Thailand Letter
Dearest Family, Tuesday November 3, 1998 6:25 a.m.
BOB - You are going to have to quit your work and just communicate with the family -Ha!!! I LOVED THE LETTER FROM RICKY THAT HE SENT TO HIS FAMILY - HIS VERY FIRST LETTER FROM EL SALVADOR!!! You are TOO GOOD to have a scanner that will copy things like that and send them - that is TRULY A MIRACLE!!! I hope you will teach me how to do things like that when I get home and then maybe I can relieve you - if you want me to.
I am SO proud of Ricky - what a wonderful letter!!! He is so natural and not one bit phony and I LOVE THAT. Isn't it great that he could have a companion from Costa Rica who is a native Spanish speaker? Ricky will learn real Spanish and maybe Elder Mata will learn some English - believe me, I can relate to how frustrating that is for both of them. I can also relate to the cold showers - we have a wonderful shower here with hot water and Myrth complains constantly if it isn't immediate. It was funny to have him tell how the dogs can understand Spanish - I will be able to use that analogy in my teaching English in a foreign country. I was SO interested in having him tell about the living conditions and how poor everyone is but they all have television sets. I used to think that was dumb but I don't anymore - they need all the luxury they can get and if they can find enjoyment in their television shows then I am all for it. They must have a good ward with 70 members. PLEASE GIVE RICKY MY LOVE AND I WILL WRITE TO HIM - I don't have very good luck in sending messages to temporary e-mail addresses so I haven't tried but I will try soon with the address Jeannie sent to me - if it has changed let me know.
BOB & JOHN - You said you will get to Bangkok about 2:45 on Saturday, December 5 so you will probably get to your hotel about 5 p.m. I would suggest that you go to bed immediately (HA!) and then leave Bangkok on Sunday morning about 6 a.m. Tell the taxi driver to take you to "MORCHIP #2 - THE BUS TERMINAL". You will probably be met by Thai people directing you to a Lopburi bus but if not then you go into the place where they sell tickets and you buy a ticket to Lopburi. It will cost you about 80 bahts and the bus will be air conditioned and quite nice. When you get to Lopburi find a "Vehicle" that will take you to the "LOPBURI INN" - everyone knows where it is. The vehicle is a three wheeled bicycle type thing - they don't have taxis in Lopburi but the Inn isn't all that far from the bus station. I will meet you at the Lopburi Inn and we can walk to the church - it is just about two blocks from there. BUSES LEAVE EVERY THIRTY MINUTES.
Telephone Numbers: Nurack's cellular phone 01-983-3109 His last name is: Manosujarittam and his wife's name is Wanada. His home - 614-551 (prefix 036 long distance)
Tom (Branch President) - cellular phone 01-815-5750 Home - 423-004 (prefix 036 long distance) Church - 422-186 (prefix 036 long distance) I have never seen a phone at the church but they gave me this number - I haven't used it.
Church starts at 10 a.m. and I could be at the Lopburi Inn by 9 a.m. and just wait for you. This could all change - I never know what their schedule is and they could not have meetings that day for one reason or another but I will know in time to let you know.
Talk about being trunky - WOW!!! Don't let Ricky know this.
People here are SO nice to us!!! Our sweet friend, Somjit, brought dinner to us last night - Chinese noodles, fried rice and Papaya salad - she has to drive about 45 minutes in heavy traffic to get here. I have tried and tried to tell her to not come but she comes anyway. We are going to a Loy Katrong Festival tonight - we have had many invitations and I finally told them we were already going so I hope we will be picked up by the person I think we will. Yesterday we went to a school many miles from here and we spent three hours with teachers getting their boxes and copies ready - then we went to another school and after waiting for an hour for their machine to cool down they told us we could leave and they would "borrow" from the first school and get them done for the four schools in that district so we wouldn't have to waste our time. They are so cooperative and thoughtful WHEN they finally understand the program.
I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL, Grandma B