Mar-29-2010-Bangnaa

Bangnaa Ward building


Hello!

Good week here in Bangnaa. Things are starting to get back to normal. After a week working in this area we are seeing a lot of success; everything is turning around. So many people just waiting to see us. This last week we taught and found five new families, we also had five new investigators who had never been to church go to church as well. We are just talking to everyone, teaching everyone who will listen to us, and having some of them invite us back.

I've adopted a new motto for this moves:

Use faith, see miracles.

It really has been working. Our goals for this area are very high; I don't care what anyone says about the area, I think it's fantastic. The entire week we have only invited in one neighborhood, because we just haven't had time to even go anywhere else.


Just some notes about the area to try to paint a visual picture for you all.

Bangnaa is a factory city. The majority of the people who live here work in factories. They work a lot too. Almost everyone we talk to/teach works over time every single day. It is not uncommon to meet someone who has an 8 AM - Midnight schedule, seven days a week. Especially right now because the Thai New Year is coming up in two weeks so they work a ton so that they can take the three days of Sonkraan off. (I'll talk about this more in another two weeks. It is crazy.)

Bangnaa is in Bangkok. But it is by no means central Bangkok, it is no where near as populated as some areas of the city. There are still a lot of white people here though. Out in the Isan I would go 4-5 days without seeing a white person, now I see one every 10 minutes. There are a lot of foreign companies close by too. I have been eating American food a lot more. Within biking distance there is Sizzler, KFC, McDonalds, Dairy Queen, Auntie Annes, Pizza Hut, and many more. Elder Webb is a great fan of American food. He has taught me a new eating strategy. We eat oats for breakfast, ramen for lunch, then go to an all-you-can-eat American food buffet for dinner. He is a genius!

We live in a town house. I think that is what it would be called... It is in a gated neighborhood where all the houses are all touching. (they are connected but they all have front doors and they don't have doors to go into the other houses inside the house.) Our house is 6 stories. Or maybe 7... I'm not really sure... I've never gone all the way up the stairs. Each floor except for the main floor only has one room and a bathroom. It is kinda weird, but it is nice. Also another random fact, our neighbors speak some weird language that we haven't been able to figure out what it is. I think they are from some mountain tribe in Burma.

Tons of taxis here too. Taxis are weird here... I don't think I ever told you but in Thailand taxis are all bright colors. They have pink ones, blues ones, yellow ones. I remember at first I thought it was really weird, but nowadays I kinda forgot that that is weird.

Yeah, I'm pretty much out of time. Nothing too interesting today. It is my birthday in two weeks, 20 wow! I can't believe how fast the time goes! I guess that is cool.

Love
Elder Brown
เอ็ลเดอร์ บราวน์


Bye!

Mar-29-2010-Bangnaa

Hello!

Good week here in Bangnaa. Things are starting to get back to normal. After a week working in this area we are seeing a lot of success; everything is turning around. So many people just waiting to see us. This last week we taught and found five new families, we also had five new investigators who had never been to church go to church as well. We are just talking to everyone, teaching everyone who will listen to us, and having some of them invite us back.

I've adopted a new motto for this moves:

Use faith, see miracles.

It really has been working. Our goals for this area are very high; I don't care what anyone says about the area, I think it's fantastic. The entire week we have only invited in one neighborhood, because we just haven't had time to even go anywhere else.


Just some notes about the area to try to paint a visual picture for you all.

Bangnaa is a factory city. The majority of the people who live here work in factories. They work a lot too. Almost everyone we talk to/teach works over time every single day. It is not uncommon to meet someone who has an 8 AM - Midnight schedule, seven days a week. Especially right now because the Thai New Year is coming up in two weeks so they work a ton so that they can take the three days of Sonkraan off. (I'll talk about this more in another two weeks. It is crazy.)

Bangnaa is in Bangkok. But it is by no means centeral Bangkok, it is no where near as populated as some areas of the city. There are still a lot of white people here though. Out in the Isan I would go 4-5 days without seeing a white person, now I see one every 10 minutes. There are a lot of foreign companies close by too. I have been eating American food a lot more. Within biking distance there is Sizzler, KFC, McDonalds, Dairy Queen, Auntie Annes, Pizza Hut, and many more. Elder Webb is a great fan of American food. He has taught me a new eating strategy. We eat oats for breakfast, ramen for lunch, then go to an all-you-can-eat American food buffet for dinner. He is a genius!

We live in a town house. I think that is what it would be called... It is in a gated neighborhood where all the houses are all touching. (they are connected but they all have front doors and they don't have doors to go into the other houses inside the house.) Our house is 6 stories. Or maybe 7... I'm not really sure... I've never gone all the way up the stairs. Each floor except for the main floor only has one room and a bathroom. It is kinda weird, but it is nice. Also another random fact, our neighbors speak some weird language that we haven't been able to figure out what it is. I think they are from some mountain tribe in Burma.

