Sizzlers in Thailand?

9/16/09

Dear Beloved Family,
Another glorious week in Thailand of hard work, joy and all the things that I love about Thailand. The land of smiles lives up to its name everyday. People smile everywhere. And they smile when you smile at them. They are so kind and gentle and loving. And the food continues to be the best. Seriously. You guys just got a taste of it with Brother Saakha! I haven't had anything that I haven't liked so far. Today I had some great papaya salad with sticky rice at Tesco Lotus (does that sound familiar? it apparently started in England. They are ALL OVER Thailand! They are like the Wall Mart of Thailand). The other day I had some pad thai on the street that was delicious also
Was everyone aware that there are Sizzlers in Thailand? We went to this place called the Mall Bangapi shortly after I got here and I saw it and I was VERY confused. But it turns out there are Sizzlers in Thailand. They are what the Thais call "High So (society)" because they are kind of expensive by Thai standards. Several hundred baht if I remember correctly. We haven't been yet but we might get a chance to go one of these days. We will have to see how things go.

Anyway, sorry I haven't managed to get home any pictures yet. I will try to get lots this next week with Elder Shil and I. I want you guys to be able to see the chapel and the apartment and of course Elder Shill. We can't take photos while we are proselytizing so it's harder to get pictures taken. But I will be sure to get some ready for you guys next week. That's so awesome that Elder Holt sent home some pictures along with some of the others. Elder Holt is in Lopburi with all the monkeys! I saw him at zone conference and he showed me the picture of him giving a pass along card to the monkeys. St. Francis of Assisi anyone?

I was so excited to hear about Bro. Saakha. Isn't he awesome? He is seriously so funny. The food I bet was amazing too. And I am so glad that the kids liked it. Bro Saakha chose some good dishes. You should ask him for some recipes for some Isaan food. That's what I have really taken a liking to here. In fact my first night with Elder Shill we had the most delicious meat that's a traditional Isaan dish. It's pork's throat with sticky rice. It was SO good. ลาบ is also way good. I think that's how it's spelled. Sticky rice+Isaan food=manna I think. It's seriously so great. I knew the kids would love him. He's going into special education and it's just perfect for him.

The Church does own land that could possible be used for a temple in the heart of Bangkok. I can't spell it in romanized or Thai though. It's the heart of Bangkok like I said.

We have taken to riding buses more to save money mission wide. That's always an adventure. Thai buses are a little terrifying sometimes but they do get us from place to place. We ride ocassionally but it's more effective to not ride bikes in Bangkok.

So anyway. Onto the week. We saw a lot of good things this week. Despite rumors, we do teach in Thailand. We actually teach quite a bit.

On Thursday we taught a less active uncle and his nephew who haven't been to Church in Bangkapi since they moved from Ubon. We taught them and they came to Church this Sunday. They are both great. A little nervous about the new ward, which is to be expected, but they are great!

On Friday we got a chance to teach a recent convert named Brother Champ (everyone goes by Brother/ Sister and their first name). He's a great guy. He's about our age and joined the Church not too long ago but before Elder Shill or Elder Shill's old companion was here. We also taught a lawyer named Sha(r)p. He's a pretty nice guy and liked what we had to say. We will hopefully be able to meet with him again.

Saturday we got to teach a guy named Prayad. It was a way good lesson and he's doing well. Sunday we were surprised when Brother เอก didn't show up at Church. He had told his parents about his decision to most likely be baptized. It was a hard thing to tell his parents. But he's still doing well. He loved that Elder Holland that we gave him two weeks ago about None Were With Him. Good talk. Very powerful and worked perfectly for him. We also taught our other investigator who's getting closer to baptism named ปอป. He's doing pretty well. He meets with us often and on time. He is gaining faith by the day.

We have also been working on getting more people to English so we can divide the classrooms into basic and advanced. We found a place two weeks ago that would make us these really nice and big signs for 400 baht for two. It was a great deal and they did a great job. We are getting a lot of calls on them! So that should hopefully start to pick up!

Yesterday we taught a Christian who we randomly met getting into a taxi. He's a great guy. He's name is Lxxd (xx= a Thai vowel that has no English equivalent). He will maybe be coming to Church this week. We went for interviews at the mission office. It took a long time but it was pretty good. President Smith is a great guy. I also saw that the mission will be getting a lot of native missionaries in the next couple of moves. Boy how time flies already.

