Thai'd Up for 18 Months: Transferred with a new comp! Week 35

Hello everyone! Sorry I am writing on Tuesday, President Senior showed up for some district training and switched our Pdays. But now I can tell you all about transfers.

So last Monday night I got a text from our district leader that let us know Sister Grover, myself and Elder Fin were leaving Khon Kaen. We left on a bus Wednesday and headed towards Bangkok. White washing Sisters is fun.... Because you have 6 bags and 2 bikes. But with the combination of all 4 of us and Elder Parker not moving we were able to do it. The best was going from the bus station to the church building. We managed to find a willing taxi driver to take 2 bikes and 6 bags and 2 people in 1 taxi. He was so great. And we fit it! Miracle! So after arriving to the church I decided it was too late to make our way and stay in Bang Khen. So we stayed with the Don Muang sisters. It was a long night... Sister Zoller and I had a lot of catching up to do. And then sleeping on the floor... At least this time they had pillows and blankets. Ha ha

Transfer day. Bitter sweet in some ways. At least it is when you like your companion. But I was really excited to move and see more of the mission this time. It felt like forever before my name showed up on the power point. I am in Pitsanulok! My companion is Sister Morgan. She just finished her greenie days. I am way excited about Pitsanulok! I wanted to do some time in Bangkok, then head out to the Issan, and then go to the north. Well I got my wish! And so far I absolutely love this area! Although I am a little scared. Apparently this is the hottest area of the mission and its almost hot season! All anyone could say when they found out where we were going was, "you are going to die its going to be so hot!" Oh well, I was cold in Khon Kaen so maybe this will be better. Ha ha

So after transfers we did the traditional Que Pasa lunch. Then after that we headed to the bus stop to buy tickets. The Elders had snagged a pickup truck so it was kind of a now or never situation. We had the 2 of us sisters, the 2 elders (One dying, one a fresh greenie), and then an elder who we had to deliver to his trio. We got to the train station and unloaded. Then the Elders bought the tickets (for 5-6 hours later). Then they left us with all the stuff to get the Elder going into the trio. He was at the office doing Visa stuff. So me and sister Morgan just sat and waited. It felt like forever! Then Elder Colderon being the gentleman that he is let us take the first bus. (They said they couldn't fit all our luggage on one). Well it turns out the first bus was way worse than the second one. And the second one got in ealier than our bus! Oh well. So we get to Pitsanulok in the middle of the night. Nearly morning. We get lost with our taxi driver who says he is from here. We finally get to the house which is right off the main road... (How in the world did the taxi driver get lost?) So between the night before leaving Khon Kaen and not sleeping much, the night before transfers and not sleeping much. and the night we got here with hardly sleeping at all. I was exhausted on Friday. Ha ha somehow I managed to stay awake and make it through the day though. And really, I LOVE pitsanulok! I am so excited to be here. Sister Morgan and I are technically opening our area because there were only 2 sisters here before. We have been so blessed though. We already have a pool of investigators and some are on track to getting baptized on this Sunday! We just want to work really hard and be super obedient. We are expecting miracles this transfer.

One of the fun things about being here is I now live in a 4 sister house! And the best part, Sister Alley is here! Elder Curtis came up to me after transfers and said, "You are going home to mom." Ha ha and man he was right. We had to move into the Elders house (because it went from 4 Elders to 2 and 2 sisters to 4) and she and her companion spent a ton of time cleaning it up before we got there. Another fun thing is Sister Burbank is Sister Alley's companion. Sister Grover knew her from before so I had heard tons about her. I am lucky that while I am in a 4 sister house it gets to be with these awesome sisters!

Also, the branch here is really great. They have quite a few people coming every Sunday which is a nice change. It isn't in a church building, but the building church is held in is actually pretty nice. And I have an in with a lot of the members. Elder Parker served here before moving to Khon Kaen. I guess one plus side about him talking so much is that I knew things about this area and the members here. Some of the members I just tell them I am friends with Elder Parker and I just moved from Khon Kaen and they get so excited that I am here. Ha ha

Now for any missionary or future missionary reading this (especially Elders), I have two recommendations. Please A. Keep you house clean (you never know when sisters are going to be moving into it) and B. Take care of your area book. This is now the second time I have had to move into an elders house and thank goodness for Sister Alley who started cleaning from the moment I called her from transfer meeting. She was looking at our area book. She was kind of disgusted. She was talking to President about it yesterday. She says she has now gained a testimony on good record keeping. Well, all I can say is this area book is a lot better than the one I had in Khon Kaean. I wanted to cry when I opened that one. Ha ha So please, just be organized in all things.

Now to close with a spiritual thought, this was a scripture that was shared during district training yesterday. 2 Nephi 22:2

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation."

We must trust in God because He knows everything. And why should we be afraid if He knows everything and He is the one in control of all things? We just need to trust in Him and follow His teachings and His commandments and everything will work out for the best.

I am going to miss the friends and the relationships I built in Khon Kaen but I am excited to be here to make new ones too. Its another bitter sweet thing about the mission and transfers.

I love you all and I hope you have had a good week!

-Sister Nethercott