I am just so happy.
This week we got to see B.Nad and B.Yaa get baptized! They are the husbands of the two Cambodian sisters that we met! Before the baptism we met at their apartment and they made us Cambodian food. It reminded me of when we went to Long Beach and visited Brandyn's mission and hung out with all the Cambodians. They are such humble people. And their food is SO GOOD. I feel so lucky to have gotten so close with this family. Thai is neither of our first language but we still find some way to communicate and have SO MUCH FUN. 555+ I love them so much. They are so excited to meet Brandyn too.
I feel like it was inspired that Sister Hayes and I were both here in Srinakharin when they ran into us. Because of how Sister Hayes brother-in-law served his mission in Cambodian and is currently living there, and then how Brandyn speaks Cambodian. What are the odds?! Seriously...this is definitely God's work. These last 12 weeks here with Sister Hayes has been a dream....I love that girl so much!
Most of all though I love my Savior. I don't think I could ever express how eternally grateful I truly am for Him. Alma 26:16 pretty much sums it up for me.
"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."
How grateful am I for eloquent speakers so I can just steal their words and instead of having to struggle to come up with my own. I feel like Bruce R McConkie said it best when he said, in his last conference talk (April 1985), "In speaking of these wondrous things I shall use my own words, though you may think they are the words of scripture, words spoken by other Apostles and prophets. True it is, they were first proclaimed by others, but they are now mine, for the Holy Spirit of God has borne witness to me that they are true, and it is now as though the Lord had revealed them to me in the first instance. I have thereby heard his voice and know his word."
I feel like that is the best response I have ever heard. You can't plagiarize the Holy Ghost. 555+
Honestly though. Things are going great here. I don't know what else to say. Sister Alley dies in a few days and I am so excited for her! I could not have asked for a better trainer. She has worked WONDERS for the hearts of the people she has touched in Thailand. I love her so much.
Best quote to date from her that I can think of is:
"And I wanted to go to Alaska" (What she would say everyday as she left the house to battle the Thailand heat)
Who would've thought that after 18 short months she would be on track to go back and live in Arizona. Have fun in the sun babe, proof that you really did let this mission change you!! ^.^
I hope everyone can find a reason to smile this week. So many beautiful things to be grateful for.
"It's Great to Be Alive"
Sister Burbank
