In Search of Elephant Pants

The flower beds around the temple look like just that--beds. These silver vase planted around the east entrance are in perfect rows. Groundskeepers work daily keeping the beds beautiful.

This is the first week in many that we do not have Russian members visiting. Our mornings have been for ourselves. We've been out three days to the market, buying groceries and looking for elephant pants to take home to our family.

The temple had to add a least one extra session every day. We are doing a card system, that if you made a reservation online, you get an entry card for that session, if not you get a standby card. And then the standby people will go into the added session if they don't get into the first one.

Shirley Kay from Mesa, and her husband, Sean, have arrived to begin their MLS mission in Phuket, Thailand. Talk about honeymoon locations for missions! Phuket has a branch.

We've never been to Phuket, but every tourist (it seems) who comes to Thailand has.

Motorcycle taxis line up to take single passengers to their destinations. Something we don't see in the States. And then the rider often is looking at his phone as they zoom down the street. Scary to me!

Dennis went back to the dentist to have the crown put on his broken tooth. Here's the "team" working on him. We're hoping this tooth will wear its crown for many years to come. It cost about a third of the price compared to the States.

Sophy from Cambodia, the sister in red, has delivered her baby. (She's posted photos of her beautiful baby girl on Facebook.) With a week before delivery, she led her third group from Cambodia here to the temple. She is amazing! Talk about strong leaders, these two Cambodian women are the best.

In Sacrament meeting on Sunday, all our songs were from the new collection. Everyone sang out with confidence as if they had already learned the song. (We have a lot of exuberant singers in our ward.) I was touched by the Spirit in these new hymns lyrics and music! So inspired. 

Dennis taught Sunday School about the stripling warriors, and did a great job. He challenged everyone to memorize, or read everyday for a week, Helaman 5:12

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

This man, Allen, is from Madagascar, here working in Bangkok. His family is still back home. He's the first person We've ever met (that knew about it) from Madagascar.

Dennis got a haircut from the same barber lady as last time. He looks good. Here he is holding up one of the elephant pants we bought. Yep, they have elephants on the print, with wide legs like elephants. These are the fad among Thais and tourists alike.