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Sawatdii Family and Friends!

Another great week in Korat has come and gone. The highlight of the week was definitely the baptism of Sally, Em's wife. Their two daughters Ooy and Eve just passed their interviews last night and are scheduled to be baptized this Sunday along with another 10 year old girl named Kanoon. I just feel so blessed to be a part of this families conversion. After this sunday I will have seen all of them get baptized and become an eternal family. I have such a strong testimony of eternal families and the way the gospel blesses families. I got the chance to bear my testimony of the love and strength I was able to receive by having parents who raised me in the gospel. It is so great to see the way Sally loves her husband and children and just makes me think of how grateful I am for a mother who loves me the same. Ah, I miss you mom!

Well, you may notice that I only say the baptism of Sally and not Penapha. She has struggled with a smoking habit which is not completely ended yet, so she will have to wait longer before she can be baptized. I would have thought that would have totally bummed me out for her to not get baptized, but it actually did not at all. She has such a strong testimony and has already been through so much to get her to the point where she is able to go to church, now this trail is just one more step the Lord needs her to take to show him how committed she really is. She is so incredible. One of my favorite lessons I learned in the MTC was that the Lord will put specific trails in our lives so that we will gain a specific spiritual quality that we could not have had had we not gone through that specific trial. I know that the Lord is carrying Penapha through every one of her trails, she knows it too. The day she gets baptized will be incredible. I know it. I just don't know when that day is.

The spirit has been helping us so much this week. Friday was an incredible day. I had a recent convert, Sister Wan, on my mind for a while and felt prompted to go visit her. Well, she lives 2 hours away. She wasn't answering her phone. But I know where she works and felt like that is what we needed to do. Even though it was uncertain what would happen, I felt a very peaceful assurance from the Lord that that is right where we needed to be. That is always good! So we get out there and it turns out she changed her number. She wasn't able to go to church because she had been sick, but was still reading scriptures and praying and was doing very well! Well, as we taught her, our bus went by. They said another should come, but weren't sure and we needed to get back for some important lessons in Korat that night. Because we had to wait for the next bus, we had the time to teach her neighbor who got goosebumps because he said he felt like what we were teaching was true. He is an amazing guy! His name is Somchai. Sister Wan wants to share the gospel with all her neighbors! So as we waited for the bus we started to get worried, but I knew the Lord would provide. Somchai ended up giving us a ride about a half hour into Korat and right as we turned the corner to the place where the bus would pick us up for the rest of the way, the bus was right behind us!! It was a miracle. We made it back JUST in time to teach Kanoon who could not miss the lesson we had prepared or else she would not be ready to be baptized this Sunday, and then made it to Sally's to finish teaching Ooy and Eve so they can get baptized this week too. The Lord got us right where He needed us. We even had time to teach Nok! :) It was an amazing day and I just know the Lord was with us that whole day.

I love this gospel. I love that I am a witness of Christ and his true church on the earth today. Life is so good.

Thank you for the love and support you all give to me. It means everything to me! Please keep writing me!! :) It does make a difference!!

AND a big birthday shout out to my wonderful Grandpa who is 81 years old today!!! :) I love you Grandpa and am so grateful for your choice to accept this true gospel which has blessed my life, my family's lives, including my aunts, uncles and cousins, plus many generations to come! It's amazing how one persons choice can effect so many other people! I know we ALL love you Grandpa! You're the best. And we love Ginny too! :)

โชคตี!!

Love Always,
Melissa