HELLO!
A little update on the BEST mission!
In the month of December we had a total of 95 baptisms! This month, we are
planning on raising the stakes even more to get 200. It is totally possible
with the Lord's power on our side. We are preparing for miracles to take place
here in Thailand. We are planning the biggest blip on the First Presidency of
the Church's radar - this is Asia's time for the work of salvation to explode.
Thailand needs a temple! As we have been working this past week, I have gotten
the feeling several times that God is preparing good things for us and His
beloved children in Thailand. I feel that the "windows of heaven"
(see Elder Bednar's talk from this past General Conference) are ready to burst,
and right now the miracles we are experiencing are barely a trickle of what God
has in store for this nation. It is going to be big. Sister Crockett and I have
a goal for 2 baptisms this month. Please pray for us to accomplish our
companionship goal of 2 baptisms and our mission goal for 200 in this month of
miracles! I know that prayer is a powerful thing and that when we strive to do
all God wants us to do, His eternal purposes will be made manifest through His
servants.
For mission work, this week has been
great! (I think I probably say that every week, but it is true every time!)
Sister Crockett and I love working together, and so far we are seeing success.
I am thankful that even though this area may be notorious for being slow
progressing or low baptizing, we have the ability to see beyond that and make
our missions and service fit for the kingdom of God. We know that we won't get
anywhere with low expectations, so we are going to make our missions truly
ours, regardless of what others may think or expect from us and this area. We
have a goal for 2 baptisms this month, and we are really hoping and praying
that we are going to meet our goal. The Sister Boo situation is becoming
stressful with her date coming up in this next week, but we have faith that
God's purposes will be brought to pass and that His hand will be manifest. This
is HIS work.
One thing I have learned this week
is the power of repentance. We sat in Sacrament Meeting yesterday, expecting 2
investigators to come to church. About 15 minutes in, still no investigators.
For some reason, however, I didn't feel stressed. I felt disappointed but not
to the point of being stressed or angry at the seemingly improper use of
agency. It was not my normal reaction to a situation like that, and it made me
wonder if I was feeling okay. But really. It felt weird and abnormal to not
have a stressed reaction. I believe that I was sheltered by God from those
feelings. I felt like God just held me up a little higher so that it wasn't put
in a situation where I would hit the bottom. I know that it was not me changing
my feelings, but it was truly God's power of redemption working in my life. It
was me accepting what will come, and embracing it too. I know that good things
come from God, and certainly being on a mission in the first place is a good
thing. I certainly felt like we did all we could so all we could do was sit
back and wait for God's hand to be manifest once again. In the end, we had not
only 2 but 3 investigators come to church. They were just a little late.
Nonetheless, I am glad that they exercised their faith and came!
I am learning that repentance isn't
just for obvious guilt from sins that we know we have committed. Sometimes I
believe that I feel guilt in other ways when I know that sometimes I should
have done something a little better, or perhaps I let myself get discouraged or
lower my expectations so where I feel like they are more achievable. I didn't
realize that this was a different way of feeling guilt until I read the
Priesthood Session talk "You Can Do It Now!" by President Uchtdorf.
Those couple pages in my Liahona are very colorful, and the margins are full of
notes. Reading this talk helped me to realize the different kinds of
"guilt" that I feel sometimes. This kind of guilt oftentimes causes
me to think that I don't even know where to start to be better. I am glad that
in now knowing what kind of guilt is good for healthy repentance, that there is
also a point where Satan takes over to the point where we are being with-held
from repentance. Satan tries to make us forget who we are and what we really
desire in life. He seeks for us to be miserable like unto himself. But I know
that as we repent - as we put our trust in God and submit to His will - that we
will be able to come closer to Christ and reach our full potential.
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I found a crazy cow!
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I am so grateful for the many
experiences I have had this week - people we work with specifically - that have
helped me to know that I am exactly where I need to be. I wouldn't ask to be
anywhere else! Sister Crockett and I are ready to be the conduits for God to
work His eternal purposes in Mahasarakham. The Lord is blessing us more than we
could even begin to imagine. Luckily for us, our success in this life does not
depend on what we are capable of understanding!
I love you all!
Sister Norrell
P.S.
Oh and a couple other things that
some people might be interested in.
Some of my favorite snacks here in
Thailand:
Fried Green Papaya Salad
Betagen (milk stuff that may or may
not be fermented? Sounds gross, but it is oh so good)
5 Baht Cookies!
Milo Chocolate Milk and Cereal!
Cooked pumpkin
Another fun treat. I am not really sure what they are, but they are SOO good. Tastes like coconut pandan stuff with corn and green onions in it. So Thai. So delicious.
We made chicken nuggets in our toaster oven to celebrate the New Year. Yes, it was a splurge, but it was totally worth it!
Don't worry. In case you didn't know how to prepare cereal, there are easy instructions on the box! ;)
Okay, that's my boring update that
you asked for. Sufficient? :)
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