May 30th Letter

Hello Family. So let me just start by telling you how great of a week I had, it was so sweet. No, we didn't have a baptism, but I did break twenty lessons. In fact I had twenty one. Maybe that isn't a big deal for some people, but this is the first time on my mission! It is so cool. I won't say it was easy, but it was definately worth it. Lets just see if I can do it two weeks running - I'll let you know.

Thanks for your advise dad. I've been meaning to go back and look through my journal to see how I felt or if I wrote any advice for my furture self; however, I haven't had time to go read previous days. Your advice reminds me a little of how I was feeling. I feel like this week was a lot more smooth. we are working really well together, I hope he feels the same way. I don't feel like I have any stories to tell from this week, except for one about the members around here, it was way sad. Yesterday at church the members decided to ask an investigator to leave the church. I know, how terrible is that. Elder Osborne and I left church a little early to go to another ward and watch a baptism with some investigators. After we left an investigator came to church, and the members told him to leave because he wouldn't understand everything that was going on in priesthood. I am actually pretty appalled. Who has the gall to tell someone to leave Christ's church. And on the same day we found out that one of our investigators who hates going to church hates it because the members told him he couldn't come if he wouldn't wear nice clothes - I wanted to murder somebody yesterday, and the Bishop is being kind of a bum and not meeting with me. I feel like the members around here have forgotten that this isn't their church, it is God's church. I have now had 5 investigators that don't want to be baptized because they either don't feel welcome at church, or the members have ridiculed them for being different. Very frustrating!!! Anyway, on a better note we had few really good spiritual lessons with people where I think they are more willing to go to church.

You asked about Brother Khay's talk during sacrament meeting, on the sacrament, it was really good. I am glad he is in our ward for now. He is a lot of fun too. It sounds like you guys had a sweet sacrament meeting. I wish I could of heard it.

I had a thought, I want you both to send me your favorite general authority talk. Lately people around the mission have been giving me their favorite talks from prophets and apostles. I have learned so much from reading them but I don't have any time to find good prophet talks. So instead people just give me the good ones they find.

The movies this week are National Treasure and Sahara and the theme is the buried boats. Yes finally I got one!!!!

Anyway, I wasn't exactly sure what you were talking about the paragraphs of lessons but if you want to send me stuff I am game for whatever.

Mom asked a question about Thai desserts and if they have rice - EVERYTHING HAS RICE!!! I can't escape it!!!

OK, well I love you guys. I know this letter seems a little down, but in all reality I am very happy, all in all this was a very good successful week - one of the best on my mission. You don't have to be worried about anything. Thanks for your letters!

May 23rd

Sup mom and dad,

I'll start with the questions. Things with Elder Osborne are great. We are still getting used to how he and I working together. It is the same as it is with any companionship, it takes about a week to figure out how the other teaches. It is always a new adventure in missionary work, but I have already been with Elder Devries, so the fact that he is able to speak isn't that big of a shock because neither could Devries. The thing that is different is that he isn't yet into a habit of doing other missionary things like planning and inviting and just the menial things that we do all day every day. He is a really good kid, he wants to do it all.

No we have not had the eggs yet nor the dancing shrimp. I am looking for some things for him to eat that are weird. We are getting there. There are a lot of things that are kind of expected of me to give him, like a Tim Tam Slam. The first time we had time for that was on Saturday. So I'm working on giving him all the fun stuff. On P-days we haven't done anything fun, we just sit at home. Next week we are going to go get some souvenirs for him to send home, but this week we are king of just hanging out because at 4:30 today we are doing switch offs with the zone leaders; therefore, our p-day is cut short a little bit.

In our district there are 6 people, and right now there are three greenies and three trainers – Elder Shipley, Sister Harris. (she was the tall sister in my district in the MTC), and I. But yeah, it is the youngest district in the mission. Surprisingly we are having some really great results. All of the "LOOGS" want to work really hard, so it is going really good. As for me, my responsibilities don't change much. I'm just a middle man between the Zone Leaders and the missionaries in the district. That is pretty much it in a nut shell.

This week was so much fun. I have a story about an investigator. We have an investigator that we are teaching, his name is Prajak. His wife is a member, so she wants us to teach him, but he is really hard headed. He didn't want to learn at first. With other elders he wouldn't even sit down, but every time we come over he sits down with us and now he will read out of the scriptures and even prays with us – It is so cool. He always tells us how he is not going to change his life, but every time we see him his life is changing. I don't even think he recognizes it yet, but I think he is going to be baptized in no time.

The movies this week are James Bond (Goldfinger) and Thomas Crown Affair (I got it right the second time). I want to say the theme is stealing stuff, but that would be the same as last time. So maybe Peirce Brosnan, or is it something really weird that I don't even know.

Innnyways, I love you guys and thanks for your emails. That is so cool that Ryan gets home next week. Man how time flies. I was just thinking about him the other day. and Kasey is getting married in a few weeks or what not. I am going to have no friends when I get home. Sad... I guess I will just be hanging out with you two all the time. โชกดี

Anyway, have a good week – talk to you later.