Tons of taxis here too. Taxis are weird here... I don't think I ever told you but in Thailand taxis are all bright colors. They have pink ones, blues ones, yellow ones. I remember at first I thought it was really weird, but nowadays I kinda forgot that that is weird.

Yeah, I'm pretty much out of time. Nothing too interesting today. It is my birthday in two weeks, I guess that is cool.

Love
Elder Brown


Bye!

March 21 2010- Bangnaa

Hello.

Greetings from Bangnaa (or Samutpragaan, I'm not really sure exactly where I am...)

I moved! Very unexpected move. I was just barely settling into Ubon. I was the only who left the area. I am now in Bangkok with a new companion. He is a great missionary. He is from Arizona, some small town. He has been in the mission for almost two years, he will be finishing his mission with his next companion.

I really like it here in Bangnaa. Good thing too, because I will probably be here a very long time. (pretty sure I will be here for 6 months) It is so different from the Esan. Everyone here is a lot more educated, they speak Thai very clearly. The first day I was here I was simply shocked at how good everyone on the street is at Thai. There are also so many more people. People everywhere! We can just walk down neighborhoods all day long and talk to new people. Very fun.

People here are a lot more Westernized though. They really aren't afraid to tell you the truth. (sometimes) My whole time out in the Esan I got rejected maybe a hand-full of times. Mostly people just lie and say "oh I'm busy" or "I work all day". But here in Bangkok it is not uncommon for people to just tell us that we are dumb and are wasting our time; it is a fresh change! I like it.

Yeah, so this letter wasn't very good. I'll do better next week.


Love,

Elder Brown

Mar 07-2010 - Ubon

Hello!

It feels like a long time since I have written anything.

First off I'll say that my email address has changed. Please send all emails to my new address: debrown@myldsmail.net.

Next I'll say that Thailand is very very very hot. The hot season has barely started and it is already deadly. The moment I step out of the house, I am covered in sweat. I am sweating like a constant waterfall all day long. The peak of the hot season here is in mid-April. I hope my skin doesn't melt off.

Next on the agenda. Mango season. Mango's are delicious. They simply are just not the same as the crap we have in the States. There is a popular dessert here called Khaaw Niaw Ma Muang (Mango Sticky Rice.) It is probably the best thing in the world. It is a cut up mango served with sugarized sticky rice, coconut milk, and nuts. Yeah, you might ask... why do they eat rice as a dessert? Just try it. It is good. Corn is also a popular dessert topping. They have what we have dubbed "ice cream sandwiches" which is just a piece of bread with coconut ice cream topped with corn and rice. Again, it's good. Just try it.

Moves is in one more week. I will be getting a new companion. Still not sure if I will be moving or staying in Ubon. I would say I have a 30% chance to move. Regardless, I will have a new companion.

Last week was Zone Conference. The topic was inviting. Inviting is probably my favorite part about being a missionary. I just love talking to crazy people. It is incredibly entertaining just to see how people think... why people are the way they are. I particularly have a passion for inviting drunk people. The trick is to just make it fun. If you are inviting and you are depressed, no one will want to talk to you, and you won't want to talk to them either. I find that "sound effects" also are appealing. :)

Along with this big push towards inviting, President Smith also changed the schedule to accommodate the Summer weather.

We are now waking up at 6:00 A.M., we exercise, shower, and eat.
Out of the house at 7:30 A.M., invite from 7:30 A.M. until 12:30 A.M.
Then we eat lunch, go back to the apartment, study personally, study as a companionship, and study the language until 4:00 P.M.
4:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. we teach after which we eat and then go home, plan, get ready for bed.
Asleep at 10:00 P.M.

The new schedule is pretty rough. Very demanding. But honestly we have seen a LOT of success from it. I think there are just fresh faces in the morning, people that have never seen missionaries before.

Inviting is great. Whenever I invite I think of D&C 128:22-23

22 Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.
23 Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid brocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!

I know that if I simply open my mouth, people will recognize me if they have been prepared. It doesn't really even matter what I say. They will know my face, my eyes, and my voice.

I also gain a lot of strength from Elder Holland's last general conference. In the last few paragraphs he bares his testimony about the Book of Mormon, he says something along the lines of "I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I testified that the Book of Mormon is true." That is my goal too. I want it absolutely clear to everyone that I talk to that I believe the Book of Mormon to be true.

Oh man it is hot here. Someone send me some snow.


Love,

Elder Brown