May 15, 2012

Khrabkhrua lE? Phxn (Family and Friends),
Sawadii Khrab! Phii Sabbay dii may? How are you all? I'm doing so
great here (especially since I won't be "here" much longer)! It's been
a crazy week, lot's of stuff going on. Mom, how was Mother's Day for
the Best Mother in the World? I'm so glad you got my card, and I hope
your day was fantastic, you definitely deserve it. Tuesday night was,
once again, EPIC! We got another Apostle! D. Todd Christofferson. He
spoke on the Nature of the Godhead and how God, Christ, and the Holy
Ghost all have the same Will and support each other. He focused on 2
Nephi 31, 3 Nephi 11 and 3 Nephi 27. Then he talked about the
importance of repentance and Baptism. Basically our missionary
purpose. It was an awesome talk (I would be jealous if I were you haha
;) ). I'm hoping that we get one more tonight for our last fireside.
Come on Bednar (or Uchtdorf, or Holland, or whoever)!
I got my travel plans on Wednesday! So excited. I leave here at 4:30
p.m. on Monday, and our flight takes off for LA at 8. We have a 4 hour
lay-over there, and then take off at 1:30 a.m. for Hong Kong (I guess
it's like a 14 hour flight, ugh). An hour layover there, then on to
Bangkok! My sleep schedule is going to be so messed up. I'm already
tired enough here! Oh well. The part I'm most worried about is getting
my blood drawn there to check for diseases. SKETCHY! But I gotta do
what I gotta do I guess. So question, E. Bartling and E. Campbell want
to eat a "Last Supper" at LAX. Could I do it with them? Not anything
too pricey, just somwhere good. Let me know! Oh and I suppose you're
wondering when I'll be calling huh? I think the best time would be
when I'm at Salt Lake International, around 6ish. I can't wait to talk
to you! Not sure how long we can call, but hopefully it's for a bit.
Can you believe that I'm already going!? Crazy!
The rest of this week has been pretty busy, but relatively normal. We
got a new English District on Wednesday, and I've become pretty good
friends with a couple of them, Elder Flygare who went to Lone Peak,
and his comp Elder Andersen who went to Spanish Fork. They're good
missionaries and friends. We get another English District tomorrow,
hopefully they're just as good. On Friday we had to switch classrooms.
Apparently they want all the Asian languages in one building, so
they're moving us all (even though we were all in the same building
already, except for Japanese. Dumb). So we downgraded from a
whiteboard to a chalkboard. Good thing we're only there for a week!
The language is coming along great! I can speak better everyday! But I
think I'm in trouble once I have to talk to the native Thai, that's
what everyone says at least. Oh well, I can't wait to do it and
eventually speak fluently. The reading is coming along great, and the
writing is getting better. I've been writing down every vocab word
while I learn it, so that I can try to remember how to spell it. It's
pretty cool! My "investigators" are good. Yesterday was the last time
we would teach Golf, because Bro. Chiu won't be here on Saturday. Sad,
but we had a really good lesson on the Book of Mormon, and the Spirit
was really strong. Dom is coming along. The last time we met with him,
we met with his wife Phii Nooy (Sis. Hirschi, another Thai teacher)
and got permission to baptize him. We'll teach him one or two more
times. I'm going to miss him a lot. I really hope I can find the real
Phii Dom in Thailand and talk to him about Brol. Olsen.
I finished the Book of Mormon on Sunday! So great. That book is 100%
true, and it's helped strengthen my testimony of the gospel so much!
I'm going to read Doctrine and Covenants next. Keep reading everyone!
So mail in Thailand. It takes about three weeks for a letter to get
to/from Thailand. I'm pretty sure you just send it to the mission
home, and they send it out to the missionaries once a week. I'll let
you know if it's different. Apparently you can Dear Elder there too,
so I get letters faster that way, in case anyone is interested. I
think it costs money though, about as much as a stamp or something.
Last day for me to go to the Temple for 2 years! Sad, but I will
definitely be going the day after I get back.
On Sunday night, me, Red, Kyle, VK, and Josh Gerrard all got a group
pic in front of the big map. I'll be sending home another S.D. card
today. If possible, you should probably send back the other one this
week so I have two for Thailand.
Mom - Thanks for the package and e-mail this week! Those cookies were
definitely good. For this week, I'd say either chocolate chip, or
sugar cookies, your choice! Sad that it's the last one for 21 months.
I'm glad that you're doing well. That was an awesome story with the
dumpsters. The power of Prayer is amazing! Ok, so I think that's
enough deordorant. I still have a couple that I came with, so I should
be good. Thank you! I'm going to send suits and quilt and whatever
home the day I leave, just to make sure everything is packed I and
don't forget anything. I have $132 still. I think E. Bartling said we
need like $200 traveling cash or something (and maybe some for
dinner...). Whatever you think. Oh and did you ever get the bank thing
figured out? I hope so. I think I remember my PIN #, but you might
just want to double check and let me know, just in case. I hope the
quilt gets done! That would be awesome, thank you so much! And E.
Bartling said we were supposed to bring a pillow. Did you send me with
one? I haven't looked. Will you just double check if that's on the
list or not? Thanks! Ok, so apparently it's like $50 to send a package
to Thailand, so I was thinking, if you were planning on sending me
like birthday packages or whatever, maybe it would be smart to just
put money into my account, and I could by souveneirs or save up for a
suit or something. Let me know what you think. And thanks for the
scripture reference, love that scripture! Love ya Momma!
Dad - Thanks for the E-mail! So glad to hear from you every week now.
How are the Yanks doing? Too bad that Pettite got blasted, but no
surprised there. Hopefully he picks it up. How about the Utes? Any
word on the QB situation? I'm definitely on the Travis Wilson
bandwagon. Glad that works staying busy! Hope everything else is good!
Love ya Dad!
Brooke - Thanks for the Dear Elder again! Bummer that you were sick,
but that was so cute to hear how Linc was helping you. I miss him and
Cart! You're feeling better right? I can't wait to see Linc play golf
and t-ball. You gotta send me pics asap before I go! Keep the letters
coming! (And e-mail when I'm gone). Love ya sis!
Laur - Hope it's been a good week for ya! And hope to hear from you
soon! Love ya!
Car - Thanks for the pics in the package! Geez I didn't know you were
in the hospital like that, what the heck?! Are you feeling better?
Hope to hear from you soon too! Oh and could you send me an updated
version of the Friend Addresses? Thanks! Love ya twin!
Rest of my Fam - Hope to hear from you all (maybe before I take off?)!
And shoot me e-mails when I'm gone! Love you all!
Friends - Love ya too! Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY PREST! Hope it's a great
day! Hope to hear from you all soon! Peace out!
Well, gotta go! Love you all! Talk to ya Monday!
Love, Elder Sharp.