Hello one and all, 8/24/10
Please forgive the delay, this has been a crazy week filled with trainings, meetings and changing P-days. So yes... our "day" is today, so here I am. (oh computer "raan" surprise... just discovered day old "kanom" wrappers behind my keyboard...oh thai teens...yum...) anyways, that's beside the point. Oh happy 2nd Chinese new year, too... yesterday was all full of Chinese treats and giving food to monks. (at least for Thai gentiles...not for me) (also besides the point) So yes. As I said, this week has been a little different. The church has changed the way they train missionaries, and so yesterday was our first full day of training (i knew it was coming...we heard rumors and then I read Justin's email which talked about it, so I wasn't surprised). It was great too! I kinda felt like I was back in the MTC, (which you all know i loved) It was all the the "leaders" in the mission together talking about the doctrine of Christ and ways to help our investigators understand prayer and reading more... There was just simply too much amazing information to remember or use, so I'm hoping and praying that my brain mixed with quasi-copious notes will be enough to help me recall and use everything we learned. AND that was just day ONE. Yes... we get another FULL 8-10 hours of training tomorrow. YAY! (¨ÃÔ§) I've especially loved watching "the District 2".. (first movie I'm gonna watch when I ¨º...I think only recent RM's would get that...sorry) .Along with all the fun from the meetings, we get to have fun switch offs, too. I'm loving life because I was able to be comps with sister Young again. (love my life) These three days are fun for our real companions too, because since all the trainers are at meetings all day...the greenies are all being companions. So the incredible Sister Jolley and Sister Herschi (both greenies) spent all day yesterday (and will again tomorrow) taking care of our area. It's great. I know that because it's hard, they will be please, so our areas should all be doing awesome this week! Yay for the gift of tongues! All the changes that are coming to the mission just make me realize how different my mission experience will be than my current new companion... but that's the great part about eternal progression: things just get better and better!
I know this past week included a lot more than just that... but I kinda can't remember anything...If it's more than 37 hours old and not related to investigators, I've probably forgotten it. Teaching, preaching, finding, learning, LAUGHING (as always). The usual...just different...every day. Oh, Muk's getting baptised this Sunday. That's good.
This church is true. Everything comes back to the Book of Mormon. It's true. I know it is. I can't dis-prove it, and I can't deny the feeling of truthfulness that comes from reading it. If anyone wants to know if God is real and if He cares about you, read his handy book of "Answers to ALL of life's problems" aka The Book of Mormon. You hate your life? You want more happiness? Want to know what the heck we're supposed to do with this thing called life? READ THE BOOK OF MORMON. Heavenly Father will answer your prayers. But you have to do your part first. you have to ask, and then use faith (aka...action...aka read, go to church, pray some more...)
Oh family, what more can I say? I love my life. I love yours for you when you keep the commandments.
Now I must go. A baby tiger is hanging out somewhere waiting for me to hold it..... or at least pet its mom.
Awesome.
Sister O'Neil
P.S. Sister Hulme!! (Bri) welcome...I just love you. Good luck at school! i wish you were here to sing for us as we ride through perfect.... word
Brenda...I love that you have sleep overs for your kids...
Kellie... Zebra cakes. :) She might should
TARA.... are you in Asia yet?
Laura... I had a dream and you were my Pregnant companion somewhere in America...the other Sisters didn't like us because we didn't dress all high-so like them.. Then I delivered your baby.... on a movie set? yeah....i don't know..
p.P.S..Mom... I'm glad you liked that stamps. my friend at the post office thought I was crazy for using those stamps... I'm glad you had such a great time all over the country and at Ed week...
Megan... your house looks cool...or at least sounds cool...that one picture wasn't much... just white walls... but still-- YOUR HOUSE. and your girls are just too cute to die.
Lisa... yay for girly shopping with the little one. I love you life.
Aug 25, 2010
Hello Neverland, 8/15/10
Greetings from Thai-town were we recently celebrated Mothers. Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thanks to the Queen's birthday, I get to celebrate Mothers day (and father's day for that matter) twice a year. So once again, thank you for you amazing angel like qualities and determination to raise children in the way of the gospel. It's miraculous. Mother's day we had an activity at church that was great. It was a mini break through from one of our amazing investigators (ning). She will be baptised one day... I'm just not sure when. But she is great. Actually... this whole ward is. I really just LOVE them all. The Bishop is great and everyone is just great. Great used in this context means 100 different things.. I can not express what I really want to say about them because it would just take to long...
