Monday, September 28, 2015

Week 3



This past week went by like a flash of lightening...
I must admit, it felt really unproductive and I felt like I had already plateaued in learning, which stressed me out a LOT!
I had finally come to peace with this fact by the end of the week, when it suddenly took a sharp incline upwards! 
I am exhausted now...but here is an update on my past week's adventures :)


Sept 21 2015

Lesson: 

How do we keep value in a lesson while being efficient time wise?
-By being sincere
-By being confident in what I truly believe in
Getting to this point is going to take a lot of effort when it's so easy to be hung up on saying the right words in Thai



Sept 22 2015

The highlight of today was at the very end, when Sister Weaver (the wife of our Branch Presidency First Councilor) asked us to share our feelings about Christ in under 1 minute.
This was the testimony that I had in my heart at that moment: 
I have the greatest love and respect for our Saviour. He has taught me what it means to truly love someone unconditionally, despite all of their imperfections and uniqueness. 
And it's a really powerful thing. He didn't just die for our sins, He did so much more than that.
He knows what it feels like to go through all the challenges that we face and beyond.
I know that He will always be with me, even when I feel like there's no one else in the world, and I feel so alone.
I know I can lean on Him. As long as I am doing my best to be righteous by following Him, it's enough for Him.
I know that He will always be there for me. 
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

What are your feelings about Christ, summarized in under a minute?


Sept 23 2015

I finally feel like I'm understanding my companion more when we teach in Thai!
Next Step: getting better at knowing how to jump in at the right times (instead of remaining silent the whole time...)


Sept 24 2015

Today during personal study, I was reading 3 Nephi Chapter 11. In it, it describes how Christ invited all the people to come forward and touch the prints in His hands and feet. 
I wondered why he still had those prints when He had been resurrected and made whole. Then, as I continued to study, I found my answers. 
In verses 14-15, we learn that the prints on His hands and feet remained so that there would be no confusion in recognizing Him. 
Then I also remembered what my friend had said about a verse found in 1 Nephi 21:16. He has those prints because it's a constant reminder to Him of what He did for us. 
He will never forget us! He are literally imprinted on Him. 


Sept 25 2015

When we pray, the Lord asks that we have:
Faith
Sincerity- In order to have this, we must first be honest with ourselves
Real Intent- This means making a commitment to act on the answers that we receive
Praying is simple, but it's not easy. We must truly be dependent on the Lord and pour out our hearts to Him. 
We must also remember, that prayer is a two way conversation. As such, we must open up our hearts to receive the answers that He gives us.

The HIGHLIGHT of today was receiving pass-along presents from our Phii Thai's!!
Some of them have been passed down for generations, and some had special rituals associated with them!! I can't believe they're leaving so soon! I'm going to miss them!   










Sept 26 2015

My District's Spirit Animals according to Sister Painter (one of our teachers):
Elder Blad- Baby Black Bear
Sister Smith - Otter
Sister Parker- Angorian Goat
Sister Black - fawn
Sister Htwe- Bermese Kitten
Me - baby bunny 

We taught at the TRC for the first time! 
Sister Smith and I taught 2 sets of 2RMs. I was so at a loss for words that I kept my mouth shut most of the time...

Then, during our second classroom periods, Br. Yuen opened up his heart and delivered a message for us from on High.
He told us, "Heavenly Father was sad when you doubt your ability to speak Thai. He wants you to open your mouths! Don't let Satan stop you!"
This sank deep in to my heart. 
I remembered that Heavenly Father had this concept to be me throughout the past year, through one special person.
But here I was, not applying what He had so carefully taught me. He had taught me that I can help those around me if I only open my mouth and let the words flow by the power of the Spirit. 
And here I was...keeping my mouth shut. I know how much the power of the Spirit can touch the lives of others, but I was acting as a barrier. 
The spirit in our classroom was so strong.
I personally thanked Br. Yuen for reminding me of something so very important. 



On another note, companionship inventory is amazing!!
Sister Smith and I evaluated and revised the goals that we had set last week, and made new ones. One thing that stood out to me in our unity when teaching.
It's always been something that's been bothering me, because there's been a lack of it.
we were finally able to talk it out and set goals to improve in this very crucial component of being companions. 
It felt so wonderful to be on the same page as my companion during this inventory! 


Sept 27 2015

Today was the last day for the Phii Thai's at the MTC!! I am going to miss them so much! I got the chance to listen to many of them bear their testimonies. Elder Ho Ching, Elder Day, Elder Dailey, Elder Weaver, Elder Gremillion, Elder Stevens, and Elder Smith all bore their testimonies during our sacrament meeting. They all have such a great love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and you could feel the sincerity behind their words. They have been such wonderful examples to me and I learned a lot from them. Later in the evening, after the devotional, I also got the chance with my district to listen to Elder Dailey and Elder Hixson bear their testimonies in Thai. It was a powerful and spiritually uplifting experience. The amount of love that Elder Hixson had for the gospel and the love that he had developed for our district was profound. We could all feel it in our hearts. And Elder Dailey's sweet testimony was so wonderful. These Elders' testimonies, along with the ones that I didn't get a chance to hear are so magnificent! Even though I didn't hear them, I can see it in their countenances! I'm going to miss each and every one of our Phii Thai's...but they're off to do the Lord's work and there's nothing greater than that!! I know that they will truly be amazing missionaries. Their diligence and love for the Savior is unmistakable, and the light of Christ shines brightly in their countenances! May God be with them as they venture to Thailand to touch the hearts of the people that have been prepared by the Lord. Thank goodness we're going to the same mission and will get to see them again! Coog dii Elders!



Sister Smith and I have been asked to be the Sister Training Leaders for our zone! I am really excited but also scared that I'll fall into pride's trap. It is my greatest hope that I will be able to look outwards and not inwards. 




1 comment:

  1. Of course your spirit animal is baby bunny!!! Perfect!

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