Finally made it to pday here at the MTC. Sooo many exciting things to tell you guys!
My companion is Sister Eastmond, she is super quiet but we get along great. We are the only two Cambodian sisters at the MTC. My district has 10 people and there is one other Cambodian district with 8 elders. Our zone is combined with the Thai and Vietnamese speakers. There are only 7 sisters in the zone of about 80, they are all great! So that makes sacrament in English which is so great because I can actually understand what people say!! They have three weeks left here and then it will just be Sister Eastmond and I for three weeks as far as sisters go until more Thai and Vietnamese sisters come in.
All the Elders in my district call me "Sister Competition" it's pretty funny. I love exercise time, get to play lots of spikeball and basketball soooooo fun. It's mostly just fun to beat the other elders and put em in their place.
Our branch President is President Moon, he's such a nice guy! This week has honestly gone by so fast. Everyone here says "You just have to make it to your first Sunday and then you'll be fine" But I have felt fine the whole time it's just like routine now. I feel like I have been here for months! Our teacher is Lokkru Garlick, he is the nicest man, and is so patient with us. He served his mission in Cambodia and he also speaks Thai. He really stresses the importance of bringing Christ into each lesson because that's our main goals is bringing others unto Christ.
I was the last one from my district to get to the MTC so I walk into class and was only there for maybe a half hour and he called on me to say the closing prayer in Cambodian.. it was the shortest prayer of my life and it didn't make any sense I'm sure, I was just trying to find words on the board so I had something to say.
The investigator we are teaching right now is Kunthy, the don't have the characters we use but its pronounced bong goon tee. She is from Cambodia and just recently moved to Provo to try and learn English. She is the nicest lady I have ever met. Our first lesson was rough but we got across the point that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and that the gospel blesses families and told her a little bit about Jesus Christ. The rest of what we tried to teach she had no idea what we were saying to her. It was so frustrating because we would teach a point and then she would ask us questions and we had no idea what she was asking us. We got her to pray for us in the second lesson though which was super cool.
But fast forward to our lesson yesterday, third lesson with her. IT WAS THE COOLEST experience. Normally when I talk to her she just looks way confused and has no idea what I'm saying to her. But after all my statements I would ask if she understood me and she did!!! AND I understood about 80% of the questions she asked me, the gift of tongues is seriously real. We got to testify of the book of mormon, and give her one because she didn't have one. I was feeling sooooo happy that I could understand what she was asking so we could better teach to her needs. Sister Eastmond and I were stoked that we could both say a prayer without notes, and at least communicate a little bit with her. She's awesome.
They like to keep all us Asians on the top floor of every building, for class and residence. We are in the old buildings but during the free time we have to study we go use the new buildings. The new buildings are so nice!!!
One quote that I heard this week was "It's not about how much faith you have but how true you are to the faith that you already have." I thought that was so cool, and so true. Actions always speak louder than words. On sunday I got to watch Character of Christ by Elder Bednar. It was so powerful, and really hit me hard. It is so important to look outside ourselves and focus on others needs before our own. My biggest takeaway was not only do we need to have a testimony but we need to be converted unto Christ. Conversion is consistently being true to what you know, and I know that we have to pay the price everyday and little by little we will become more converted. I am trying to deepen my conversion everyday and am trying to get to know my Savior more deeply.
This morning as I sat in the Celestial room I had a deepened love for my Heavenly Father and I am so excited to be able to see him one day, I know that he loves each and every one of us individually and he is always there wanting to help us. I love this gospel so much I am so happy here :)
I love you guys!!!!
Love Sister Stratford
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