So it sounds like all is good at home. Everyone had such a good Christmas, that is nice to know. It sounds like your gifts are nice and entertaining, especially Maren’s gift to you. I thought you guys would be pretty surprised, but it is way cool huh. That one isn't even going to know I exist for the first year of its life. I say “it”, because they aren't going to find out what “it” is – WEIRD huh! Anyway there isn't a whole lot to talk about when it comes to Christmas here. We had that Christmas program I was telling you about. It was awful, I thought it was going to be good, but I was wrong. It didn't even make sense. Oh well it is Thailand, it isn't necessary. Other than that we didn't really do anything else. I got a peppermint milkshake though. I feel like those are pretty rare, but it was a nice taste of the Christmas season. I am pretty glad that I am all the way over here. Not to be rude or anything but I wasn't homesick at all.
We had a baptism on Sunday. It was ok, it is really kind of sad how they do things in this branch. When they sing songs or have speakers, they never prepare in advance. So they always just call them up on the spot. This means all the speakers just ramble about nothing, because they have no time to prepair. So in this เเวว's baptism, the speakers and songs and everything had nothing to do with baptism. It wasn't special at all. And then the guy who was baptizing her, put his hand behind her neck, instead of her back, so when she went under he couldn't pull her back up – way sad!!
Ok Tim Tam Slam directions:
1. Freeze Tim Tams (until frozen)
2. Poor milk/hot chocolate into a small bowl or mug.
3. Take the Tim Tams out of the freezer
4. Bite both ends of the Tim Tam. (they are shaped like a rectangle, so bite at both short ends. but take really thin bites)
5. Put one end of the Tim Tam in the milk and the other end in your mouth.
6. Suck (like a straw, milk should be going into your mouth)
7. Eat the Tim Tam (should be really delicious because there will be milk on the inside as well.)
8. จบ (finished, if desired, repeat)
So yeah... I don't have a whole lot to say because we talked a lot on Thursday. But thank you all so much for talking to me this week. I am sure my email next week will be more action packed – maybe. I love you. have a good week.
P.S. thanks for the pictures, they are exactly what I wanted.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
December 20th Letter
Mom and Dad,
So there has been a change, this is the number you have to call to get a hold of me, 011-66-8*-***-****. It is our cell phone, I'm not sure about the whole calling us thing, you can give it a try. We may actually have to change the day when you will call because we are going to have a Baptism on Saturday morning, so now Saturday doesn't work at all. So you may actually have to call me on my 24th which would be your 23rd. This may also be a problem because we are having switch offs with the zone leaders at some point this week, it might be that day. You may have to call after Christmas, I don't know yet. There is just so much going on this week! We are going to do the whole pay phone thing to tell you. I'm not sure how this is going to work out because my companion’s family is all separated so he is going to have like 15 phone calls. I think I might want to get mine out of the way first. But nothing is sure yet.
Not only do we have a baptism on Christmas we also have one on the 26th and 27th. 3 people total, I'm way excited. The two that are getting baptized on Christmas are a mom and a daughter. Their names are Gade and Mai (said like "my"). These two are the coolest in the world. They are the mother and daughter who finished the Book of Mormon already. I have been pushing for a date with them for a while now, and finally we were like, just pray about next month, and come back and tell us a date. When we went to see what she thought, her answer was the 25th of this month – So cool! I want Maren to meet these two so badly! These two remind me of the Gilmore girls, no lie. The mother is kind of ditzy and the daughter is always making fun of her. They always say the word cute! When we talk about the prophet or temples or anything she is always calling them cute. There was this one time when this old 70 year old man was helping us teach them, and when she prayed to close the lesson she asked god to help keep the old cute guy safe. It was so funny. But it is so sad, because my companion can’t understand everything yet, so when she says this stuff, I start to laugh but everyone else is serious so I look like a total idiot. But it is ok.
The other person that is getting baptized is a friend of a girl that was baptized right before I came to this area, she is way cool too. When I first came she said that she was about 50 percent sure that there was a God, and now she has the greatest testimony. When we asked her to get baptized on the 26th she sat there for a second in silence and then was like absolutely. Way cool.
Other than those things everything is about the same here. The last few days have been very cold. I think it is because the winds are coming up off the ocean so it has been pretty chilly. I like it, except, when I shower in the morning, I almost freeze to death. The heaters in our showers aren't the best.
Anyway I think that is everything. I hope you guys have a good week. I will give you a call sometime this week and let you know when to call.
I love you guys.
