9/26/10

Well Well Well....

Here we are at the end of September... needless to say, that's just blowing my mind a little bit.

So was this week..

Here's the run down:

My favorite thing about this week (besides Di coming to church) was the opportunity to go and do exchanges in my old area Saphan Sung! You know I LOVED my life. It was like Christmas, but better be case there were klong paths involved. I MISSED THAT SO MUCH.. favorite part of Thailand, and I don't know why... It's like a real life video game. It was great to see the old house, and the old church, and the NEW church! While I was there they were building a new church (a real church and not just a rented 4 story office building). I'm pretty sure I almost shed a tear when I saw it for the first time. It was huge and beautiful! It really helped me realize that YES, the church is growing here in THailand. So yes... we taught some amazing investigators, with some help from amazing members in an equally amazing building. I love me life. And to top it all off, I got to teach "Gift" again.. One of my favorite people ever. It was great to see her and hear about her life for the last year. she's getting married in November. (8 days after I get home ) But that's ok. I'll just go to her temple sealing in a couple years after her Boyfriend (husband) gets baptised. So yay! I love my life.

We also had more training this past Saturday. That was good... I'm still so bad at this game of missionary-ness... so that was good to be enlightened. Oh, thanks for the mail everyone. We especially loved the pics Cody. i guess it's true, right at the beginning and right at the end everyone writes... so it's basically now or never... If you don't send it by the 9th, i might not get it. Just FYI...

Life is Bankapi is great. I love this ward. Every week is an adventure and I'm trying to keep up with it all. Sister Itow continues to keep me laughing. I love her. And I love that her name is a specific type of knife... and there's a legend about a horse woman attached to it.. hahah..

I love the rain... last night there was a huge storm... We went out to "dan Jones" and then we got stuck in the rain... and then we asked to stand under a persons parking garage thing, but we ended up just sitting in the house talking until the power went out, and they took us home and let us borrow an umbrella.. THai people are great.

This week should be great. We get to go see the RS session this weekend. And then conference next week! yes!!! So, yes. Take care this week. Have fun, be safe and live after the manner of happiness.

I love you all!

Love,

Sister O'Neil

9/19/10

Greetings from Siam,

Dearest family and friends... please forgive me letters, as I know they are not really informative or of worth lately. I'm trying to repent.

This week was great! We had a mission tour with Elder Perkins (In the Asian area presidency) which consisted of a full day of feasting ( on the good word and delicious Thai food). It was great to meet them, and it reminded me of last years tour with Elder Pratt. The two are so opposite, but both incredible. I especially loved getting to know sister Perkins a tiny bit. We talked all about receiving personal revelation and did a good activity of writing down two questions at the beginning of the meeting, and seeing how quickly the Lord Answers you. So yes. I would suggest that everyone do this kind of activity in your personal study or when watching conference or anything or the sort.. It's amazing how much you can receive when you ask. (thank you scriptures... ask and you shall receive) Truth. Fact. Awesome. It's changed my life, again. So that day was fun...especially the surprise talk I had to give. Thank goodness I prepared something. (also another principle I've been learning- preparation. Preparation is everything! Just read the scriptures again and see how important it is..and then think about the plan of salvation too... what is the purpose of life? yes, that's right... preparing.) This week we hosted a new Thai sister for a day. She just went to the MTC with the 8 other Thai missionaries who will be entering next moves. Sister Alisa is so cute. Plus it was fun to be with a khon Thai again. I think it would have been fun to be with another Thai companion at the end of my mission... but I've only ever had one...Sister Cherry (love). Maybe will get to host Sister Alisa again the week before moves... that would be fun. This week it rained a lot.. Thank goodness it didn't rain for more than 3 hours at a time... In only that 3 hours that it poured it flooded our entire street... a couple more hours and we would have come home to a flooded house... So good thing it rains in spurts and has some drain time.


Ok.. soo things are good and I love my life. I hope you all have a great week and I will talk to you next week.

Love,

Sister O'Neil

Hello dearest people,

well, I'm not going to lie.. I don't really know what to write. I've spent most of my time writing Pres Smith and watching Mormon messages on lds.org (SO GOOD... go watch them). So if you want to know how I'm feeling, watch the "listening to the spirit" and the "thanksgiving" one.

Life is grand here in Bankgapi. We're teaching a couple new families, and Ilene's getting ready to be baptised. We're having a mission tour with Elder Parkinson on Wed. That should be fun. I love my companion. We really are from California... and we only got sick once this week. yay!

