Are You Sure? Seven peppers?

     Just another week in Thailand. I feel like the weeks nowadays are getting faster. The saying goes: "The Days go by weeks and the weeks go by days." 

     The Last few weeks feel like it's just been a few days.

     Anyways, last pday was pretty fun. My companion, Brother Day, and I went to Central world in Downtown Bangkok. Literally It's a huge mall building six or more floors full of stores, and turns out there are like five other buildings surrounding it, and they are all connected. One could spend all day there, and not be able to see all the stores in those buildings. It was super fun to explore, and they had everything there, from cheap Thailand souvenirs to Nike gear. If anyone loves to go shopping, this is the place for you. There were lots of white people there, and turns out the majority of them are Europeans. I guess they love Thailand more than Americans do. 

     I got to switch companions for the day and got to go to Bangnaa, the area where my mom served. It was really neat again to be in the same area that my mom served in. Also, the apartment that the missionaries stay in has a gym with treadmills. After teaching a lesson, a woman across the street made us free food. She LOVES us missionaries. Loves us so much that she makes us free food. After she made us food another woman nearby gave us free pumpkin dessert. She loves the missionaries too. I kind of want to serve there someday.

     

     Papaya salad is a popular dish here in Thailand. They also put small hot peppers in the salad, and it is very delicious. Usually the people who cook it put at least 1 or 2 peppers in the salad for me, since they assume that I'm white and can't handle the spiciness. One day I came up to the cook and asked for seven pepper papaya salad. She said, "Are you sure?" about five times to me, and then pulled out seven peppers, held them up to me, and asked if I was sure, again. I agreed. I started eating the papaya salad, and it

wasn't so spicy, at first. Then it hit me, when I started sweating bullets and tears were forming in my eyes. My mouth was burning. The cook looked at me and I gave her a huge thumbs up. The result of eating seven-pepper papaya salad? Drinking two full bottles of water, tears in my eyes, sweating, and some burn marks on my chin when some of the juice dripped down my chin. 

     I heard some missionaries built their spice tolerance to eat 25 pepper-papaya salad. Challenge accepted.

     

     I walked past a smoothie stand and noticed the sign for the smoothies. The lady at the stand was confused to why I was taking pictures of her smoothie sign. Good thing she doesn't have that smoothie stand in America.  ("Porn" is a common Thai name for a girl.)

     The other day at church, I saw a woman who looked familiar. Turns out it was the woman who my mom taught on her mission. She was there visiting a member, and she was very excited to see me again. 

     During church some Primary teachers came up to my companion and I and asked if we could teach some of the little kids for a few minutes. There were three little kids, and it was lots of fun to teach them. Lots of fun. One of the Sister missionaries in a different area called one of the little girls, "the cutest little Thai girl I have ever seen." Later on in church, I walked past some of the church members in Bangnaa, the members in the area my mom served. One member who knew my mom, pulled me aside, talked to me for a minute, then handed me a large bag of delicious sweet-fried peanuts. I love church members. They spoil the missionaries sometimes.

     Every time my companion and I visit one member, his mom buys my companion and I a bottle of Pepsi. My last companion would save it and give it to a homeless person on the street. Last time we met up with the member, I saved the Pepsi that was given to me, and gave it to a really poor woman on the street. Her facial expression of gratitude was sweeter than Pepsi. 

     Some members asked my companion and I if we could visit a sick member in the hospital. We agreed, and visited him, along with three church members. He was on a bed, looking miserable, and the only thing he could do move was his eyes. He couldn't talk at all either. All of us spoke to him for a minute, and one of the members played church music on her iPad and held it close to his ear. Before leaving, I noticed a tear streak down his eye. That small sign showed that he was really appreciative for visiting him, despite him not able to speak. I am truly glad to be a missionary and to be able to serve the people of Thailand. By small and simple acts of service can really go a long ways, and I have seen that all the time as I serve my mission.

     Small acts of service can go a long way.

     Have a great week,

     Elder Brinkerhoff