The language is still coming along and it gets a little better everyday. With lots of prayers and faith it gets easier to listen and to talk. I haven't apparently made any tonal mistakes that are too disatrous yet. Vowel mistakes still happen sometimes. You have to be really careful with Thai vowels. But it's still coming. People say I am doing well. I really hope so. I really hope so! =)

How's everyone else doing? Please let all my friends know that I do get all their letters but I haven't had time to write back yet. Tell them that I haven't forgotten about them but that they are still all so great and that I send my love to all of them! The Dear Elders get here pretty fast too. Tell them that their letters bring joy.

Anyway, Thailand is such a spiritually uplifting experiencing everyday. I find myself able to do things that I never thought possible. I find that strength comes when I need it. That words come when I need them. And the people are wonderful. The ward is great. The Thai saints touch my heart everyday. I love everything about Thailand and it brings me such happiness to be here. Everyday I wake up and consider myself lucky that I have been called to be here in Thailand. I love the people, I love testifying of the power of the atonement everyday. I love seeing the change that people have undergone as they have accepted his power in their life!

Furthermore, people can speak that crazy language that Bro. Saakha prayed in! Sometimes I am amazed that we can speak let alone read it! My reading is improving also by the way. That's a BIG blessing.

I love you all and pray for you daily. May God be with you this week! God bless and with love,


Elder Jacob Newman

Thailand Joy and Understanding Thai

Thailand Joy and Understanding Thai!

9/09/2009
Sawat Dee Krab Family!

I hope that all is well with all of you and that you are all doing splendidly. I am so grateful for all of your support and all the great letters. It's always a treat to get to hear from you everyweek and to get a chance to hear how everyone is doing! It's so crazy to think that we are 8,000 miles away from each other! It's really crazy to also think of the time difference. When I was sitting in Church this fast and testimony meeting, it was still Saturday for you guys! But the differences are good things. Thailand is such a magical place; that's really the only way to describe it. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am actually here because it seems so surreal at times. From the language to the food to the people, it's like a dream almost. Here are some things that I noticed about Thailand that I thought you guys would like to hear about.

There are 7-11s LITERALLY EVERYWHERE in Bangkok. I was driving in a taxi one day sitting in the back and seeing how far it was between each 7. The most I counted, in seconds was 40, the least was 2. The average was probably 10. Seriously. Everywhere! And they all do well. I don't really understand how that works but it's really fascinating. Not to mention convenient!

Thai is coming along really well. This past week, it's like my comprehension shot up. It's still really hard but I keep telling my companion that everyone is speaking "much more chad (clearly)". But he says that they don't really speak any clearer I just understand a lot better. In fact I got into a discussion with a taxi driver about the Buddhist belief about God that was really interesting and I understood him. It was crazy!

Thailand also has food everyplace. Literally. And fruit everywhere too! Yesterday we had switch-offs with the zone leaders and it was glorious fun. We got fruit since we weren't that hungry and it was amazing! It was oranges that were honestly the sweetest oranges that I have ever had. They also have pomegranates here. I haven't tried them yet but I will be sure to do so. They also have pineapple. Pineapple in America does NOT taste the same. Pineapple in Thailand, as it turns out, is sweet? What in the world? How does that happen? And seriously the food is so delicious. I don't know if I can emphasize that quite enough. Seriously so amazing! And Isaan food it turns out is delicious beyond belief. Sticky rice, in the words of Elise, might be manna. Let me rephrase that, it is manna!

Fast and testimony meeting was very good. It feels like America but not really for some reason. It's hard to fast in Thailand because of the heat. But it was good. But it also melted my abilities of comprehension of the Thai language. Hopefully that will improve as I have a long time to get used to it! There's such an odd feeling about having an understanding of a language that's good but not quite to the point where you can understand. Sometimes I will understand perfectly, other times, less so. Most times I can understand better than I thought I could. It's shocking sometimes.

I get to play the piano sometimes. Not for meetings but we will be doing a special musical number this Sunday. Make that two actually. One of the sisters’ investigators wanted me to give a solo but we got her to let us all give a missionary special number. I forgot to mention that we have 3 sisters in our district- which is very unusual- and then me and Elder Shill.

Healthy indeed! The weather is not too bad really and the rain is awesome! Last night we were teaching a recent convert named Brother Chillio and it started to rain like cats and dogs! It was crazy! Luckily Brother let us borrow a huge umbrella. It reminds me of a time two weeks ago when we got caught in the rain after English. I have never been that wet from rain in my life. The Thai people do NOT go out in the rain. Ever. Ever. Ever.

Umm..... I should probably use sunscreen more but yesterday was the first day I actually got sunburnt. My nose is looking a little clownish and my forehead too but besides that I am looking good.

