Happy Songkran!!!

First off, Happy birthday Alyssa and Lindsay!!!!!! and Happy Songkran to everyone!!!!!! Songkran is the long awaited holiday of every missionary. It's the nationwide water fight that lasts for three days starting on Wed.-Fri. Today actually isn't my prepration day, but we were given permission to email anyways. We will have it on Wed. The branch is having a songkran activity where we will have a full out water fight (it is really hot now!). It should be fun! We've been told not to visit the park at all because the park will be all over you once you leave. Nasty swamp water! Also EVERYTHING shuts down for the occasion, except 7/11 respectfully. Today Sis. Eyestone and I took a leisurely 16 mile (28 kilos) bike ride to an investigator. Along the way, we ran into many kids who decided to celebrate early (like the early trick-or-treaters). They stood on both sides of the road with huge buckets and a hose. The first few groups missed me, but an older kid group nailed me on both sides. Ya, I was soaked! hahaha! The crazy thing was that I was dry in a matter of minutes! I can only imagine what it will be like when the whole town will play...... more of that saga to come! Conference was wonderful!!! Sis. Eyestone and I were able to listen to all of it in English before watching it in Thai. I'm so glad we did! I loved the talks that you talked about. We both especially loved the smack down that Pres. Monson gave at the end of the Priesthood session. (Get married Austin, what are you waiting for??? :-) heeheehee) I was so impressed with the members here. They all dedicatedly went to the sessions. We watched the YW meeting too. It was funny because apparently none of the YW showed up to watch it. The older women wanted to watch it though. They claimed they were just a few years older than the YW. It was so much fun to watch it with them. They just kept talking about how little and cute/pretty all of them were. It was a great meeting basking in the great divine nature of womanhood. Working with Sis. Eyestone has been so much fun. She reminds me a lot of McKenzie. So it's like being here with her. Yep, it's great! Oh, sis. eyestone had a great language mixup this week. hahaha. I'm still laughing about it! I'll definitely tell it during our phone call. Also, I can't remember if I told you, but on the 2nd day together, sis. Eyestone got bit by a dog! (I think I'm cursed) I fortunately escaped that fate but escaping the routine trips to the hospital is something I can't. I have enjoyed sitting down and watching her as the whole hospital has their eyes on her. People standing up and going over to see her dog bite and staring. She practically invited the whole hospital in the process. hahaha! Well, love you all!!!! Sure hope I survive this festival!!!!! em

I'm in.................

Here are some pics of my last days in Lopburi:

The District Becky and her neice and nephew. She's way cute! Plus loves Harry Potter and Twilight!

Mr. Billy Goat

My drop dead gorgeous companion and her new shoes!

Me with Cherry and Ai

Sis. Bao's family

( Emily is all about the food it seems! )The assortment of food layed out before us when we go to Cherry's house. They just keep bringing out more and more. It's so funny!

Mango, I eat this at EVERY house because it's mango season. I never knew you could eat mango in so many ways!

a Roddii. Its this like pastry that's super

amazing but super fattening.

The cake.

All of us.

Our last time teaching together

ROIET!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!! Yes, I moved up to the north with Sis. Eyestone. She's awesome!!! Go figure I move here just after Sis. Barton leaves. It's so nice here. I love it!!! Not to mention that I'm in the Eason! I wanted to come either here or Chiangmai. So I'm happy with the outcome! It actually turns out that they closed the Sister's area in Lopburi. So Sis. Chambers had to move too. She went to Chiangmai! They're putting more of an emphasis on missionary work in Bangkok so they needed sisters to go there. It was sad to go but change is always nice. .

To answer your question mom, Sis. Chambers and I ate that bowl of ice cream together. I'm glad you enjoyed the zoo pics! I enjoyed it too!

Here in Roiet a member owns an internet cafe so he's currently in the process of burning General Conference for us in English. How nice! Ya, I also forgot to put on my tag this morning too! hahaha!