As was this past week...too much to explain...but here's a bit of it.. This week was filled with hilarity. I just love my companion... And now I'd like to talk about her like the "child" she is (k...she is not a child... but in Thai-town, she is still new...so you know what I mean) and tell you all about the funny and cute things she does. It's been fun to watch her experience all the things that I'm used to by now, but are still new to her... for example.. this week I enjoyed watching her pedal at warp speed down this one street and then pull BOTH her feet up on the frame of the bike because of the 2 HUGE dogs who were chasing and barking at her... Then I think her bike might be a little to tall for her, because she always is almost falling every time she gets off her bike... Then one time I looked behind me, only too see her fall/ run into this lady/fence... and I quote "Oh, I'm ok. I just fell into a barbed wire fence" Which was true... she did... but luckily she was ok. Then yesterday, she was praying and this is what she said "Please help us to find those people who are not interested".... I started laughing...I knew what she was trying to say "help us find new people who are interested" but it was just too funny... that's an easy prayer to answer... we find hundreds of those a day.. check.. haha. So yes... there was that, then we met this random old farang guy who spoke thai really weird.. It didn't dawn on me how wierd it was until this Thai person walked up and was like "WHAT the? 3 farangs are all sitting around talking in Thai to each other?!" It was funny. Other highlights from the week for the blender that we bought for the house.. It was like CHRISTMAS...we make "shakes" all the time now... love me life. AND I am also now an expert on making sticky rice... and by expert I have made it 1 time now, but it was good...so yes... check. Now i just need to learn how to make Som Tam for real.
We spent part of Mothers day at the hospital keeping on our our sisters company. She was supposed to go to New Zealand on her mission, but was delayed by visa problems and then appendicitis.... so we kept her company.. She's amazing. I loved her life story. Incredible.
So yes... teaching, preaching, reading, learning, loving, failing, succeeding, laughing, were all parts of my week. I hope that you are all loving life and doing well. Safe travels.
farewell to Manzanar,
Love,
Sister O'Neil
Greetings from Thai-town were we recently celebrated Mothers. Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thanks to the Queen's birthday, I get to celebrate Mothers day (and father's day for that matter) twice a year. So once again, thank you for you amazing angel like qualities and determination to raise children in the way of the gospel. It's miraculous. Mother's day we had an activity at church that was great. It was a mini break through from one of our amazing investigators (ning). She will be baptised one day... I'm just not sure when. But she is great. Actually... this whole ward is. I really just LOVE them all. The Bishop is great and everyone is just great. Great used in this context means 100 different things.. I can not express what I really want to say about them because it would just take to long...
As was this past week...too much to explain...but here's a bit of it.. This week was filled with hilarity. I just love my companion... And now I'd like to talk about her like the "child" she is (k...she is not a child... but in Thai-town, she is still new...so you know what I mean) and tell you all about the funny and cute things she does. It's been fun to watch her experience all the things that I'm used to by now, but are still new to her... for example.. this week I enjoyed watching her pedal at warp speed down this one street and then pull BOTH her feet up on the frame of the bike because of the 2 HUGE dogs who were chasing and barking at her... Then I think her bike might be a little to tall for her, because she always is almost falling every time she gets off her bike... Then one time I looked behind me, only too see her fall/ run into this lady/fence... and I quote "Oh, I'm ok. I just fell into a barbed wire fence" Which was true... she did... but luckily she was ok. Then yesterday, she was praying and this is what she said "Please help us to find those people who are not interested".... I started laughing...I knew what she was trying to say "help us find new people who are interested" but it was just too funny... that's an easy prayer to answer... we find hundreds of those a day.. check.. haha. So yes... there was that, then we met this random old farang guy who spoke thai really weird.. It didn't dawn on me how wierd it was until this Thai person walked up and was like "WHAT the? 3 farangs are all sitting around talking in Thai to each other?!" It was funny. Other highlights from the week for the blender that we bought for the house.. It was like CHRISTMAS...we make "shakes" all the time now... love me life. AND I am also now an expert on making sticky rice... and by expert I have made it 1 time now, but it was good...so yes... check. Now i just need to learn how to make Som Tam for real.
We spent part of Mothers day at the hospital keeping on our our sisters company. She was supposed to go to New Zealand on her mission, but was delayed by visa problems and then appendicitis.... so we kept her company.. She's amazing. I loved her life story. Incredible.
So yes... teaching, preaching, reading, learning, loving, failing, succeeding, laughing, were all parts of my week. I hope that you are all loving life and doing well. Safe travels.
farewell to Manzanar,
Love,
Sister O'Neil
Aug 9, 2010
8/8/10
We're all about sending photos today, aren't we?
I loved the pics of little Con, Jr. He looks just like Riley did when he was little in some of them... that was strange.