We ride bikes only ocassionaly. They are so hard to ride here in Bangkok because of the sheer number of cars. Some other areas ride them all the time but here we don't. It also depends on the missionary. Elder Shill thinks it's better to ride them in the country and here it's better to just walk and talk to people. I tend to think it's the best option. Also you get to talk to your companion more and get to know them better.

Elder Shill is awesome. He didn't attend college but I think he will be going to BYU starting Winter Semester. He's a way nice guy and we get along very well!

This week was a great week! Thailand of course is still the most awesome place on the face of the earth. We taught one of our progressing investigators this week who has been learning with the Elders for about a year. He really wants to get baptized but his parents don't fully approve. His name is Brother เอก. (Eg). He's about 20ish and has a great testimony. He's doing really well. Another investigator we taught was ป๊อป (Bawb.... sort of.....) He's a good investigator also. He actually has a baptisimal date. On switch-offs Elder McBride, one of the zone leaders, and I didn't have much luck finding anyone new to teach despite our best efforts. But Elder Shill and Elder Day found many people. The rejection from Thai people isn't really rejection, it's so gentle and kind. When Thai people aren't interested they mostly just smile and say thank you but no thank you. They are all so generous and kind and so wonderful! I really love them so much. Not to mention funny. Thai people are hillarious. There's this brother in our ward who is seriously the funniest man I have ever met. He speaks English really well and speaks Thai SO fast but so clearly that I can understand him pretty well. He loves to use Engilsh words in the middle of Thai sentences. So he will be go along in Thai and throw in an English word. It's so awesome. Huge fan.

Thailand is just so fun! Of course being a missionary is hard work and exhausting but it's so amazing to see the genuine changes that people undergo as they see how Jesus Christ can change their lives. I see it everyday in one form or another. Miracles happen everyday and they are all around us. We just have to be willing to look for them. And we definitely see them everyday in Thailand. This place is so special to me and will always be. Seriously besides the fact that it's the most fun I've ever had, it's also the most faith affirming experience ever too.


This last week I went to the tallest buildling in Thailand. It was really fun. They had a sweet buffet that had all kinds of yummy food! And to see the extent of Bangkok is INSANE. Bangkok is HUGE. I don't think we have any comphrehension even as people who live here how big it is. I got some pictures that I will hopefully get organized and be able to send home soon. Thailand is like one giant picture really though. There are temples everywhere. They are so pretty. Next week we will probably go to one of them that's really near our house.

Oh, finally, the street system in Thailand. Here's how it works. Major streets (we live on one called Nawamin) break off into things call soys (poor Romanization), evens on one side and odds on the other side. Soys breaks down further into something that I can't remember the name of. The soys are not trafficked at all hardly unless they are a REALLY major soy.

Anyway, I think that's about it for today. The Thai is coming, the teaching comes as I put my trust in God and everything is going great. Seriously if I could express my love for Thailand I would. People reading this probably think I am obsessed but it's seriously so awesome! Everyday is like a new adventure and a new opportunity to understand and to help people. And today we get a chance to teach English. It's actually way fun. Hard to keep it fun sometimes but still awesome.

Alright, I'm out. Love you all so much. Praying for you everyday. Thanks for your support, I miss you all!

With Khwaamrag! (Love)
Elder Jacob Newman

Sawat Dee Family

9/02/09

Sawat Dee Family!

So I don't have time to answer the questions from your last email because I just lost an entire email that I wrote. Needless to say that was VERY frustrating. And now I only have like two minutes left. But besides that all is going well. We aren't in the best place to write emails, there's a lot of noise but everything is going very well!

Thailand is of course as fantastic as ever. We are teaching quite a few people and they are progressing. The work is very hard but it progresses as we learn to exercise faith and learn to understand the Thai people better. That's the thing that's the best part of Thailand; the people. They are so kind and loving and generous. They have a true love for one another. And while sometimes they may not be interested in hearing about the Gospel they are not people to belittle another's beliefs. The members, however are fantastic people who have sacrificed much to be members of the Church. Many are first generation members, the only members in their family, or similar situation. Many have spouses that are not members. But they still come to Church and have such wonderful testimonies. I can't wait for fast and testimony meeting this Sunday!

Zone Conference was fantastic. President Smith and Sister Smith are both so great. They have a real love for the Thai people. The conference was about vision for Thailand and where we want to see Thailand go as far as the spreading of the Gospel is concerned. President Smith said that he had no idea that the 17 year old boy that he was teaching would become the stake president today! That's an amazing story that has come full circle. The SPs daughter will be teaching the new Thai missionaries at the Manila MTC.

