Senior Missionary Specialized Training 2015

24 Full time Missionaries, 2 District Missionaries and President and Sister Senior

Once per year - Our mission President gets all of the Senior Missionaries serving in the Thailand Bangkok Mission together. We have Senior missionaries in Bangkok, multiple cities in Northeast Thailand, in Lao and Myanmar so we enjoy this yearly opportunity to be together. This year President and Sister Senior selected a location outside of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.

The Resort was called Panviman Resort.  The resort is literally located on a hillside about 45 kilometers outside of Bangkok.  Picturesque! and also good for exercise.  It was a hike between the main building - restaurant, reception and conference room to our actual hotel room up about 200 feet in elevation. It was quite a logistical feat to get all of the couples from their respective locations to arrive near the same time.  I arranged all of the airline tickets and the transportation to meet them at the airport and take them to the resort.  I also brought the cash to pay for the group hotel and the activity costs.  We as senior couples were responsible for our room costs.



Picturesque setting in the hills northeast of Chiang Mai - yes we swam in that pool behind us

We were at the resort for 3 days (2 nights).  On the first day we had training session and then had dinner together at the hotel restaurant.  The second day had a morning session and an afternoon activity time.  Most of the couples selected to go to a nearby elephant camp along a local river.  We fed the elephants watched them bathe in the river and then they put on a little show. That evening we had a Thai dinner a local restaurant a short walk from the hotel.  After dinner we had a FHE activity together in the hotel conference room.  Fun fun. We played a form of gospel oriented Pictionary . We had four teams,  Some of these senior couple are amazingly quick.  We had a closing session on the Third day where we had the opportunity to share our testimonies.  Then most went immediately to the airport.  12 of us traveled to the city of Chiang Mai and stayed the night.  We had fun with them and did some more souvenir buying (shopping). 



The LARGE deck outside our room



Sister Meeker chilling on the deck



View of Main building




Pool and waterfall area shot taken from main building

 

Chilling after swimming

Artificial Cave area below the pool



Watch your head walking in there

 

 

 

Entrance to Elephant camp

Mahuts bathing their elephants

Yes that is an elephant painting



Some of the finished product - All painted by different Elephants



Quite stunning in their ability to paint

The elephants put on a show - played soccer, twirled hula hoops and moved logs



The group that attended the elephant camp with us

 

 

Big strong hug



Placing the hat



Capping off the elephant experience

Papaya tree with fruit - notice the lack of branches



Feet up - King Size Chair

Rock Paper Scissors - deciding who gets to translate1st  for the Native Thai Senior Missionaries - I won

Local resident often made loud cackling comments outside conference room during the training

Getting to know you game prior to dinner - note the scenery thru the windows

Nice hotel with beautiful company in Chiang Mai



Shopping for Wood carvings - left this one - but two others are currently sailing home - surface mail

 

Water in the Streets of Bangkok

There are three seasons in Thailand hot, rainy and not as hot (they call it the cool season). It is currently the hot season in Thailand.  However it occasionally rains even in the hot season. Last week we were blessed with a down pouring of moisture from the sky.  I had to go to two banks on the way to the office. So Lois went with me to the first Bank and then went on to the office.  As I was waiting for the Bank to open (8:30 AM) it started to rain, I stepped around the side of the building to get out of the direct path of the rain.  Once I got inside to do my business, it really stated to rain.  After that transaction was complete I had to walk down the street about 200 feet to another bank.  I used my umbrella to try and keep me dry.  I carry a small folding umbrella in my bag 6 months of the year.  The umbrella put up a good fight but it was no match for the amount of rain coming down.  When I was done at the second bank 20 minutes had elapsed from the start of the rain.  The streets were beginning to flood.  Meaning that the rain was coming down faster than the streets could carry the water away to a nearby canal.  I grasped my bag and carried it close to my chest attempting to keep the contents dry.  Since I had a 9 AM appointment at the office - Meeting with Church headquarters and Hong Kong regarding the new Vehicle Management Software called CARS, I could not just wait out the rain.  So I started off towards the office, getting wetter with every step. 

