Burger King and Cockroachs

hey mom, and family



I need to answer some question before I get started on my week otherwise I will never answer them.
so let see. Ok, I met Elder Palmer yesterday. He's doing good. He said that he regrets getting surgery on his hand now. It hurts more now then it did before. He broke it on the mission and had really no problems with it. A year later it was making a strange popping noise and he wanted to see if there was anything he could do about it, so he went to see the doctor and he referred him to surgery. He said that he regreted trying to do anything about it now.LOL (Comment from Mom: This Elder Palmer broke his wrist in a biking accident earlier in his mission and the doctor's said his bone was dying, hence the surgery.)
It hasn't rained as much as it has in the last few weeks. The flooding has disappeared for now. I think the rainy season is coming to an end slowly but surely.
With General Conference, we will watch it next week end or the weekend of the 10th of October. They distribute a DVD to all the Branches then we watch with the branch. This could be fun, I get it watch in a language that I don't understand. I might get the chance to catch up on some sleep.
I'll probably get the package tomorrow at moves meeting. I'll let you know about it next week.
Ok so I wrote a list of things to talk about soIi can get it all down.

First this Sunday we had a baptism. Woot woot. And elder Ito and I had nothing to do with it. It was one of the Sisters Investigators and her two kids. It was awesome to see the support of the branch and the investigator's family. The Elders don't usually do the baptism personally anymore. Now its the branch presidents that baptize. That way it helps build the support system for the new member.

Yesterday we took our first of three trips to Bangkok this week. We went down to renew Elder Ito's visa. We woke up early and got on a van. Here in Thailand they have several ways to get around. Car, bike, train, van, bus and a thing call a sungcow, which is a pickup truck with seats in the back of it. Anyways the vans is the most common way for us to get back and forth between Bangkok and LopBuri. Normally we pay 1500 baght to rent a profit van but yesterday we paid 250 baght to get on a stuffed shoulder to shoulder van. It was a long 1 1/2 hour ride.
We finally arrived at the church where all of the missionaries were meeting up to renew their visas and I had the chance to talk to several elders that were in the MTC with me and see how they're doing.
After renewing Elder Ito's Visa we went to eat lunch at one of the greatest places in the world. Burger King. It was the first time that I had the chance to bite into a juicy, yummy, whopper. and fries. I love American food. Anyways then we made the trip back and went to some appointments we had.
throughout yesterday some fun things happened. The Tuesday before moves is the day everyone waits for because that's when we get phone calls telling us who's moving and to what calling, but not to where and who with. We find that out on moves meeting.
Anyways we found out yesterday that one of the sisters is moving and going to train a new Thai missionary. and that her junior companion Sister Josephson is staying here and training a new American missionary.
Elder Ito and I are both staying here as well this move. So you get this email.
Today I have been thinking about the changes that I have been through the last 7 weeks. One is I've lost 20 pounds. I'm back down to my junior year weight in high school. whether that's a good thing or not I don't know but I'm thinner. I can now eat most Thai food and not have to struggle to hold it down. There have been some strange things that I have eaten that I can't even describe. I have some good looking tan lines. One where my watch is and one around my shirt on my arms and about half way up my neck. Now if I forget to wear sun screen I don't have to worry about being fried like an egg. My skin has developed a little bit of resistance to the sun.

My understanding skills are improving a little bit. I can now separate words and tell when words are being said that I don't recognize. Where as before it came at me in a steady stream of words that I didn't understand.

I have a pretty good story to tell. the other day I saw my first cockroach. As Elder Ito and I were teaching an investigator I looked on the other side of the room and saw one run over to a corner and disappear behind a box. I didn't really think much of it because it was on the other side of the room. later through the lesson I felt something go over my foot. I looked down and saw this huge cockroach run by my foot. It was at this time I looked over to where my shoes were and really hoped there was nothing in them. I lifted up my feet and folded them under my legs and didn't ever put them back down until after the lesson. When we were putting our shoes back on I checked them to make sure that there was nothing inside of them. That was an interesting experience

This weeks scripture is D &C 88:77-80 Pay very close attention to verse 79 it tells what things we should be studying in school I thought it was cool,

OKmy time is up.

I Love you all.

Elder Brandon John Holt

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