Dear loved ones,
It's official! We have been in Thailand for 1 full year! We arrived at about 2 in the morning on January 29th, 2024. It seems like forever ago. It also seems like yesterday.
This week there are a lot of pictures because we went on a Senior Missionary Field trip to the Bridge on the River Kwai and Erawan Falls! We almost didn't go on the field trip because I (Sister Brady) woke up with the room spinning on Sunday morning! BPPV! (google it!) I have had it 2 times before during Covid. It is awful!! The first time I had it, I was in bed for a week, the 2nd time (2 months after the 1st) I was in bed for 2 days. This time (nearly 6 years later) it took me out for only one day, thank heavens. I count that is a huge blessing. Yes, we performed the Epley Maneuver (google it) and it really helps!
Please note: This week's blog is getting posted a day early because A-there are a lot of pictures and B-tomorrow is transfer day and that day is always full to the brim!
I will quit rambling on and jump into the pictures. Let's go!!
But first, we love you and we miss you and we pray you are well. We thank you for your love, support, and prayers.
Sincerely,
Elder and Sister Brady (Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, John and Shelly, and so on)
Saturday morning, Elder and Sister Brady got up and took their morning walk on the stairs to start their day. Sister Brady took a minute to go out on the 6th floor balcony to have a quiet moment. This is the gorgeous view from the 6th floor balcony.
Another view from the 6th floor balcony.
After driving for 2 and 1/2 hours, Elder and Sister Brady wait in the condo lobby for the Elders to come downstairs and get us so we can inspect their apartment!
Lunch after a terrific house inspection! We are at Humble Burger where Elder Allred humbly waits to dig into his delicious hamburger!
Sunday morning we woke up to a video and pictures from one of our missionaries! This is a stack of scriptures that termites have built a nest in! Their house has termites! These are the kinds of problems that Elder Brady has to deal with! Elder Brady is not happy that the house has termites.
Sister Kanyaphan, our mission leader,
is not happy that these Scriptures have not been given out as they should have been!
We all joked that this gives new meaning to the words "feasting on the Word of Christ!"
Also Sunday morning, Sister Brady woke up and felt like the entire room was spinning. Above is an actual picture of Sister Brady and the spinning room. Not really . . . Anyway, It has been nearly 6 years since Sister Brady had a bout of BPPV (you can google it) and Sunday was an awful day. Elder Brady attended the Rayong Branch while Sister Brady stayed in bed. Elder Brady also helped sister Brady with the Epley Maneuver which helped and by the end of the day, Sister Brady was starting to feel a little better. Thankfully!!
On Monday, Sister Brady was so grateful to be feeling better as we had planned to spend the day with the other Senior missionaries doing some sightseeing. The building we live in and work in was being worked on. All electricity was getting shut off from 8:30am to 5:30pm. That meant no lights and no air conditioning! There was no way to work, we made plans to go on a little drive. The first stop was the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. (google for more information, but FYI it is some sad WW2 stuff!)
Picture of the Cemetery.
Sisters Brady and Meeker and Elders Meeker and Stepp reading about the cemetery.
Some of these headstones made me cry! Age 32
"In loving memory of a dear husband, and daddy. His loving wife and children."
Age 23. "Christ loved him too and thought it best to take him home with Him to rest."
Elders Stepp, Meeker, and Brady walk through the cemetery.
Another cemetery picture.
The next stop was the Death War Museum. What a name. So many people died as POWs here in Kanchanaburi while building the bridge on the River Kwai.
A museum display.
More displays.
More displays. The conditions they lived in were terrible.
Each railroad spike in this display represented 500 death.
Elder and Sister Brady at the Bridge on the River Kwai.
The Bridge.
Elder and Sister Meeker, Elder and Sister Brady, Elder and Sister Stepp. The Meekers (who finish their mission in April) and the Stepps (who finish in March) are both in the West Mission. Our offices are right down the hall from each other on the 2nd floor of the Annex.
Elder and Sister Brady on the bridge.
Elder and Sister Brady.
Elder Brady has a picture of himself as a missionary nearly half a century ago in this exact same spot!
Sister Stepp and Sister Brady.
A view from the bridge.
