TBM - Who let the girls out?

Dearest Fellow Friends and Family, A couple of weeks ago, my mother, 2 sisters and a niece visited us in Thailand.  What a wonderful time we had!  Rather than give a lengthy travelog, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking (with captions, of course). They arrive, and we go to our favorite place to eat...  "Heaven!"     We try out Thai dancing.  Camile and Missy really get the hang of it! Elephants galore!  (Not the women in front!)    A new kind of elephant ride...  They're amazing!   More elephant rides.    Camile gets mauled by two (then 4) elephant trunks.  Augh!       Tigers - Up close and personal. Elder Lindorf had to put up with 5 women for 10 days.  What a champ! He was our organizer, photographer, bank, and strong arm.    IT WAS SOOOOO HOT!    Fun in Chiang Mai.    Making our way around Bangkok. What a wonderful time.... Love, Sister Lindorf

TBM - Thai Soup

Date: Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 11:16 AM

We had a series of small miracles that resulted in the end of our Thai visa problems.  A sincere thank you for your fasting and your prayers.  This week we received all 28 'visa waiters' on the same day!  That was a logistical nightmare - but we were so glad to finally get new missionaries no one minded the extra work. The flooding in Ayutthaya has finally subsided somewhat.  The missionaries are back in their apartment on the river.  The member who had two meters of water in his house is now down to only six inches.  Most of the roads are appearing again from under the water and today I actually saw rice patties again where two weeks ago there was a lake. We had several baptisms in our branch including a complete family with two young children.  Here's a picture of the dad and mom. He passed the sacrament today for the first time.  It's so good to see people enthusiastically embrace the Gospel.  They're going to be a real strength to the branch. I have a couple unrelated shots we've taken recently.  First a new litter of pups on our way to work.  These dogs literally live on the street and get 'adopted' by storekeepers who work nearby until they're able to fend for themselves. They're so used to being together, they not comfortable napping without plenty of company. This next one you'll like - Thai Basketball Notice the 'basket' is actually someone standing on a chair holding the goal.  There is no dribbling - just passing.  When a team member throws the ball toward the basket, the goalie can move to catch it as long as they don't leave the chair.  It's very entertaining to watch! We had a great Thanksgiving with the Senior missionaries including three brand new couples who are very 'thankful' to have finally arrived.  One couple, the Gonzales from Poway, have been waiting for almost a year since they first got their call to India.  After 7 months waiting for a visa they were told that they were being changed to Thailand as there are never visa problems in Thailand (right!).  Then they got delayed with the others until this week. We hope you all have enjoyed this Thanksgiving week and pondered the great blessings of the Lord that we each enjoy every day.  We are so grateful for the opportunity we have to serve here.  It has been a life changing experience to be sure. All our best, Elder & Sister Lindorf

TBM - Turkey Day!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! From two birds in Thailand! Love, Mom and Dad ps.  These turkeys actually do live in our mission..

TBM - Thailand's FIRST

Hey, all you campers! Okay, I think I feel recuperated enough to report on one of this week's activities…  Can you guess what it was?  Yes!  Girls Camp!  Whew! A few months ago, my name was discussed in High Council for a counselor in the District Young Women's Presidency.  Elder Lindorf was quick to reply, "She's spent most of her time in Relief Society and Primary.  About the only thing she's done in Young Women is Girls Camp."  "Perfect!" came their excited reply.  "That's just what we want her for!" So we've been planning Thailand's FIRST year of Girls Camp.  Can you imagine the fun?  What an amazing privilege!  When we had our planning meetings, with each activity we would discuss, they would turn to me and ask how we did it in America.  As I would begin to tell them a little bit of what we had done, their eyes would get so sad.  It was too overwhelming for them.  The "scale" was all wrong.  So, I would immediately suggest a compromise and then they would be all smiles again!  With each suggestion, the Spirit would sweetly testify to my heart, "This is good."   Of course, the best way to start Girls Camp is with a good breakfast.  Mmmmmm….!    The language barrier gave us lots of humorous situations to laugh about.  I was never quite sure what exactly would be next.  However, this game needed no translation!   For the cooking requirements, we divided the girls into 3 groups and gave each group identical pans of food.  Then we turned them loose to see what they could come up with.    First we prepare the food...     Next, we cook the food (Thai style, of course).   And look at what they made!  It was delicious! We also invited 2 Sister Missionaries to join us for a day, to help the girls ease into this and to translate for me.  They taught the girls how to make Banana Boats!     Here we are, demonstrating line dancing...  Yee-haw!!     We had fun singing camp songs, thanks to the Camp Manuel being translated into Thai.  You may notice my new innovation...  I'm playing the guitar like a base.  I have a shoulder problem that made it so I couldn't play the regular way.  Whatever works! And, what would Girls Camp be without skits???     The girls chose themes for their skits, such as "Sister missionaries out preaching the Gospel," and "Praying to know if the Book of Mormon is true."  It is easy to see their perspective on what is important in life! I feel so blessed to have had the privilege of working and playing with these Young Women!  As I took this picture, I couldn't help but reflect on the chosen, valiant sons and daughters God has reserved for these last days.  I pray that God will bless each of them to go forward in faith and help to strengthen the Kingdom of God in Thailand. Keep the home fires burning... Love, Sister Lindorf

TBM - Flooding in Ayutthya

If you've been following these updates very long you'll remember that our branch is in Ayutthaya about an hour North of Bangkok.  It's the ancient Thai capital city, burned out by the Burmese in the 1600s. It is currently the site of the worst flooding in the whole country of Thailand.  All the reservoirs up-river are full to capacity, so they are unable to stop the flooding.  In fact, they're going to have to release more water soon to keep the earthen dams from breaking.  Things could get worse very quickly.  We currently have about a dozen member families who's homes are under water. Here are a few shots taken this week so you can see the gravity of the situation. Some get around in boats now instead of cars and motorcycles. This was a two story house. This is one of the neighborhoods where some of our members live.  The two Thais (branch members) are showing the missionaries the damage. This is inside one of our member's kitchens. Does this remind you of the duck-walks we used to build to get over the mud? This is the missionaries house right on the river.  It is now about 10 feet above normal.  If it gets any higher, they'll have to move out. Members and  missionaries putting together hygiene kits. Street scene.  There have been 38 deaths so far from disease related to flood waters. This is our LDS Charities Country Director and the missionaries meeting with the Governor of the province and her assistant to see what the church can do to help meet the people's need for food, clothing, clean water, and shelter.  The Church won't duplicate government's efforts, but they pick up where the government leaves off to help provide basic human needs for all affected, regardless of what church they belong to. Backhoes have been busy building dikes in an attempt to contain the water. Rice farm Notice the center line on the road. When was the last time you saw a skidoo on the highway onramp? Buddhist temples are not immune. This used to be rice fields.  Now it's water as far as the eye can see.  COT members, can you spot Waldo in this picture? It is sobering to have this amount of damage affecting people you know and love.  We are currently looking for sites for alternate housing on higher ground (not much of that around here though).  This flooding could continue for several more months.  October is traditionally the month with the most rainfall, then we should get a breather. We held District Conference in Bangkok today and most of our members came - even the ones whose houses are underwater.  Our Temple trip is still on for next week.  These good people wouldn't miss that opportunity.  They are valiant souls. We are blessed to be associated with them.  Please keep them in your prayers. Elder & Sister Lindorf