OKAY. This week. I can't believe time is flying the way it is. But we don't need to waste time talking about that. I'm glad you all appreciated Sister King's finding techniques, she certainly is teaching me a lot! I'm mostly learning about all the things I need to change from her....I am soooo imperfect, and have a long way to go. But she's patient with me, and always keeps me laughing. I love her. All the little girls at church don't pay any attention to me anymore. Everytime she walks into the room, they look right past me and run to her, arms wide open to hug her, screaming, "Sister Suay!!!" or "Sister Beautiful!!" I'm old news.They love her blonde hair, blue eyes.
Lately she's mostly been telling me, "Good luck in America..." Apparently I have no recollection of what "normality" is in America! That will be a culture shock, I'm sure. She can hardly believe that I don't know who certain music artists are when she mentions them. I literally feel like a parent with a teenage kid sometimes: "Seriously?? You don't know who that is? Oh my word they are soooo popular--at least they were like, last year. And you don't know them? For real? You are so behind on the times!" Yup. Welcome to the life of a missionary, Sister King. Talk to me in a year.
Aside from that, this past week I'm really feeling the weight of being an example for her. I've been trying to find the balance in our time lately. The church has given a whole new training program for trainers/new missionaries, and we're the first group to put it into practice. It's intense. But we're learning a lot. There are lots of things that would get done so much faster if I just did them, because I know how, and we'd get better results if I just did it. But I'm learning that this isn't what it's about. Sure, if I did it now, then we'd have better results in the next 4 weeks. But if I can correctly teach her now how to be a missionary, then she still has the next 18 months to apply everything she's learned, and it will have a much more lasting effect. THAT is what I'm trying to focus on--training correctly, patiently, and non-hypocritically. I'm striving to be everything she's excpected to be--and we're seeing miracles.
For example. We were eating dinner when all the sudden all of my "confirmation" calls canceled on us. Fun! I just turned it into a teaching opportunity, we went inviting. We had a potential we could go see, so we headed over to her apt and, of course, she wasn't home. So I just looked at Sister King and said, "Ok, every other door! You go first." And we just took turns knocking on doors and inviting. We finally made our way to the 3rd floor, and the 3rd to last door we knocked on/called out, we heard, "Sister? How did you know I would be home?" It was Nan, a recent convert! We were shocked. We went in, visited, and found out she's been having some problems. Long story short--all present were in agreeance that we were led there that night. Sister Knight was so excited to be involved in such a story! It was fun to see how excited she was.
I was also asked to speak in sacrament meeting yesterday--last week the Branch Pres said, "Have you ever spoken here?" I understood him completely, but said, "i don't understand you, President." He was just about to explain when he understood what I was doing, shook his head, and started walking away, simply saying, "It's on the Book of Mormon. 10 minutes." Haha. SO...that was my first time! It was okay....mostly just a lesson on the Book of Mormon, without questions and talking to the investigator. It was a little intense because the Stake President was visiting that day--I was nervous! But I think it was okay. I was shocked I had enough Thai to speak for 10 minutes. Ha.
Nothing has changed in my feelings of the gospel--other than my roots have been rooted just a little deeper in gospel soil this week. I know it's true! The simple truths of the gospel are all we need in this life. Cling to them. Strive to learn them. Do all you can to live them. I love you, fam--the weeks are WINDING DOWN. Make it a great week!
All My Love,
SIster Nay
3 Nephi 5:13
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