We had prayer at 7:45 Thursday morning, and then all the senior couples loaded into three vans like this. President and Sister Senior drove their car, too. It was quite a caravan. There were five couples in this van including us--Elder Sowards drove our group. We had fun talking and learning more about each other as we drove through the beautiful countryside.
Our first stop was here at Khao Yai National Park. Many hiked down the trail to a waterfall. There were many steep steps which were a little difficult, so we chose not to go all of the way.
It was very beautiful where we did walk!
We had a lovely lunch in this shady pavilion. We had delicious chicken salad wraps, fruit, and chocolate. We all appreciated the good food, cool drinks, and great company.
Elder and Sister Hobbs, Sister Sowards and the Sippels in the background
Sister Sowards was kind enough to share this picture of the spider that was right by the bench where we sat to eat. We didn't bother it; it didn't bother us. She said it was about 3 inches big.
We continued on to our hotel--the Thames Valley Khao Yai Resort. It was a beautiful, peaceful setting for a wonderful experience.
A lovely gathering place.
Our room was lovely!
The view from our private outdoor patio was so relaxing.
The bathroom came complete with our own friendly, little frog. Loved it!
The food was delicious, the company interesting and the sights were beautiful. But most of all, the meetings were inspiring. We learned what other senior missionaries were doing in their areas of responsibility. I was so humbled by the great work that is being done for the people in Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos: wells being drilled to provide fresh water for those without it, clean latrines provided for sanitation, wheelchairs for those who aren't mobile, neonatal resuscitation training to help save the babies, English being taught. When it is permitted by the governments of our host countries, we also share the knowledge that God is our Heavenly Father who wants us to be happy. He has provided a plan of happiness for us to follow, and Jesus Christ is our Savior and example. It truly is good news!
We had wonderful learning sessions about family history, the keys and authority of the Priesthood, the power to become more than we are, the hastening of the work, and "What Christ Thinks of Me". We came away from the conference invigorated, renewed, and with a new vision of the possibilities of our work. We wanted to serve more and help build up the kingdom of God in Thailand to a greater degree. We not only wanted to DO more and help others progress, but we wanted to BECOME more ourselves. We left the conference with many ideas spinning in our heads and much to talk about. There is so much to be done. The people in Thailand are wonderful and so are our senior missionary companions.
A beautiful setting for a wonderful experience!
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