The food is still fantastic of course. I love every bit of it. And I have yet to get sick. So thank you so much for your prayers in that regard! I know that they have helped immensely!

And Thailand is as beautiful as ever. We are teaching some great people and we have some wonderful investigators. We have seen miracles. I will try to write more next week when I have more time. Thailand is as wonderful as ever! I love being here with all my heart and I am so glad that I have the opportunity to share about Jesus Christ for a short time here to help the Thai people come to know Him and of His power to change their lives.

Tell my friends I have gotten all their mail and that I also got the Dear Elders.

I love Thailand and love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Jacob Newman

Thailand Second Week

Sawat Dee Family! (If I knew how to write in Thai on this computer, I totally would do it but I am not sure how so I probably won't spend time trying to figure that out! )

So they moved our P-day a day earlier because tomorrow we will be having Zone Conference in Bangkhen- which is about an hour away from here by taxi. That's where Stop's ward is. It's the newest Church building in Thailand. It's a very nice building. They are built for functionality and beauty. There is something so Thai about them even though they are pretty much the typical design that we see in the states. The chapels are pretty small but very comfortable.

Thailand is of course, as wonderful as ever! This week has been busy and productive but it's been another good week as the adventure of understanding, communicating and effectively teaching continues.

First, your questions:

I guess we only get mail when we have transfers, “moves.” That is about every six weeks then. This time it will be six weeks from now because we came a week earlier. At moves meeting itself though, I don't know that everyone comes. That will also be taking place at the Bangkhen chapel. That seems to be a hopping place here in Thailand. I am not exactly sure why it's used so much. Considering my extensive (read zilch, zero) knowledge of Bangkok geography it could possibly be a geographical or transportation reason.

“Moves” day follows our P-Day (Wednesday) and are about six weeks apart.

IF you send packages DO NOT send them anyway but U.S. Postal Service either regular Air Mail or Priority Mail. Otherwise, there are HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE fees that the office passes on to us. Use only the U.S. Postal Service. Do not use U.S. Postal Service Express Mail, DHL: UPS, or Fed Ex. Otherwise, we will suffer the wrath of really high fees. It’s several hundred baht for the fees, which doesn't sound like a lot, but trust me.... it adds up. I am still working to fully figure out prices. It's about 50 baht for a really nice meal and about 30 for a really good but nothing fancy kind of meal. Water is about 20 baht for a liter.

We have an ATM account that we withdraw money from once a month that is the money we get for food and for everything else we will need in the month. I can't remember exactly how much it is in baht but we get about $150 per month which is PLENTY to cover our needs.

We have a cell phone that we use to contact everyone. That was something that they started about one year ago.

Teaching English is fun! But, I am not sure how to do it really....Nicole- do you have any suggestions for teaching and keeping it fun? I know that sounds so broad but what suggestions would you give? It really is so basic things. Last week we learned about pronouns. It's at the Church and we hand out fliers a lot about it and also have signs that advertize for it.

There's quite a bit of pollution and there's quite a bit of smoke but you don't notice it too much when you are focused on the wonder of Thailand. Of course that sounds naive, but in the words of the Thais it's jing! The pollution and everything and cigarette smoke are there but really I notice the smell of Thai cooking and spices more than anything. Seriously the best smell ever!

We haven't eaten at members’ or investigators’ homes yet and we only eat rarely in our apartment. Today in fact was the first day that we did. But at Church every Sunday they have a potluck that's always delicious. They always have a curry, sticky rice (in the words of Elise, manna!), and other excellent dishes. This last week they had papaya salad. I only got a little bit but it was amazing. The spice level doesn't really bother me too much. You just have to be reasonable. Of course you can get things with like 10 pricks but you need to start out slowly.

My bicycle is a Trek. It's great. I got a good helmet too. And I got a steal of a deal for this bike. I got everything I needed for it for under 12,000 baht! That's like unheard of. It's perfect though!

We ride taxis all over the place to get to appointments and everything. They only cost at most 100 baht and at least 35. This money comes from house money that we use for costs for the house.

So let's talk about what we did this week. Let's see. Lots of teaching. Lots of searching for people. It's sometimes hard to find people who are interested but it's really nice to see when people actually do express interest. A common response that we get when we talk about being from sadsanaa khrid is "All religions teach us to be good". The Thais are so open and loving about all religion! They really love all people no matter what they believe. We try to talk to everyone and share a short message and see if they have interest. But most of our time is spent teaching.

