Monday, September 16, 2013

Who is taking our Fruit???

Elder Landon J Watkins Week 14
Week Five in Ayutthaya

Monday, September 16, 2013

Hey Everyone!

Well another pretty fun week! I really haven't had any hard days yet that I haven't had fun on. It was a pretty crazy week, but still fun! So starting with last Monday, something that happened after our email we talked with our neighbor next door, who is a woman, a man came out, which turned out to be her brother who is visiting her. So we talked to her brother who is fluent in English, German, Thai, and Dutch which is pretty impressive, but it is because he has lived in Germany for the last 26 years. We talked to him for 15-30 minutes, he worked for Porsche in Germany which is pretty cool, while talking with him and his sister we found out that it is his sister who has been stealing the fruit off of our trees because apparently a missionary from a while back in the house said she could just take our fruit, so she will probably continue to take it, oh well! 
Who took our mango???
Tuesday was a pretty funny day we had the usual studies, ate lunch then had to go to the hospital for the last time where I had my checkup for them to say, it was all good and stuff and he said, just to get some more pills to ensure the bacteria was gone. So I'm all good now for sure, even though I've felt fine for forever after the surgery ha-ha. Then we had English class which was way fun, we had 19 people which is huge because when I got here the average amount of people coming was 3-4 so we have increased the numbers like crazy, so we actually split the class up this week. Elder Unsworth and I taught the advanced people and the other Elders taught the beginner class, but really was we taught they cool class mostly ha-ha. It was way fun and we just did a good job teaching. I felt like they were all having fun and learning English! We stayed after with Brother Nong while the other elders taught the principal of a school here. Bro. Nong had to wait for Sister Gade so we kept him company and talked with the principal’s daughter. So we were kind of talking to her a little while, but for some reason she can't understand anything I say or a lot of what my comp says either, but because she is pretty good looking all the members are getting jealous, saying that we are flirting even though we are not, because I can't talk to her because she doesn't understand me ha-ha. We talk to all the sisters in the branch the exact same way so that was pretty annoying, but the whole time I'm talking to Bro. Nong trying to hook him up with a girl, because he doesn't have a girlfriend. He is 25, so I've convinced him once she turns 18 next month he needs to ask her out ha-ha so that is pretty funny! There is an age difference of 7 years, but that is completely normal here in Thailand, 30 years is okay here, that just seems weird to us ha-ha. 
Brother Nong
Wednesday was a good day first we met Bro. Nong at the church and he cut our hair for us, which was good, he is way good at cutting hair, so it is a nice free hook up! Then we went to try and teach some LA's and one of our investigators. Bro. Aneg wasn't home and then we went to try and visit brother Montri and he has moved and we have no phone number or way to find him. Which it too bad, because we really need him since he is a melchizedek priesthood holder. After we went and taught Sister Boo one of our recent converts and we wanted to teach her daughter, Baah. She was our only dater and now she isn't because she couldn't meet. Her mom says that she want her to learn everything about the gospel so she can stick up for her religion, but she won't let her daughter go to church to learn more, which makes no sense. So we don't know what to do there and she said she won't get baptized either. So there goes our dater.
Thursday we did tons of training and while we were in the internet place we had the most insane monsoon come through. It lasted for like an hour and a half and just flood the streets pretty good. We were just trapped inside and couldn't leave. I've never seen rain fall so hard, it was nuts! It rains everyday which is crazy, we get soaked a ton riding home, but it is alright, it is worse right now, because it is the rainy season, but I love it, it’s fun! We had zone training with Elder Appleyard and Terry who are our ZL's and the Lopori Elders came down and joined us, it was pretty basic meeting, but good!

As for Friday we watched The District for like 2 hours which was pretty funny. My comp got a flat tire on his bike so we had to get that fixed and by the end of the night it was flat again so had to get it fixed again the next day. The guy at the bike shop was way old, but spoke fluent English. He told us about these weird things and how he was part of the religion here in Thailand and that all religions teach people to be good which goes way back to when the king made some speech about it. The history here is way cool but pretty crazy because Bangkok has been the capitol for so long. The king is just so old and has been king forever. So once he dies the capitol will move to somewhere in the Eessan, I believe. Then that night we had the mutual activity and we did some commercial skit thing which was pretty fun and then the Sowards brought popcorn for the treat!! Oh man it tasted so gooooooood I forgot how much I love that stuff, but it is so expensive here. So I'll be needing some of that in my Christmas package along with a bunch of cracked pepper sunflowers seeds and maybe some dill ha-ha. Oh and I got my 200 stamps for seven-eleven so I got my mat. I can lay on the floor which is pretty funny, comfy though, it has like a built in pillow! 
Saturday was awesome Sister Ganjani who is an older lady in our branch had a work party and since she doesn't have family she invites the Elders and the people from the branch to go as her family so we went and it was way fun. It was like a pre p-day thing. We rode a bus and just toured a bunch of places and talked with a bunch of different people. I got some good souvenirs, which you can't go wrong with that. That night we had this huge dinner dance thing, so we learned a bunch of traditional Thai dancing, but it was soooo hard to do because of course the dancers pick people to come up. My comp and I were the only white people there so who do you think they go for first, us of course. But luckily you don't like actually dance with someone you just follow what they do and walk in a circle, pretty crazy I'll need Sister Gade to send me the pics of it when I see her next, she probably has a ton. But yeah, I'm white so I had to pull out my “hitch dance moves” you know from the movie “Hitch” because the Thai ones I couldn't handle! Overall way fun, my comp won the best male dancer because he is just hilarious and so funny he kills me and everyone there just loved us after that. It was such a good member strengthening experience. Especially for Sister Ganjani because she is like in her 60's with no family so we were her family. She even won an award, the mayor from Ayutthaya presented it to her and because me and my comp were her family and we got to meet him and have our pic with him.
Sister Ganjani
Sister Gade
As for Sunday we just did the usual church thing I passed the sacrament and then after we taught our investigator Nub for a bit, but our member had to go so we didn't get to teach everything we wanted to, but she is our best investigator right now. Mod didn’t come to church. We called her at 7:00 AM Sunday morning and she said she’d be at church and then we get there and her son is like she didn't come. We are trying to figure her out, because she has learned everything twice, she just has to go to church and she can get baptized. After we had to go down to Pak Kret because my comp is singing solo for zone conference so he went to go practice with Bro. Art a member there who is amazing at the piano and he is just a boss at sight reading. The song played was perfect the first time. That was pretty fun my comp is a really good singer and while we were there, he is like; hey you want to be in our choir for this Saturday we could use some help. So now I am in the choir, look at me singing again ha-ha I'm not even a singer, but hey, free trips down to Pak Kret right ha-ha? It was pretty fun though all and all.
Today we went to lunch with the other Elders investigators mother for her birthday. She bought us all McDonalds and Swenson’s which was nuts because it is way expensive! Thai culture is like when it is your birthday you buy everyone else food and presents, it is crazy! Ha-ha. She is way nice but they are pretty well off. Her Dad is American and they have tons of money ha-ha. It was way fun though and after we finish emailing we are going to go to the Wad that was in the Mortal Kombat movie so that should be fun. Brother Nong has his family truck which is way lucky. If people have a car here they are pretty well off because cars are insanely expensive here, so they think we are all loaded because we have cars back home. It was a way fun week though!! Have a good week!
Love,
Landon


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