There is a location where the sidewalk narrows and the street is close.  The water was deep in the street.  I have been doused there before by passing cars - so I checked my 6 (rear view) it looked clear. As I got close to the narrowest spot I met some ongoing pedestrians so I slowed down.  Unfortunately that slow down allowed a big bus to douse me above my waist.

When I got to the last street there was no choice but to step out into the street into ankle deep water in order to cross.  When I reached the office I was soaked from above the waist to my toes.  I took off my shoes and socks. I rang out my socks and put them on the un-interruptible power supply for my desktop PC to try to get them dry.  So for most of the day I walked around the office in my bare 
feet. One of the Thai employees teased me about my white feet.

I was dry enough by 6 PM to go out with the Branch President and 1st counselor to visit members in their home.

The pictures below are from another rainstorm about a week prior. Very similar results as far as he depth of water in the streets.  That day I walked back from the office  - your mother was already at the Condo and was oblivious to the rain outside.  I only got partially soaked that day.
These pictures are taken by your mother who went outside after it stopped raining to see the flooding. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young Single Adult activity

Tonight the Asoke Branch held their first Young Single Adult Activity.    Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of calling the Young Single Adult Representatives for the Branch.  They were sustained and I was blessed with the opportunity to set them apart.  We met and then planned the first activity which was held today.  We had a good turnout about 40 people.  We started the activity everyone introducing themselves.  The first game we played was a ping pong ball game.  We used a round table with about 8 people around it with a Ping pong ball in the center.  The object is to make the ball go off the table to the right of your opponent not using you hands only blowing the ball.  If the ball went off the table to your right you are then out of the game.  As fewer people are left it gets harder to protect your right side.  It was fun. We had two tables and many participated.

Talented Artists

The second activity was the brothers drawing pictures (on a white board) of a selected female and the Sisters drawing pictures of a selected guy. Two separate sisters elected to draw a picture of me.



Brother Breeze - Branch Single Adult Rep with the Picture of the guys made by the Sisters



Do you see the likeness - this one was described as Elder Meeker currently

 

The skinny guy next to Lois was described as Elder Meeker when he was a young Missionary

 

After the activities we had Brownies and Juice - a fun successful activity.  They were excited and started to think about and plan the next activity. 

 

Side Story - I think the Young Single adults got the message that these activities are meant as an opportunity to meet a potential spouse.  They had fun with the introductions of themselves and emphasizing that they were single.  In fact, I met a Returned Missionary at Church last week (has been home for several years).  He was visiting our meeting from a neighboring ward.  He mentioned that he is looking for a wife.  So I told him about our YSA activity this week.  He said he would come.  When he arrived tonight he said he kept his promise and came.  After the activity he was excited about future ones and even suggested some dancing for the next activity

Really Big Elephant in Bangkok

Recently our Granddaughter Clara mentioned to us via Skype that she read in  a book that there is a very large building in Thailand that is shaped like an elephant.  We had not been aware of this until she told us.  So we put it on our list of planned Preparation day activities to go and find this building.  It turns out that it is not far from the Underground MRT line.  So last Saturday we stopped at the nearest MRT stop (Pahoyathin Station) and set off on foot to see this landmark in Bangkok.

As we got closer we were able to catch glimpses of this unique building.  This building is also known as the Chang Building (The word for Elephant in the Thai Language is Chang). The Elephant Tower is 335 feet high and 560 feet long. It's a national landmark that references the elephants and symbols of elephants that have been an integral part of Thai culture, industry and religion for centuries


Picture taken from a pedestrian overpass

 There is a building in Atlantic City New Jersey that was built in the shape of an elephant.  For over 100 years Lucy the Elephant bulding was the world's largest elephant-shaped structure. That changed in 1997 with the opening of the Elephant Tower in Bangkok Thailand, which according to Bangkok Post and Architectural Digest, has since become "the most talked about building in Thailand" and a national icon as well as the world's largest elephant building.

The building has 32 floors and is 335 feet high, it was completed in 1997. The Elephant Building was awarded no.4 for the "20 World's Most Iconic Skyscrapers" by CNNGo in February 2011.

The tusks house the offices of the bulding's management company.