Before I moved, Sis. Bao's family was so cute! They had us come over to the church and sing a song together. Then Sis. Geek made us a cake which we ate together. It was really sweet! Then Sis. Ruay came over and gave us a gift.

On Thursday, we had a nice trip to the renew visa center which didn't happen, but I had a nice Japanese meal. Then afterwards got on the bus which broke down 2 times. We got to Roiet at around 11pm. I got a little carsick here and there but overall I was good!

Roiet is really cute! I'm excited to celebrate all the big holidays here. The branch here likes to celebrate together. They really are so involved in helping us. It's so nice not to have to do everything! We really can't do it ourselves! Make sure you help out the missionaries where you are. It can't be done alone!

Love you all!!!!!

Em

What a Jane Goodall Day!!!!

Us with Sis. Ruay

A neighborhood by the hospital

It was Sis. Chambers year mark so we had to celebrate it big with BIG ice cream! Yes, it was yummy! Eating an earthquake (appr. 8 scoops)

Yep, it's gone!

Sis. Chambers eating sunflowers!?!

Us with the sunflowers

This is me freezing from last time!

From our trip to the zoo last week:

The orangutans.... sorry, I had to! Curiosity gets the better of me! Yep! Does that look weird or what?

Me playing tug of war

Ya he's winning !

Anybody want a baby cobra?Yes, the guy at the zoo offered us a baby cobra to take home. We kindly declined.

Chimpanzee

Eat those bananas!!

The chimpanzee was so cute! We had a blowing raspberry fight! They let us feed the turtles for free!

Feed the turtles, tupence a bag....

Sorry this is going to be so short. I needed to get those pictures from Sis. Chambers before the move.

Turns out there was just an earthquake in Burma/Chaingmai. No worries, everyone is okay! The Thai people are starting to freak out over all these disasters. I've had a lot of pleasure telling people straight up that they need to repent because Christ is coming. You should've seen the fear that struck in an LA's eyes. :-)

Sis. Idow came into the MTC when I was 6 weeks in.

We had a great week meeting with lots of families! YAY!!!! Go families!!!

Love you all!!!

Em

Happy Spring!!!!

Well, it's officially spring!!!!! Which also means, it's Stacie Lewis' birthday!!!!! Happy birthday!!!!!
Did you think I would forget, Stacie? :-)

So, in honor of this special day, I'm going to the zoo. I know, not that I don't see enough wild animals already. I see elephants everyday walking around the markets and such. It's a little bit weird. Anyways, it will be fun going to the zoo. Once again, I'll try to stay away from getting another animal bite!

Also, later this week, happy birthday Katie!!!!!

Ya, here on out it's a holiday every week!!! April is full of holidays here! Including the week where we have a full out water fight for 3 days. Ya, we've been told work doesn't necessarily get done that week. Mostly you go out, get soaked because we're foreigners and then go home at 6 pm because it's too dangerous. Yep, it's a party! I'll tell you how that one goes.

This week was crazy weird!!!! First it was super hot. Like 95 degrees and then the next day it dropped to 64 degrees. It was FREEZING!!!!!!! I thought I was going to die! I wore my sweater for those 3 days of coldness. I felt like I was in Oregon again. Actually, it reminds me of England!!!!! (sorry dad, I had to throw that one in) Anyways, within a day it went from 70's to 90's. It was weird.

Also, has anyone found about the random Chinese language in Singapore?

Yesterday at church there was about half the people there because the other half went to Hong Kong to go to the temple. It was a lot of fun to help everyone prepare to go.

Exchanges with Sis. Idow were a lot of fun. We were talking about how fast time has flown by. Sis. Chambers is celebrating her 1 year in the mission this week and has already received her "death papers." Weird, right? That means I'm getting my death papers next month?!

This week was great with investigators! I have just been amazed at our timing. We'll just run into people as they're about to go home from work or we'll go see someone and they said they prayed we would come today. It's just goes to show that God is in charge!


Well,
Love you all!!!!

Em

Pictures of Emily at Training Meetings this week

Emily and her companion, Sister Chambers

The Mission President, Mike Smith, observes the training session

Thanks again to Janis Smith for sending pictures of our Em!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

flower field... do you have them yet?

