Monday, June 29, 2015

No matter how much every inch of your body aches, it makes it all worth it. Week #57

A good Sunday.
Hello! This has been a great week here in Bang Khae! I seriously love being here!
This week we worked really hard and got blessings for it! We had a switch off in Bangnaa which is actually a really good area. (For some reason I didn't expect that). So that was fun. 
This week Sister Paun (our RC that was baptized about a month ago)'s daughter came back home. She had come to church before and was interested in baptism but left for work. She moved back home so we were able to teach her again and she got baptized! It was so great! Except, she was scared of water and it took a few times for the Elder baptizing her to get her under. But the church is true and it worked out! Now her and her mom  can start preparing for the temple in Thailand together. They can prepare to be sealed and become an eternal family!
Yesterday was President and Sister Senior's last Sunday in Thailand. For some reason they decided to spend that last Sunday in Bang Khae. I had the privilege to translate Sister Seniors last testimony here in Sacrament meeting. It will be weird not having them here anymore but I am excited to meet President and Sister Johnson this Wednesday. Nobody really knows what to expect from them or what things might change. I am expecting great things from them. With the temple announced, there are only great things to come!
There is so much work to do! Sometimes it seems a little overwhelming. The reccords that need organized. The LA's that need found. The RC's that need strengthened. The investigators that need found, taught, and baptized. Sometimes being a missionary makes me feel like a detective. We get addresses on reccords that say, "under bridge, garbage cans." And we have to find the RC that lives there! Well after praying we did! Its amazing. I have strongly considered making one of those webs like on Sherlock Holmes 2 (if any of you have seen it). I feel like that might be what it takes for this area to become a ward! But when tasks do get accomplished and you start to see the progress of the area, it feels so good! No matter how much every inch of your body aches, it makes it all worth it. I love being a missionary. Especially here in Thailand and specifically in Bang Khae.
I am going to share the scripture that Sister Senior shared in sacrament meeting.
"And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God." -1 Nephi 11:25
She invited everyone to do the things to help them hold to the rod and then stay by the tree. Its simple things like prayer, reading scriptures, keeping commandments, paying tithing, and going to church that will help us stay by the tree and always feel of Gods love.
I love all of you! I hope you are all doing awesome!

-Sister Nethercott

 President & Sister Senior's last Sunday

 Elephant dress day!
 Paun and Bell.
 Apparently this is how the Elders teach in Bangnaa. Ha ha
 Some of the scenery to visit the members houses.




Wore through my shoes Week #56

Hello everyone! Finally a full week in Bang Khae. The only one I will be getting this transfer. Its good though. It teaches you how to work really hard because you have to make up for lost time. 
This month is a little harder in the work. A lot of the missionaries felt it last month. Somehow we dodged it last month but are feeling it this time around. We keep finding great golden people and then all of a sudden you get the response, "I can't get baptized". Various reasons too. It gets a little frustrating sometimes. All you want is for these people to be able to make it to the celestial kingdom. Baptism is the only way that can be done!
This week we took some time and tried to find some less actives. Fortunately, the elders quorum president here is always willing to help serve the missionaries. We would have never found the houses without him! Now we can start making plans and setting up a system for the missionaries here to visit these people and help them remember what God's love feels like. The best way to feel of that love is by keeping His commandments. One of which happens to be going to church.
Rainy season is definitely starting back up again. Its nice because its not so hot, but it also makes contacting and walking home at night a little more difficult. Ha ha Thai people are so afraid of the rain! If it look like it might rain, they won't leave their house. If it is raining they will do whatever it takes to stay under a roof. Thailand also doesn't really have different levels of rain. Its mostly just either a) not raining or b) pouring down cats and dogs. Its fun though!
Oh I have also officially walked through my crocs! I should've brought just 2 pairs of these crocs with me. No other shoes necessary out here! Bad timing too because as I just said, rainy season is starting! Ha ha its ok though because I have duct tape. I fixed them up this morning and now they are just like new!
Sorry this week was pretty uneventful. Not much to talk about!
As I was studying this morning during personal study I read this scripture that I want to share with everyone today. It is 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."
Also, something else I have learned in studies this week is that when you read the bible, the book of mormon makes a lot more sense. Or at least in 2 Nephi with the Isaiah chapters. I should have given the old testament a try sooner! 
Well I hope you all had a great week! Love you!

-Sister Nethercott



Can we get this for our backyard? Its nice!




 Elder Liaga saving the birdie that flew over the fence. I think he kind of looks like Samuel the Lamanite
 My ลูก's (child) first time getting drenched in the rain.
 A cool wat we passed searching for LAs. (less active's)

My favorite thing to eat here these days! Its something I learned from Sister Morgan.


