Monday, January 9, 2012

Chiang Mai Zoo Safari Jan 2012

Here we are! My favorite animal! 
What? A Baby Camel!

Baby Giraffe is BITING ME! Hello Baby Zebra!

Are you jealous Mom & Dad??

Feed the Birds with Sis. Surge
JANELL!

Coco Peanut Logs! Love it! (check out the Thai language guide - OUCH)



Friday, January 6, 2012

Merry Christmas from Thailand

No Way  Thai Harry Potter DVD

Pad Thai for a Buck! New Goals - Eat when it's meal time and not all day long!

NOT American Pad Thai!

Santa Claus at the Ward Party

Monks Everywhere!
For our Christmas Phone Call we had everyone but Scott on video Skype. It was so amazing -- we could see everyone so clear! She loves the food! She is bike riding like never before. She's had one "mishap", but talks about how crazy the drivers are - no rules on the roads, yet she is amazed how safe she feels. How sweet the people are and how giving. She is teaching Advanced English classes twice a week.  No one has "days off", and such hard workers - 7 days a week.  All their teaching is done on the floor. She has been invited into home where all they had was a bare mattress on the floor, and they still offered her water and fruit. People are so poor and live in filthy conditions, don't have food in their cupboards, not even a sink in their house, yet they are always happy.  
Her area is HUGE!  They are a 7 hour drive North of Bangkok. There are two sets of Elders, and the Sisters. The branch has about 100 people.  She's getting use to the heat, humidity, but the people there wear coats and pants all the time cause it is the "cold season". 
Oddly enough P-Days in the mission field are busier then in the MTC! (This last week we received an e-mail with all of 4-5 sentences.) 
We we're able to connect Jenn and Scott on Christmas night. Jenn via skype calling, and Scott on the phone. We laid the phone down on the computer speaker, and they just screamed, and laughed, and we're soooo glad to hear each other's voice.  Scott is struggling, and Jenn was able to encourage him. They laughed, asked so many questions of each other, but mostly just thrilled to hear each other's voice. We felt so honored to be listening to them connect and share so much. 
Jenn is so thrilled to be where she is, and so loving sharing and teaching about the Savior. They have lots of families they are teaching, and keep very busy.  
The hardest part of the whole family Skype was having to say good by. Ryan started it with a big frowny face - and soon we we're all in tears. Jenn just pour out her heart to us, and we shared sweet tender moments trying to say good by till Mother's Day.  We are so grateful for the blessing the Savior has given us, and eternal families.