In case you haven't inferred by the subject of this email, I have updated some pictures. I haven't done it for a while, mainly because I don't take that many anymore, but today was just convenient to upload.
This week was great. Yesterday was especially fun.. I like to refer to it as "the price is right" day... We kept winning at a game show.. AKA... people just giving us stuff.. It was weird. Food, bags, cool lights for our helmets.... I just kept thinking of that scripture in Mosiah 2:41 "blessed in things both spiritually and temporally." True story. Why are we so blessed? We had interviews which included us sitting in a taxi all day (i hate taxis...i get car drunk) but the good news is we were able to fix Sister Jolley's bike. YAY for riding bikes again.
I don't know what to write, again.... I still feel like I'm writing the letter from last week time flew so fast... Like i just took a bathroom break or something...
Jenny, I loved your email. I knew you would love EFY. That's so sweet. Thank you for your testimony. I feel like everyone had a really spiritual time lately. Awesome.
This week I've really just loved the Book of Mormon more and more.. I also love that how here in Thailand, it is pretty much the ONLY thing we use to teach from.. I've never used the Bible once in our teaching here... except in Sunday school...but then it's not the missionaries who prepared the lesson. We just get confused as to how to read the bible when we're called on. The Bible is true... amen. But the Book of Mormon is the truest...amen. If you have Preach my Gospel, pull it out and read chapter 5. Then study it. Then go and STUDY the Book of Mormon. It will change your life. (mom, I've loved hearing your studying...great job)
Family. I love you more than anything in the world.
Friends. I love you.
Keep up the good work. Help the missionaries. Invite your friends to church, and activities.It's not that hard, and then it's more fun to have friends there with you too. I think that's all for today. Travel safely.
Love,
Sister O'Neil
We're all about sending photos today, aren't we?
I loved the pics of little Con, Jr. He looks just like Riley did when he was little in some of them... that was strange.
In case you haven't inferred by the subject of this email, I have updated some pictures. I haven't done it for a while, mainly because I don't take that many anymore, but today was just convenient to upload.
This week was great. Yesterday was especially fun.. I like to refer to it as "the price is right" day... We kept winning at a game show.. AKA... people just giving us stuff.. It was weird. Food, bags, cool lights for our helmets.... I just kept thinking of that scripture in Mosiah 2:41 "blessed in things both spiritually and temporally." True story. Why are we so blessed? We had interviews which included us sitting in a taxi all day (i hate taxis...i get car drunk) but the good news is we were able to fix Sister Jolley's bike. YAY for riding bikes again.
I don't know what to write, again.... I still feel like I'm writing the letter from last week time flew so fast... Like i just took a bathroom break or something...
Jenny, I loved your email. I knew you would love EFY. That's so sweet. Thank you for your testimony. I feel like everyone had a really spiritual time lately. Awesome.
This week I've really just loved the Book of Mormon more and more.. I also love that how here in Thailand, it is pretty much the ONLY thing we use to teach from.. I've never used the Bible once in our teaching here... except in Sunday school...but then it's not the missionaries who prepared the lesson. We just get confused as to how to read the bible when we're called on. The Bible is true... amen. But the Book of Mormon is the truest...amen. If you have Preach my Gospel, pull it out and read chapter 5. Then study it. Then go and STUDY the Book of Mormon. It will change your life. (mom, I've loved hearing your studying...great job)
Family. I love you more than anything in the world.
Friends. I love you.
Keep up the good work. Help the missionaries. Invite your friends to church, and activities.It's not that hard, and then it's more fun to have friends there with you too. I think that's all for today. Travel safely.
Love,
Sister O'Neil
Aug 1, 2010
8/1/10
Well, It's day 2 of August and it's already awesome. Fast Sundays are always miracle days, especially as a missionary. The Lord really does bless us if we keep the commandments and we do all that we can with diligence and faith. This week was a typical week filled with highs, lows and hilarity, and we worked hard every day and on Sunday we saw the blessings from our "work" (which...still doesn't feel like i did anything but walk around and talk to randos).
