"Let's Celib(r)ate! (Wait what...)" and Service!

So my companion is continuing to study for the TOEFL Test and he's been learning some pretty impressive words. But this week, after one of our most intense days so far (I will explain about it later) I found out that we live next to the place where all of the ice cream bike vendors park. Therefore, soaking wet after an amazing day he goes and says "Let us celibate!" Hm...Uh...Wait what....Do you really mean celibate? "Yup! Celibate!" Only to find out later that night that "Celibate" and "Celeb---R---ate" are not the same words. Cheeeheee, good fun good fun.

So crazy stories from this week. Get ready for some intense one liners that probably make no sense whatsoever!

Got our investigator to commit to come inviting with us....but we still can't get him to commit to a baptismal date....

Teaching English class about directions. So naturally you have every imagine that they are in a helicopter flying to Laos and then my companion goes and says "Woah, wait! What is that thing in the sky? Angels of the Lord have brought down a traffic light! Which lane do we turn into now??"

30 ties cut for way cheap! But they are also way skinny....like so skinny I'm not too much a fan of them. I'll probably give them away to people.

Currently thinking about buying a tent and a 30 pack box of calpis soda because both are on a special sale this week.

On that note of amazing sales, Hi-chew on sale for 6 baht. Oh you know I bought a lot....and all of the candy only lasted me one week. Says a lot about how healthy I ate this week....

Sometimes our water stops working. Like we wake up, turn on the shower and are just like what. Why. Again. Who even does this. What did we do to deserve this. Why. Why. Why. And no, it is not because we forgot to pay our water bill. We always pay it. Just sometimes our water stops flowing...maybe its just a Thailand thing?

Mosiah 2:17-Serving others and Serving God

So this week was a week filled of service. We went way hard. Biked out to our new RC's house and helped her family prune some eucalyptus trees for a few hours. I got some nasty blisters on my hands, but my mom bought like these magic blister band aids and idk how they work. But like my popped blisters felt so much better after I used these band aids.

Stomach of iron. I have no idea what we eat half the time. I just swallow and try to keep the reputation of truly being willing to eat anything and everything. Shhhhh. Just eat.

On the topic of eating and service. Because I still wish my language could be a bit better, I work with the skills that I have now. Which include serving with all my strength, and eating everything. Although I may not speak that well, actions still convey a strong message. So I continue to eat and serve as best as I can!

This week I also probably consumed a rather unhealthy amount of Hi chew candy and calpis because they were on sale and 7-11 is actually like our 3rd (after the church of course). So my diet consisted of calpis and hi chews because those were quick and easy things I could eat and drink as I biked and the sugar kept us going! Time to brush my teeth! 

Fridazed.

Friday we had an intense day. Started off with biking out 22 km (one way) to go and harvest some rice at our investigators house, then we rushed back to our house, showered and then biked another 8 km out to go and finish up the lessons so our investigator (now RC) could be interviewed and get baptized. And then from there we go out another 12 km (again one way) to go and teach our 3 children investigators. And right as we finish teaching around 6:45 PM. The rain. Ho. The rain came down. The floods came up. And the two Elders were terrified. Cause we both thought the rainy season was done. But hah jokes on us......It wasn't. But we had a ward activity on Friday night and we had to go back out so we did. In the pouring rain. But yeah Friday was hectic. And then soaking wet we go back, buy our celebratory ice cream and plan for the next day! Oh yeah!

And then our RC. This is the mother of sister Cat, who we had met trying to find sister Cat. The Lord work's in mysterious ways. She's got so much faith and trusts God in everything. Such a humble hardworking soul, and it's been such an amazing opportunity teaching her and seeing how her faith has grown. Being out on a mission, seeing how much happiness the gospel brings people. It really is contagious. Their happiness gets to you and then you're happy. But it's weird cause you also just biked a ton and there isn't a single part of your body that's dry. But for some reason I've got a huge smile. Cause this is amazing.

Some other thoughts?

This is going back to the quote "No growth in the comfort zone, and no comfort in the growth zone." I try my hardest to never be comfortable and never be content. If I have to push myself, then I know I'm doing something right. Work hard, never be content. Keep up the hard work. If you're comfortable in whatever you're doing, then maybe try change it up. Push yourself a bit more. Go hard...in the paint! And yeah. It's not a delightful experience. By no means has serving in Thailand been easy for me, but the amount of growth I have felt and noticed these past 3 months. It's been amazing. But also, just cause I'm not comfortable does not mean that I am not enjoying these experiences. I am out here having experiences like none other. And these aren't experiences that are handed to me though. These are things that I seek out and work towards. Every single challenge, obstacle, and problem I've had. I love it. So much to learn, so much growth. So so so so so good.

Also a quote from this week that I thought was amazing " Know where you land before you jump." Just something to ponder on this week.

Attached is the picture of the Surin District, our branch president, Sister ongkhana and Bro. Jomtep who baptized her. And yes. Those are matching ties. And yes again, those are white elephants on pink ties.

Tonight we find out about transfers! We shall see what happens!

Exciting things. Great work. Life.

Aloha,

Elder แอลลิส

Forward Ever. Stopping Never.