Love,
Elder Warner
So there has been a change, this is the number you have to call to get a hold of me, 011-66-8*-***-****. It is our cell phone, I'm not sure about the whole calling us thing, you can give it a try. We may actually have to change the day when you will call because we are going to have a Baptism on Saturday morning, so now Saturday doesn't work at all. So you may actually have to call me on my 24th which would be your 23rd. This may also be a problem because we are having switch offs with the zone leaders at some point this week, it might be that day. You may have to call after Christmas, I don't know yet. There is just so much going on this week! We are going to do the whole pay phone thing to tell you. I'm not sure how this is going to work out because my companion’s family is all separated so he is going to have like 15 phone calls. I think I might want to get mine out of the way first. But nothing is sure yet.
Not only do we have a baptism on Christmas we also have one on the 26th and 27th. 3 people total, I'm way excited. The two that are getting baptized on Christmas are a mom and a daughter. Their names are Gade and Mai (said like "my"). These two are the coolest in the world. They are the mother and daughter who finished the Book of Mormon already. I have been pushing for a date with them for a while now, and finally we were like, just pray about next month, and come back and tell us a date. When we went to see what she thought, her answer was the 25th of this month – So cool! I want Maren to meet these two so badly! These two remind me of the Gilmore girls, no lie. The mother is kind of ditzy and the daughter is always making fun of her. They always say the word cute! When we talk about the prophet or temples or anything she is always calling them cute. There was this one time when this old 70 year old man was helping us teach them, and when she prayed to close the lesson she asked god to help keep the old cute guy safe. It was so funny. But it is so sad, because my companion can’t understand everything yet, so when she says this stuff, I start to laugh but everyone else is serious so I look like a total idiot. But it is ok.
The other person that is getting baptized is a friend of a girl that was baptized right before I came to this area, she is way cool too. When I first came she said that she was about 50 percent sure that there was a God, and now she has the greatest testimony. When we asked her to get baptized on the 26th she sat there for a second in silence and then was like absolutely. Way cool.
Other than those things everything is about the same here. The last few days have been very cold. I think it is because the winds are coming up off the ocean so it has been pretty chilly. I like it, except, when I shower in the morning, I almost freeze to death. The heaters in our showers aren't the best.
Anyway I think that is everything. I hope you guys have a good week. I will give you a call sometime this week and let you know when to call.
I love you guys.
Love,
Elder Warner
Monday, December 13, 2010
December 13 Letter
Hello family! And Merry Christmas – Almost!
This week was very fun. It was the Bangkok Thailand Stake's Christmas program. And because we had tons of investigators that wanted to go, we had the opportunity to go also – it was so sweet. It was a play that was all in Thai, but the singing was all in English. This way they could sing a wider variety of songs, it was amazing. I took a couple videos of it, but I’m not sure how good they ended up being. I am absolutely shocked how many people in this Stake speak English – EVERYONE! It is amazing. I don't think there is one person in the Stake that isn't bilingual. The program was a very fun time. Way better than any of the programs I’ve ever been to in America. Sad HUH!? But I knew that this year was going to be a little different when I heard it was Joseph and Maly.
Other than the program this week was pretty normal (Just teaching and inviting and what not). We did have that family get baptized, I absolutely love them, they are an amazing family. I taught them a little bit. Not really any of the lessons, but we went and taught them a bunch of times before they got baptized and I got to share with them my favorite scriptures and what not. It was a way good time. I know they are going to be so good for the church here. From the time they started learning to the time they got baptized was only 6 weeks. They were prepared beforehand. They are just proof that God prepares people without them even knowing it.
We have another baptism planned on the 26. But I will tell you more about her on a later date. I'm sure we will have lots of time to talk about that.
So today was pretty cool. We went to this place called ประตูน้ำ "Pratu Nam" It is just a market place you can go shopping and what not. We just went and looked around though. But we went around and priced out suits. It is so cheap. I was thinking about buying a suit while I am in Samut Prakaan because I may be moved out of Bangkok and never return, and they are so cheap here. I was also thinking that I might get two suits here - let me know what you think. But I talked this one guy down to making me 2 suits for 10000 baht, which is 350 dollars, but one is a completely cashmere suit and the other silk, so that is about the price. Everybody I looked at could get me a suit for less then 5000 baht but most weren't as nice of a quality as his. They will even customize the lining for me and write my name on the inside. It was pretty cool to be waited on hand and foot.
My companion today had to go have an interview with President Smith. He has really been struggling here in the country. He is really homesick and he really disliked his trainer, so he was just about ready to go home at the end of last moves. But I think he is doing a lot better now. He seems to be having a much more fun time, which is good. I always figure if you aren't having fun you are doing something wrong. Missionary work isn't necessarily supposed to be Un-fun. You just have to learn to love to do missionary work. I think it is hard for everybody at first but you eventually fall into the grove of things. Anyway, we had to go to the office to do it, so I got my packages today from Judd and Jessie and from Aunt Leslee. It was so awesome. I haven't opened Judd’s and Jessie’s yet but Les sent me all of my favorite candy! I can't wait to dig in.
