Note from Amber's Mom: Sorry to say that Amber is still experiencing problems with attaching pictures this week. We haven't figured out the problem yet, but may need to purchase a new memory card reader. Hopefully next week will be back to normal!
It's been a really interesting week.
To be honest, I don't remember much of what happened besides the
"big" stuff. We have been increasingly busy, but it kind of
seems to no avail. There are certainly tender mercies that balance it out
though!
Sister Ng and I got to sleep in a
hotel Tuesday night! It was pretty fun! Except we didn't eat
dinner. I ate crescent rolls that I grabbed from our house. In the
dark. Yep, our power was out. The bill never showed up, so we
didn't pay the bill. Silly us. So our house was without power for a
full 24 hours. But the hotel was nice, and the shower was actually pretty
normal. And the beds weren't held together by tape! It was
wonderful. I'm starting to think our house just has issues though.
The power was out twice again this week, by no fault of our own that is.
Who knows!
Okay, transportation. So when
we don't know where we are going we often take roddaangs. Which basically
translates as "car red". They are basically public taxis.
They are red trucks with a covering over the bed, and padded cushion
benches to sit on. They are supposed to cost around 20 baht each (less
then a dollar in US currency), but sometimes the drivers think we are stupid
and try to charge us more if we are going a little ways out (probably because
we are more fulong than khon thais). Luckily for us, though, when we go
on our P-day adventures we know a member who owns one and always gives the
missionaries good deals! Riding in these public taxis is also one of our
favorite ways of contacting. It's so easy and casual (and non
threatening) when we can just talk to people as we are both going somewhere.
Plus then, we aren't looking for people to talk to because they're
already there and usually pretty nice about talking to us!
Biking is a little scary, but I'm
getting used to it! Just being assertive, but aware of your surroundings
is usually how we get places. I never thought I would say it, but
sometimes I'm thankful that people in Thailand are crazy drivers...it means
that they are ALWAYS aware of their surroundings and are pretty good about
being courteous. Nothing like the States. There is no such thing as
road rage here and the traffic is so much worse.
I love being in the Northern area of
Thailand. There is a great balance of city and country (rice fields and
mountains too!) so we get to see it all! And there is so much to do here.
Lots and lots of wats (Buddhist temples) that are so intricate and
beautiful and lots and lots of shopping (especially since its the touristy
part. There are so many white people!) But its all so cheap by American
standards, and actually really good quality. You can get full meals here
for less than 2 dollars. It's great! And the fruit is so good.
The mahnkhut (mangosteen) is my favorite I think. But every time I
eat it my fingers get stained by the peel. The fruit is so sweet and
delicious. Sadly, mango is already out of season. There are some kinds
they still have I think, but not the kind I would want to get with sticky rice!
:( I have recently fallen in love with Milo. There is a
D-milk stand not too far from our house and I love getting Milo chocolate milk
and Oreo shakes. SO GOOD! Especially when the weather is hot (which
is any time its not raining...) or when we are just craving something sweet.
So either we get D-milk or go see the fruit cart lady, both are sweet,
but they both are not equally as healthy. :P
This week has been pretty decent
work wise. There have been some disappointments, but I feel confident
that we are truly trying our hardest and that our hearts are in the right
place. We struggled to not blame ourselves for perhaps not being thorough
enough or not resolving people's concerns, but when it comes down to it, we
just have to remember that people have their agency to choose whether or not to
accept our message.
I read an excerpt from a devotional
given at BYU in the Liahona this week titled "The Best is Yet to
Come" by Elder Holland. He talked a lot about faith and how it does
no good to look back on the past. He compared it to Lot's wife who looked
back and was turned to a pillar of salt. He said it wasn't just because
she looked back, it was because she went back. She missed all the things
that gave her momentary pleasure. She sacrificed what was really
important for what she felt she wanted in that moment. Surely God would
take care of us, but it does us no good if we are stuck in what was and what
could have been. Elder Holland said that it is contrary to the Atonement
of Christ to go back and desire what the past had for us. Faith is not a
principle that works when we want to go back and have what we used to have.
It is a forward looking principle. We face the future with faith,
and that is when we continue to learn and grow, and subsequently are able to
reap the rewards of our actions. When we take care to nourish that little
seed, it eventually blossoms into a tree if we care for it and give it time,
just like in Alma 32. But if we keep digging up the seed to see what it
looks like or if we get afraid to let it grow, or if we lose patience, then the
tree will never be and we will never be able to enjoy the fruits thereof.
Likewise, if we allow bad seeds to be planted and we feed them, they will
soon grow to be more than just a seed. It will become a briar patch that
is detrimental to our other good seeds. If we let it get to that point,
our good seeds will suffer and there will be much mending and care that must
take place before we are back to where we were before. I remember that
every time I feel doubt or fear, or when I feel inadequate to be a servant of
the Lord. I remember that God does not plant bad seeds. He doesn't
even have bad seeds to give us! If we ask for bread, He does not give us
a stone - He gives us Manna. He will provide the way as long as we are
trying our hardest and look forward with faith and nourish our good seeds.
I'm out of time, but I hope
everything is well! I will try to include lots of pictures next week,
once I figure out what the problem is.
I love you all!
ซิเฅอร
โนร์เรล
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