May 16th Letter

Howdy

What is happening? So this week has been pretty exciting, I got my new companion on Thursday. His name is Elder Osborne. He is from Corpus Christi, Texas. He is such a sweet guy. Man, I have been blessed time after time to get some really sweet companions. Elder Osborne just came into the country, I'm his trainer! How cool is that? I was also asked to be District Leader this moves. That doesn't really change anything, but it is kind of cool to get a calling. Elder Osborne has 5 siblings, he is the oldest. His dad is a physical therapist. He is way good at being a missionary. He wants to work hard which is so nice. Not that my other companions haven't, I just feel like he really does. I think I will be with him for 12 weeks just because I'm training him. President Smith will try and keep us together for a while. You guys will have to write Elder Greene on face book and tell him that I have a LOOG! He will be happy to know that his blood line continues on.

So I'm sending some pictures. They are of Elder King and me. I thought you guys would like to see more pictures of us together. One is with us and Dan. I'm not sure if you know about Dan or not. Every week we go and see Dan as service, he is handicapped. He had an accident playing sports and he hit his head and ever since then he has been handicapped. His dad is the head of the Foreign Affairs department at the government. One day President Hinckley came and visited Thailand and spoke with this man (head of Foreign Affairs). He told President Hinckley that as long as you have two elders visit my son the church can have 100 visas in Thailand. The elders started visiting him every week so that we can have visas, but now we do it because we love him. Anyway, this picture is of him. He is really sweet. He speaks English perfectly. He just can't do anything on his own.

The other pictures are of a member. His name is Brother Max. He is in the military, but he is preparing to be a missionary. I think he will be one by the time I will leave. Maybe one day I can train him too.

The Movies this week are easy, I think. Last week, I was going to guess the Thomas Crown Affair, but I just wasn't sure so I didn't guess it. But this week it is Charade or The Truth about Charlie I can't remember which is the remake, and the other one is SWAT. The theme would have to be guarding prisoners... right?

So I met a pretty sweet new investigator this last week. Her name is Dto. She is a sibling of one of the senior couples in Thailand. Their names are Elder and Sister Saengsawaans. They gave us the referral, which was really cool. This lady is high up in the government, and she is uber rich, and we get to teach her. She really wants to help the church get popular here. She says she is going to help publicize the church, and in the meantime – I am going to convert her, with some help from the Spirit. She came to church for the first time yesterday, and she really liked it. I really think the church is starting to make strides in Thailand, which is so cool.

Anyway thanks for writing me. I hope you all have a great week. I love you guys.

Ok, I said I wouldn't take a lot of time. First, the movies were hard this week. I know the one is Entrapment, but the other I have no idea so I have no idea what the theme would be, it is so hard. Anyway I am going to send a letter home this week with my memory card and then you will have all the pictures you could ever imagine.

Anyway it was nice to talk to you guys today. I am really grateful for the mothers in my life. First my mom - she is a perfect example of kindness and staying faithful. I love her so much, she has always been a wonderful mom. My two grandmas are great examples of enduring to the end and staying positive thru trials. And lastly my two sisters. They have been so kind to me and have always let me know that they love me. Judd and Andy are both very lucky and I hope to marry a girl with their great qualities.

I hope you have a good week. I'll let you know next week who my new companion is. I love all you guys.

May 2nd Letter

Alright I just have to say the movie first because I feel like it was uber hard but, I still think I got it. James Bond right?

Alright guys, this week has been a long one. Elder King had some problems that he needed to take care of at home so he has gone home. I feel like whatever it was had really made him feel guilty so he didn't like to talk about his past very much, Or a lot about his life at home because it made him feel guilty. But yeah, he went home on Wednesday. That means for me, there isn't an extra missionary here to be my companion. So they sent me to a place called Bang Khae for a week before we get some new missionaries in. It has really been hard to stay focused. Right now it is our responsibility to take care of both areas. But my area is pretty far away, so it is really hard to go back and forth. My area has pretty much just gotten the shaft. None of the investigators we had are being taught, I'm scared they are going to forget or just lose a will to learn. This is really sad to me, but it is ok, it is only temperary. This week at church though I got 7 investigators to church in Thonburi. It was the highest it has been since I came here. I was really excited about that.

Anyway so right now I'm with Elder Shipley and Elder Theerapong. It is pretty adventurous. I guess it is a pretty cool experience to be with two other people. I feel like it is so much less effective in doing the work though. I always just feel like i'm sitting there watching them do things because they already have this pattern and what not. Every companionship does things just a little bit different. I feel like I don't know exactly how they work yet. By the time I figure it out I will be back in my area with a new companion.

I'm glad to hear that everything is going great at home, like with work and with the house and what not. I'm just pretty sure that I will not have any Idea what house is ours when I get back. It sounds so different. EVERYTHING.

Well yesterday was pretty cool. We had a special fireside that was put on by the BYU ballroom dance team. (they came to do a tour through Thailand for the next two weeks) But They decided to have a little fireside that people could go to and take investigators. We decided to take some there. It was way cool they had 4 people give talks. One gave it on the love of God (Super boring!). The second was on service (it was a women speaker and all she could talk about was dance). Then the next was an awesome talk. It was by a kid who seved a mission in Europe somewhere. He talked about how he had a lot of inviting this one transfer, and it was during the winter so it was super cold. On one occasion he prayed and had a feeling that if he had faith his inviting would be successful. Then it was successful for a minute and then not again. But then he said how he learned so much through the moments that weren't successful, and how if we have faith all of our trials will be a growing experience. I thought it was very good and inspirational.

Anyway that is pretty much all I have for this week. Next week at 8 oclock is fine.

I love you guys. Thanks for you emails.