So my dear new companions BRAND NEW bike broke on her, like 3 times this week (always the same problem of the pedals falling off) so I spent some time riding her bike around with one pedal ,..it was hilarious... i don't know who to describe it correctly for you... but there was some taping of the foot to the pedal involved, (with the dumbest tape ever.... where's the duct tape when you need it?) and then it just got funnier when each side took turns falling off. So we then spent a lot of time walking around town. (in fact the first FULL day of just walking in my mission... typically we ride our bikes everyday). Through all of walking and "preaching" we found several potentials and had a great time. Yesterday (Sunday) I mentioned was an awesome day, and it was because 1. we saw many of the less active people we've been working with come back to church (YAY) 2. The ward council is really do a great job at trying to become a real PMG ward. 3. The members, I just love them all... especially Sister Daw and Brother Pruck.(they are freaking hilarious). 4. We were able to find 9 new investigators (2 couples, a family of 3, and 4 of a members kids who just started coming to church) AWESOME... Plus I just love my companion and we have way too much fun together. So all in all my life is sweet, and I'm still in Thailand doing the best thing in the world, so what more could I ask for? ( NOT FOOD, thanks Oliver! The members feed us way too much this week... or at least it felt like it) ok, that's a lie... a little something something would be nice right now... I only ate a little oatmeal this morning and now it's 11... so maybe I'll go spend 33 cents a eat some delicious pineapple. (yummmm....yes please)
Ok... this is really random... but does anyone know if I have to buy a keyboard that has thai on it already to type in thai from a comp in America? or can they already do it... I just need to buy some labels so i know what "letter" is where on the board? I just wanted to throw that out there before i forgot.
but really, how is it august... it makes me sick.
I hope everyone has a great week this week! Lots of traveling for you all.. Oh hey Chris!! CONGRATS!! you look good and now you're way smarter than I'll ever be. Yay for the MASTER MAN. And tell Dan sweet work on the manquilt. enjoy Con, Jr. Baptism. what a cute little man.. All the Thai people love all the kids, I have a picture of them on the back of my planner and they love them. all...especially Izzy.. For some reason they all think Michael is a "luug Krrxng" aka.. Half thai/farang... or he's Arabic? I don't really know... it's just interesting. Umm yes... so once again.. I love you all. Keep up the good work. Love life and the Lord and then you'll love your life even more.
Until next week!,
Love, Sister O'Neil
Well, It's day 2 of August and it's already awesome. Fast Sundays are always miracle days, especially as a missionary. The Lord really does bless us if we keep the commandments and we do all that we can with diligence and faith. This week was a typical week filled with highs, lows and hilarity, and we worked hard every day and on Sunday we saw the blessings from our "work" (which...still doesn't feel like i did anything but walk around and talk to randos).
So my dear new companions BRAND NEW bike broke on her, like 3 times this week (always the same problem of the pedals falling off) so I spent some time riding her bike around with one pedal ,..it was hilarious... i don't know who to describe it correctly for you... but there was some taping of the foot to the pedal involved, (with the dumbest tape ever.... where's the duct tape when you need it?) and then it just got funnier when each side took turns falling off. So we then spent a lot of time walking around town. (in fact the first FULL day of just walking in my mission... typically we ride our bikes everyday). Through all of walking and "preaching" we found several potentials and had a great time. Yesterday (Sunday) I mentioned was an awesome day, and it was because 1. we saw many of the less active people we've been working with come back to church (YAY) 2. The ward council is really do a great job at trying to become a real PMG ward. 3. The members, I just love them all... especially Sister Daw and Brother Pruck.(they are freaking hilarious). 4. We were able to find 9 new investigators (2 couples, a family of 3, and 4 of a members kids who just started coming to church) AWESOME... Plus I just love my companion and we have way too much fun together. So all in all my life is sweet, and I'm still in Thailand doing the best thing in the world, so what more could I ask for? ( NOT FOOD, thanks Oliver! The members feed us way too much this week... or at least it felt like it) ok, that's a lie... a little something something would be nice right now... I only ate a little oatmeal this morning and now it's 11... so maybe I'll go spend 33 cents a eat some delicious pineapple. (yummmm....yes please)
Ok... this is really random... but does anyone know if I have to buy a keyboard that has thai on it already to type in thai from a comp in America? or can they already do it... I just need to buy some labels so i know what "letter" is where on the board? I just wanted to throw that out there before i forgot.
but really, how is it august... it makes me sick.
I hope everyone has a great week this week! Lots of traveling for you all.. Oh hey Chris!! CONGRATS!! you look good and now you're way smarter than I'll ever be. Yay for the MASTER MAN. And tell Dan sweet work on the manquilt. enjoy Con, Jr. Baptism. what a cute little man.. All the Thai people love all the kids, I have a picture of them on the back of my planner and they love them. all...especially Izzy.. For some reason they all think Michael is a "luug Krrxng" aka.. Half thai/farang... or he's Arabic? I don't really know... it's just interesting. Umm yes... so once again.. I love you all. Keep up the good work. Love life and the Lord and then you'll love your life even more.
Until next week!,
Love, Sister O'Neil
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