Ok so about the phone call. I was thinking about having you call on Christmas Eve - I know not good but let me tell you why. My Christmas night which is your Christmas morning, I have a Christmas party for the branch that we get to go to, and your Christmas night which is my 26th morning, I have church. So the only time I think would work is my Christmas morning which is your Christmas Eve. Let me know what you think. I will give you exact times and all next week and I will also talk to my companion about calling home the night before and planning it all out, that sounds like a good Idea, but you guys think about it to and tell me what you think.
Our phone number is ***-***-**** I don't know what the country code is and what not so you will have to figure that all out.
Anyway, I love you all. Have a good week.
Ps. I sent my memory card home with 1000 pictures on it; you should get it this week. Enjoy!
This week was very fun. It was the Bangkok Thailand Stake's Christmas program. And because we had tons of investigators that wanted to go, we had the opportunity to go also – it was so sweet. It was a play that was all in Thai, but the singing was all in English. This way they could sing a wider variety of songs, it was amazing. I took a couple videos of it, but I’m not sure how good they ended up being. I am absolutely shocked how many people in this Stake speak English – EVERYONE! It is amazing. I don't think there is one person in the Stake that isn't bilingual. The program was a very fun time. Way better than any of the programs I’ve ever been to in America. Sad HUH!? But I knew that this year was going to be a little different when I heard it was Joseph and Maly.
Other than the program this week was pretty normal (Just teaching and inviting and what not). We did have that family get baptized, I absolutely love them, they are an amazing family. I taught them a little bit. Not really any of the lessons, but we went and taught them a bunch of times before they got baptized and I got to share with them my favorite scriptures and what not. It was a way good time. I know they are going to be so good for the church here. From the time they started learning to the time they got baptized was only 6 weeks. They were prepared beforehand. They are just proof that God prepares people without them even knowing it.
We have another baptism planned on the 26. But I will tell you more about her on a later date. I'm sure we will have lots of time to talk about that.
So today was pretty cool. We went to this place called ประตูน้ำ "Pratu Nam" It is just a market place you can go shopping and what not. We just went and looked around though. But we went around and priced out suits. It is so cheap. I was thinking about buying a suit while I am in Samut Prakaan because I may be moved out of Bangkok and never return, and they are so cheap here. I was also thinking that I might get two suits here - let me know what you think. But I talked this one guy down to making me 2 suits for 10000 baht, which is 350 dollars, but one is a completely cashmere suit and the other silk, so that is about the price. Everybody I looked at could get me a suit for less then 5000 baht but most weren't as nice of a quality as his. They will even customize the lining for me and write my name on the inside. It was pretty cool to be waited on hand and foot.
My companion today had to go have an interview with President Smith. He has really been struggling here in the country. He is really homesick and he really disliked his trainer, so he was just about ready to go home at the end of last moves. But I think he is doing a lot better now. He seems to be having a much more fun time, which is good. I always figure if you aren't having fun you are doing something wrong. Missionary work isn't necessarily supposed to be Un-fun. You just have to learn to love to do missionary work. I think it is hard for everybody at first but you eventually fall into the grove of things. Anyway, we had to go to the office to do it, so I got my packages today from Judd and Jessie and from Aunt Leslee. It was so awesome. I haven't opened Judd’s and Jessie’s yet but Les sent me all of my favorite candy! I can't wait to dig in.
Ok so about the phone call. I was thinking about having you call on Christmas Eve - I know not good but let me tell you why. My Christmas night which is your Christmas morning, I have a Christmas party for the branch that we get to go to, and your Christmas night which is my 26th morning, I have church. So the only time I think would work is my Christmas morning which is your Christmas Eve. Let me know what you think. I will give you exact times and all next week and I will also talk to my companion about calling home the night before and planning it all out, that sounds like a good Idea, but you guys think about it to and tell me what you think.
Our phone number is ***-***-**** I don't know what the country code is and what not so you will have to figure that all out.
Anyway, I love you all. Have a good week.
Ps. I sent my memory card home with 1000 pictures on it; you should get it this week. Enjoy!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
December 6th Letter
Hello mom and dad,
Ok, this week was so so so much better then last week. First of all I learned the area. I think it is the fastest anybody has ever learned an area so big but I got it done. This city is outrageous. I have a constant headache because of all the smog. It is worse the Salt Lake if that tells you anything, but I still really like it. It is fun to be in a little bit bigger area. There are always people to talk to; however, everyone is always in a rush. I'm not used to contacting people while they are in a hurry, everybody in Nong Khai is always so relaxed. So this will be a learning experience, expanding my knowledge of missionary work.