A view from the other side of the bridge
It was hot and we were thirsty, so we decided to try some of this frozen soda! The soda spins in a drum full of ice. It keeps it from freezing and breaking the bottle, but as it was poured in the glass, it immediately froze! The grape Fanta hit the spot!!
A car full of missionaries on their way to their next destination. Our driver was President Mac. He is the branch president in Chachaengsao. Elder Meeker is in the front seat as a passenger. Next row was the Bradys, then Sister Meeker and Sister Noi, and the Stepps in the back!
Erawan Falls. This Elephant was made of recycled garbage!
Erawan Waterfall.
On the nicely paved path. Bradys! Sister Noi and Meekers photo bombing!
There are 7 levels to the Waterfall. We only made it to levels one and two. Elder Brady has promised Sister Brady to bring her back! Perhaps when family is in town, we will do that! Here is a picture of all of the levels to satisfy your curiosity.
Sister Meeker, Brady, Noi, and Stepp.
Smile for all the cameras!
Elder Brady at attention!
This place is magical!
Come on! Are you kidding me?
Elder and Sister Brady!
On our way to level two.
Level two! So many people are swimming. Life Jackets are requires. You can rent them for about 70 cents (US) at the park.
On our way to lunch, our driver kindly slowed down on the bridge so Sister Brady could take a picture at this beautiful spot.
Lunch along the river. This place served Thai food for a very good price. Elder and Sister Brady ate Thai fried rice with chicken. And everyone was so nice to give Sister Brady bites of what they were having, because she loves to try everything!
After lunch, we drove past a strawberry farm, so we had to stop!!
These strawberries were amazing! It reminded us of back home! There is nothing like Oregon strawberries and, now I have to add, Thai strawberries!
The next stop was Sai Yok Falls! This waterfall was so cool because you could walk up some stairs right to the fall! And the stairs were a waterfall in and of themselves. In the distance, you can see Sister Brady walking up the stairs!
Sister Brady's foot on the way up!
Sister Brady made it to the top!
Sisters Brady and Meeker in front of the falls.
Sister Brady takes a picture of Elder Brady taking a picture of Sister Brady.
Sister Brady's shadow.
Did you know her shadow was what inspired the Pixar studios female cartoon characters?!
Meekers, Bradys, and Stepps pose in front of a locomotive near Sai Yok Falls.
Bougainvillea! Sister Brady's favorite flower!
The last stop was at the Death Railway tracks. If you are brave you can walk across the trestle!
Bougainvillea and the tracks!
Pink and Purple - Sister Brady's wedding colors!
This was such a beautiful place.
Stunning views.
This cave was right off of the railroad tracks. Inside the cave was a Buddhist shrine.
Sisters Stepp and Brady.
This miniature shrine was in a mini cave inside the cave!
Another beautiful view.
The Death Railway.
Final stop on Monday was a little stand selling the most delicious coconut ice cream!
It was FANTABULOUS!!
Tuesday we had our final house inspection for this transfer! Elders Bergstedt and Redd got an A+. It might have been a B+ or an A due to a little excess clutter, but Elder Berg gave us each a Reese's Peanut Butter cup. You can't get those in Thailand! He got automatic bonus points for that! Yes, we can be bribed! Haha!
Wednesday was the final day for Sister Pathoumma (heading back to Laos) and Elder Tripoli (heading back to the Philippines). These are truly great missionaries and we will miss them so much!
Wednesday afternoon, we went down to meet a new member by the temple. I took this picture while we waited for her.
We took a couple of pictures by the Christus.
Loven is a new member. She reached out to us via Facebook Messenger. She was coming to the temple for the first time and wanted to take a picture with us.
She loves missionaries and wants to be a missionary!
And that is a wrap for this week's blog!
Well . . . no pictures for Thursday, but we spent a lot of time getting ready for transfer day tomorrow, including Elder and Sister Brady going to the market to pick up the cut up fruit for breakfast tomorrow morning. This afternoon, Sisters Brady and Howard went to the store to purchase goodies for a gift basket for our new Senior Office Missionaries! Yes, that is right! The Calls arrive Saturday evening! They will be here for 23 months! It's hard to believe that one year ago, we arrived here (like the Calls) and in one year we will have been home for a month and a half and the Calls will be in their home stretch!
Thanks for reading!
We love you!
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