Hello all!!
I just want to say how grateful I am that you continue to e-mail me every week. It truly gives me the strength to get through the week, knowing that you all are supporting me and that the Lord is looking out for you! Mama, I got your packages!!!!! Thank you SO much!!! Not gonna lie, I cried, hahaha! Mom, I have never cried so much in all my life, it is RIDICULOUS!!! Hahahahaha! But I am just so grateful to you. It means so much that you were willing to send me packages to the MTC and to Thailand even though its expensive, and that you were willing to take the time to think of things that I would miss from America. I didn't even realized I missed some of that stuff until I got it. And the Saltines, how funny that I told you I missed those last week, and you had already sent them to me. You know me too well! Anyway, thank you so much for the packages, and for being such a wonderful mom!
Thank you for sharing that experience about tithing with me. I am so grateful that you are both such incredible examples to me and to all the other kids, and that the Lord is always so willing to bless us when we have faith! Oh and Happy Anniversary!!! Seven years? Cing Laa?!? (Really?) That is so crazy! Time flies, and yet at the same time, you have just been my Mama forever! It is hard to even remember a time before I felt that way. So crazy!
I can't believe Luke's closed down!! That makes me so sad! I was really hoping to go back and work there when I get home. Darn it! And I feel really bad for all of the people that that puts out of work, especially people like Melissa who are trying to raise kids as a single mom and finish school!
K, so last week after I e-mailed we went with the Elders and tried to get on a bus. We got to the bus station at 7 and couldn't get on a bus til 10:30, so we made it to Roi-Et at about 3am. We got up at 6:30, sister Lish went to the training meeting while I hung out with the Roi-Et sisters (SO great) then we went and got back on a bus. The bus ride is only supposed to be about 4 hours...8 and a half hours later, we finally made it back to Khorat. On the way home, we got about 15 minutes outside of this place called Maha Sarakham, and the bus (which was literally crammed with people like sardines, chairs in the middle of the aisle craziness) broke down...in the middle of nowhere, rice paddy, farmland Thailand! HAHAHA! Yeah...so we piled off the bus, and waited for 45 minutes for another bus to come get us. Got crammed like sardines on that bus and I fell asleep only to wake up to Sister Lish telling me that because of traffic, we had turned of off the highway, and she was pretty sure that we were going to bypass Khorat and head straight to Bangkok...SERIOUSLY???? I don't think I have prayed that long consistantly in a long time! Hahaha! But we did end up making it back to Khorat about 11pm. And it made for a great adventure and a great story!
So I have been praying really hard this week for a greater knowledge of my purpose here as a missionary. And the past two days have been an incredible witness to me that I am exactly where God needs me, at the exact time He needs me, doing exactly what He needs me to do. That doesn't mean that it won't be hard, cuz this is still the hardest thing I have ever done, but I sat in a lesson with one of our little 16 year old punk kid invesstigators yesterday, and saw so much hurt in this kid. He has had a really rough life and made some really bad decisions and you can tell that it kills him. He hurts so deeply, but I can see his overwhelming desire to learn about Christ and the gospel. He has such a hunger for the truth. He literally came to us asking to be baptised, which is not going to be easy. He has a lot of things to overcome before He can be baptised, but to watch the power of the Atonement begin to work in this kid is the greatest miracle I have ever seen in my life. TO watch that hurt and know that through Christ he can be healed of that is so incredible. And I am priviledged not only to witness that, but to be the one helping him to learn these things that are quite literally changing his life. I am SO grateful for that opportunity and what a testimony builder that is to me!
Anyway, I have so much to say, but so little time!!!
I love you all SO much! And I am way excited to get letters from you! Thanks for writing them!!
Love ya! Jess
About Me
- Sister Jessica Wallace - ซิสเตอร์ วอลเลซ
- Bangkok, Thailand
- I love being on a mission and I love my family.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Kids Day in Thailand (Email from January 16th)
Hello everyone!
K, I keep having all of these things I want to say and ask, but I never remember to say them, so hopefully I will remember them all this time.
So, you asked me a couple times about the toilet paper in our bathroom. When we shower it doesn't get wet, cuz it is back far enough, but it definately gets a little damp! How is indoor soccer going? Are you playing? How did everything work out with the job at the prison? Were you able to get the hours you wanted? Not gonna lie, you working at a prison makes me really nervous. Thank you so much for sending that poem! I love it so much! And the history is so cool!
