Valentines Day P-Day activity

Senior sister missionaries and young sister missionaries serving in the Bangkok area met at the mission home for an activity. After introductions and a sister meeting, we made valentine’s, had lunch (including heart cookies, of course), and took many pictures. We all had a wonderful time!

Sis. Amero's Newest Message for Posting

This week my companion was sent to Laperie, and I got to stay here in Sirnakerin and was given a native Thai sister for a companion. That was an adventure but not too bad, seeing she attended BYU-Hawaii,so could speak english. Her family lives in Thailand and her first p-day she went home to unpack,because she was in Hawaii when she got her call so she had to return home to unpack and take what she did/didn't need for the mission. How weird is that? She also told me she said she wouldn't go on a mission if she got called to Thailand thinking that God would see she can speak English and her desire to learn a language. Which is opposite of what I think. I think whites shouldn't come here because the church should be sending out its own native Thai's here. It is hard to get into homes. People look at us as strangers, see us as someone they cannot relate to because we don't look like them and don't speak very well. It was so much easier inviting when you have a Thai person with you, they can relate to her and she can speak.

The Thai companion wasn't very kind to me. It made me grateful for the companion I do have. She told me not to look so bored in lessons even though she knows I don't know what is going on and I am confused. So, it isn't boredom that I feel, it's confusion. She told me to have better eye contact, and to talk louder, and be bold. I wanted to give up, and apparently she did too in her first transfer. If I lived 2 hours away I think I would be tempted too, but she said she didn't because her parents,family and friends would be sad and she cares about them so she stayed.

Religion here is considered culture. So a lot of the time people think we are trying to replace their culture with ours. It is rough. They also think that we and our parents are rich and just send us over here for an adventure or something. If I could speak I would tell them my parents are not paying for me to be here. I worked hard and it is all my own savings. And if I was so rich would I really choose to come to a third world country? (You can't even flush toilet paper down the toilet)

Bugs. A daily occurance. Every day I find at least 15 ants in the apt. and that is on a good day. If I was home I would probably freak out if I found bugs in my hair, on my clothes, on the table, desk, .. oh yeah, note to self- ants like toothpaste too. So now I roll them in between my fingers like a booger and crunch their nasty insect skeleton bodies.

I found a lizard, it lives in the table, kind of scary when you know where it is and your legs go under the table, it is the kind of lizzard that bites you and won't
let go. How you get it off is by breaking its spine to kill it. So you stay away from them, my khuu (companion) told me not to worry and they are more scared of us than we are of them. (haha right, like poisenous snakes)

I Was thinking about D&C 4 the other day and how it says the field is white and ready for harvest, referring to mission work and the plant, people, are prepared to come unto christ. I was thinking it really doesn't matter if you plant a bunch of seeds in the mission or if you are reaping the plants. Both are essential parts of the harvest, as long as you are doing one and working hard it doesn't matter how many seeds (people you invite) or how many plants you reap (baptisms/0 you get.

Katrina has been serving in Thailand for 1 month now. She sent home a few photos and inspirational notes. She continues to work hard every day and enjoys speaking English with anyone who knows it.

Katrina says these are a few favorite experiences from her week.
One of our first dinners at the apartment, we forgot we had to buy groceries the night before and since we are new to the apartment there were no staples in the apt.and no food, so the elders made us curry, and rice and even cut up watermelon for us and gave us peanut brittle from trader joes, which must have been a gift from home, they can't cook but the act of kindness was great.

I made french toast to celebrate my 2nd week in the country, and used whipping cream instead of milk, and used my pumpkin spice that was sent to me from home. The French toast turned out great and when the Elders stopped by to drop off a box of 24 BOM they were blown away by the smell. It was a time that I wish I had my own kitchen though, a hot plate and microwave is not that way to live.

Yummy Icecream....we went to a recent convert house and they weren't home, and the relative there was buying icecream, he asked if we wanted some. We told him, no we are good, and then all of sudden Icecream is in my hand! He gave anyways, after I said no so many times, and it tasted amazing with real coconut in it, and rice at the bottom, evaporated milk, and jelly (like tapioca but big) and since my companion was fasting, she gave me hers, after trying to pawn it off to two children on the walk back to the church.

Randomness- we were walking in a mall to go to the post office and someone says in perfect english "You are LDS, I know" so creepy, no time to see who it was walking by and all. It sounded like he was from Africa though, there are a lot of Africans living here.

