taryn 12.2.09

Hey! >
we just got back from a fun day in lopburi, seeing lots of sunflowers and playing with the monkeys(hah more like them climbing all over us trying to steal our stuff..) we went with all of the sisters that are serving in bangkok, loaded in a big van and left really early to make the 2 hour roadtrip. tiring, but fun!>
this week has been good, we have been doing lots of inviting. we tinged(dropped) some of our investigators because they werent progressing, hard to do, but it is the best. hopefully they will learn later and be more ready. with all the free time we rode around on our bikes, or walked around, talking to everyone. we have already found some awesome new investigators that we are excited about. Hah we have a fun game that we have been playing, it is called find gifts house. (our investigator whos baptism is this Sunday!!!!!!!!!) She is building a new house for she and her husband to move into when they get married. She told us the general area, which is much bigger than we thought! We ride around trying to find the place from the pictures she showed us, and inviting everyone along the way. We have discovered new neighborhoods we didn’t even know existed, new very exotic khlong paths to ride our bikes on, and some good people! We found two older ladies, one who helps the other. The younger one lives down the street from the older one who doesn’t have any children, her husband died, she has to use a wheelchair, and didn’t have a home. The people in the area helped her build a 3 sided shack out of metal and old advertisement posters, donated an old tiny fridge, cot to sleep on, and sheets to surround the cot for the mosquitoes. She honestly has nothing, it is so hard to see people like that. We see it so often. Her house is just surrounded by trash, dogs, and a cat who she calls her child. The kind lady down the street who also doesn’t have much money, uses as much as she can buying the other food and water (all of our water is bottled here, the tap isn’t clean.. quite a pain!) and just being her friend. We plan on going back and helping them both out. We are so blessed to have what we have, be who we are, be born into what we were born into, and have that families that we have!>
On that note, thanksgiving was good. We were able to go to an American family’s for dinner. It was pretty uncomfortable though, being in a huge American-like house with American people. I forgot what a normal house is like (except I still have yet to see carpet) im excited to read your emails and see what went on for thanksgiving (I print them off and then read them after) >
We got the general conference liahona! Hah it was like Christmas(which actually doesn’t exist here..) it is funny that our highlight of the week is getting conference talks! Oh but they are so awesome!!! i haven’t gotten to them all, but I did get to read bednar’s about raising families. I read it and thought of you mom and dad. I thought about how many many nights we gather together and it is just madness, the little boys running everywhere, at least one of the girls crying or whining, and it seems like no one is listening. But nevertheless, you always did it. He talked about how sometimes you feel it isn’t working, that no one is listening, but that it is the consistency. You are planting and have planted so many seeds and so many awesome things into our heats from all of your efforts. It really is through the small things like family prayer that actually make a huge difference in our family. Thank you mom and dad for being so amazing. I owe everything I am to you!! I hope that have and will continuously serve you well through my life. Oh I love you!!>
This church is incredible. It truly is from God, it is Jesus Christ’s church. I know that it is the only way to true happiness. A happiness that will last forever!!! Yes, there are still so many hard times and trials, but that is how we learn. Hah I learn so much every day from those times. Another year still scares me, but at the same time I am excited for the growth that I am going to have with another year. (actually almost 11 months!) I have learned and grown so much, everyone needs to go on a mission just to better themselves. Oh man it is hard. H A R D. but I know that this experience will have lasting effects through my life and eternity. I was looking through my pictures the other day and realizing how many people I have met that I have grown to love. It reminded of me of my blessing that President Smith gave me in the beginning when I was having a really hard time. He said something along the lines of “there are people here that you promised before you came to earth that you would find them. People who were your friends, and will be for eternity.” How amazing. Everytime I think about going home, I just have to remind myself that I promised myself to them. I promised heavenly father. I am happy to get to repay him even the smallest bit for everything that I have been blessed with. Joseph Smith was and is a true prophet. The book of mormon is true. Read it. Love it. Study it. Ponder it!!!! Ok ive got to go. >
I LOVE YOU!!! Please keep praying for me, jord and morg. We need all the help we can get. How cool that we get to be out here together serving. >
I miss you. >
Love, t