Fwd: Ayutthaya #4

Hey Family...


I'm glad Dad and Mike and JD got to go camping again. I went fishing too. But the fish I caught was one of those fishes you use to catch a bigger fish if you know what I mean.

Moves meeting was probably the largest it's ever been in Thailand. Every missionary from Thailand attended. My trainer Elder Ewing went home. There were about 14 missionaries leaving and 14 coming in. I am not yet training but Elder Gardener who was in the same group as I is. Also, Elder Young and Elder Schulti who were in the same MTC group as I are now district leaders. With the passing of hump day I made sure to set some new goals and planned for making changes that I want to see happen in the Ayutthaya Branch.
My new companions name is Elder Phanom. Another native Thailander! He is way good at teaching and he is a very faithful junior companion. He always wants me to choose where we eat. :p I feel honored to be with another Thai companion. His experience with converting from Buddhism to Christianity is invaluable. There's a lot that I can learn from him.
So, I made rice pudding twice already. I think that it's way good but my Thai companion just thinks that it is weird.
Because there's only Elder Phanom and myself in Ayutthaya and the members here are untrained in singing or playing the piano I have took it upon myself to share my experience and teach piano/singing lessons. I certainly am not that great on the piano (there's no time to practice!) but my ability to read the notes sure helps. I would like to say thanks to Grandma for lending her skills and keyboard to me before I came on my mission. Thanks Grandma!
Also in being the only English speaker here the burden has fallen upon me to teach the English class alone. :/ I'll see if I can train Elder Phanom so that he can help teach the grammar.

I think it is great that you guys are setting goals and finding missionary opportunities. The advancement of the church truly lies with the normal members more than the missionaries. We are just the teachers! You guys are the best finders out there.

There's so much that you learn while serving the lord.

It's interesting how much the Thai people notice skin color. I suppose that since everybody here has black hair and brown eyes that they look for something else other than size and shape but I would never try to describe someone from their skin color unless it really stuck out. But they do, a lot. Most Thai people are pretty shameless about telling you how things are. You can hear them calling each other fat or skinny or funny looking or whatever. And they have weighing scales next to the stores. Sometimes there'll be a group of girls weighing themselves on them. That would never go in America.

But I love the Thai people and this great experience. Sometimes I am so used to the place that I don't notice anything weird. Other times it feels so foreign. Then sometimes It just feels awesome to be here and to see more of God's creations.

I pray for you guys and think of you often. So many people just don't understand what a family can be or what marriage can be. We are way fortunate to have Mom and Dad as our exemplars. Keep on working.

Love,
Elder Lilly