I'm really excited for TJ. He is going to love being a missionary so much! I am pretty sure it'll be a breeze for him. It makes me sad that some people struggle. I think the hardest part really is the MTC. Once you get out and get to see people's lives change it is such a blessing. In fact we had 3 baptisms on Sunday; they are the greatest family in the
world!!! Their names are Su, Wang and Baylay. (I know, very Asian names), but they seriously were ready for baptism before the Elders even met them. They were only taught for 6 weeks before baptism, how amazing is that?
We also have a lot of sweet investigators. This week we had a total of 9 at church, and we taught 18 lessons. We are so close to 20 I can feel it, but 6 of them have a baptismal date in the next two months. One has read the Book of Mormon already and her daughter started reading 4 days ago and is already through Alma. Another investigator has a goal to finish it before Christmas, and we gave her a baptismal date yesterday for the 26th of this month. They are so cool!
The branch is pretty good. A couple people are jazzed up about missionary work right now, which makes it really easy to do. It is also a much bigger branch, about 70 to 80 people going weekly (twice the size of Nong Khai). And it is run under the Stake not the Mission President which is a little different. But that is ok. It helps make sure things are being done the right way.
Today was uber cool too. We went to a thing called Safari World, it was so awesome!!! They train animals to do crazy things, like boxing monkeys. I also got picked up by the trunk of an elephant. I took a lot of videos and pictures. Again, it is way cool. I need to send this memory card home. I have over a 1000 pictures or videos. I really want you guys to see this stuff.
As for your questions, I don't know about the Christmas phone call yet. I know that you guys will probably call me on your Christmas. I will let you know the exact details maybe next week. President said (last time) that phone calls didn't have to have a time limit as long as it wasn't unreasonable, but I will talk more about that next week.
I could use some deodorant. I'm not out, but better to be full instead of running out half way through a moves. But that is all. I also want you to send me that memory card back. I think I will send you a letter with my memory card this week. That way I don't have to send a lot of pictures over the internet.
I love you all very much. I hope you are having a great week. I hope the clam chowder party is as fun as ever. Dad Happy Thai Father's Day today, and mom happy Thai Mothers Day in another 8 months
Ok, this week was so so so much better then last week. First of all I learned the area. I think it is the fastest anybody has ever learned an area so big but I got it done. This city is outrageous. I have a constant headache because of all the smog. It is worse the Salt Lake if that tells you anything, but I still really like it. It is fun to be in a little bit bigger area. There are always people to talk to; however, everyone is always in a rush. I'm not used to contacting people while they are in a hurry, everybody in Nong Khai is always so relaxed. So this will be a learning experience, expanding my knowledge of missionary work.
I'm really excited for TJ. He is going to love being a missionary so much! I am pretty sure it'll be a breeze for him. It makes me sad that some people struggle. I think the hardest part really is the MTC. Once you get out and get to see people's lives change it is such a blessing. In fact we had 3 baptisms on Sunday; they are the greatest family in the
world!!! Their names are Su, Wang and Baylay. (I know, very Asian names), but they seriously were ready for baptism before the Elders even met them. They were only taught for 6 weeks before baptism, how amazing is that?
We also have a lot of sweet investigators. This week we had a total of 9 at church, and we taught 18 lessons. We are so close to 20 I can feel it, but 6 of them have a baptismal date in the next two months. One has read the Book of Mormon already and her daughter started reading 4 days ago and is already through Alma. Another investigator has a goal to finish it before Christmas, and we gave her a baptismal date yesterday for the 26th of this month. They are so cool!
The branch is pretty good. A couple people are jazzed up about missionary work right now, which makes it really easy to do. It is also a much bigger branch, about 70 to 80 people going weekly (twice the size of Nong Khai). And it is run under the Stake not the Mission President which is a little different. But that is ok. It helps make sure things are being done the right way.
Today was uber cool too. We went to a thing called Safari World, it was so awesome!!! They train animals to do crazy things, like boxing monkeys. I also got picked up by the trunk of an elephant. I took a lot of videos and pictures. Again, it is way cool. I need to send this memory card home. I have over a 1000 pictures or videos. I really want you guys to see this stuff.
As for your questions, I don't know about the Christmas phone call yet. I know that you guys will probably call me on your Christmas. I will let you know the exact details maybe next week. President said (last time) that phone calls didn't have to have a time limit as long as it wasn't unreasonable, but I will talk more about that next week.
I could use some deodorant. I'm not out, but better to be full instead of running out half way through a moves. But that is all. I also want you to send me that memory card back. I think I will send you a letter with my memory card this week. That way I don't have to send a lot of pictures over the internet.
I love you all very much. I hope you are having a great week. I hope the clam chowder party is as fun as ever. Dad Happy Thai Father's Day today, and mom happy Thai Mothers Day in another 8 months
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Pictures - this weeks letter is below
Typical Christian
Elders at Conference
Is it safe for them to ride on the bumper?
Must be
He looks so tired as he sits on the bumper
Elders at conference
Is he texting?
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