Surviving the Plague

     It seems like the entertainment never stops at the MTC. I don't think I can go a few hours without laughing. 

     The "plague" going on at the MTC right now is the common cold. In the last three weeks everyone in my district got sick. Except for me. I guess it's lots of hand sanitizer and washing hands. 

     Last week I was in the computer lab and started talking to some elders who were heading to the Philippines. One elder was from Missouri and went to Mizzou before he started his mission, and his companion is from Cedar City (where a lot of my relatives are from). Oh, the connections at the MTC! Some elders are telling me that there are some Brinkerhoffs here. I'm on the hunt to find them. 

     The other day I walked into the Malaysian Elder's room, since I was smelling something cooking. I noticed a toaster on the desk along with two loaves of bread and a jar of Nutella. I asked one of my Malaysian elder friends how the heck he got a toaster and all that bread! He told me that his mom sent it. 

     I met a missionary who is 7 feet tall. That Elder was a giant, and he said that he plays basketball sometimes. I would hate to guard that guy. 

     My district and I were walking back to our room after gym, and I told them that I ran 7 miles. One of them said, "If I ran 7 miles, make sure you stab me in the foot because something is wrong with me." They also updated the record board, the new mile record is 4:24. I don't think think I'm going to top that. 

     We have started "story time" before bed at our living residences. On Saturday night, 15+ guys came to our room, and some guys told stories of their worst dates/relationships, and one elder told a story of a missionary's worst date. It was by far the worst date I have ever heard of, and nothing could top that. We all laughed so hard during story time. 

     We said goodbye to the Older Thai missionaries (Phi Thais) the other day; they should be in Thailand soon. 27 of them left. They gave us a ton of food and other fun things, like water guns. Speaking of Phi Thais, I opened the door to my residence the other night, and found a Phi Thai wearing a cardboard box with the holes cut out for his arms, and a box covering his head, and eyeholes cut out so he could see. There were two buttons on his cardboard box: A Thai-ser-cize button and a "loud weird noise button." We pressed them and he gave us a show. But if we pressed both of the buttons it got even better. Then I told him that he should chase me around the floor and I would yell "THEY'RE COMING!" So I started jogging away from him, then I turned my head only to see him running FULL SPEED after me. I ran like crazy yelling, "They're coming!" We also got sharpies and decorated his "costume." We wrote "Made in China," crossed out the word China, and wrote "Thailand" underneath. 

   

Nashville Tribute Band

 Last Sunday an LDS band called the "Nashville Tribute Band" came and performed with us. I was among 1700 missionaries that sang with them, and it was a new MTC record for the most missionaries in the choir. 

Now for the spiritual highlight of the week:

     Last Saturday our district was able to teach people who were returned missionaries from Thailand. The goal was to give them a simple message, all in Thai. We had to give the same lesson to two different people. Our first lesson, didn't go so well. I hardly said anything and my companion and I didn't coordinate too well. After that lesson, we hurried and fixed everything that went wrong, hopeful that our second lesson would be better.

     We walked into another room. The man we were teaching was an older man, probably in his late 50s or early 60s. I didn't understand much of what he was saying, but then I understood that he served in Udon (where my mom served). My comp and I were trying to tell him that my mom served there, but we couldn't think of the words. My companion again did most of the talking.  Then the brother said some things for a few minutes that my companion and I didn't understand. The only word I picked up was the word "prayer." The lesson went ok, and all three of us walked out of the room after the lesson was over.  

     When we walked out, the hallway was empty. Everyone in our district left, and there were just us three. He said goodbye and started to walk away. "Do you know Sister Barrus?" I asked him in Thai. He turned around, and said, "I don't know her." In Thai. Then we talked in English for a minute and turns out he didn't know her. Then he said, "I served my mission with my wife a year ago in Udon, and I cried when I left. And so will you at the end of your mission.

Do you know what I was trying to tell you in that room?" Both of us said no. This is what I could recall in his words:

     After he asked that question, he paused for a moment. I looked at him and noticed tears forming in his eyes. "What I was trying to tell you was (he paused for a moment again): "that Thailand missionaries are special, and that Thailand is a special place. My wife and I, and missionaries who have served in Thailand, and the people in Thailand are praying for you. We love you, and Thailand needs you, and missions will change your life forever. Thailand won't leave you. I was in the same situation as you 43 years ago when I served my mission in Thailand, trying to do well in the language. Keep going and it will come." 

     I was fighting back tears when he said this. His speech felt like an eternity, even though it lasted just a few minutes​​​​​​​​. It was one of the most inspirational things anyone has ever said to me. He then shook our hands (I wanted to hug that man after what he said), and walked down the empty hall. I was still fighting back tears some time after he left. His speech was on my mind for the rest of the day. 

     Hope you all are doing well,

Elder Brinkerhoff

P.S. Don't forget if you have a minute, I would love to hear from you. You can email me, snail mail (post office), or go to a free website (dearelder.com) and they print it off and stick the letter under my door every night.  See my addresses below my picture. This is only until Oct. 3. When it sayd "select a mission" - "put Provo MTC-Free"  because that is where I am for the next two months. Thanks!