I memorized the Thai National Anthem!!!

-Sister Wikanda sometimes reminds me of my nephews...remembers the
things in English I say that aren't the best...lol like 'crap,' or
'freaky,' or 'what the heck'....Hahaha and the other night she said,
"Peace easy" as she was getting off the phone with our District Leader.
she thought it was like more polite or something. Hahaha gotta be
careful

-I love the singles in our branch. They literally just bring their
friends and families for us to teach! It's so fun to see their energy
to share the gospel. They have tasted of the truth and happiness that
comes from nothing else other than the Savior and the Book of Mormon
and they want the world to have it. It charges my battery every time
I'm with them:) so grateful.

-This week we were teaching 3 little kids and their mom about the Plan
of Salvation-Heavenly Father's plan that explains where we were before
this life, why we are here in this life, and where we are going in the
next life... I asked the 12 year old boy after we were done teaching
which of the three kingdoms he wanted to go to after this life, and he
said, "LEVEL SEVEN!!!' Haha clearly we had a little more explaining to
do. We asked again after explaining a bit more and he asked, kinda
with a scared look on his face as he saw the symbol of the sun for the
Celestial kingdom, "Well....is it hot there?" :) I loooove teaching
kids the gospel.

-My branch president said "jew-eecy" instead of juicy when he was
describing this delicious Thai fruit we were eating. He reads the
English dictionary, but doesn't always check for pronunciation. Haha
sooo funny.

-This is why my heart almost exploded out of my chest this morning
while I was reading the Book of Mormon (this scripture is referring to
the Book of Mormon itself):

"And no one need say they shall not come, for they surely shall, for
the lord hath spoken it; for out of the earth shall they (the plates
that were translated to be the Book of Mormon) come, by the hand of
the Lord, and none can stay it; and it shall come in a day when it
shall be said that miracles are done away; and it shall come even as
if one should speak from the dead." (Mormon 8: 26, Moroni speaking).

Yes! The Book of Mormon came and it is true and it will never leave
this earth or be overshadowed. Only continue to change more and more
peoples' lives. The Book of Mormon is so true and so powerful. I love
it with all my heart:).

Okay. Love you!!!
Sister Roper

 Can someone please tell me what an instagram is?

I don't believe in it and have no faith. So I have absolutely no testimony that instagram is a real thing. Also, what is planking? And who are the Carnations? Like Car-nash-ee-ins? Are they real? I'm in the world but not of the world I guess, haha jk. 

This week was so great. Thank you all for your emails and love and prayers and support. I hope everyone is wonderful back home and that Fathers' Day was great and you each helped your fathers feel loved and appreciated. 

I'm really tired. Every second of every day. And I'm not sure I've ever been so happy, either:). I feel like a broken record a little bit at this point, but I can't say enough how many miracles we see every single day, how blessed I am to be a missionary and have the gospel, and how lucky I am to be able to serve Heavenly Father and teach about the Savior to all who are willing to listen. We are so small and imperfect, but still Heavenly Father gives us chances to learn and grow and change and improve, and also the chance to be an instrument in His hands. What a privilege. "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." I'm happy I can be one of the small and simple things in this great work of bringing the gospel to the world.

Love,

Sister Roper

This birthday shout out includes last week and today and next week for Daddy and Jonah and Shan and Ryan and Claire and Brittany:) I hope your days were wonderful and full of joy.

Well not too much to say today...actually that's totally a lie because I always accidentally have lots to say...but I have no time. So suffice it to say that:

I love being a missionary. And. I. Cannot. Imagine. Leaving. This. Place. And the many people I love with my entire soul. There was a fireside last night for President Smith. My eyes fogged. There were pictures from this last three years including the flood and lots of new buildings and people getting baptized. My beautiful Sister Itow was in a few of them so of course I was ecstatic to see those. But the best thing about the fireside was seeing some new converts that I began teaching in Roiet. I only got to teach them for a week because they were up visiting their mom (Lauren-Maliwan's daughter) and they were sooooooooo ready to go. Oh my they loved the Book of Mormon and every single thing about the gospel. And they called us angels:) when really that's what i thought of them:). And last night I saw them, Nxg and Nad, and they came up to me with tears in their eyes and hugged me and cried and thanked me. I literally cannot describe the joy that missionary work brings...seeing others taste the delicious truth of the gospel and partake of it throughout their lives. I hadn't seen them after they got baptized until last night. They looked so different and light and happy and full. And they showed me their Books of Mormon and said they'd finished and started over already:). Oh my it's amazing how real the Savior and Atonement are. Anyone can change because of Him. 

I"m so blessed:)

I love you all!

Sister Rope

-Lag Sii (the new area we just opened)

-My companion (literally the best example of D and C 58:26. Just does so many things for other people, remembers who to call, where people live, how to teach well....)

-When your companion speaks Thai (makes like ten trillion times easier...didn't even know until now. She remembers like people's names and foods and where people live and all sorts of things that i have to try really hard to tattoo into my brain)

-Working with less actives. So hard (until you pray about it) and so rewarding (once you do).

-Teaching people who are so amazingly ready to receive the gospel. It's true! The field is WHITE! (Like these three girls that work at an ice cream place by our house...we visited to get some coconut ice cream the other day and I asked them if they wanted to learn about Jesus Christ and they were already Christian and had been looking for a church anyway...so we taught them the next day about the restoration--about how God restored the same authority and church that was here when Christ was on the earth, and then left shortly after the apostles were killed, but then came back again through Joseph Smith--and they were sooo happy. I thought one of them was gonna straight up jump out of her chair...she like couldn't contain her excitement. She's like, "I've always wondered why there are so many churches in the world, and so many different Christian sects. I am sooo grateful, i am so happy that you came and gave us this truth that we've been wanting our whole lives!" She literally like almost bursted. It was so cute.

-Seeing the Savior's Atonement work in other people's lives. One of the best experiences of my life happened this last week. We've been assigned to visit a less active woman in our ward, who purposefully happens to be our neighbor (perfffect). Anyway she hasn't been to church in over a year and no one knew why. But timing was perfect for us to move in at this time, because she was ready to reveal her concern that we preventing her from going to church and progressing. She realized this week that she can repent again...that after baptism she is not required (nor is it possible for her) to be perfect. She was like, "Really?" And tears just started rolling down her wrinkly cheeks...and we talked about the Savior helps us overcome sin and weaknesses our whole lives. (Otherwise, I'd be toast.) She had such a humble heart and contrite spirit, like one of the most humble states I've ever seen. It was sooo powerful to see the Atonement take effect. It's so real and I'm so grateful I got to be in the chair next to her as the Spirit taught her this.

I love you all,

Sister Roper