This week we focused on a few of our investigators. Here's the lowdown on a few of them.

1. Prem (p pronounced like the p in spud) is one that we thought was progressing-ish. But we ended up having to stop teaching him because he missed Church again. He has never been to Church before. Sadly he's not quite ready to commit to Church. He was a great guy but has a lot going on in his life right now.

2. Bawg (poor Rominazation of his name)- He's a great guy who's really funny. He attends Church every week and loves the visits from the missionaries. We are working to further his faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the World. He's doing well and is pressing forward gradually.

3. Eg- This investigator is one that we thought we weren't going to focus on but ended up shifting some of our energy to him. Elder Shill said that he wasn't ready to get baptized because he did not have parental support (he's in his 20s and still relies on his parents iun some day) and he's been learning with the missionaries for a long time. But this last week he called us up and said that he is ready to get ready to be baptized. So we have been working with him and will continue to do so. It's funny, when I hear him speak, I can understand him almost perfectly but then when other Thais speak... My understanding is a little less clear.

4. Mongkhawn and his wife Gey- This family we have only met once but they have been praying daily as a family and will be coming to Church probably this next Sunday! They seem very interested and seem to be doing well. We will be teaching them sometime this week.

We also have been working with less actives and recent converts. One of the recent converts might be seriously the most naarag (adorable) people ever! He blessed the sacrament for the first time this last week and he was nervous but he said the prayer so nice and slow. It was so touching because he probably didn't know it but it helped me because I could understand him so much better when he said it that slowly! He's nervous about talking in Church but I know that he will do a great job when they call on him- his name is Bro. Chillio. We will be teaching him again tonight.

The strength of the members here is so impressive to me. They have to go through a lot but they remain so faithful and true. This last week we spent some time helping the former bishop clean up his yard. It was nice to get to know some of the members who came to help. And there was also very delicious food. When the Thais eat, they eat a LOT of courses. I was so stuffed, I couldn't even believe it. Thai food is just so joy inducing. And rice. Seriously. It's like heaven.

Being in Thailand has made me really appreciate several things. Like home teaching. It was so nice to know that Ray (give him my regards by the way) was so close and so willing to help out. Here in Thailand the program struggles somewhat because of the length and distance that members live away from each other.

But Church has been a great experience. I had an experience that I would like to share that happened on Sunday. Church is so great in Thailand, really. First of all, we had had a bit of a stressful morning because some of our investigators didn't show up and we wanted to make sure they were there. But then as I sat next to Eg and Champ (a recent convert) the meeting was so nice. Most everyone is a convert with an amazing story. When we took the sacrament, I took time to think about how everyone in there were my brothers and sisters. It was a very unique and singular experience. Just because we look so different, doesn't mean we are different deep inside of us. We all have the same spiritual hunger and wants and needs along with a desire to be loved. As I listened to the excellent talks, which I could understand much better than last week, I loved the personal testimonies of those who are converted. The Thais have such strong faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

And Elder Shill is still fantastic. We really do work SO well together. He's a blessing to have right now! He will be leaving Thailand in November so we will probably be comps until then and I am so glad. He works so hard and really is so skillful at all he does. This week he got a little sick on Sunday and he still translated for the member of the Stake Presidency who can't speak Thai. He did a wonderful job! I wish I could have helped more however translation in Thai is not my strong spot as of now. I can understand a lot but to put it into English is hard. That's one thing that I have noticed about Thai that has been a blessing from the beginning. I don't really have to think in English about it. I can just produce/understand without translation. Serious blessing from above. But anyway... Elder Shill is great! Oh phew! For a minute it started typing in Thai, now that was a STRESS!

But seriously, Thailand is so great. I love teaching about the simple truths of the Gospel. That God lives, that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that we can be with our families forever. The Thai members are so willing to help their friends come unto Christ. I love serving them and everyday I wake up and thank my Father in Heaven that I can be here in Thailand to help them. Everyday is a new adventure where we seek out those who are prepared to listen to our message. I know I sound so cheesy and corny but seriously, I never thought I could love a people like I do the Thais. They love to smile, they are so kind and they are so PATIENT with us as we struggle to learn their language. They have such kindness about them and such desire to be good people.

Even when the days get hot and the weather's humid, it's still just such a thrill to be here! And now my time is about up. But remember พระคริสต lives and that he loves us! I am so grateful to be in Thailand to be able to help God's children.

And all is well! (With rice everyday how could everything NOT be well!)

