Tuesday, May 29, 2012

So much has gone down...lots of thoughts and happenings and changes of scene...so in order to not bore you...and myself...ima just do some bullets:

-I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!! Everyday I think of more reasons a can't leave this country and being a full-time missionary. And time is passing so fast it's gross.
-Soooo...saying 'bye' to Bangna was sad  but wonderful. The ward and area have grown and the people who are learning the gospel and preparing for baptism right now are wonderful and progressing well. What a wonderful way to leave an area:). 
-I got assigned to open a new area in a busy busy part of northern Bangkok.. called Don Muaeng and LagSii. It's never had sisters before....3 branches that meet in the biggest, newest, most beautiful building in Thailand (literally, they're like way proud of it). I feel so lucky! The members are so excited to have sisters in this area. We got like 10 pounds of food our first day at church from people we don't even know. Thai people are so giving:) 
-We have the most well-functioning branch president slash missionary leader....does SO much for the missionaries...i feel like we are helpers instead of leaders/causers in the branch mission efforts...like PMG and every handbook in the church says:)
-I'm training again, this time a Thai sister. Wow!!! What a difference training an American and a Thai is lol. Sister Wiganda is wonderful, she's a 'go about doing good without having to be asked' type person, which is really refreshing. She thanks me all the time for 'being a good trainer,' but I truly feel like she is training me, about Thai and about missionary work and working through members and loving them and building relationships of trust with them. It's really interesting being about to see the Thai side of missionary work. I feel like little by little I'm understanding Thai people more and more and a feel more and more in love with them every day. I looove how quickly you love people on a mission.
-President and Sister Smith are going home next month:(. I'll miss them. New presidents will open up new opportunities, though, so I'm look forward to what's in store.
-Heavenly Father has blessed me with so many things. Recently I've been thinking about how I can strengthen my prayers. I ran across a scripture in Moroni that hit me a different way this time around. 7:48 says to "pray...with all the energy of heart." I feel like I do this often; I have lots of needs, lots of things i need to change and improve, other people I need to pray for and so forth. But it hit me this time around that I pray with the most energy of heart when I am asking or pleading....I realized that I need to pour out my soul in gratitude, pray with real energy of heart in gratitude.

I am so grateful for my blessings. There are so many every day, it's insane. Thank you for all of you love and support. Every one of you. You are a big part of my blessings that I am most grateful for:).

Love, 
Sister Roper

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