Email 12-10-08 Life in Thailand

Dear Family,

Tomorrow is the end of my first moves. We got a call from President Dodge a few days ago. At first he was just checking up on us and seeing how things were going before he gave us the real reason behind his call: he was thinking about splitting the Bangkhae area. Yesterday made it official, Elder Ewing and I are staying here in Bangkhae and we are getting another two Elders who will live in the same house as us. Today has been hectic. We rearranged the whole house, made a sleeping room and two study rooms set up a bunk bed and did a lot of cleaning to boot. Now we hardly have any time to write e-mails, go shopping and prepare to teach English class that we hold every Wednesday night. But, the house looks great. And we put up a mini Christmas tree. It looks sweeet. We've been spreading the Christmas spirit in Thailand. Most people don't really know much about Christmas so we sneakily use it as an opportunity to start a conversation and start teaching about Christ. Yes, we would love to come teach about Christmas at your home. :p Also, we've been helping the people in our ward learn some Christmas songs in English.

I will learn about when they will let us call home tomorrow. I'll let you guys know next week.

So, there is a fruit season and non-fruit season. Right now is not the fruit season. It's still hot outside during the day, and fruit does grow, it's just not the season for it. But even though the weather is still hot, many of the Thai people are freezing. Some of them are wearing scarfs and jackets. Some times it's really nice outside, other times I get a little cold. For the most part I'm comfortable. It's sabai sabai. There's some banana trees in my backyard that are just starting to turn yellow, but the mango tree in the front still doesn't have any fruit. I'd like to send some pictures but that will take a while. I haven't had any time to take pictures! This Moves isn't going to help any time soon. We are going to have to help integrate the new missionaries into the area as well as figure out the logistics of the split. Speaking of new missionaries, the fourteen of the missionaries behind me in the MTC just arrived today. Crazy.

During Switchoffs, where I switched with Elder Hunts, I was standing near a mall where we were meeting an investigator when I saw a random farang couple. I smiled and said hi and they asked me where I was from. "Gilbert--oh we have grand-kids in Gilbert!" (something like that) Then she wanted my house phone so that she could call. She and her husband were very nice. I didn't recognize them at all but I was wondering when she would call home. I'm glad she got to talk to you!

I'm looking forward to calling home. True happiness is found in service so spread the Christmas spirit!
Also if anyone has any personal stories about tithing or fasting that they would like to share, I would love to hear them.

Love,
Elder Lilly