Yes, this is me drinking an orange soda from a bag. In Thailand, a vast majority still use the glass bottles. So instead of giving you the bottle, it's easier to just fill up the bag with ice and pour it in. Not to mention the convenience of putting it on the handlebars of the bike.

Sis. Chambers trying to figure out our day at Black Canyon Coffee (our only window to American food in Lopburi)

I'm so glad you mentioned the earthquake in Japan. We hear about it all the time but kept hearing mixed comments about it.
Turns out Sis. Chambers' dad was in the airport on his way home from Korea when it happened. He said everything shook including the pillars, but fortunately they build airports really well.
The earthquake in Japan has actually helped us in inviting lately. People ask us to explain our beliefs in the "end of the world" because they can tell something is happening. Well, fancy that, we actually have an answer for it.

So... this week,

Cherry is amazing!!! She flat out told her parents that she is moving out for the summer because she wants to be more independent. She's 18 in 2 months and they refuse to ever leave her home alone. Ya, I think it will be good for her. She moved in with her Grandma. Now, Cherry can finally go to church because her parents can't stop her.

Mxy, you've never actually heard about but she is amazing too! She's being fearless with faith and working on accomplishing what most Thai think is the impossible.

Mom, I think I'm seriously ill or I have a condition. I'm starting to drink MILK?! Ya, it's kind of scary. I'm not quite sure if it's the lack of dairy that is causing this change or what. I'm at the point where I can tolerate the taste now but I would never drink it otherwise. Maybe that ice cream is getting me somewhere....

This week I get to be companions with Sis. Idow. It will be fun.


Love you all!!!!

Em

Sis. Henderson

It's beginning to look a lot like Summer as we melt away....

phad thai: this is the traditional Thai food. So good! It is noodles with eggs, bean sprouts, green onions, peanuts, toufu, sugar, and onion. Most people think this dish comes with shrimp, which sometimes it does. The guy who sells it in our neighborhood, though, doesn't do shrimp. YAY!!!!

Yes, I am melting away!!! Unfortunately it is causing me to eat more cocoa oreo shakes. Ya, it's my vice here. I just walk in and they just start making it. I don't have to say anything! And my picture is on their wall....4 times. It's amazing! I'll have to make it for you when I get back! Usually everyone just orders cocoa. I added the oreo to which they first thought was weird, but now it's natural. hahaha! This week we ate a Swenson's ice cream cake to celebrate Sis. Chambers 14 years of being a member of the church/birthday. It was amazing!

This week we started the new summer schedule where we start working at 7:30 am and work till 12:30. We eat and study and go back out at 4:30ish. It's pretty nice! We spend our mornings in the market just passing out fliers. hahaha! Gotta love Asian markets. Soooooo against health codes. We accidentally started walking down the meat aisle. We got to the middle of it and was overwhelmed with the most horrible stench. We both looked at each other and felt like throwing up. I held my breath and walked very briskly to the end. Oh, it was horrible! We won't go down there again.

We've been handing out the Book of Mormon a lot lately. There's a guy we ran into the other day. He was reading the Bible and we talked to him about the Book of Mormon and gave it to him. He shared it with his wife to which she requested we come visit her and the family this week. I'm looking forward to that.
We also have an investigator that has gone through a ton. We shared the story in Mosiah 24 with her. We only asked her to read 2 verses. Everytime we tried to help explain it to her, she would read the next verse. She really wanted to know the full story. So we just let her finish reading the chapter.
We went to visit a recent convert and she was working. She asked us to share a scripture with her. I just kind of opened up the book and chose one. After reading it she paused, tears start welling up in her eyes as she told us, "that's my answer!" Yep, the Book of Mormon is amazing!

Any ideas on how to help someone who is addicted to paint thinner? (drinking and smelling) The problem is that it is so readily available. You can get it anywhere. So, what to do?

Love you all!!!!! Thanks Gabbi, you're the best!!!!

Em

Sis. Henderson