Chiangrai

January 29, 2012


Companion: Elder Hess


Hey everyone!
It is the end of my second week in Chiang Rai, and I am just loving it here! I appreciate all the love that I can feel here. Being in Thailand is definitely different and it does get hot enough, but being in the North does help. My companion Elder Hess says that I am lucky to be "born" in Chiang Rai because it isn't all that hot up here. I've seen some pretty things still. So on our street that we live on, we have this crazy dog that just sits in the middle of the street and waits for us. When we go by and he is out, he freaking attacks us!! Except now it is just me that he attacks. Bummer. I've seen a bagillion scooters, a lot with people just holding their babies in their lap. The baby just smiles. I've learned some pretty crazy evasive manuevers for bike riding I think; I've had to dodge car doors opening, crazy people just pulling halfway in the road before looking, other bicycles going the wrong way, near-accidents. AAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I feel like I'm gonna die here!!

I just want to say that inviting is the craziest thing in the world, especially in Thailand. We have our good days and bad, but that is not what makes it crazy. It's the people and their animals. Almost every house, we walk up and yell "Sawaadii Khraph! Mii Khray Yuu Baan May Khraph?! (Hello! Is anyone home?!)" Almost immediately afterwards, or during that, some dog starts barking and appears at the gate. What we just did, is pretty much the doorbell of Thailand. They have doorbell, sure, but our way is better. You can usually scare the dog away with one motion though, pretend like you are picking something off the ground and are gonna throw it. It makes them run away, but it doesn't help the barking. 

I've spent many a day, standing like an idiot, because, I don't know what my companion or the person is saying. I know like nothing sitill, but you can't run before you can walk. A lot of days, I just sit and look pretty, which works well by the way, but I'm getting better at putting in my two to three cents.

We think that we got a special batch of people as our members in Chiangrai. I was asked to play the piano for sacrament meeting on Sunday, and as I looked into the crowd, many members sat and made faces at me. It was weird. One of the members went with us as we taught a recent convert and her non-member Dutch husband, and I have to say, that our member is THE scariest driver that I have ever seen!! I don't know how to even describe it, besides scary. 

We also have a member that is having house issues. She was converted after moving from Burma to here and has been living with her cousin. Well, I think that her cousin got sick of her or something because he said that she could not live there anymore. We went and had a meeting with them and started to try to discuss options. We had a few options with two living with a member and the last, moving back to Burma with her family. Every time Burma was brought up, she would say, "Oh NO!" and started to tell some crazy long story to Elder Hess. This happened at least four times. We finally agreed on her trying to move into a member's house that she knew. Well, the next day, she called saying that she wanted to wait until the 31st, and so she could get her money. It goes on longer, but me and Elder Hess decided that, for someone with no more options, that she is making things very difficult. As of now, we still are not sure what is happening. 

For Matthew Underwood:
yay-big
phom-I
phxan-friend
khrobkhrua-family
nonchay-little brother

OH, the script characters are really fun to learn and to write, and I love trying to figure out what signs say. 

There are people here that only know the "Tourist English" and some know full English. It makes it fun to try to talk to people here. The markets are also really fun and I love walking through them and just looking at what they were selling. A lot of shirts and phone cases, but there was some traditional stuff as well, also a ton of food was being made. We sat in a market on Saturday and passed out a bunch of English class papers, and we almost gave them all out. There were some very excited people, (especially a drunk, I'm pretty sure, farang (white person) holding a beer in hand). 

Well I think that that is all and I will talk to y'all again soon.

โชกดี!!
Elder Anthony Susi

P.S. I have a bagillion mosquito bites.

Chiangrai

January 22, 2012

Companion: Elder Hess

Dear family and friends,
What is up!!! I now write on Mondays, that is my P-day, but feel free to send emails whenever. I can only look once, at about 9:00 am January 23, 2555 today, and can only send two emails. One to parents, which can be forwarded to everyone and put on Facebook, and one to the mission president, President Smith. I am having an excellent time here in Thailand. We had a baptism, but I just happened to arrive two days before. I live in Chiangrai currently, way in the north part of Thailand. It is cold in the mornings, but it does get hot later. I am used to the timechange, but with all the bike riding and investigators, I get tired at about 4:00 pm. Our investigators are very nice, but it is hard to hear them because they talk so quietly. Our members here are really great and funny! I am called Elder Sushi, and by one member, Elder Suzuki. *shakes head* At first, they were asking if I was a phuu yin (girl), but they all found out that I wasn't. I congratulate Todd Campbell, and Tanner, you shut the cake up. lol  
Matthew:
     grangcay-obligated
     ob un-warm
     phuusonsadsanaa-missionary
     rong plane-hymn
     phratade thai-Thailand
The dogs are crazy. They are mellow one second, and angry and barking the next. No bites, thank goodness. 

OH, I forgot to tell I think, my companion is Elder Hess, he is from Fielding, UT and has been here for 1 1/2 years. He is fantastic! 

Elder Summers: I am training with Landon Hess, he says that he knows you or something.
Elder Harrison: I miss you and your wonderful Centerville voice. 
Sister Guildner: I met your dad! He came to Chiangrai for a BYU-Hawaii thing.
Sister Skalla: Whoo! You get to come to Thailand soon!!!
Sister Campos: How is your mission going?
Elder Tzanis: How is your mission going?
Elder Hansen: How is your mission going?
Elder Kofford: Hang tight buddy, you'll make it here someday. Pray for healing. 

