Pictures from Riley with his comments....

My companion Elder Gibbons

My bed ----- My desk

Elder Simonsen (on bed) Elder Davies (white) Elder Harley (Blue) --- The famous puppet collection

Our room ------ My Roomies ----- Elder Harley Davie-son

My tie collection which all the other missionaries covet --- Elder Bennet, Elder Engle & Me

Elder Gibbons sleep mask #ohwow ---- Elder Nicholson (#uncouthswag) going to Cambodia

Cliche

Encouraging picture to help us conquer Thai

Classroom ----- classroom decor ------ Elder Harley Davie-son

YIKES

Studying some Thai

Elder Martin (left side) having a meltdown (not really) ---- Coveting...coveting..Hint Hint..

Thai Script and the awkward in between language ----- Elder Engle Candid Camera

#lowkeycreepin ----- Elder Martin

Provo Temple

Temple from the Shady Side ---- Thai missionaries! #wetakinover (3 districts in all)

Elder Martin... No comment ----- Elder Martin normal now.

The Thai district that got here the same time as us ---- My District

Picture taking madness... ---- The older Thai District

Me and Hampton (aka Elder Jennings)

Beautiful .......... ----- Random Korean Elders

Me after TALL (Technology Assisted Language Learning?) ------ Language Business

Thai Script.... ---- Elder Kramer, One funny guy #sometimes I suspect he is an alien.

Pictures from Riley with his comments....

Thailand Flag ---- ------ My District leader Elder Tatton, yeah he is scary

It's all we do....... study study study.....

The food bank, once a week we allow homeless ..

people to come and choose their weekly rations.

Takin it easy with Elder Bennet ----- ----- Creeper Photo

Elder Engle is dripping with sarcasm and wit..... The toll the food takes on our stomach

My companion ready to work----- The Wrath of Elder Tatton

Thai Letters

They ate my mail

Boredom at the TALL Lab

Elder Simonson rollin like a big shot..... Elder Harley Davies On!

Motivational Thai Picture... That is us roping a water buffalo with with the Spirit of God.

Elder Simonsen demonstrating how stealthily he can sneak attack on Elder Harley... Success.

letter writing

Motivational Pictures

Thai Time... We sit and talk in Thai ------- Tootsie Party

Yenhonol can levitate

Elder Saunders can too...

MTC 2.21.12

Hola Family!

How is the outside world? What is going on in America? We don't get any news in here. Is Obama still president?

This week went really fast! It was nuts. But it was a good week. We learned some more thai (its hard keeping up with all the grammar principles we learn) and learned about some cool fundamentals of teaching. The fundamentals are awesome. We learned about receiving revelation through the Book of Mormon and how it is crucial in the conversion process. It was a powerful lesson. Brother Jenkins (one of our teachers) has such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. He told us about a sister he taught on his mission and how reading the Book of Mormon with her daughter totally transformed their relationship. Reading 26 pages a day this past week has given me a glimpse of that. When you are consistently reading the Book of Mormon every day, your life will be changed. I learned to read with a question in my mind and a prayer in my heart. If you do that, then you find your answer while you read. I also learned about the importance of pondering the scriptures. Sometimes we just read and then go do something else. But if we really want personal revleation we need to ponder about the words and try to think how they apply to our lives. The Book of Mormon rocks! I think my testimony of the Book of Mormon has grown more in the past week than it has in the 3 years leading up to my mission. It makes me wish I would have read it more diligently. My favorite chapter from this week was Moroni 7. It is so powerful. We need faith, hope and charity to be effective members of this church. And the scriptures even tell us how to get these attributes. We must ask God with all the energy of our heart and He will help us. It is so simple, but so powerful.

Story time: Elder Engle and Elder Bennett were teaching a fake investigator in Priesthood about enduring to the end. The investigator was talking about his rowdy toddler and how he is a handful. Elder Engle says, "Well that is why God blessed you with the back of the hand." It was so hilarious. The entire room was dying. Luckily the branch presidency was out of town for the day.

hashtags:

#thingsmycompsays: "Team Tag" #ActuallyItsTagTeamButYouWereSooooClose

#ThatAwkwardMomentWhen You get to the temple and your companion realizes he forgot his recommend. #thathurtstheteam

#ThatAwkwardMomentWhen You see someone you know from the outside world but can only say hello or risk being accused of "arranging visits with family or friends at the temple" #missionaryproblems

running out of time.

Much LOVE!

you guys rock.

Peace

Elder M. Riley Creer

the one and only

A Thai Buffalo

remember the last picture he drew for us? here's a new one.
looks like riley is getting more comfortable with the language. woot woot!
you can do anything with the Lord.

