Week #42

Hey all,

Wow, so this was pretty good as well. Although, my companion has gone through quite the ordeal with ingrown toenails. Oh boy.

Monday: Was a fun day. Took a sweet bus ride from Surin to Ubon. It was a super nice bus. Nice big seats, massages, and food as well. It was great for a 3 hour bus ride. Took our P-Day in Ubon. Went to a really cool restaurant. It is called Peppers and is owned by an Australian guy. The Elders in Ubon usually go once a week to eat. Way good hamburgers. Then waited at the church for interviews with President Smith. After that was all done, Elder Chapman and I went out to teach a lesson or two and the first guy we talked to, we sat down and taught a way cool lesson. Plus we stayed in a hotel again. I forgot how real showers feel like. The one we have in houses are usual just electric heated and terrible pressure. Oh well, one of the sacrifices.

Tuesday: The fantastic 4 hour zone conference. We got an hour long lecture from President Smith on the Atonement. It was very cool. Reminds me of the talk "The Meaning of the Atonement", by Skousen. I suggest a look at that. Then had some really good training from the Zone Leaders. Then a fantastic lunch. We had our zone activity at a Thai historical museum and then we went bowling :) That was sweet. President Smith was totally in there bowling. Probably one of the few times he has to take a break. Then a great 3 hour bus ride to Surin for exchanges.

Wednesday: I was in Surin with Elder Mondragon. We had a really good day. Taught several lessons and gave some people baptismal dates. It was a lot of fun and really successful. They have some really cool investigators. Then for the news from Buriram with Elder Campbell and Elder Chapman. Elder Campbell called Sister Smith about Elder Chapman's ingrown toenails. So that called for a hospital visit and surgery on both toes. He couldn't walk all day on them.

Thursday: Elder Campbell called for another day of exchanges. So I was still in Surin for another day. Turned out alright. It wasn't like Wednesday for sure. A lot of our appointments fell through. Oh and my bike broke as well. Needed a new tire, the side wall collapsed. Oh well.

Friday: Back in Buriram. Well, we are having to visit the hospital everyday to get Elder Chapman's dressings changed. That is fun. The nurses at the hospital know us so well. We only got one lesson taught and he has learned with the Elders before, but like 20 years ago! That was cool. Then we had out long planning for the next week. Turned out to be a good day.

Saturday: It was a way good day here in Buriram. Saw a lot of investigators and the such. Had some really good lessons. Although they were pretty normal lessons. Nothing that really stands out. Although Bee always asks the hard questions. Specifically in 1 Nephi chapter 13 and 14. That was fun to try and explain.

Sunday: Now this was an amazing day to start out. We have 3 investigators at the beginning of church. So we are already pretty happy. Then at the last ten minutes, a teenage guy walks in, followed by another, and another, and another, and another. 5 guys walked in! Elder Chapman and I are looking that the members just shrugging our shoulders. We have no idea were they came from! Unfortunately, they only stayed for the rest of the 1st hour and the 2nd hour. We got there information and we are going to try and see them again. So we kind of had 8 investigators at church. The members were very shocked. Then the day went downhill. We took the needed trip to the hospital. Oh boy. They, the nurses, started to dig into Elder Chapman's toes and pull out left out tissue and gauze. Yeah that hurt. I had to help hold his legs down while they worked on him. There went the rest of the day. Couldn't walk again. Said it felt like they did the surgery all over again.

Well, that is my week of adventures in the Orient Thailand.

Love,
Elder Ackerman