps us to build upon the most sure foundation.  It is true:  the world is changing.  It is going downhill steadily and it is increasing speed.  Yet, things of the world cannot satisfy.  As Elder Perry would explain it, we are the wheat and the evils of the world (the tares) are so closely sown in.  We can't simply ignore them - they are surrounding us.  So what we can do is prepare to defend ourselves against these things before we are face to face with a choice.

"A steward managing the field must, with all his or her power, nourish that which is good and make it so strong and beautiful the tares will have no appeal either to the eye or the ear. How blessed are we as members of the Lord’s Church to have the precious gospel of our Lord and Savior as a foundation on which we can build our lives."

I know that as we prepare ourselves against the storms of the world by building our foundation upon Christ's Gospel, we don't have to worry about the tares, because we will be prepared to face any storm.  We will be as the wise man who built his foundation upon a rock.  We may not be wise as to things of the world, but with what really matters, we will be sustained our whole lives through.

And the best part?  This man eventually did open his heart, at least a little.  He finally agreed to come to church on the 30th.  It is a step in the right direction!!

Miracles can happen!  We just have to believe.

I love you all!

Sister Norrell

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/finding-lasting-peace-and-building-eternal-families?lang=eng

Waiting Outside

Helloooo everyone!

Emailing a little early this week.  Sorry if I missed you!

This past week was really good!  We felt the Spirit helping us work harder and giving us direction on how to improve.  
We also had the excitement of moving houses this past week!  Since there are 4 Sisters now instead of just 2, we had to find a new house to where all of us could fit (even though I don't think there will be 4 Sisters any more after this transfer...).  We finally found a house and started moving in!  We took the beds and the desks out of our apartment which was interesting because there was no elevator...thank goodness we have Elders!  The new house is kinda scary...yeah.  Big and spacious.  Kinda dark and needs a paint job...but we get what we can take since the other Sisters were in a hotel since coming here.  Haha ;) Sister Yanisa and I will be moving in at the end of the month since the rent on our apartment has been paid until then...we may or may not be procrastinating.  I really just don't want to pack up my stuff to move, because then I don't really have time or a reason to unpack again.  Weird.  
Good things are happening!  New investigators, finding random members who are now inactive.  One was a member since the beginning of the Church in Thailand - 30+ years and has been a branch president twice.  Another was someone people here in Korat know, especially the young men.  It was a powerful moment having those young men help us teach.  They both expressed their love for this older man and told him how much of a role model his was for them and how much they wanted him to come back.  One of them even started crying - an 18 year old boy.  The Spirit was so strong.  I saw that there is no reason why we should underestimate the power of our own example.  In my mind's eye, I feel that the Lord showed me that this less-active member does have potential.  A less-active member now, but a great and powerful leader in the future, especially among the youth.  Truly God sees our potential and as we trust Him, we will be given the ability to begin to see it for ourselves.  After we met him for the first time he started reading his Book of Mormon for the first time in almost a year.  He told us that he felt so good in coming back to the things that he has known for 15+ years now. The Spirit is still the same, all we have to do is seek for it.

3 Nephi 14:7
 7 "Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Another testimony that I gained this week was about the power of the Book of Mormon.  We have one investigator who we have been teaching for a long time and she kinda stopped progressing. We have been pushing for her to get baptized, but she just has something keeping her back that she refuses to tell us.  Then we had a heart to heart with her about it.  We committed her to write down 5 concerns or questions she has about baptism and then go read the Book of Mormon to find answers.  Since then she has been doing so much better!  She reads the Book of Mormon and Bible at any chance she gets and she asks questions and slowly she is opening up to us more and more.

I learned a lot from her this week.  She's really shy.  Last week she came to church, but came 5 minutes late and was too shy to enter, so she sat outside for an hour and then went home without us even knowing it.  So this week we were determined to get her inside.  I thought about her sitting outside too shy to enter into this most sacred and important meeting.  But then I thought about how ultimately it is her choice to come in or stay outside.  But at the last day, what if she was forbidden to enter into God's kingdom?  

 37 And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins. (Alma 11:37)

Let us all be worthy at the last day.  Let us not procrastinate or exercise our judgement unrighteously as to not be found worthy to enter God's kingdom at the last day!

Love you all!
Sister Norrell