MTC 2.14.12

Sawadii Khrab! (hello)

The MTC is sublime. It is too much fun. Yes, Mom we have had pizza
night...twice. Pretty sweet huh? Well not really. The pizza looks like its a
day old. And the cafeteria employees just grab random boxes and throw em out there, so you may wait 5 minutes in a line and get to the pizza box only to find that it is some vegetarian business. It is stressful, you have to choose your line wisely. It is like the russian roulette of pizza.

That's sweet my Thai Book of Mormon came! Are you guys going to learn Thai so you can read it? Or are you going to send it to me? :)

My district made some intense goals this past week. By February 29th we
are going to speak in Thai 100%. If we say something, it will be in Thai.
#MightBePullingAHelenKellerThatDay. But we are also reading the entire Book of Mormon by then. Its really cool, every day during personal study our room is completely quiet because we all get sucked in to the Book of Mormon. If books were vaccuums, the Book of Mormon would be a Dyson because it never loses its suction. Random analogies aside, we are all working our hearts out to reach these goals. How would Dad say it? "No Holds Barred."

As for pictures, I found out that i can't attach pictures to my emails here
because the computers are weird. But I'll send the memory card home soon.
Don't fret!

On Sunday Elder Gibbons was called to be the new zone leader in our
branch. He is so charitable, so it makes since why the Lord would want him as a Zone Leader. He is a good missionary. He really listens for the Spirit. It is cool.

So yesterday, E. Gibbons and I taught a lesson to our "investigator" named
Suuphot. It was probably the best lesson we have had. We taught very simply, but powerfully. I was able to understand just about everything he was saying. Usually we just smile and nod and pretend we understand all of what they are saying, but yesterday I was actually comprehending it! It was the coolest feeling. And to add tot he excitement, I was able to say what I wanted to say without reading it out of my notes or one of the many language books we have. The Spirit definitely helped us, because there is no way I could improve that much in the space of a day. The Lord truly helps missionaries learn the language. It is great.

Well thanks for all the letters and goodies. I love you...Lots.

Sawadii Khrab! (it also means goodbye...and good morning...and
hello...basically you say it all the time)

Elder M. Riley Creer
The Only

Hashtags:
#thepuppetcollectionisgrowing #shouldibeworried
#twopackagesinoneday #holleratyourboy #WellLoved

MTC 2.7.12

Sawadii! that is hello in Thai.

This week has been pretty sweet. Tons of fun. Some days are crazy hard and some days go so fast. Lately I have been sick... no bueno. An elder in my district was sick last week and now half my district is sick. It stinks. Our room is full of sniffles and tissue boxes. The Thai is coming along. Last night we taught our new investigator. His name is Beer (apparently it is all the rage to give your kid strange nicknames in Thailand). I said the opening prayer before we taught and almost lost it when I thanked Heavenly Father for Beer. It was funny. But while we were teaching, Beer asked what the priesthood was and without looking in a dictionary or our Thai teaching books I answered his question! I mean it was a one sentence answer, but still it was kind of exciting. It is amazing how much the Lord helps us learn Thai. This week we started learning the actual Thai script (so far we have been using this awkward in between stuff called phaasaa Elder (because only Elders can read it)). There are so many letters! I didn't think it was possible to have more than 5 vowels...boy was I wrong. Its pretty nuts. But parts of it are really cool!

So last night we had a rap battle in our room. Two elders wrote raps yesterday and they battled it out while I threw down the beat. It was hilarious. Most of the lyrics involved marrying another elder's younger sister. We were dying. Probably the best night yet. My district is pretty sweet. We have a good time.

answers to your question:

My favorite thing to eat is cereal...psych! The tater (tator?) tot casserole was pretty tasty. But I ate some fruit and it made my throat and mouth itchy...so I have come to the conclusion that I am legitimately allergic to all fruit.

There are no sisters in my district. But the other Thai district that got here the same day as us has 3 sisters (did I already tell you this?).

Yes I have used my camera (mainly to record that rap battle)

Realtalk, I had to change my tie. But I think I have enough conservative ties to last me through the MTC.

hashtag time:

#thingsmycompanionsays:

"I'm a princess." #ohboy

"I feel an emptiness inside without classical music...I think I am going through music withdrawals" #ifLMFAOcountsasclassicalthenditto

"I can't do more than a mile" #youare19not97

#hemakesmylifemoreinteresting

Well I love you guys. Thanks for the letters! Our family...ROCKS!

Much Love,

Elder M. Riley Creer

The Only

P.S. Dad, how do I shine shoes? I attempted to shine them today but don't know if I did it right...