We had an awesome week. We started it off last monday going to jin and jiaps, 15 and 16 year old girls who are all stars! they are so good. we are also trying to teach their families. they are cousins that are students of maa noi (she tutors kids. everyone hear "learns special" or goes to extra learning after school), the relief society president. maa noi (she has helped many through the years into the church. she is amazing. she also helps us teach a lot. the most humble sweet lady ever.) mentioned the gospel and jin said as soon as she said something about it she knew it was something special. she is hoping to get baptized this week, but we have to get her dads permission first. we went to their house on monday and had a little family night with them, we taught them the gospel under their traditional thai wooden raised house, sitting on a little wooden platform, and they taught us how to make somtam (see pics) putting in whole huge black crabs and bubala (fish sauce that they bury for 3-4 months to let it rot!) then their aunt came home from the rice farm with fresh beetles. a delicacy... they catch them themselves because the ones in the markets "arent as good". of course we had to eat those too:( atleast they werent as big as the cockroach i had to eat a few months ago!)
tuesday was full of lessons and teaching english as usual. we are trying to figure out who of our investigators are the ones prepared by the hand of the lord, trying to get quality instead of quantity, though it is so hard to drop them! we taught one of our recent converts, yaay bua, who told us all about how in the old days she was pregnant she would be out working in the rice fields until her stomach started to really hurt, she would go home, kneel on her hands and knees and deliver the baby herself. then someone would hear the baby crying and come in the room. crazy. we are so babied now days.
we have a few investigators right now that cant read. what a burden. what a blessing it is to be able to read, the whole world is opened to us. i cant imagine what it would be like.
thurs we taught guy, my investigator that wants to get baptized but has to wait until her husband gets back from isreal next year. she was talking about how she tried to pay tithing but president told her that she had to wait. then she told us how she wants fiat, her 18 month old son to be a missionary. after that we drove down to khon kaen for interviews, and friday zone conference. president commented after my prayer in the interview how good my language is:) he also commented on how well the area is doing. friday evening right when we got back we raced back to jin and jiabs where we found out a parade was going on in celebration of the big buddhist holiday, had to slowly get throught that, and then got to teach them again. it was pretty cool to see though! on the way back as we raced to our last apt of the night we got to see a naked old lady bathing in her front yard in the thai way of a big ceramic pot of rain water and a little bucket to pour over. i dont think i can count the number of naked people ive seen here! usually old big ladies...
my birthday was so good. i love the people here. we taught a lot of people in the morning, and then sister niw (one of my favorite people ever) took me to lunch at a nice place for my birthday and gave me an udonthani t-shirt like the one that i gave her for her birthday (see pics:)), but she got cute stuff written on the back too. i heard so many of the thai rendition of 'happy birthday' sung to me that day. during studies apple, one of my cute investigators called me and said she was leaving the next day for awhile and wanted to meet with us before she left. we re-arranged our appts a little and then rushed over there for the last appt of the night. we started talking and she told us to wait just a minute because we had food coming. i thought that was wierd, but didnt think much- though i was really hungry, it was 745 and we hadnt had time to eat yet.. then the lights went out and a few members that we have taken to her house to teach with us came out singing happy birthday with a cake and candles. so sweet! i love them so much. then sunday quite a few members gave me random little gifts of all sorts- 2 of which were hair things- a bright pink headband with a big bow on it and also a scrunchie thing that has little pompoms coming off it all over. of course i had to wear them both, they even put them in my hair for me. haha i felt like a walking present.
today we went to a little town about 30 minutes away and bought some fun bags and things, it has been a good day so far! im excited to get back out there and work though. this work is amazing. i am so tired, but it feels so good. such a priveledge to be a missionary, especially a missionary in thailand. i love you all so much!!! thank you for the sweet birthday emails. i miss you and am excited to see you! i cant believe we hit a year this week. crazy! be happy, be safe, choose the right!!
love, ty
taryn's companion holding a crab they ate.
the bug they ate.
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zone conference.
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birthday gift from a member.
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buddhist holiday parade.
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