Love,

Elder Jacob Newman

p.s.- Give my love to all those within the "sound" of this email. I love them all and thank them for their prayers and support. Tell them that the work is going well and that I love Thailand to pieces (in case it wasn't obvious already)

Wow. Thailand. Really?

Dear Family,

8/19/09

Wow. Thailand. To say it's amazing would be an understatement. Words cannot express my love for it already!

That was my first word when I stepped off the plane, after jumping up and down in my seat for the last half of an hour of the descent. We were finally there, it almost felt surreal. In fact, it did feel surreal. The flight was long. We were tired and ready for bed but more excited than ever. The second we stepped off the plane, we heard announcements over the intercom in Thai and realized that A. that was indeed Thai and that B. We only understood the last two words of it. But we were finally there!

We were met at the airport by the mission president, his wife, and the APs and the office elders. We stepped out after we withdrew our baht and we went to the car outside after we packed an overnight bag. My first words when I stepped outside were something along the lines of "it's hot but it's not as bad as I thought it would be" So let's get on to your questions and I will tell you all about everything.

I have been doing great. A bit tired since the schedule takes a little bit of getting used to but I have been doing great! The food is amazing and I haven't gotten sick at all yet, let's keep our fingers crossed on that one. Seriously, the Thai food in America looks like nothing now. I have eaten some amazing stuff that really makes the American Thai look no good! Spicy? Yes. Delicious? Very much so! Yesterday I ate papaya salad that was pretty spicy but it was SO good I can't even begin to express how good it was. We walk almost everyplace and those places that are too far we take taxis. We ride our bikes occasionally which isn't that bad. But seriously, it's so great! I have lost quite a bit of weight but it's good.

And the language. Oh the language. Everyone here says l's rather than r's, speaks really quickly, and uses a lot of vocabulary that I have no idea what it means. But through lots of prayers of you and me, I have been able to communicate really well. My comprehension is getting better everyday. I am a huge fan of Thai. It's just so fun to listen and maybe get about 60% of what people are saying sometimes and then other times be surprised when I understand perfectly. It's hard, yes but it's really a testament to the fact that God has helped me a lot with the comprehension. And the teaching is going really well actually. I try really hard to do my best to teach the principles. Despite the language barrier, I am making strides everyday. I can say almost everything that I want to say, I just want to be able to express myself a little clearer.

Yesterday we had our fourth time teaching together. Elder Shill, my awesome new companion and I, were teaching a family. The dad was a taxi driver and he had a wife and two children one of which was home. It was such a tender experience as we explained prayer and how to talk to God. We then decided to kneel and pray right there with them. It was really quite touching and it made the whole day so great! The mom said she really loved it and I loved it too! So hopefully we can help them understand more. They also said they will be coming to Church this Sunday! And pray as a family! What a joy!

I am in an area of Bangkok called Bangapii. There are lots of people, lots of nice people. That's the BEST part about Thailand. The people are so nice, they love to smile and they love the fact that we foreigners are trying to speak Thai. It's really amazing. The Thai people are so patient and loving. My love for them has just increased exponentially everyday. The ward has about 60-80 active members. There are two elders (me and Elder Shill) and three sisters in our area. That's a bit unusual but one of the sisters will be finishing up her mission in a couple of weeks. She was companions with one who finished this week I believe. But now there is a threesome. The ward has some really awesome members who have been so helpful with us in our teaching. Most of the members are newer converts but there are a few who have been members for a really long time. The first Sunday in Church was a bit stressful because I couldn't understand much but it was really cool. They have a keyboard that plays the songs for them since no one can play the piano. They also had me bear my testimony. Every member was really cordial and said that I did very well. I was also called on in Gospel Essentials to talk about the physical and temporal blessings of tithing (luckily I understood the question perfectly otherwise that could have been hair rubbing!) Again, testimony of the power of prayer and lots of hard work.

Elder Shill is the best trainer I ever could have asked for. He's from Mesa Arizona and is just the best! He's so patient, loving, caring, and funny. We get along really well and we teach really well together. He has almost been out for two years so he will finish up in this area in about three months! So I think we will probably be together for the next couple of moves meetings. He's an outstanding missionary who has taught me a lot and has been super patient with the language. It's just awesome!

President Smith seems like my kind of mission president. He did interview us all briefly and it was really great. He just briefly talked to us about the things that we should expect. The day we got into Bangkok we were so tired. And it was so surreal. But we ate really well. We had some of the best fruit ever! Mother, I am sure you would have loved the somelo (I think that's what it's called) that we had. It was just the best! We also had a pear/apple fruit that was to die for. At night we ate Thai food that was nice and mild but all in all SUPER delicious! It was crazy. We were so tired so we got to bed early and then the morning after we had moves meeting.

