Dear Family and Friends,
This week was not only our 3 month mission anniversary (3 months down, only 20 to go!), but it was also Songkran - Thai New Year! Songkran is the equivalent of the Christmas to New Year Holidays back home in that everything shuts down and everyone celebrates. The roads are relatively empty. None of our street vendors (where we often buy our meals like friend rice, smoothies, fresh fruit, etc.) were open. The country office (employed by Thai workers to help the Church Foundation in Thailand) here at the annex was completely dark. This is a big deal holiday. Songkran is Thailand's traditional New Year and much of the activities revolve around water throwing, temple visits, and paying respects to elders and ancestors, all part of a celebration of new beginnings. Water plays a central role, symbolizing purification, renewal, and blessings for the coming year. Songkran is a time for fresh starts. Many people travel to spend time with family. And everywhere there are water festivals (think celebrations with buckets of water and lots of squirt guns)!
Our young missionaries are able to participate in the fun during the day with other missionaries and with their church families. They all had strict rules about being inside their apartments after 6pm because sometimes things can get out of hand at night with the celebrating. The missionaries had mandatory zoom meetings from 6pm - 9pm each night of Songkran. While that sounds like a long time to be on zoom, they had a lot of fun in their meetings. They played Missionary Olympics, trivia games, had story time from the Senior missionaries (telling them about their missions to Thailand in the old days), and spiritual messages from the mission leaders and each other.
I was a little nervous to head outside during Songkran because we were told that people could dump water on you and missionaries needed to have their phones and things in plastic so they did not get ruined. I stocked up on food and planned to just stay in for 3 days (yes it is a 3 day celebration - it actually goes on for much of the month - but big time for 3 days). Some adventurous Senior missionaries suggested we go out and join the fun! So a large group of us met on Tuesday afternoon with our phones in plastic bags and took off to go to a park where one of the largest Songkran celebration was held. Some of the Seniors came prepared with water guns and buckets and had a lot of fun engaging in water fights. John and I did not have any squirt guns . . . so we were easy targets and we did indeed get wet! And with temperatures around 90 plus degrees, it felt great! We had a lot of fun and were glad we could experience the New Year celebration. I posted tons of pictures with more details below!
Last weekend, on Saturday, we took a bus ride and ferry across the river to spend a few hours at the Icon Siam. Since this is the largest most high end mall in Bangkok, it was strictly window shopping! I had heard that there is an indoor floating market in this mall and I was determined to see it and experience it. It turned out to be more of simulation of a floating market, but it was still cool. I posted lots of pictures of the mall below too.
Saturday, after the mall trip, we met up with our newest Senior missionaries, the Stennetts. Sister Stennett is our new mission medical advisor. And she and her husband are from Kauai. So of course, having lived there we needed to have dinner and talk about all things Kauai.
On Sunday, we stayed home and watched 4 hours of General Conference. Because of the time difference, the second Sunday in April was set aside here in Thailand to watch Conference.
The week zoomed by. Our one big outing, besides the afternoon of water fun on Tuesday, was a trip over to the old Asoke chapel to clean up the mess we left there when we closed an apartment a few weeks ago. The Belnaps helped us sort through things and we determined a lot of it was stuff we did not need. In the USA we would have taken the things to a thrift store or the dump, but here in Thailand we were told by a local who works with us, to just leave it on the street. She said people would take what the wanted and then the garbage would get picked up by the garbage trucks. We were hesitant to do this, but did not know what else to do. We put out several boxes of items with a sign that said "free" on Thursday. We walked by Friday morning, just sure that everything would still be there, but all of it was gone! We hope someone can use it or sell it and that it will bless their life!
We love you and miss you and would love to hear from you! Enjoy the pictures with more details to follow!
With love,
John and Shelly (mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, your friends, and so on!)
Nothing but partying over there! Wow! We're glad you are both well and enjoying your mission. Cheering John on as he dominates in cribbage. Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteYay! A comment on the blog! We will try to get some work done this week :) Nice talking to you this Easter Weekend! Happy Easter to you too! He is risen!
ReplyDeleteOh the water fights look like fun! Our kids would love that!!!
ReplyDeleteYes! The kids would really have loved Songkran!!
DeleteHas John never been with you to Salt and Straw where everything must be sampled?? He should know better by now. Lol
ReplyDeleteLove you guys and the adventure you are having! I know you are blessing so many lives with all of your love for people and love of the Gospel. 🤍
Hahahaha! Yes! I embarrass him everywhere we go! He knows I love the samples! Salt and Straw, Costco, Disneyland California Adventures sourdough bread . . . (I actually miss those places so much!) Thank you for commenting my friend!
Delete