The Toad vs Frog debate I had with myself

Dear everyone reading, 

Hey. I am an Elder. I am a missionary. I am strong. I am independent. I love Popcorn. I love Spongebob. I am right handed. My legs are sore rn. sad. That's all for this week.

Ok kidding got you big time. 

This week was quite dandy but not tons happened. Last week I killed a bird this week a held a toad or a frog. Ok I just learned it was a toad cause toads like the land and frogs like the water. Good to know. I love biology I guess. 

So we are still able to go to members houses. We ate at a few members houses and shared cute little messages. It was pretty exciting stuff. I like teaching in person but not gonna lie it's weird. You have to make eye contact and stuff. Looking at the phone was so easy. Dang my life is so hard. Eye contact jeez. But it has been an amazing opportunity to better meet people and get out of the house. 

We got to go to church for the 2nd week in a row. It was not normal we got another bishopric so that was really cool. 1 person walked up to us and said, "Do you want to teach my girlfriend about the gospel?" We were like, "Umm yeah sure, we are down." So that was a little miracle. Excited for that. 

Finally,  I got some big news today. My companion is leaving today, so I am probably getting a new companion and there is an Elder in our ward that just finished his mtc learning and is going to come and hang out with us and learn how to be a missionary before he leaves for South Africa. Cool. I am like a baby sitter now. Yay

So yeah that's about all I have going on in my life. But I hope you have a wondrous week and read the scriptures. They are pretty sweet. Bye fans, family, dogs, insects, cows. 

Elder Slavens

Elder Babysitter

Elder Toadman

Mosiah 18:9 Hey read this

หากใครมีหนังสือเกี่ยวกับการดูแลผู้สอนศาสนากรุณาแจ้งให้เราทราบผมกลัว.

If anyone has a book on how to babysit a missionary, please let me know. I am scared.

My dentist Edwin Tjan told me to brush and floss every day. Look at me now Ed! I'm brushing. I really am!

  I met this girl on the street and I instantly fell in love. Nobody tell my mom. It's a secret. She is just so nice to me

Here is me and my Toad not frog. He felt so nasty to hold. It felt like grandma skin. I couldn't touch anything after or else it would be stained in grandma skin. 

We did go on a hike on P-day. Yes it was hot and my legs got tired, but it was so worth it for this picture. I mean c'mon look how cute!

When you get stalked and someone randomly send this to you. The life of a missionary. Gotta love it.

Keep Moving Forward

Big change alert! Big week alert! It twas a goodie of a week. Lots happened, oh mama a lot went down.

So I was in a trio with Elder Smith and Elder Waldrop but things got changed up per usual. Elder Smith is outta here and it's only Drip drop and I now. It's been interesting to learn how to once again teach with 2 people but it has been good. We love to teach yay. Now I get to speak Thai even less so rip Elder Slavens. Goodbye Thai. But I just "Keep Moving Forward" as it states in the film Meet the Robinsons. That's me the guy moving forward. 

One day we were sitting in our apartment and we looked at the balcony and we spotted a little hummingbird. We got a bowl and a plate trapped it and brought it inside. We looked at it and quickly realized this bird was not doing well. We held it and tried to give it some food and water. I was holding him when he flew onto a table then flew slowly to the ground rolled over and died. I don't really know what happened or what this bird was thinking but it was gone. We had a funeral and all said words of comfort to this dead bird. So adorable. We made sure people knew he was dead and outlined his dead body on a whiteboard. He is in a better place now. Rip bird. 

This has been the best week ever. Want to know why? We are in Phase 1 now! So in Arizona we are now finally able to eat at members houses and have lessons in person. I have been inside for 160 days now and we can finally get out a little bit. We had a dinner at a members house already and it was so nice. We met them and just ate and talked for years. We stayed at their house for a very long time so yeah literally years and the mom talked so fast. She basically talked the whole time we were there and we just sat and listened to her talk about dogs and diabetes and dungeons and dragons. Good times. I don't know why I keep meeting people that love dungeons and dragons. Whoever you are wife, I love dungeons and dragons and I hope I am being prepared to play with you. 

Also I got to go to the doctor again this week. He said my bone is filling in whatever that means. I don't have to wear my brace unless I do stuff that can hurt it. Finally, I really hated that thing. It was always so sweaty and stinky and my wrist is white. Let's get this wrist tan again baby. 

This is the end. Have good week and I will too. Don't kill any birds and don't break your wrist. I still will love you if you do do these things though. Bye friends.