Everything here is same as usual. Our investigators are wonderful, except we have one that seems to have dropped of the face of the planet. She won't answer any of our calls and she is never at home or at work when we try to go see her. It is making me really sad. And she is so close to her baptismal date, but she isn't going to make it now. I just love all of these people so much, and it breaks my heart when they quit progressing, because I know what they are giving up! And I know she has felt the spirit really strong, because she came to us at church and told us how she knew she needed to get baptized and that that was what God wanted her to do. How can people give up when they have had that witness. It makes me SO mad at Satan. I just want to be like, "Leave my people alone!!!!! They are so close!" But, of course that isn't how it works, and I just need to trust in God and His timing. Those who are prepared will make it through. And we have some incredible people who truly are SO prepared! I am so grateful for them!
It is starting to get into hot season here now, and man it is muggy. YUCK!!! I have never felt humidity like this and it isn't even rainy season yet! How do people breathe? Hahaha! But I will get used to it, and come home and feel like I am baking in the dry heat! OH, and guess what? They have a wan dek here in Thailand. That means Kids Day! It was on Saturday and it was HUGE!!! The whole day is just about the kids! We went and did some service at a park the morning of and passed out some flyers for our English classes. It was so much fun, and they have a huge carnival going! Carnival rides, all kinds of games and food! So cool! I think I am going to have to tell the US president that we need a wan dek in the US too! Oh, and I ate somtam again, and decided the last one was just really bad, cuz I actually enjoyed this one! And it didn't make me or Sister Lish sick! Yay!!!
Ok, well I love you all tonz and hope you have a great week!
Love ya! Jess
K, I keep having all of these things I want to say and ask, but I never remember to say them, so hopefully I will remember them all this time.
So, you asked me a couple times about the toilet paper in our bathroom. When we shower it doesn't get wet, cuz it is back far enough, but it definately gets a little damp! How is indoor soccer going? Are you playing? How did everything work out with the job at the prison? Were you able to get the hours you wanted? Not gonna lie, you working at a prison makes me really nervous. Thank you so much for sending that poem! I love it so much! And the history is so cool!
Everything here is same as usual. Our investigators are wonderful, except we have one that seems to have dropped of the face of the planet. She won't answer any of our calls and she is never at home or at work when we try to go see her. It is making me really sad. And she is so close to her baptismal date, but she isn't going to make it now. I just love all of these people so much, and it breaks my heart when they quit progressing, because I know what they are giving up! And I know she has felt the spirit really strong, because she came to us at church and told us how she knew she needed to get baptized and that that was what God wanted her to do. How can people give up when they have had that witness. It makes me SO mad at Satan. I just want to be like, "Leave my people alone!!!!! They are so close!" But, of course that isn't how it works, and I just need to trust in God and His timing. Those who are prepared will make it through. And we have some incredible people who truly are SO prepared! I am so grateful for them!
It is starting to get into hot season here now, and man it is muggy. YUCK!!! I have never felt humidity like this and it isn't even rainy season yet! How do people breathe? Hahaha! But I will get used to it, and come home and feel like I am baking in the dry heat! OH, and guess what? They have a wan dek here in Thailand. That means Kids Day! It was on Saturday and it was HUGE!!! The whole day is just about the kids! We went and did some service at a park the morning of and passed out some flyers for our English classes. It was so much fun, and they have a huge carnival going! Carnival rides, all kinds of games and food! So cool! I think I am going to have to tell the US president that we need a wan dek in the US too! Oh, and I ate somtam again, and decided the last one was just really bad, cuz I actually enjoyed this one! And it didn't make me or Sister Lish sick! Yay!!!
Ok, well I love you all tonz and hope you have a great week!
Love ya! Jess
Monday, January 2, 2012
Starting Off 2012 With A Renewed Strength
Hello! Sawaadii pii may! (Happy New Year!)
I have a lot to say today, but not much time, so sorry if this is a little scrambled!