I met Stop at moves meeting in Bangkhen since that's his ward house. It was way exciting! He's way nice and always helps out the missionaries. We got some pictures with him that I hope you got to see them on Facebook. Moves meeting, all the missionaries in Thailand came to because the President had to talk about some issues but it was great. I got to see all of our older Thais and see how they were doing. They all are doing great. Then I got to see where all of my district was going. It was crazy. Sister Larson ended up in the Isaan. Elder Burnett is in Chiang Rai. But most everyone else stayed here in Bangkok (which is Thai is krungtheb (city of angels).

My first meal in Thailand that was not with the mission president was Mexican food. It was pretty good. Surpising to be entirely honest but I think I will be eating a lot of Thai food over the next two years, so an occasional break is good. =) The food has been great though. Rice everymeal? Dream come true, answer to prayers- literally. The rice here is SO good too. And it's way nice because everyplace serves drinkable water because not even the Thais can drink the tap water. But I also have become best friends with Seven Eleven. They are EVERYWHERE in Thailand! Seriously. It's awesome. They also have something that's like a WallMart equivalent, but not... kind of more like a mall ish kind of Wall Mart called Tesco Lotus. We eat there ocassionally and it's pretty good.

Our apartment is really amazing. Huge fan. It has a front room, a bathroom and a kitchen on the main floor and then a study room and a bathroom along with a bedroom. We have not one but THREE airconditioners. In fact, sometimes I think it's cooler than our house, if that's possible. =)

You know I actually find that I really like the heat and humidity somedays. It's amazing when it rains because when it rains in Thailand it doesn't just rain, it POURS. The rain pours and pours and pours. But the weather makes Thailand all the more beautiful.

I haven’t seen any elephants yet. Hopefully someday soon! I have seen lots of animals though. And Thailand also has a lot of random dogs too. Love it.

Here's a neat story for you. Elder Shill and I were walking around a neighborhood one day because one of our appointments had cancelled and it was a nice neighborhood with security guards and stuff. And we were about to leave when the guards called us up and said that someone wanted to talked to us. We were confused but we went and we met an American whose mother was the first member of the Church baptized in Hong Kong! And he served his mission to Korea. He works for the US Embassy (I think) and he invited us in. He married a Thai women and though he travels all the time, lives in Thailand with his two children. His wife is Buddhist. But we like taught her almost the entire first lesson and left her with a Book of Mormon. She apparently will read the whole thing. Her husband said that she really would. It was a crazy random happening. Clearly there was some divine intervention going on there.

Our days are full of teaching appointments, finding new investigators by talking to people on the street, visiting members and less-actives along with new members, and trying to help as many people as we can. It's exhausting, but so fun. Learning the language and how to communicate effectively has been a great time. I haven't made any mistakes that I know of yet but we will have to see how that goes. Luckily I can do most things that I want to do right now!

But really everything is just going so great. I have never been more tired or more happy in my entire life. I love being here helping the Thai people in anyway I can. Let's think if there's anything else that would be good to share with you today...

Oh! The street by our apartment always smells amazing in the morning. There are street vendors nearby and the spices they use are simply divine. Thailand, for the most part, smells like Thai food everyplace. In fact, on my first day here I was thinking to myself "Thailand smells like Pawit's/Thai Ruby!" Crazy!

Anyway, I love being here in Thailand. The language is coming despite the fact that it's hard. Despite the fact that's it's hard my belief and confidence and faith in God has grown tremendously as I have seen the way the Gospel can change the Thai people. I love the light in the eyes of the members and the light that lies deep within all the Thai people. You all are so supportive! I love you all so much and I pray for you all all the time. Thanks for all the emails, I don't really have time to respond to them but I am quite a fan of all of them. They really lift me up when it's hot outside and it's hard. But it's really such a tender experience to be able to see how people change and how we can help them in their lives.

Today while we were riding into Bangkok to do some things (we went and bought a few really cheap ties. Word of advice for Elders going to Thailand: Buy your Thais here, they are SO much cheaper and so nice), we heard the Islamic call to prayer. Today we saw several priests and Wats on the way. Thailand is just beautiful all around!

Remember to choose the right, laugh at those times that you don't have a clue what someone's saying in Priesthood meeting (they were talking about welfare principles. I have never been more lost in my entire life!), and most importantly remember that God lives and that he knows His children.

