Today I rode an elephant bare back.

	I
It was soooo sweet. I almost fell off...and I was like 10 feet in the

air or something crazy. So it may have hurt and I may have fractured
another toe. But mercifully, we survived the trek through the jungle
in safety:).

This week I saw some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life:

1. A waterfall called Nam Tog Mee Waang. It was so pretty. I climbed
up it...well the side of it. And it was so pretty and I knew that God
was real:).

2. A little girl named Leah started reading her scriptures every
day:). She's from America and she's 11 and her dad works for the
American government at the embassy in Chiang Mai so we get a chance to
spend some time with them and try to positilvely influence the 5 kids.
We helped them unpack from moving last week...I've never seen so many
stuffed animals...probably 300 for reals. Anyway after two hours, it
looked great! And we had a few extra minutes so I thought, Yes! Let's
read the Book of Mormon together. So we did and it was so fun! And
she is so smart and understood Alma 24 so well and about burying swords. And she committed to reading the scriptures every day for 10
minutes before she gets to her other books. Then we met up on
Sunday...and she was already to Alma 29 in 3 days:). I loooved it. It
was real beauty.

3. We got lost for 3 hours on our bikes the first week I was here. We
were trying to find an investigator. But got lost instead. And when we
found her, she wasn't interested anyway....But on the way back we
randomly ran into the relief soceity president, SIster Wan. And she
took us to her favorite food cart...which was owned by a man who
needed the gospel and who is ready for it. And now Tui (the food stand
owner/new prepared investigator) cannot wait to take his girlfriend,
soon to be wife, to the temple next year.  Totally worth getting lost
for three hours:). Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways.


4. Best for last. There are two wonderful women named Shuy Thi and Bo
whom I love with my whole heart. Shuy Thi is from Burma so she is
learning Thai and is so diligent and supports her mother and two
siblings by selling fake flowers at a market. Bo is 20 and left home
to come to Chiang Mai and "find herself"...and they both met the
gospel. Shuy Thi had been learning for a few weeks when I got moved
here and Bo got here shortly after I did.

Seeing the gospel change their lives was the most beautiful thing
ever. Shuy Thi has so many fears and anxieties about how to take care
of her family. Bo was lost and felt like her life had no purpose and
like she didn't belong anywhere. But once they learned about the
Atonement and repentance, that they could actually change and be
cleansed and forgiven, and that they have a strong, stable Person to
rely on (the Savior) their entire countenances changed. Bo went from
looking so sad and depressed, to laughing and smiling all the time,
playing with kids and spending lots of time in the Book of Mormon.
Shuy Thi came from lots and lots of tears and stress and questions, to
telling me that all we really have to do to get answers is pray and
read the BOok of Mormon.

The Atonement is so real! Bo and SHuy THi are entirely different
people than they were before they learned how to actually apply the
Atonement, or at least started learning. THey looked beautiful at
their baptism on Saturday...bright white holding red roses:). I'll try
to send a picture.

Heavenly Father gives us so many blessings and so many things to make
us happy. But I can't think of anything happier than knowing the
Savior and seeing the remarkable and lasting influence He has on
others. It is true true beauty.

I love you all.

Sister Roper