Weekly Dose of Thailand

Area: Warin, Ubon

Companion: Elder Gilley

 

Hey Family!

Sounds like a phenomenal week; Temple Open House and Conference and Jake and Liz! Wow! Thanks for the pics they are way sweet! Especially the one with everybody in it is awesome! But what is everyone holding? That's so awesome to have all the cousins there, way fun! The temple open house I am sure was amazing. I am so sad I'm missing it and Pres Monson is coming too! sweet! (It’s in Canada, of course, he is coming.) (Hey Winnipeg is getting a temple too; I totally forgot about that.) Um, yeah oh my goodness, that announcement is crazy! We got a text from the AP's yesterday after church telling us about it! This is a huge change! Elder Kunz was like "this just changed who my wife was going to be" way funny but prbly true. But ya I immediately thought of Mikaela you could totally do it. I can’t think of a better thing to do especially because you don't know what to do right now well, start saving your pennies and go on a mission! That would be so awesome but the choice is up to you so pray about it. A lot! The extra 10 months that you talked about will be nothing time flies on a mission and could you imagine how awesome that would be to write each other on our missions and then when we get back just imagine the stories and experiences we could share! This announcement changed thousands of lives it’s so cool the biggest revelation about missionary work in years and I get to be a part of it because I’m a missionary, so cool! I can’t wait to watch Conference this week (we do it a week later cause it has to be translated) and experience it firsthand (I just really hope that we can find a way to listen to it in English!)

Well there are a couple of things that I have neglected to share my joy about lately. Mum you have an iPad! That’s nuts! Do you just love it?! And Marci is having a baby! I am so happy for them that is way awesome! How is Tommy's baby doing?

As far as your weekly dose of Thailand: Things are continuing to go well out here we are working hard and learning a ton which is good because we have a ton to learn! The Thai continues to come along, in fact, it is getting a lot better a lot faster because I no longer have a trainer to rely on. It is coming well and I am even learning a bit of Essan (little did you know but they have their own language out here!) It’s kinda a hybrid mix of Thai and Lao, it’s pretty fun and most people freak out when they find out you speak it, it’s hilarious. We talk to lots of people out here cause Elder Gilley is a boss at inviting and I am practicing up lots so I can be that good someday. We are working a lot on the fundamentals of missionary work on the fundamentals of the gospel and the fundamentals of teaching. We have an awesome opportunity to be way young working in a great but hard area and just trusting in the Lord and working hard it’s pretty humbling which is good cause I need a lot of that! We taught a family that was way cute yesterday they have two little kids the one daughter is 3 and she is soo cute reminded me a lot of Jeana she was so sweet and such a cutie pie! We take a tuk tuk around quite a bit here in Warin (we are like the only people in the mission because our area is way big and kinda in the boonie) our tuk tuk driver is one of our investigators his name is Miaw (ya like what a cat says) he is way sweet and sometimes he helps us in our lessons because he is the only male we can find! Almost all of the members live in Ubon on the other side of the river and we are having a hard time convincing them to come over and help us. But that’s alright because this week we are going to go and find the less-actives in Warin reactivate them aand have them help us teach :) It is cooling off a lot temperature wise it is really nice I think cool season might be my favourite season that Thailand has! haha The house here in Ubon is way different than in Pakkret but it’s kind of more what I was expecting lets just say that I got spoiled in my birthplace. It’s a 2 story house but it is kinda old and has lots of tiny ants and the occasional lizard. The bathrooms kinda say it all; upstairs the toilet doesn’t have a flushing thing so to flush you fill up a bucket of water and dump it in once you are done with your business! Downstairs for the shower in the morning it’s just a regular old bathroom with a toilet and a sink and stuff no special place to shower just a shower head coming out of the wall and so when you shower the bathroom gets wet. It takes a little getting used too but it’s all just a part of this awesome experience. I rode my bike past an elephant today. The rats here are the size of a small cat, soo nasty and we have a dog on the street, who I’m going to take a picture of to send you, who has been lovingly named, by past elders, Zombie. I will leave you in suspense for next week but the name covers things pretty well, it is the ugliest thing I have ever seen. I wasn’t sure what it was when I saw it on my first day. 

Well that’s about all the time I got for today. I’m going to get another haircut today so wish me luck! cause its kinda hit and miss.

Love you all,

เอ็ลเดอร์คาฮูน

P.S. (By the way in the big picture with everyone Greg has a glorious beard, Teddy and Kendra are looking gorgeous and Alina and Emelia look waaaaayyyy similar!)

P.P.S. I got one of Grandpa's letters and I will be writing him back today!

P.P.P.S. Chrissy I have lost another 2 pounds since being in Warin I am almost back to normal again (man the MTC kills! you get so chubs!)