With love, prayers, and blessings from the land of smiles where Elder Newman smiles everyday because he's here!

Elder Jacob Newman

p.s.- i am SO excited that you got to meet Bro. Sakhaa. I can't print off emails here but I will find someplace that I can. Anyway, off to teach English tonight. That should be quite an experience. And a half. I hope I can do it! Thanks for all your prayers. They REALLY do help!

In Bangkok

Elder Newman has, apparently, arrived safely in Bangkok. Which we learned in a suspicious, vague email yesterday. Though, now we have photographic proof!

So I totally just wrote a whole bunch and lost it all!

Ahhhh! Stress!

The package arrived in good order and I will just answer the questions from the email that you just sent me. For some reason, I just lost the email that I was writing. It was way long too. So I will have to hurry since I only have 15 minutes left.The package arrived in excellent order and I was pleased with everything. Thank you so much! Give my thanks to Stop, profusely for his help with the Thai language card. I lost mine a couple of weeks ago and I need it for reference for vowels even though I don't use it that much anymore. Thanks for everything. Everything is perfect.)

Do you use your ipod to play music? - They disallowed it at the MTC for some reason but I will use it in Thailand.

Are you still playing the piano and have you ever gotten to do anything special on the piano? Do you think you will ever get to play in Thailand?- I bet you I will be play almost every Sunday in Thailand. I haven't done anything special yet but I am working with our district to our final musical number. We will be singing in Sacrament Meeting- I believe in Christ (Chan chxa nay phrakhrid) and Each Life that Touches ours for Good.

When do you start the Doxycycline medication for malaria?- Unclear. I am not wholly sure.

Did you have to have any additional immunizations or did we get them all taken care of? I heard that some missionaries in your district had to get immunizations.- They got the Japanese mouse brains shot for free. They are going to get two doses. But I think it's good we got it before because I think our doses are probably better than theirs.

Do you already know what day is P-day in Thailand?- Wednesday I think? We teach English at night rather than tract. That's a happy thought.

The elephant cookies made it in good order and I was able to share of the chaang (elephant) goodness. Excellent work. Thank you.

The tape recorder I will ponder about. I will probably send you a more detailed letter today. I really wish they gave us more time for email because that's really frustrating that I just lost all the 15 minutes worth of work. I guess it teaches us patience to experience such trials. Anyway... Let's use the rest of this time wisely.I am so excited to go! The language will be hard the, food different, the culture different, but I already feel a kinship and a love for the Thai people that I cannot express in words. Phom ruu waa mxa phom mii sadthaa nay Phrakhrid lah Phraphuupencaaw phom tham thugsing day! (I know that when I have faith in Christ and God I can do all things). It's really exciting. I think it will be a great time. Really. I just can't wait to get out there and serve the people. I too thought about what Nicole said about the two years and the rest of your life. It's also comforting to think that she told me before I left that she knew I would be okay because I am in God's hands. I have thought about that a lot as I think about what it's going to be like in Thailand. I think it's human to be scared of the unknown, but I can't wait to get to Thailand and share my testimony with the Thai people that they have a Phraphuuchuayhayrawd (Poor rominazation of Savior) and that they can see the blessings of knowing Him in their life. I mean look at Stop, he has worked so hard to share this with everyone he knows. I can't wait to actually meet him in about a week! That's a very happy thought for Elder Newman.

Anyway I think my bag works because I measured it and it seemed to be under 45 inches. I will use the Post Mart system as soon as I can. I will probably do it sometime this week. I am not sure exactly when is the best. (P.S.- I am on earlier since we got up earlier than usual to make the most of our last p-day). I hope it's okay if we just pay the $2.

The camera looks fantastic. I will read the instructions and be sure to be very careful with it. Thank you so much. I will make sure to take a ton of pictures because this is such a once in a lifetime experience. I will mail you my flight plans. I don't know if I will have time to copy them but I will get you all the information that you need. I wish I hadn't lost that first email but oh well. It gave more detailed responses to everything. But anyway, thanks so much for all your support. I will probably be calling you from LAX late at night. At that time, you will probably want to hear me speak Thai so you should probably have something to record the call with if you want.If you have any other questions or need clarification, please Dear Elder me. I will work my hardest to get the answers to you as soon as I can.Okay, remember that I love you all and pray for you all. Thank you so much for all your support. I will get a letter to you guys that's not as rushed. Anyway, I love you all. God bless. Con raw juur iig (till we meet again!)

Love

Elder Jacob Newman