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