Transfer to Sakon Nakhon, 2nd area

Hello family

First sorry for the short email last week. I kicked the power cord and the power turned off on both of our computers. I felt really bad because we both had written really long emails home. Next sorry Mom if you woke up early to read this email and its not there yet. I think right now it is 5 or 6 in the morning.

OK on with the the email.

Connor woot woot. You're going to state. You'd better shave your head and I want pictures before and after. Oh man you're only a freshmen and you are already smashing my records. You might have broken my free and you beat my freshman time in back. I can't wait till I see you swim in a few years, but enough trunky talk.

Well to make things time manageable I'm going to start at moves meeting after switching companions from Elder Hawkes to Elder Blackhurst. Elder Blackhurst didn't have to come down for anything so he stayed up in the zone I'm in with another missionary. So I didn't meet him until the next day. After the rest of the meeting the missionaries that have to wait for the train (yes that included me) get some free time to do what ever. So some of us went in a group to go down into the deep part of Bangkok. I was switched off with one of my zone leaders for the day. I found and bought some new ties. Then we road the sky train ( the Thai version of the trax in the air) to get back to the train station.
We waited at the train station for about 1 hour or so and about 10 pm here we hopped onto the train to head up into the north east called the Essan. Because we had 1st class tickets we had a cot to sleep in, I was really grateful because I packed late into the evening and got less than an hour of sleep the night before because we had to leave our house in Lop Buri at 1 am to catch the train down to Bangkok. Needless to say I fell asleep as soon as I hit the cot.

The train ride took about 10 hours or so to get to the providence and town of Udon (อุคอรธานี). There we hopped off the train and went to the elder's house where the zone leaders stay as well as 2 more elders to always work. We took a few hours to shower and eat. This is also where I met Elder Blackhurst. Then from there Elder Blackhurst and I hopped on a bus for a 3 and a half hour ride to Sakon Nakhon. So it took about 13 or 14 hours of travel. Sakon Nakhon is the farthest area away from Bangkok.

Lets see question number 2. Well it is jungle but not the kind of jungle of a rain forest or of the amazon or Congo. I was thinking of it. It's kind of the Cottonwood Canyons forests but without the rocks or mountains. But there is a city here that's big. It's nice we haven't left the city yet. Our house is nice,and big. A few moves ago when Thailand had more missionaries there were 4 missionaries here. But now it's just me and Elder Blackhurst. Our house has some unusual characteristics but I don't really need to go into the details.

Yes the Dialect is way different in fact people here speak a different language. Its called Essan. Its a mix of Thai and Laos. But everyone knows how to speak Thai. One of the first people I talked to talked to me in Essan, needless to say I didn't really understand a thing.

Its a little bit cooler than Bangkok and Lop Buri. And for the last week its rained here but not in other places much. Its rained here every day.

About Elder Blackhurst he has been here for 10 moves so about a year and a quarter he will finish here in October. I'm his second companion that he has been senior over.

Well yesterday night we took a 3 hour bus ride back to Udon and slept over. Today we had a sports day in Udon with our whole zone. There were about 14 missionaries there. We played soccer and volleyball and basketball and tried to play ultimate frisbee but we were way out of energy by then and it was really hot. It was really fun. Each district got jerseys. Ours was Orange. Elder Blackhurst thought it was for his high school colors Brighton and I thought it was for Murray. But after we got done and cleaned up we had to travel back which is why this email is coming so late today.

Hey I have something cool for you to go look up on you tube. Back in October the missionaries in Lop Buri with a few members made a video to help the members get excited to go to the temple this April. Brother Oat, one of the members put it on you tube. He named it "Institute for life : the temple" or something like that.(It's titled: The Temple Institute for Life, Mom) Almost all of it is in Thai. and it has all of the missionaries and me giving our testimonies about the temple. So if you want to hear the crazy language that I have been speaking and how good at it I was back then, see if you can find it. It has Elder Ito my trainer on it as well.

Well it sounds like everyone but Murray is getting snowed in. That's about normal if I remember right.

Oh I should tell you a cool little fact about my area. You see Sakon Nakhon is really famous in the mission field for one thing. Its the only place in Thailand that missionaries are in, that you can eat ........ dog :D. (sorry chip) (you shouldn't read this when he is around). I haven't had a chance to eat it yet but in the next week or so I think I'll try it . I'll take pictures and send them home.

Oh and also while I'm thinking about it, if you would like me to send pictures of something that I have talked about in the past tell me and I will try.

OK my time is almost up.

I'm giving you homework this time. in January Liahona, Elder Holland has an article called The Best Is Yet To Be. You should read it. I really liked it.

OK
I love you all

Elder Brandon John Holt