Mom, I just wanted to say thank you SO much for being so willing to send me packages and for asking about what I can't get here and what the kids here like. I forgot to tell you last week how much that means to me. I really truly appreciate it. I think that the things I miss most from America are things like Jolly Ranchers, Skittles, Starbursts (They don't have a lot of American candies), and crackers...like good crackers. They have Ritz but I hate Ritz. I miss things like Triscuits and Saltines. As for the kids, they love stickers and candies. Suckers and hard candies. LOVE them! Its so cute. Sister Lish tells me that they also love things you can get for under a dollar at Deseret Book. Things like bookmarks, pictures of Christ, little rubber CTR bracelets, things like that.
I haven't gotten any of my packages yet...I should be getting them on the 19th at transfer meeting. One of the zone leaders told us that our district has tons of packages waiting at the mission office, but we have to wait for someone from our district to have a reason to go down to Bangkok before we can get them. I wish they would just send them to us so we didn't have to wait forever to get them, but I understand that that would get expensive. Will you please tell grandma thank you for me and e-mail me her address so I can send a Thank You/Postcard, please? Oh, also I was wondering if you could e-mail me a copy of the poem "Footprints in the Sand". I am not sure who it is written by, but I know that Kelsey has a copy of it. I have been thinking about that poem a lot lately, because for me every day seems insurmountable (spelling?) and impossible to get through, but when I look back at the end of the day I can see all of the tender mercies God has given me. I can see the way He has carried me through the day and given me the strength I need. These past few weeks have been a huge testimony builder for me. I have a much greater understanding of the Atonement. Knowing that my Savior knows and feels everything that I feel, and that He is the only one who knows how to strengthen and succor me is very humbling, and I am so grateful for that knowledge. I am so grateful that He is so patient, and willing to grant me greater strength and faith everyday. I was also studying the Plan of Salvation this week and thought of a really neat comparison. I was thinking how the plan is like my mission. I lived at home with my family where I was happy, but I knew that there was a way I could be more happy. So I came here across the world and left the physical presence of my family. Here I am having great, and sometimes very difficult experiences, that are helping me to learn and grow. But I know that after my time here is done, I will return home to my family and have greater knowledge, faith, and happiness than I did before. Just like with the plan. We were happy with God, but knew we could be happier. So we left God's presence to come here and have trying adn wonderful experiences. But just like you all are supporting me from afar, so God is supporting us. And we also have the knowledge that after our time here is finished, we will return home to live with our Heavenly Father and have greater knowledge, faith, and happiness than we did before. I just kinda thought that was a cool briap tiap. (comparison).
I am so glad you all had such a fun new year! Ours was pretty fun too. We went out inviting most of the day, and we always meet the CRAZIEST people that way (i.e. men with crossed eyes and a thumb growing out of his thumb). I was really brave that day too. I asked someone to be baptised off the invite. He really had to stop and think about that one! It was great. Unfortunately, he said no, but he did say he would start coming to our English classes on Sundays! We had to be home by 6 pm because Thai people love to party and get crazy drunk, so we came home, ordered a pizza, set off some fireworks with our neighbors, and watched The District, a missionary training documentary. Today is the 2nd and people are still drinking and partying and setting of fireworks! Crazy! We had a way fun P-day today, though! We had a sports day, cuz all of the kids were out of school here. We all played soccer. It was SO fun. Sister Lish didn't play though, so it was just me, the Elders and a bunch of teenage boys. And all of the boys would not get anywhere near me when I had the ball, cuz they dare not touch a farang Sister missionary! It was so funny and so great. I felt bad, though, cuz I wasn't quite as riab rooy (proper?). I was kinda plowing boys over to get to the ball. Sister Lish had to remind me that I was a Sister missionary and needed to be more proper. Ooops! I was getting a little into the game! : ) Now we are e-mailing, then we are going to go get on a bus for 6 hours to Roi-Et, cuz Sister Lish has a training meeting. So I get to hang out with the Roi-Et sisters tomorrow and I am way excited!
I did set New Year's Goals yesterday! I have specific goals to read the Book of Mormon 5 times through in English and 2 times through in Thai. Then I have general goals to serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength this year, and to have a blast doing it!!! Those are just a few that I have set.
K, well, I love you all! I promise I will send pictures next time! Have a great week and a Happy New Year!! 2012 is going to be AWESOME!!!!!
Jess
I have a lot to say today, but not much time, so sorry if this is a little scrambled!
