1. Most of the missionaries in our stake for our Christmas program on Saturday! It was so much fun having hundreds of members together eating and celebrating Christmas with songs and Mormon messages.
2. Our Thanksgiving dinner! We had more people and more food than this, but this is the only group picture from the event. It was lots of fun, and even more fun to be able to share it with some people who needed some extra TLC from the missionaries this week.
3. Companion picture in front of the Christmas tree. :) We may not have pine trees here but Thai people know how to make do with paper and cardboard :)
Man, I feel like I just wrote my weekly letter from last week. Time is flying! This transfer is coming to a close so fast...and Christmas is nearly upon us!
This week I learned a lot of humility. We wouldn't have made balanced [the term used when missionaries reach their weekly/monthly goals for sharing the gospel] had our Elders not given us...a baptism. It's one thing to be on the giving end of something like that...we do it because we care more about unity and helping our fellow missionaries than keeping achievements for ourselves. But to be on the receiving end of that act of selflessness is really, really humbling. The sense of debt and gratitude I feel reminds me of how I feel about the Atonement and everything that Jesus Christ has done for all of us. His sacrifice makes it possible for us to return to live with him and our Heavenly Father after this life. We'd never be able to do any of that without him!
And we had our Christmas party! The wards here have been preparing and decorating for weeks now and it was an event not to be missed. Hundreds of members from our Bangkok North Stake came together to eat and participate in our Christmas program, which featured singing, cheesy acting, and Mormon messages, including the new video "He is the Gift" (http://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HPFR112814529) which was also released in Thai! It meant sooo much to me to be able to watch it with Thai subtitles instead of English. I love this video. It brings everything back to Christ. Christ is the reason I'm out here. He's the reason we celebrate these holidays, and He is the reason we can have joy every day of our lives, not just in times of plenty but in times of hardship. This mission has taught me so much about my relationship with my Savior and I'm so grateful for Him, especially this season and especially as a missionary.
Have a week! Happy Thanksgiving!
Sister Z.
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