The building consists of offices and luxury condominiums on 32 floors. It is 560 feet long and 130 feet wide.  The elephant building has 7 parts:

• Tower A (Office)
• Tower B (Office)
• Tower C (Residential)
• Top Floor (Luxurious residential suites)
• Recreation Ground (Swimming Pool & Gardens)
• Shopping Plaza, Bank & post office

 

 

The ears are actually multi-storied balconies, its eyes are huge windows.

The eyes have some kind of suspended item in them that sparkle in the sunshine.

 

The tail is comprised of 20 stories of smoked-glass enclosed rooms jutting from its rear.

 

Yes it looks like the Disney land Castle

On the walk back to the MRT Station we noticed this building across the street.  It looks like it has been around for a while.  We do not know it's original use,  but currently on the grounds of this building they are operating a go kart track.

Thanks Clara ..... we had fun seeing the Elephant Building.

January 2015 Transfer Meeting

New Missionaries arrive from the MTC every 6 Weeks.  They are so excited to be here and begin their adventure as Missionaries in Thailand.

I first posted about transfer day back in June of 2014. At that time transfers were 9 weeks apart. At that time it was thought that it was efficient to have transfer days at the same frequency that Missionaries start and end at the MTC.  Missionaries enter the MTC for a 9 week course. With 9 week transfers only one set of Missionaries is in the MTC at any one time, thus there only needs to be one set of Thai teaching instructors.

This circumstance created some hardship for the mission. 9 weeks was a long time between transfers.

Sister Meeker

Transfers is where the Mission President reassigns Missionary companions and/or reassigns them to a new proselyting area. So the Mission President had mini transfers about 4 or 5 weeks after New Missionaries arrived and completing missionaries returned home.  With the 9 week transfer cycle, the completing Missionaries groups were on average larger groups,  These larger groups had a high percentage of the mission leaders (Zone Leaders, Assistants to the President and Sister Training Leaders). This decimated his leadership team all at once, so the Mission President asked the Missionary Department to return our mission to the 6 week transfer cycle  (this existed previously). We transitioned back to the 6 week cycle in August of 2014. 

During the transfer meeting I make a short presentation - usually some information related to reimbursements etc.  It is very similar to a Boeing Management briefing (Powerpoint charts and all)like I used to give.



Elder and Sister Meeker Selfie Prior to the Transfer Meeting start.

After the meeting is over, I deal with phone moves for open and closed areas. I deal with Missionaries changing house leaders.  The house leader is the Missionary in each house responsible to pay for all of the common expenses, such as  utilities, transportation and house maintenance expenses.  I reimburse the Missionaries as they provide me receipts - usually sent in every 3 or 4 weeks.  At the Meeting many missionaries house funds are so low that they will need to give me a receipt to reimburse something so that they have enough money tor travel back to their proselyting area.

Thus the reason for the crush around the table after the meeting is over.  I do enjoy working with these wonderful missionaries.  They truly are on the Lord's errand.

Elder Meeker dealing with Many Missionaries simultaneously

Yes, I even have to deal with Missionaries issues for those missionaries that are not at the meeting.

Newest Meeker Grandbaby

We were blessed with the arrival of Grandchild number 8 (Grandson number 2) in December.  Amy and Josh Adams welcomed Xander Joshua Adams into this world on December 18 at 10:16 pm;  He was 7 lbs 11 ounces and 19 inches long.

Xander has an older Sister Gwen who is 2-1/2 years old.  Lois took a sabbatical from our Mission in early January and went to Utah to meet Xander and hang out with his family for a few days.

Lois arranged her flights such that she had a planned a 7 hour layover in Seattle on the way to Utah. The plan was to meet with family and friends during that window.  Well  it was too tough to drag herself from her family and friends and she took too long to return to the airport and ended up missing her flight to Utah that evening.  So she stayed with Kathryn, Eric and family for the night and eventually flew out standby on Sunday Morning.  Following are some pictures from her stay and more.

 

Xander, Joshua, Gwen and Amy Adams

 



Wow what a proud big Sister

Gwen Teaching Little Brother Xander that reading in bed is fun

Wow Cute Grandkids

Gwendolyn being watched by Grandma