Mom, I just wanted to say thank you SO much for being so willing to send me packages and for asking about what I can't get here and what the kids here like. I forgot to tell you last week how much that means to me. I really truly appreciate it. I think that the things I miss most from America are things like Jolly Ranchers, Skittles, Starbursts (They don't have a lot of American candies), and crackers...like good crackers. They have Ritz but I hate Ritz. I miss things like Triscuits and Saltines. As for the kids, they love stickers and candies. Suckers and hard candies. LOVE them! Its so cute. Sister Lish tells me that they also love things you can get for under a dollar at Deseret Book. Things like bookmarks, pictures of Christ, little rubber CTR bracelets, things like that.
I haven't gotten any of my packages yet...I should be getting them on the 19th at transfer meeting. One of the zone leaders told us that our district has tons of packages waiting at the mission office, but we have to wait for someone from our district to have a reason to go down to Bangkok before we can get them. I wish they would just send them to us so we didn't have to wait forever to get them, but I understand that that would get expensive. Will you please tell grandma thank you for me and e-mail me her address so I can send a Thank You/Postcard, please? Oh, also I was wondering if you could e-mail me a copy of the poem "Footprints in the Sand". I am not sure who it is written by, but I know that Kelsey has a copy of it. I have been thinking about that poem a lot lately, because for me every day seems insurmountable (spelling?) and impossible to get through, but when I look back at the end of the day I can see all of the tender mercies God has given me. I can see the way He has carried me through the day and given me the strength I need. These past few weeks have been a huge testimony builder for me. I have a much greater understanding of the Atonement. Knowing that my Savior knows and feels everything that I feel, and that He is the only one who knows how to strengthen and succor me is very humbling, and I am so grateful for that knowledge. I am so grateful that He is so patient, and willing to grant me greater strength and faith everyday. I was also studying the Plan of Salvation this week and thought of a really neat comparison. I was thinking how the plan is like my mission. I lived at home with my family where I was happy, but I knew that there was a way I could be more happy. So I came here across the world and left the physical presence of my family. Here I am having great, and sometimes very difficult experiences, that are helping me to learn and grow. But I know that after my time here is done, I will return home to my family and have greater knowledge, faith, and happiness than I did before. Just like with the plan. We were happy with God, but knew we could be happier. So we left God's presence to come here and have trying adn wonderful experiences. But just like you all are supporting me from afar, so God is supporting us. And we also have the knowledge that after our time here is finished, we will return home to live with our Heavenly Father and have greater knowledge, faith, and happiness than we did before. I just kinda thought that was a cool briap tiap. (comparison).
I am so glad you all had such a fun new year! Ours was pretty fun too. We went out inviting most of the day, and we always meet the CRAZIEST people that way (i.e. men with crossed eyes and a thumb growing out of his thumb). I was really brave that day too. I asked someone to be baptised off the invite. He really had to stop and think about that one! It was great. Unfortunately, he said no, but he did say he would start coming to our English classes on Sundays! We had to be home by 6 pm because Thai people love to party and get crazy drunk, so we came home, ordered a pizza, set off some fireworks with our neighbors, and watched The District, a missionary training documentary. Today is the 2nd and people are still drinking and partying and setting of fireworks! Crazy! We had a way fun P-day today, though! We had a sports day, cuz all of the kids were out of school here. We all played soccer. It was SO fun. Sister Lish didn't play though, so it was just me, the Elders and a bunch of teenage boys. And all of the boys would not get anywhere near me when I had the ball, cuz they dare not touch a farang Sister missionary! It was so funny and so great. I felt bad, though, cuz I wasn't quite as riab rooy (proper?). I was kinda plowing boys over to get to the ball. Sister Lish had to remind me that I was a Sister missionary and needed to be more proper. Ooops! I was getting a little into the game! : ) Now we are e-mailing, then we are going to go get on a bus for 6 hours to Roi-Et, cuz Sister Lish has a training meeting. So I get to hang out with the Roi-Et sisters tomorrow and I am way excited!
I did set New Year's Goals yesterday! I have specific goals to read the Book of Mormon 5 times through in English and 2 times through in Thai. Then I have general goals to serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength this year, and to have a blast doing it!!! Those are just a few that I have set.
K, well, I love you all! I promise I will send pictures next time! Have a great week and a Happy New Year!! 2012 is going to be AWESOME!!!!!
Jess
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