Monday, June 15, 2015

Lots of Conferences! Week #55

Waiting around a lot in the process of switch-offs... Not as much fun.
Hello everyone! I don't even know what to write about this week. 
Last Monday was a little crazy. I was so looking forward to a low key p-day with maybe a nap to make up on some of the sleep I've missed. Last Monday turned into another trip to Asoke for final interviews with President before he leaves. Then we got to go back to Asoke on Wednesday for zone conference. From there I headed East to Sapaan Sung to stay the night before their zone conference. I am getting a lot better at sleeping on tile floor. Ha ha
Zone conference was all about hope. It was great. Actually it was kind of sad. It was President and Sister Senior's final goodbye. And a lot of the senior couples are ending pretty soon. So it was a lot of goodbyes. Its funny because us missionaries are feeling a sense of closure and yet we still have to push on! Ha ha Our time is not up yet! There is so much more work to do! I honestly wish I had more time to do it all. As I watch the missionaries going home, I watch as they leave right before something so exciting happens. Like the temple announcement or the creating of a new stake (which just took place in the Issan). So many new and exciting things are taking place here in Thailand and I know it is only the beginning. The Lord has announced a temple. Thailand isn't ready yet. But that is God's way of saying we will be. Now it is up to us to make sure the Thailand will be ready in time. We have a lot of baptizing and reactivating to do!
This week was full of some disappointments but so many surprises. I feel like when Heavenly Father closes one door for you, He immediately opens up another one. You just have to learn to embrace His plan and be willing to change your plans at any given moment. Some things that start out seeming wrong become a blessing in disguise. Serving a mission is the best thing in the world. You learn so much about others, about yourself, and about Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. I want everyone to take some time this week and do at least one thing that will strengthen your relationship with your Heavenly Father.
I love you all and hope you had a great week!

-Sister Nethercott

Zone Conference
 Yummy Pakistan food!
 This was at MLC. Was that only last week?

  Some pictures from the zone trainings...

 Was zone conference fun? You tell me.

 We live in Bangkok.... Kind of.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Busy year mark! Week #54

What a crazy week! We started by going to the watermarket last Monday. That was pretty cool!  Then Wednesday we had MLC. After that, I got to do zone trainings. This new transfer there isn't an STL over the east zone. Both Sister Herrmann and I are over the west zone. So they asked us to be over both zones. We went to a lot of trainings. I didn't get back to my area until Saturday. Then we had to work really hard to make up for all of the time we spent out of our area. But let me tell you, the Lord blesses you when you are fulfilling your calling. We saw so many blessings and miracles while teaching and inviting this week! It was great!
This next week I will be going to 2 zone conferences so it will be another week with not too much time spent in my area. I hope that as we work hard while we are here, we will be able to meet the goals that have been set!
So much is going on preparing for the new mission president. President Senior wants to make sure everything thing is organized and ready for him to come in on a clean slate. We are going back to the basics and making sure everything we do is exactly inline with the white handbook. This means a lot of rules were made and clarified. President Johnson will be able to come in and make the decisions and changes that he wants to without having to be the bad guy. The good news is, riding elephants was not banned. The only problem is, you have to have an elephant in your area if you want to ride it. We are no longer allowed to leave our area for p-day adventures. It will be good though. Everything is going to be so ready for a smooth transition to the new president. 
In MLC we learned about spiritual traction. We referred back to the talk given by Elder Bednar with the truck and the new mormon message that goes with it. Now that Thailand has had a temple announced, the work has gotten harder. We are doing all that we can to fight the adversary and prepare for the temple. Satan is doing all that he can to stop the Lords work. Spiritual traction is necessary though. We don't learn or grow with out it. We need to learn how to deal with hard things to prepare for the even harder things that are to come. If we have faith and rely on Christ, we will be able to over come the trials that we will face. We just need to remain hopeful through our hard times and remember if we are just saved and the trial stops, what good will we learn. 
I hope all of you will remain faithful in Christ no matter what trial may come your way.
I love you all! 

-Sister Nethercott

 Water market

 Yummy food! 
 Super fun! Really hot you can see the sweat on my face! Ha ha

 We rode a boat! We were so fat I thought it was going to sink! The water kept trying to come up over the edge!




 MLC and trainings. I think President Senior looks a little different these days...
(In case you didn't get the reference to Pres Senior looking different... That is his suite coat with his nametag still on it.)
 I got to spend the whole day of my year mark with Sister Herrmann! Super fun! We got coldstone... expensive!

 Scenic views :)


At Asoke Meetinghouse

Monday, June 1, 2015

Just pics Week #53

 Graffiti?
 Not much from the week. Elder Hinkson was here for a bit from Burma. The last day of the transfer before moves.