Can you believe it? A year ago this last week I was in the MTC having a devotional by Elder and Sister Bednar! It honestly feels like it was just yesterday. Oh a more exciting note though. This last week was CRAZY. So last Tuesday for the first time in my life I harvested rice for a member!! Out here during rice harvesting season life for everyone just stops. A strong member here named Brother ปอ is a full time accountant but his office shut down for 2 days so everyone could go out and harvest rice. Literally rice is life here. That is no stereotype. 555+ It was so fun though. We were able to help another member out this last Friday too. It actually has become an inviting technique too. If they reject us inviting them to church, then we invite ourselves to help them harvest rice. They usually just laugh at us because they think all these Americans couldn't possibly know how to harvest rice, but then we just remind them that 5 minutes ago they assumed the same thing about us being able to speak Thai. I love these people so much! 555+ Then Wednesday was the Lantern Festival in Thailand which I can't think of how to explain in English. But it was really cool actually. And there were tons of fireworks. Then Thursday was Thanksgiving and honestly we did absolutely nothing! 555+ But it was fun going to visit some of the LA members houses and giving them orange paper hand turkeys (you know from elementary school) to write 5 things they were grateful. One for each finger. They all seem to love that. So that was cute. Then Friday and Saturday....two of the weirdest days of my mission. We went from sickling rice Friday morning and meeting with a member of the Seventy Friday night. It was the coolest experience of my mission. Ward Roi-Et had a personal fireside from Elder Khanakham (the first Thai member of the Seventy) and only about 30-40 people went. So it ended up feeling like I was the only one in the room! 555+ And the entire thing was in Thai. Which blew my mind even more because not only am I sitting in the same room with a member of the Seventy who has most definitely spoken with the prophet himself, but this man is speaking THAI and I understand him! It was just a huge reflection moment for me. I just can't believe that last year I couldn't speak Thai and that this year I can (well relatively speaking, because lets be honest, I will never REALLY know Thai). But that is a HUGE blessing. It has taken me 20 years to learn English and I still can't even speak that very well. 555+ Especially now! But just wow! Elder Khanakham has such an amazing disposition about him. He is so warm and loving. He radiates with the spirit. And he teaches with the spirit. And so does his wife. I think the most amazing thing is that they were actually Senior Couple Missionaries in Roi-Et for about 7 months of their mission. So this visit was like coming home for them. So cool. Life is so good right now. I am a little sick, and I slept wrong on my neck last night so I can't really move it, but it doesn't even matter because I am just happy! Just constantly happy. The members here I love...and I really have found more and more reasons why I was called to serve here. I love this work, and I love my Savior!
Love you all so much. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and didn't get too crazy for Black Friday. Having a great week!! TOMORROW IS DECEMBER WHICH MEANS CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!!!!! I am so excited. The Christmas Season is the best, even if they don't celebrate it here! Keep smiling, there's really no reason not too!
Sister Burbank
Before I cut off my finger with the sickle. 555+
The District harvesting rice!
What we look like after
I love this country.
Me and my กระธง I made. They are made out of banana leafs and the stem of the tree!
Our District at the lantern festival!
Us and members before we ลอย our กระธง's
Met "Miss Thailand" women. Apparently she was born in Roi Et so she came back to visit. Crazyyyyyy....famous Thai people!
