Elder Mark Smith's 667 Nights in Bangkok: 2013

Hey, I like the blog! and that's good to hear at least I get a tie :) I was thinking all I was gonna get was sitting through six devotionals. Even with a general authority coming I am not one who likes to sit around. So its hard doing that constantly in the mtc. We get little exercise and lots of food. So im trying to keep it that I wont get fat. Because here it is definitely possible. But Christmas should be fun, and hopefully I won't be too homesick. Even if I was I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between that and my normal anxiety... but anyways. I hope you guys have a good Christmas! I'll be alright here over in the mtc. It'll be nice once I get to Bangkok. then I can actually walk around and talk to real people that don't want to listen to me. we have a count on our chalkboard. it says "55 days until deliverance". That is, until we leave the mtc. Ha, so. I got awhile. Bye for now!

Love you guys

-Elder Mark Hamilton Smith

Elder Mark Smith @Provo MTC

Well, to start out, yes, we do get up at 630AM. So the days are freaking long. we have about 9 hours of class time a day. and by the end of the day I am so freaking tired. But its ok, cuz that means i'm using the time to the fullest right? yea, so we do class time, then do gym for like an hour, then go back to class, then study, then class, then teach an investigator in a language i've only know for 4 days, then class, then bed. So, if you get the drift, its packed full of doing lots of study and learning. They made us teach an investigator on the 3rd day of being here. In Thai. It was crazy. I just read it off a paper. then we had to try and decipher what she was saying. but, I guess it was a good experience. we have to teach her every day now. soooooooooo guess I better learn quick. ha. But yea, the first few days were super slow and they kinda sucked. But theyre getting faster now. SO lets just say by 8 weeks Im gonna be so excited to go to thailand. A kid in my district made a funny joke the other day. he said "you know whats funny is prison inmates get more yard time than we do". and its true, we get to walk around the temple once a week. thats our "yard time" my comp is named Elder Bassett. he's from Layton, Utah and is not a ginger. he's a 6'4 basketball player. blond. he's really cool. all the kids in my district are. there's one girl in our district, so we have to be her companions. basically, like babysitting the sister. or sidtee as you would say in Thai. so. its been fun. ish. lots of doing stuff. very tiring. and getting up early and working all day. but, I know this is what im supposed to be doing so I bear through it with a smile. hopefully the thai will come quick so I can stop awkwardly staring at Faa (our fake investigator) and pretend I know what shes saying. Our p day is on wednesday but we get to email and do laundry today since Wednesday is Christmas. I believe we get to email on Wed, too, though. But we'll see. I can write letters every day so i'll probably be writing you guys letters more than emails since we're closer than London. Anyways, hope you guys have a good Christmas!!

Love, elder smith. the second of 3 sons.