I am already feeling better about riding bikes on busy, crazy streets because these streets are busy and the people are crazy. I hope that Mom and Dad have fun in Hawaii. I hope that school is going well. Christopher Susi, ask of God for your answer, in there lies the truth.

Ok, I think that I wrote a long enough email. Rock on, party hard,

Elder Anthony Susi

Mission Home welcome letter

January 18, 2012

Dear Brother Underwood, I am happy to report that your son has arrived safely in Bangkok and he is in good spirits.  He is being interviewed by President Smith and oriented by the office staff.  He will receive his first assignment tomorrow morning.

     His Preparation Day will be on Mondays and his email address will remain the same as he used in the MTC.  We encourage you to write him a letter this week so that he will have one next Monday when he checks into his email.

     Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions during his missionary service.

Sister Johnson

Thailand Bangkok Mission Secretary

MTC

January 13, 2012

Companion: Elder Hansen

We have an American Airlines flight to LAX at 4:25 pm and then a layover for 5 hours. We then have EVA Airways to Taipei, Taiwan! Woooooooo! That flight is at 10:45pm our time and we land at 9:10 am our time, and a four hour layover in Taiwan. WOOOOOOO!!!!! At 9:10, we continue on our EVA Airlines to Thailand and will land on January 17, 2012 at 11:50 am our time and date. Let Fred know, and I hope that you have an amazing birthday. I do not think that I need anything else, and tell mom that I will get a call card. I am going to get the $500 out of the account today, and then hide it.

Talk to you all soon,

Elder Anthony Susi

MTC

January 3, 2012

Companion: Elder Hansen

Thanks mom for that, I shouldn't need anything else on the iPod. Everyone loved their Chrismas stuff and were all excited for the chocolate and I love the stocking! I'm keeping it forever, or at least until the end of the mission, or it gets lost. The sisters loved your gifts for them. I must have forgotten to tell you that the other Thai sisters left about 4 weeks ago, but it's okay. Our Thai sisters have two roommates, one is our new Thai sister and the other is going to Cambodia, speaking Cambodian. I hope everyone loved my "Christmas box" and will use them and such. Send me a couple more T-shirts and some sudoku and/or word search and/or brain teaser books. Lori and Mark sent me a sudoku book and I went, "I never thought of that." Oh, tell Elder Hansen's mom that we said thank you for the Christmas gifts.

I realized as I was typing this to you that it is getting harder to write in English. We have heard some awesome stories that missionaries have to deal with, like, zombie dogs and a dookka, (a little lizard that says its name and is apparently to catch). And crazy marketplace and Thai people stories.

So uh, I've been starting my sentences the same for about 10 weeks now, and it's a hard thing to stop. Ah, oh well. I don't have my flight plan yet, but we should be receiving it Thursday. We keep thinking that we will be going to Taiwan, and I'm sooooooooo excited. I think that it is funny that Parker is going to South Carolina, I don't know why, but i do. I don't how much cash I'll need, but next week, I'll take out $300 for the flight and snacks and things before and in between flights. I printed Wortley's talk and will read it and share it. I've read the Book of Mormon 1 1/2 times, and read the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price once while out here. I also starting marking whenever it talks about the Godhead or any other names that they have. I don't hear any news, I haven't seen Brother Farley or Brother Reese, so give me some news!

Lots of love,

Elder Anthony Susi

MTC Christmas

December 25, 2011

Companion: Elder Hansen

Hey! It's Christmas and we are able to check our email and send some. I just thought that I would send an email and say Merry Chrismas and Happy New Year! I will still check my email on Tuesday as usual, but we get a minute or two to send one out. Christmas was great and I hope that you received some great presents, too bad I wasn't there to celebrate. I've been gettting more and more excited with each passing day as I countdown to January 16, my departure date. I think that it's going to be hard leaving this great country for 2 years, and then to come back will be even harder I hope. My language studies are going well and I am learning that much more everyday, and we help out the newer Thai missionaries with their language study. Don't worry, I'm going to be fine and I hope to see you all with everything intact.

Write to me soon,

Elder Anthony Susi

MTC

December 20, 2011

Companion: Elder Hansen

I hope that they had fun, I'm going to send my photo memory card home for Christmas. I will be working on it all day today. I got to clean the temple here in Provo today, I just got back a half-hour ago. I look forward to the Christmas PJ's and hope that they are good. Would you check to see which Facebook friends are coming out soon? I would like a list, and a notification for when they announce it, (if they do). I've been getting some strange mail this last week. A Dear Elder from a Jacob Newman, and then a card from his mother. Tell Robert that I appreciated his letter, and that I hope that the priests laughed at that joke, it was really funny when I heard it. Put on Facebook, when you receive the memory card, that I say this: "Merry Christmas from the MTC! I get to be here when a First Presidency member speaks to us and you don't! I hope that it is President Uchtdorf. Give me your Christmas greetings, and I wish you a Happy New Year. I leave for Thailand in less than one month now *excited face*. Oh, I talked to several elders here from Utah, and they all say that "they hate Davis high," keep up the good work Davis!!! Those that know an Andrew Harrison, he says hi." Put all that in, exactly as written, please and thank you. I think that I am also going to send the ipod back one more time. I'll send it home soon so that you can work on it.

Have fun with whatever, and see you sooner then you think,

Elder Anthony Susi