Fun in Udon

     I have now been in Thailand for a full month, and I have been on my mission for three months now. It's crazy to think about!

     After I sent my last email, the elders in my house and I biked about 30 minutes out of town to a small silk village, and it was super cool. There were about 15 shops lined up, and they sold numerous silk products and other souvenirs to tourists. We also saw some village women and we watched them do their work making silk. Also, there was a group of about 15 teenage school girls eating ice cream, and when us missionaries walked out of a small shop, about a third of them pulled out their phones and took pictures of us. If I had noticed about three seconds earlier I would have made one of my disturbing facial expressions to them right when they took photos. On the bike ride home it rained hard, and it was still sunny. It was really cool, to be biking in the countryside in the rain and in the sunlight. 

     Later that night the Larsons threw a Halloween Party for the missionaries and for YSAs (people around our age). We played a bunch of games, and I barely lost to my companion in a "doughnut on a string eating" contest. 

     They sell ice cream on a bun here in Thailand. I had to try it. It was delicious.

     The other day Elder Cecil visited the Mortician again. He has come back to church and we wanted to see how he was doing. Right before entering, we saw another covered dead body on a stretcher outside his office. No big deal. Then when we walked in, I made the mistake of looking at the work table, where an uncovered dead body was being worked on by the man's coworker.   

     Last Thursday all the missionaries in my town Traveled to Udon for a Mission Tour Conference (9 hour bus ride!!), where the Mission President of Thailand, and a church leader who supervises the Asia area came to talk to us. There was about 60 missionaries that traveled there. I performed my super hard piano piece while the other sister missionary played the violin in front of everyone. Somehow I nailed that piano piece perfectly. I later met so many other cool missionaries, one of which played volleyball for Ohio State, and has been to West Lafayette a bunch of times.

     I learned a lot that conference, and had a good time. We stayed there for a few days, and had loads of fun. Elder Cecil and I had to stay an extra day because Elder Cecil needed to receive extra training, and that night we had about 5 hours of free time. So us and about 20 other missionaries went to a local mall, ate pizza, and explored the mall a bit. I had no idea that they had Sizzlers in Thailand. Also they have Dairy Queen all over Thailand. 

     Udon, is also one of the areas that my mom served in when she served in her mission. And guess what? I got to meet all three of the women my mom helped convert! They showed me pictures of my mom and them, and they all were super excited to meet me. Right before I left the MTC, I told my teacher who is the daughter of one of the women my mom taught, that I would meet her. 

     I took a bunch of pictures with those three. Also one of them showed a photo of my mom and her in front of the church building, and we tried to "recreate" that photo. 

     











     
     
     I forgot to mention, that I get to do something that I have always wanted to do in Thailand today: Ride an elephant!  They don't call Surin "Elephant City" for nothing! 

     Have a great week,

Elder Brinkerhoff​