We get stared at a whole lot, being foreigners and all, young and white, and two cars almost hit because one couldn't take his eyes off of us. LOL

We were lead by a stranger- contacting in a neighborhood and someone says the name of someone, like repeating it, so we follow the person and we are delivered to a golden investigator family, who learned with mormon missionaries before. Strangers do recognize us as servants of God!

Week 2 Update to the President.

President Smith,
This week I was so happy I had the opportunity to teach English. The church members and members of the community are so anxious to learn and are so helpful in the class. I am so blessed that I am able to serve the people of Thailand in this regard.

I am happy to hear you enjoyed speaking with my mother, she is truly an amazing saint, I am happy to hear you felt you have become good friends with her. She looks forward to picking me up from Thailand.

We have two progressing investigators, one a family and the other a middle age woman. We also had someone from off the street come to church, a person who has never studied with Missionaries but already has a testimony of the gospel and has sacrficed so much. Her faith is amazing,because she has already had her husband leave her for it.

I know the people of Thailand are being prepared to hear the gospel, the middle age woman told us she has studied a lot. I know she is thirsting for the gospel, she came to church and told a member after she returns from going out of town she is getting baptized and will learn more from the sisters. This was news to us! I know she will be a great member, she even helped on Sunday with preparing the food.

Contacting is fun, we talk to so many people. I can tell they have no idea what I am saying and just look at Sister Hirschi, but I am glad they don't tell me negative remarks, they are so kind and are shocked when I tell them (then Sister Hirschi repeats the same phrase and then they get it) that I haven't even been here for 2 weeks yet. They are a very helpful and giving people.

We had it wrong, Katrina is in Srinakarin not Chiang Mai...

Okay we had it wrong. We got Katrina's second email from Thailand. Her companion from the MTC went to Chiang Mai, the heavenly location. That is not Katrina's location. Katrina's first area is just outside of Bangkok in Srinakarin. She is still in shock over the living conditions, the dirt, the molds and the smell of sewer from all the drains. She says she showers with ants and has constant mosquitoe bites. The floaters in the water have been a huge concern and we still don't understand why she isn't buying 100% of her water since the mission office says that they do buy it.

Her good news is that all the people they teach are very ready to hear the lessons and they all want to be baptized.

First Weekly Update from Thailand

From Sister Katrina Amero.
Weekly Update letter to her President.

I love it here!! So pretty and the food is amazing, well my tongue tells me that my stomach sometimes disagree, but i eat it anyways cause it is so good!

The members are so welcoming and the area is golden. I wonder why the area was closed in the first place to sisters, why was it?

We are already teaching and have given two soft baptism commitments and both investigators, first lesson, said yes! so cool. we have gotten alot of potentials too, 2 full pages on our planners.

The members are really willing to help us teach too.

The power of prayer works! and even when we have one in our hearts.

I am so grateful that my father in heaven knows me and my desires. When I found out this was one of the areas without a bike for sisters I was thrilled. bikes are very painful for me and I am happy I am in the city, has a interesting smell here though.

I know heavenly father knows I also don't like dogs, and i have not been bitten yet or chased, such a blessing!

I have been humbled though, since my trainer and I are not familiar with the area, but that just means lots of contacting especially when traveling, 3 potential that look really good were from traveling 2 while waiting and 1 taxi driver, actually the one traveling from moves :)

tell Sister Smith I say hi and I love her! You have such a wonderful khuu!

Sister Amero

***That wasn't quite the same update we the parents got, but that's okay.
We were told that she hates showering with ants and wants to hire a maid to do the initial cleaning job on the apt that had not been used by missionaries prior to their arrival in this new opened up area of Chiang Mai. Apparently, there is too much mold and many bugs. Not surprising, but Yikes....

Katrina arrived in Thailand on January 5th.
We just got a message from one of her online girl friends there.
Parnward H Maleerat I just heard from the elder who is my Thai friend that Katrina is now serving in Chiang Mai aka HEAVEN!! I'm soooo excited for her! It's gonna be blast! He said her language is good...I can't wait to see her! I might plan out a trip to Chiang Mai soon! It's in the norther part of the country,it's one of the BEST areas ...to serve!! She is obviously lucky!!! Anyway,I just got a letter from her today! I'm so going to write her back tonight so I can send it out this Sunday!! yay!!