This Wasn't Just a Coincidence

     

     Been another week in Samutprakan. Literally we do so much walking and bus riding that I go to bed exhausted every night. One day we took eight bus rides. 

     

     One day, we went across the river again, to find a museum that we'd heard about. When we got off the boat, a small Thai man in an Old Navy shirt came up to me and stared at my nametag for a full minute. Then Elder Headlee and I asked him if he was interested in learning about Christ. He said he was Malaysian and didn't have a phone number, and he said we could go to his house. He called a taxi and we went with him to his house. (I don't think we were even in our boundaries anymore.) Then we arrived at his place, which was basically a shack.   He had us sit down and he told us that we could sleep here if we wanted, and then went to the other room for a few minutes.  Then he went outside to a street store and bought some bottled water for us.  He came back and gave us water, then he took of his shirt and showed off his tattooed back to us.  He then went to the other room for a minute, and showed off two large empty alcohol bottles, and then gave us dried mango.  He then said I looked German, and left the house for about 10 minutes.

     He came back and then did some kind of sign language to us and laughed.  We then decided to leave after sitting there for about 40 minutes.  We started walking back and he tagged along with us and put his shirt back on.  He had us wait for him at a small street store, where he bought something, and the store clerk came out with a shot glass of alcohol. He then took a shot. That explains a lot. 

     We kept walking, and a crazy middle aged woman saw Elder Headlee and I and begged us to take a picture of us and her three-year-old daughter. Her daughter was absolutely terrified of us and was screaming, so not really a successful picture. To that woman we were some kind of celebrities or something, still can't figure that out.  

     We then kept walking with the man, then he said he was going home, and I took a picture with him and we parted ways.

      (About five days later, we ran into him again while taking another boat ride to teach an investigator.)

     Later that night we had a Family Home Evening,

and invited some church members over to our house. I made Japanese curry, (My mom sent me the curry. Thanks, Mom!) and they loved it. I miss my mom's Japanese curry that she makes. Other members brought a ton of food and one member even brought fries for us to cook. We then got to teach them a lesson, and it went well. We wanted the whole family home evening it to be an hour, but it turned into three hours. 

     Contacting is pretty fun here, and exploring neighborhoods while contacting is fun as well. One day while we were walking, 10 chihuahuas saw us from their house and barked hysterically at us. Later that day Elder Headlee and I stopped for a minute, and I heard meowing, and in a cardboard box was a kitten who was only a few weeks old. 

     

     The other day we were in a neighborhood looking for a former investigator, and some kind of party was going on. We found the former investigator and she said that the neighborhood was celebrating Children's Day, a day late. Turns out, all the people in the neighborhood were giving out free food. Free food? Yes, we took advantage of that. Free ice cream, snow cones, Thai food, yes it was amazing. I also remember as a kid, my dad telling me that Japan celebrates Children's Day, and I asked my dad why they don't do that in America. He quickly replied saying, "Every day is Children's Day."

     

     Last week I found out that there's a blind man named Pronchai in my church congregation that used to be great friends with my Uncle Kent Barrus and my Grandpa Barrus. When I told him that I was related to him, he was stunned. He then proceeded to tell me how grateful he was for Kent and my Grandpa. My

Uncle Kent helped him with his Master's degree when he was at BYU, and also shared many other fun experiences that he had with Kent and my Grandpa Barrus. Later he then asked for contact information so he could talk to my Uncle Kent again. Hats off to my Uncle Kent and my Grandpa Barrus.

     There are 36 different areas/cities/towns that I could potentially serve in here in Thailand, and out of all the areas, I got to be in the same area as Pronchai, and got to meet him. I was sent here at random, and I knew that God wanted me to be here in Samutprakan, and to meet Pronchai. That wasn't a coincidence that I got to be in the same congregation as him. 

     Much love from the other side of the world,

     Elder Brinkerhoff