A small break in the weather

Hello Everyone


Well the weather here has been really strange this last week. On Tuesday they had a storm roll over and the temperature dropped to 65 or so. Everyone here threw on their cold gear as though it was going to snow but, for us Utahans we just went out in our short sleeves and ties like normal. It was a nice little break from the heat. 2 or so days later the heat came back. I think the hottest I saw it was 99 degrees. I don’t think it has broke 100 yet but, it’s going to happen soon.

This week it seems that someone has pressed the reset button on our area progress. Elder Blackhurst and I decided to drop a lot of the investigators that were not progressing at all or that we haven’t been able to get a hold of for more then a month. So we had a lot of time to go out a find new Investigators. This week we were able to report to our Zone leaders that we taught 6 new investigators. It was a lot of work but it was worth it.

On Thursday we talked to a lot of people and were able to get several return appointments for the next day. So Friday we went back out and did our favorite thing teaching. In the morning right out of the house we talked to a guy that had a stand on the side of the road selling pants and shirts. He liked what we taught him, and was willing to learn more if he has time. We hopefully will get a chance to teach him again tomorrow. Next up was a man who does the morning and evening announcements over the intercoms that are mounted on some of the telephone poles in the city.

I’m not really sure why but they have these speakers on the poles in the city. They make announcements about what is going on in the city every morning and evening. Sometimes, as we ride by them on our bike, they are playing music. Any ways he was really busy when we tried to teach him, but we were able to get an appointment with him later this week.

After that we taught a guy who is building a little store by our house. We stopped by him a few times before and when we had some extra time we helped him build a few things. Like smooth out the cement, and Hung a power cord over the street into a another building so that he can borrow power until they turn on the power in his store. That was quite an experience. He took this cord and had Elder Blackhurst take it across the street then we had to get it out of the street so the cars and scooters wouldn’t run over it. So he took a string tied to a stick and had us throw it over the power lines to lift the cord. Then we had to figure out how to hook up the cord to the power box without killing ourselves. It was fun. And no worries he asked the people if he could borrow the power for a few days. He also let us write the name of Elder (เอ็ลเตอร์) in the cement that we smoothed out. After all of this we were able to teach him. He was a really good guy. He wants to know more about what the gospel is so we set up another appointment for this week as well.

Last appointment we had a chance to go to was a at a construction site. We first invited a man and his older sister when they were making some cement for the building they were building, we made an appointment to come back and on Friday returned. They said that they were Catholics currently I like to here about Christ and other sects of religions. When we got there,it turns out that there was a whole family there ready to listen, We taught a short lesson about Heavenly father and about prayer and then they had to go back to work. They seemed pretty interested. We didn’t get the chance to set up a new appointment but we plan to call them back in a few days when we get time.

This Sunday we had Lek’s baptism. It went really well. After church we had a meeting where 2 speakers spoke, Elder Blackhurst was one of them, then one the side of the church there is a baptismal font. Lek asked Elder Blackhurst to baptize him. His wife was there to see it. Elder Blackhurst tells me that at first she was a little against the church, but this shows that she is opening her heart. I hope in a few weeks we will be able to teach her.

This week is moves meeting. We’re pretty sure that Elder Blackhusrt is moving but not yet 100 % sure. We should know tomorrow when the Zone Leaders give us a call. But we planned as if he is. So if he is moving, on Wednesday we will be traveling to Udorn Thani were I will switch off with elders there again and Elder Blackhurst will hop on a train and go down to Bangkok. That will be the last time I will see him. On Thursday they will have the moves meeting and on Friday my new companion will come back.

It’s going to make it another crazy week because we have to see all the investigators we can in 3 or 4 days. Plus I will have to introduce my new companion to everyone as well.

We didn’t get a chance to go bowling last week because the place was closed. But that’s alright we ate lunch with some members and spent the rest of the day doing some chores.

Well concerning the area, there is one branch here, it has about 45 to 50 active members in it. It’s mostly women as well. There are about 5 priesthood holders that are active. The branch president, the mission leader, the clerk and the past branch president. But our goal is to increase that number and times it by 2 in the next few months.

Our house does have a washing machine thankfully and we don’t have to use mosquito nets to sleep, although sometimes I get some good bites at night. It’s a pretty isolated area. The city is only a couple of blocks big and then you have nothing but rice fields for miles.

Ok I have to go

I love you and look forward to the next Email.

Elder Brandon John Holt

PS. Dad When did you lose your golf clubs, this is new news for me.