Elder Slavens

Elder Hummingbird

Elder Disney

St. John 14:27

yes I love the bible

doorbell 

ออด

fingertips

ปลายนิ้ว

sharktooth

ฟันฉลาม

My boy Elder Smith and my boy Elder Drip Drop. High quality men and a high quality photo. I mean c'mon look at that resolution. Dang. 

When the gang goes to the park, it is raining, it is dark, the ducks hate us and run away. Sad times for us. 

One night we went on a run. During that run it was raining. During the rain big puddles started forming by the trail. We all rolled through the big dirt mud puddles. I got dirt in my mouth and almost puked. It was the best. 

Pretty bird cutie bird. This is when the bird was alive. Then the next one is when the bird is dead. 

He had a good life I believe. I tried to do bird CPR but I wasn't trained for these things. Sad. 

Oh baby this week we got to go to church! It was so so amazing. We all had to sit so far apart and wear masks and stuff it was crazy. We only got to go this week because our bishop was getting released but I am excited for when I can go to church every week. 

Tren Speak the Thai

Good evening. I am Elder Slay, also known by many other names. I am in Gilbert, Arizona and it is only like 115 degrees every day, not bad. That's about all you need to know about me. 

This week was quite a high quality week, but at the same time almost nothing happened. We had lots of member lessons and just normal stuff we have done every single week ever. I waxed my legs a few weeks ago and all the hair started growing back so I shaved once again and man it's so nice. My legs are the smoothest in town. If you are reading this once again I suggest you shave your legs right now. You 100% won't regret this decision.

This week I learned one of the most confusing and complicated things in the world. I learned how to solve a rubik's cube. Shoot those things are the worst. I am most definitely not good at it but I can do it. It takes so long and every time I get all the colors the same I think, "Wait what, how did that even happen". I think I confusing myself on how cool I am. I am a skilled Elder. If you want to learn how to solve a rubik’s cube email me. I most likely won't be able to help but I guess I can try my best.

Alright so 2 things that were cool happened this week. Want to hear them? Ok I'll tell you. So I think it was 2 times we went to the Gilbert Arizona Temple. We couldn't go inside because it is still closed so we just walked around the temple and sat and just stared at it. 1 of the times we got Krispy Kreme before so we just ate doughnuts and looked at the temple. Precious right? Ok the other cool thing this week was we got to speak Thai. They have a few Thai restaurants around here so we went to 2 restaurants until we actually found people that speak Thai. Ok I guess I still stink at Thai because I barely understood anything. She was busy, quiet, and had a facemask on but still Elder Smith and I left like, "Ok, What just happened? What did she say". I guess we will never really know. But yeah that was exciting. 

Well I do hope you have a good rest of your week. If anyone know anything else I can master or learn while in quarantine please tell me. I want to be a monster at so many things when we get to go back outside. Thanks. Bye now. 

Elder Slavens

Elder Slothbrain

Elder Brelder (Thanks Alyssa)

Gid is my favorite Hero from the Book of Mormon. He has a band. How cool is that right. Like guitars and flutes. It's sweet. Go Gid! 

Alma 57:29 

I will just tell you cool Thai words today

เคล็ดลับ-Q  

Q-Tip

ตบเบา ๆ

Dab

ถุงเท้า

Socks

Elder Waldrop took a quick nap one day and I was very confused. Of everywhere in the house why would you take a nap here. 

I still haven't found the answer to this question. 

When you randomly decide to drive all the way to Krispy Kreme to get doughnuts and then randomly decide to go sit and stare at the temple. Who cares that it is 113 degrees Krispy Kreme is yummy. 

A high quality view of us and Temple. I love to see it. Don't you?

Flower Power is all it takes. I am a missionary and I love flowers. Even if they are a nasty shade of blue and are metal I still like them. 

So to be honest this picture was from last week but I forgot to send it. So here is a hike we went on. It was good and fun and long and warm and outside. 

 

Shoot, it was good week.

Dang now this has been like the best week ever. 100% good times. Still inside and still in Arizona but 100% good week. Wanna know why. I will tell you why.

Ok so I told you guys about the girls Elder Weston and I were teaching with the names Angela and Faith. Well he texts me one day and says, "Hey Angela is getting baptized tomorrow!" I'm like wait what. What happened this past week. Well I still don't totally know but I guess she was just so ready to get baptized she asked if she could be baptized this week. So I was able to zoom call into her baptism. It was so so so amazing. She was a smiling little girl. It was the coolest thing ever. Congrats Angela you did it. Faith is still learning but I think seeing Angela be baptized was amazing for her. Dang what a week. See! 

We also were able to go to a members house to watch another baptism. It was just an 8 year old girl in the ward getting baptized. The crazy thing was she couldn't go to the church building because it was closed so they used a hot tub. She was baptized and confirmed to be a member of the church in a house. Like what. Crazy times. 

