OCTOBER 31ST ELDER UPDATE

First thing first....thanks for getting those snacks in the mail...they are going to change peoples lives here in thailand. Anyways, life is life. This week has been a classic week here in Ayutthaya....We are seeing some sweet things happen here in this branch.... this past sunday the branch president pulled us into his office... with us he discussed goals and problems that he wanted us to help the branch with....this might not seem like a big deal....but if you knew the barrier that has been between the missionaries and members here you would understand more fully. The missionaries that have been here in the past have told the members that they not only didn't want to work with the members but that they didn't need the members help in missionary work...so after the missionaries said that actions followed that just built the barrier all the bigger. So the missionaries and members haven't been on the best terms for the last year or so....which of course has had an impact on the missionary work here also...but this little place is changing...we are getting the members to help us in all aspects of our work we are giving them responsibility and the results are of new strong member/ missionary relationships....which are already starting to have a positive impact on our results from our missionary service. So that was something great that has happened and developed over the course of the last week or so...Yesterday we had companionship switchoffs....I switchedoff with elder jensen....in his area....it was alot of fun. They have one investigator that works at a show place....it is packed with elephants and tigers and what not...everything is just laying around and you can just walk around and pet stuff feed stuff .....whatever your heart desires....:) anyways that was cool....its always crazy feeling when there is like a bunch of tigers loose just walking around. Anyways....another sweet thing is that the other elders in our district found this group of burmese people....like 15 of them. They were going to a church called Grace church or something like that...and started investigating with us....But these people are way sweet this whole group is really interested and keep the commitments that they are givin....the only problem is they dont' speak thai....and only a couple of them speak english so there is alot of translating going on....but yeah the other elders are like international elders...they teach in a bunch a languges....right now their investigators include people from....burma, lao, vietnam, and korea....so they have an interesting group of people to teach....anyways....a bit of random info for you...well ok everything is going good....hope all goes well with the wedding and what not.... i send my congrats to the two....i love you guys let me know if i can help you at all....love you guys
elder lowrey..

Weekly (Elder) Update

hey family...so an announcement...about email...President Dodge said that the new rule for email is....everyone can email me....(any family) but if I reply I have to go through my Mom's email address....so you can email me again. As for other things....I am actually out of surin....and I don't know what to do....haha. So fyi...I moved to a place called........ayutthaya....its a couple hours north of bankok...and kinda to the west....the church has been here for about 3 years...so the branch is really small....but way sweet....It was actually opened about 10 years ago but got closed due to a number of different things. Anyways...my area is interesting....about 45 percent musilm....(hard conversion rate ... beings that death could be punishment for changing religions.) Anyways I am on a island...kind of....my area is surrounded by a river....and the other 2 elders look over the area on the outside of the river....Anyways this place is interesting....this is like one of the oldest cities in thailand..and the place where they filmed the movie mortal combat...there are a ton of ancient temples...and a ton of foriegners haha since i have been here , just a couple days, I have helped translate for a ton of people...Anyways....I got a new companion too....he is cambodian.....so lets just say I still am not speaking awhole lot of english....haha.. anyways he is way small ...he is about 70lbs and about comes up to my armpit....so he is way small....anyways...we will see how it goes.....hopefully it will be ok...anyways...the branch is pretty cool....the branch president has been a member for just over a year so doesnt really quite know whats going on....but hes good. we have about 5 priesthood holders that come to church so its about the same size a the surin branch....but not the same problems.... :)..I don't know why but president loves putting me in areas with no investigators and small branches...haha ....maybe there is a lesson to be learned...haha...so yeah...we have like 1 investigator....so we will see what we can do in the next couple weeks...on the island(my area) we only have 13 members so there isn't too much member work to do also....yeah from our area to the church is about 15 min. on a motorcycle and a little far on a bike.....we got special permission to use boats here though because it is reallly convinient....umm...our house is pretty sweet....it is right on the river...and our neighbors are these massive karaoke boat/resturants....that have tons of people singing and stuff meaning drinking and singing all night...so it gets interesting....haha....in this time of the year...there is a ton of flooding in my area....like everyone on the other side of the island has moved out of there house....i am talking two story house is now one story ....this isn't little floods like in surin....there is like 10 feet + of water in some areas......our house is almost flooded so we might be moving if it gets worse....anyways....apparently this happens every year....because....it rains alot up north in like chaing mai and chaing rai ...so when the dams are fulll up there they open them up.....and the water all comes down to ayutthaya ...fun no?>but its pretty fun..i will send you some pics when i take some...anyways...thats the report....thanks for the email....love you guys elder lowrey