Today I'm taking her "downtown" yay!.

Sorry I really wrote nothing today. Such is life.

All is well. I love my life.

Read the scriptures and follow the prophet.


Love, Sister O'Neil

Well... Greetings from the best place in the world.

Things are pretty much the same... but completely different. First of all... I have a new companion. Her name is Sister Itow and she is from Northern California (and she is SO Californian...it's fun). She just came to this country (so yes... I'm training again). She is Japanese, Spanish, English and french...aka GORGEOUS... everyone thinks she's a movie star. and sometimes I do to. She kinda reminds me of Glinda, (but in a good way). And we had a very eventful few days together so far. On sat we went to the wedding of one of our RC (BOW #1..she got baptised about 2 months ago) and they had a VERY nice wedding at the church.. (she asked me to be the MC for it... but in the end another one of her friends did it.... thank goodness... i can't speak Thai.) it was strange... i didn't feel like a missionary as we sat there at the "Chinese tables" and had delicious food served to us while we tried not to listen to the carpenters (and various other American popular artists) serenade us... So that was fun/ny.

Sunday Muk was confirmed and Soo was baptised. Soo is amazing. I love her. Her testimony is amazing (she's the one who dreamt about the tree of life before she even read that chapter). And she's another testament that member referrals are the best. This week is finding and teaching new people and normal missionary life (which means every day is drastically different and awesome...)

Sorry i don't have a lot to write today. Mom, I talked with you a lot.. so that's good.. just let me know. Remember I can leave some stuff at the office and just take a carry on around with me. Everyone else.. I love you all. Thanks for the continuous support and love and prayers. Read the Book of Mormon and go to the Temple. Amen.

Ok... farewell to Manazar,

Love, Sister O'Neil

How is it September this week ALREADY...... That just makes me want to vomit.

So, I noticed a trend in all these emails lately... You are ALL SO TRUNKY.. Actually... last weeks were all sorts of trunky... and they still mainly are (and I'm not gonna lie...reading mom's email about seeing John Williams made me trunky for about 3 seconds too...until i looked up and out the window and saw that I was in Thailand...and that took care of that). So yes...you trunky bunch of people.. haha.

I did enjoy hearing from people though...Sounds like everyone is sick. Please eat medicine and feel better. (<--look how happy he is eating medicine)

Let me tell you about my week. Last week after I wrote you (and went and wrestled with crocodiles and held tigers, lions and bears) we continued our three day training extravaganza. It was great, and it really has changed the way we invite and commit people to doing things that help their lives be better than mint chocolate chip ice cream served over a volcano cake. (yummmm). This church and gospel is really the most logical and smart and successful organization I've ever known. Genius really, and that's because it's lead by the All Knowledgeable. Sister Jolley and her other greenie friend did a great job running around Bankapi for 3 days. I was impressed, but not surprised. I knew they'd be fine. It was fun to see all of my Elders (for the MTC..all of us were there....and possible for the last time, too...?!?) and visit with the sisters too. I just love our lives.

Sunday was a great day. มุก was baptised! And โส will be baptised next week. So that's be grandious. They are really, really great. It's been a blessing to see their lives change and progress. After the service and meetings and calling potential investigators, we went our in search of new families. It was great. I love Thailand and talking to randos everyday. Plus, when we walked into this "muubaan" (neighborhood) I just felt so good and look at Sister Jolley (like Jolley Bear) and said "we're gonna live here." Then as we walked around and talked to people, i noticed this sign for a house for rent (called the number...which turned out to be the neighbor) and toured the house... it looks great! I feel really good about it. So I'll let you know how it turns out. This week should be equally as fabulous. (such is life) It's moves meeting, but I'm pretty sure we're not going because we're going to stay together.... but it's not เเท่ทอท yet...you never know what President will do. But If all goes according to what I feel will happen, I'll write you again next week from the same place, with the same comp. :)

Um... I love you all. I hope you have a great week. Will you read your scripture? Great. I promise a plethora of blessings if you do such things as keeping the commandments. excellent.

Love, Peace and ส้มตำ,

Sister O'Neil

Sister Hulme...got your letter! Good luck at school! Love your guts!
Sister Lo... you are fabulous... did I tell you that lately? I'm working on a letter
Tara... I can't believe you... but I can at the same time... when do you leave for the Korea.
Kellie... I love you. จริง.
Everyone else... this is just a warning...if you ever wanted to write me as a missionary...this is your chance...it will end faster than you believe it. Just saying...