Riding Elephants

Where to start, I have no idea and I forgot my journal at the house. Um...Last p-day we didn't get to go ride elephants because we didn't quite have enough time, but that is okay. Yeah, it has been a crazy week and I don't remember anything right now for some reason and it is really annoying. Um... I guess I will just tell you all what I can remember.

On Tuesday we had our first English class. We were trying to go teach Sister Mohd, but the rain was insane so we got stuck at the church and just had to hang out there for a while. Then we had English class which is way fun, we just either teach or help the students in the crowd. I mostly helped Brother Now, Naang, and Mapraw. 

On Wednesday we went to Changwatan in Pak Kret which is a part of Bangkok. It takes us around 2 hours to travel there and Elder Unsworth had to receive some training and all that good stuff. So while he was training I went out street contacting with Elder Tanner and Elder Heiner who were in the other district with me in the MTC. It was way fun and we taught about 4 lessons on the street and even got a new investigator named Mooh, which was cool.  

Thursday we had our first district meeting which was really cool. Elder Unsworth led it and shared a lot of insights from what he learned in his training. Something new is, President Senior doesn't want us referring to ourselves as missionaries anymore, so now we just say that we are teachers. We got to go with Brother Naang Home Teaching for a couple lessons which was fun. Brother Naang is convert of like 2 years and my teacher in the MTC converted, which is cool. He is like the strongest member in our branch for sure and is just so willing to do anything. He is currently the Branch Clerk which is pretty cool. So we taught Sister Boo and her daughter and few others. I'd love to tell you names but it is way hard because I only know how to spell them in Thai, which won't do you guys any good!

Friday was pretty easy we just study until 12; since I'm getting trained everyday and so after we had to buy some stuff for the YM/YW activity, then we did weekly planning which takes a long time then we just did some contacting that night. One thing I love is, I literally can just crash when it’s time for bed. I never am laying awake thinking. As soon as I tell myself I want to sleep I'm out, it’s funny, my companion always is impressed with that. 

Saturday we had YM/YW activity and we talked about Spiritual Crocodiles from Boyd K. Packard’s talk, which was good. After we had to go to Pak Kret again for more training for Elder Unsworth. So while we did that we had to buy some food for after, then I went street contacting with a Khon Thai, his name is something like Anntasid, I can't spell it in English very well ha-ha. He is way cool to and he isn't good at English, but he helped my Thai a ton. I would love to have him as my next companion and then I'd get so good at the language really fast. That took forever because we ate dinner at the church and then after we just went to home and it was time to prepare for bed. 

Sunday was pretty fun I actually recognized most words when they are talking, my mind just can't translate them fast enough ha-ha. Because they talk so fast and quiet that I have no idea what they are saying. It's funny though. I didn't really have to do anything at church, but pass the sacrament. After church we just talk and teach lessons. We got a new investigator also named Noob (it's not pronounced how it is spell ha-ha sorry) and we taught her and are teaching her again on Thursday. On Sunday we got to do the rescue, which is equivalent to getting a baptism, that is where they go inactive and then come back and have to fill out the paperwork, so that was awesome. We have quite a few sisters in the branch, just not many priesthood holders, so that is our main focus and bringing back less actives since we have so many.

Then today was just an insanely awesome and fun day!! First after studies and all that we went to the elephant village!! You know what that means. First Ayutthaya is actually the original capital of Thailand, back in the day which is cool. So there are lots of old broken down ruins and all that good stuff. The elephant village is like around it all, which is coo, so they walk you by it all. Man it was literally the funniest 15 minutes of my mission ha-ha! It was so great we were so lucky to have Brother Naang come though and he just followed us snapping pics the whole way, which was cool. It was like 400 baht which is like 15 dollars or so, so worth it. Then after the Elephant village we went to another tourist attraction where you can ride elephants also but we didn't ride them there, but guess what. They had big old tigers!! So I got my pic with the tiger. Then after that I had an elephant pick me up while I got some pics and I got to hold onto its ivory, which was awesome!!! Man so much fun it was unreal and it was 100 baht for the tigers and 100 for the elephant picking me up so pretty cheap, that’s only like 3 dollars or so. So fun! We walked through the Water Market there looking for ties, but couldn't find any. I'm still on the hunt for some elephant ties maybe not this area. I will find them though.

Next week we will probably go to the Mortal Combat Temple from that movie, which is probably way sweet. But overall it was a great fun week. I'm having such a blast ha-ha! I know everyone said there mission is the best, but I think mine and Nate's are pretty close to the best you can get! Well I love you guys, so until next week keep it real!!

Love, 

Landon