So as you can see it was quite a good week. I enjoyed myself. Also this week marks like 150 days inside. Wow that's a mega long time. We still can't do much outside and Corona still exists so that is a real bummer. Maybe she will go away at one point. 

Now I will say goodbye. So goodbye. Enjoy life and learn Thai within the next 2 years so I can talk to you after my mission. Thanks. Bye

Elder Slay

Elder Spongepatty

Elder Still Small Wrist

Alma 53:20 Straight Flames

สัปดาห์นี้ผมได้เรียนรู้คำว่านรกในภาษาไทย  ผมมีสัปดาห์ที่ดี!

This week I learned the word Hell in Thai. I had a good week!

Now this is an album cover if I have ever seen one. We going straight to the top. N'Sync got nothing on us. 

This is the coolest picture I have ever taken in my life. I love WD-40. It has changed my life. I suggest you use this stuff more often.

Alright so we had a youth discussion this week and we had to teach like 30 teenagers how to be motivated inside. Now that was interesting. I was like umm good question. Hey but we figured it out. 

We love motivation.

If I were to be a time I would most definitely be 4:20. No reason why just they are cool numbers. 

NO JOKE I got the most beautiful eyes in the world. They are like an ocean, or the sky, or blueberries, or a pair of blue shoes. Blue is a cool color. 

We went to the temple and took pictures of the temple. I got back and realized I didn't end up taking pictures of the temple, just my eye. But this picture is cool. Enjoy.

 

Weak neck, Baby wrist

Good evening to you once again. You are a great audience. If you read my emails, thanks. If you don't read my emails, thanks...

I am still inside. Cool. That's all for this paragraph. 

This week on Keeping up with the Slavens:

Ok so I went to the doctor this week. I went in and Dr. Montague said, "Congrats we are going to take off your cast today”. Those were the best words I have ever heard in my life. They cut it off and gave me a brace I need to wear and man it's so nice. My wrist is so baby. It's all white and small and cute. Also it's hairier for some reason. I am not a hairy person at all thanks to Mont the father, but it's hairier and that's really gross to me. So if you want to be hairier wear a cast, it works. Science is the coolest. Ok but math and science are my least favorite subjects in school. I also hate reading, but I love P.E. it's just so fun. But yeah having 2 wrists is the best. Do not take wrists for granted. I absolutely love having 2 wrists. It still hurts mega but at least Dr. Montague gave it back so I am happy.

And having 2 other companions is wack. Teaching others is wack. Being alive is wack. All showering together is wack. I kid we don't do that. But it has been very fun. We are not alike but we have fun. Elder Smith and I have had a few lessons in Thai but we have another Elder so we have to use English. Sad stuff. But we have good times. Also we are going to be teaching English next week to people in Thailand. Wish us luck. 

Almost every day we have question night or question middle of the day. We just sit and ask the house questions. Most questions do not make sense. Examples: "Name 3 things", "What is the most loud moment ever of your life", "On a scale of 1-3 where was this toy car made, and whatever number you say is the highest". You get it. But it has been determined that I have the weakest neck in the house. That's unfortunate. Also Elder Hall the Elder that left last week said if I was a medieval man from dungeons and dragons I would be Bard. So that sucks. I bet Bards are so lame. Ugh. 

Well that all, you enjoy week this. I love you. I miss you. Have fun and do not die. Bye now.

Elder Slavens

Elder White Wrist

Elder Slightly Harrier Wrist

Elder Bard

ผมได้เรียนรู้วิธีที่ยากยิ่งน้ำที่คุณดื่มมากกว่าที่คุณต้องฉี่มันบ้าว่าร่างกายทำงานอย่างไร.

I have learned the hard way the more water you drink the more you have to pee. It's crazy how the body works. 

Alright BOM war chapters wack. I don't understand at all. Good luck reading that. But this is cool. 

Alma 49:27-28

Here is a photo a random Thai man made for me. I made it my Facebook background photo. Man that got so many likes. OOOHH wow I am popular.

We are just 3 missionaries that like to go on walks. It was warm this day but that did not stop us from having fun. 

Hurray for Americanized Thai food. You can't beat it. Panang curry, Masaman curry. Straight fire. Dang good. Wow.  

This was the gang preparing to teach English class. They had to translate stuff for us because we don't understand Thai. 

Ok well we understood a lot, but man they speak fast. 

We did a service and I found this guy. He smelt awful. Do not recommend holding this guy. He does not use axe body spray.

 

Enjoy this straight fire video. We are saying learn English free free free free etc..... Cool. 

So many people love english because of us.