สวัสดีครับ Sawatdee kap!
This was a crazy week. I was sick, biked and then biked some more, talked to even more people, ate too much pizza, got a new slippery friend, and taught a college class! Yeah that's for real!
"I LOVE YOU!" "...ครับ" (Yes sir)
On Thursday, Elder Thorn and I woke up early and poured ourselves some cereal (I made the terrible mistake of buying นมเปรี้ยว, or sour milk). And then we headed out an hour in a taxi to อำนาจเจริญ to teach English at a technical college out there! Our first class had like 80-90 people in it, and we just practiced asking and answering simple questions. For the second group of about 40, we played memory games and telephone and a ton of other games with them. We ate some amazing eggs, papaya salad, sticky rice, and chicken for lunch (out of the school's wallet). We went back in for one last hour and taught a group of all boys and they were so awesome. Although they all wanted to know if I smoked weed and if my sisters were beautiful. I told them nope, I don't do that. And I don't know if they are, I've never really asked myself that question before haha. But Thai girls are IN LOVE with white guys. Every classroom we'd walk past, we would just hear screaming. The teachers would pull us in and have us talk to the students (couldn't tell you how many of them asked if I have a girlfriend), and a gay kid confessed his love to me so that was something. We headed home on a bus that was not built for a lanky 6 foot white kid, shoulder to shoulder with so many people, but I did get a pretty great picture with me and Elder Thorn that I'll have to send haha.
IF YOU AREN'T HAVING FUN, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG
Something that I learned this week was that if my mission isn't fun, then I'm doing it wrong. I'm literally in Thailand, not to flex. So I decided that I'm going to do everything I can to get the most out of this. Crack a joke or two in a lesson, go somewhere new, make something way too spicy, listen to one of Elder Dollery's audio journals, that sort of thing. I think that kinda applies to everyone. Odds are if you're reading this you're in school, a busy adult with a job and a family and stuff like that. แก่แล้ว. Or maybe even a grandparent chilling out all day, reading magazines, watching golf, and eating oatmeal! Whatever you do, get the best out of it! Look for the good, and make it the best!
*SLAPS GUITAR* OK HERE'S WONDERWALL
We've had some awesome jam sessions in our house after our day is over. I'll get a jam going, and Elder Dollery will come in on the harmonica or just start freestyling some lyrics. It's actually really sick and every now and then everything all starts to come together. Gorgeous. หนู plays guitar too! We find him outside of his motorcycle shop just jamming away all the time. I hope to learn a ton of Thai songs from him haha. But guess what?? We gave him a baptism date!! YESSS!! He's still far from ready, but he's so willing and anxious to learn that I'm sure he'll get there. We're gonna be visiting him a ton in the next couple of weeks to teach and prepare him as much as possible. Really cool thing that happened today was he literally asked me to give him my life's story.I started with talking about how my family have always been members and I looked to a lot of them as examples of missionaries and how I always wanted to be like that. I told him about my first time living away from home, working at Aspen Grove. I told him about how when I was on my own I had to choose if I really cared about living the gospel and having my own testimony. And when I decided that I did and did all of the things on my own that I was supposed to be doing, my testimony and relationship with my heavenly father grew so much and prepared me for being a missionary. So yeah, I hope he's gonna keep learning and growing because he's doing amazing.
OPERATION: FOUSHEE
I decided that I want to be having fun on my mission, so Elder Thorn and I decided to have some traditions every morning to kick start our day. We bro hug after we pray at the door to start our day, and we have Operation: Foushee, which means that we don't leave the house in the morning until we shoot Elder Foushee with Nerf guns. Things are just so much fun over here.
UM THAT CAN'T BE GOOD
We had a funny experience on Sunday. We went to the church to print out a goal setting sheet for Elder Thorn before sacrament. He hit print and the printer was giving us a bunch of confusing messages. Nothing was really making sense. That's when I noticed that the computer was sitting in a pool of ink. A growing pool of ink. We acted quickly, I lifted up the printer, he started wiping it down. That's when the Ward Clerk came in. Probably wasnt a great scene to see two Elders, hands covered in black ink, wiping down the desk that was even more covered. I couldn't tell if he was mad, because I've never seen a trace of emotion on his face, and I don't understand Thai. So if he hates us now, I have no idea and because of that I don't need to be afraid of him.
ภาษาไทย (Thai language)
Thai is a grind haha. It's tough, I'm not gonna sugar-coat it. But every now and then I think I can understand it! I'm having conversations with members when we all eat after church, I'm answering questions in lessons. I'm reading the Book of Mormon in Thai, let's go! I've been able to share experiences and help share in lessons! It's so fun to be able to feel myself grow. I'll be sharing in a lesson and I'll be like, "whoa, I had no idea how to express that last week. Cool beans." I still don't understand it half of the time, and sometimes all of the translating makes my brain fall asleep, but I'm so excited to get to the point where I just step back and realize that I can speak Thai. That's gonna be a good day haha. But I've always got God, who understands and listens to me no matter what language I speak haha. I've had some struggles with the language, but every time I've turned to God and trusted in him, he has brought me comfort. I know He is there and I know that He's with me every step of the way. If you turn to God, He will turn your day around!
THE ODDS OF THAT ARE EVENS
We needed a trash can. We've been lacking. So on the way home, we bought one like the good, responsible missionaries that we are. An hour later, the other Elders fling open the door. In Elder Dollery's hand is an identical trash can that he bought from the same store in the same market. Great minds think alike?
LAST THINGS LAST
-We have a pet gecko! We caught him and now he is ours. His name is Don.
-We bike so much haha. We've been biking for over an hour straight just to get to one person. But it's so fun haha. Let's me turn on the iPod in my brain. And my brain has Spotify Premium.
-The pad thai place across from the church is so amazing. And fried chicken in Thailand is way better than in the United States. That's not blasphemy it's truth.
-I made my own ส้มตำ on Sunday!
-There is a burger stand that's open in the morning near our house called KKK Burger. Terrible name, delicious burgers. Racism never tasted so good.
-I learned how to play rugby with Elder Dollery. See you on the field.
-Elder Thorn shaved his eyebrows like 2 minutes ago. I have no words.
-Word of the week: ทัศนคติ, attitude. It's so fun to say. Google translate it.
-I love cantaloupe, I love guitar, I love fanny packs, I love ส้มตำ, I love bamboo socks, I love coconut joy ice cream, Thai girls love me, and I love you.
เอ็ลเดอร์ ไม่มีแฟนไทย (Elder does not have a Thai fan.)
Elder Barrett
1. This is us right before we were about to teach a class of about 90 Thai kids.
2. This is Don!!
3. Party on the way back to Ubon.
4. This wasn't even the biggest class.
5. Everyone in this photo is now my Facebook friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment