What Happens When: "Hashtagging since Angkor Wat"
Suisadaay my lovely friends and family!
How are you? How's the real world out there? I wouldn't know since I live in a legit bubble. The bubble is great though. You wouldn't even believe how much fun we have in here.
So this week flew. Like literally I don't remember what happened because I feel like I was in here writing my 2nd week email 5 minutes ago...
I guess some really awesome stuff happened this week, first off, let me explain my subject title for this week.
I have taken up the "what happens when ..." because I'm sure further down the road we will start having some fun stories to tell... but for now, they're just funny quotes from the week.
This weeks hashtag... thing was because This is the rule #2 of writing and reading Khmer. Yes, we learned how to read this week, yes it's the most difficult thing ever, and yes I LOVE IT!
Angkor Wat is the ancient ruin wonder of the world that is the big place Cambodia (kampuchia) is famous for.
Khmer doesn't use spaces in between each word... just in between each sentence. soeverythingiswrittenlikethis. Yup. Like the modern day hashtag. So if any of you dream of speaking only in hashtags... welcome to my reality!
Khmer is the longest phonetic alphabet in the whole world. Like 32ish consonants, which all have their own sub consonant, a billion vowels that make more than one sound depending on which consonant they are paired with, independent vowels, didactic, and some seriously weird punctuation that look like eighth rests and << >>.... are you just confused and lost now? yeah me too.... I do know how to read my own name tag though now. so that's cool! it says:
"saasnaacak nEi Preahyeesuukrih nEi Puak?B)aari?sot Thnai C)ng kraoy" <- now say that 10 times fast! :)
yes there are ? for letters and ) is a backwards C that makes the "aw" sound. and we have a n with a tail that makes "ng". It's so confusing and I love it.
We sing in Khmer and basically I feel like I'm reading the language of feisty snakes... go look up the script alphabet. you will understand. LOL.
For the first time this week we actually had a lesson that went amazingly well. Our investigators and B))ng Radii and B))ng Soknii. Basically when we were teaching B))ng Radii I as so nervous because my khmer has felt like molasses this week. BAD language learning week. It was really hard. I felt like I hadn't progressed AT ALL. BUT when we wen to teach, I explained the whole first vision, baptism, repentance, and invited him to be baptized. AND THE WORDS CAME OUT LIKE A WATER FALL.
Seriously. That was not me speaking. It was not my lesson preparation. It was the literal spirit teaching and the gift of tongues. I know that doesn't make sense if you are unfamiliar with those terms.... but all I want you to know is that the power we have as missionaries to learn and speak a language that fast and that well, is not from our 16 hours in class. That power comes as a gift to help us from God. He's sending us miracles every hour of everyday.
BTW, Radii SAID YES and that was the first time I walked out of the lesson and felt like I could do this.
It was an amazing experience and I learned so much.
This week guess what else happened? TAYSOM HILL EVERYONE. YUP. and CHAD LEWIS. (Big football BYU stars. Chad played NFL) they both were guest speakers at sunday Devo. and Taysom cried as he spoke to us and we (there are a lot of missionaries that are BYU cougs) all were a bit star struck. He shared some cool stuff about meeting with the 12 apostles during half time when he wasn't playing bc he broke his foot. The apostle told him "if the lord needed you on that field, you would be on that field. but for some reason you're not, so it's your responsibility to find out why and how you are needed and why that is more important". I took that to heart. If I was needed anywhere else, I would be there. But i'm here, i'm needed here, and I know this is exactly where I'm supposed to be! that was really comforting for our district. We had a rough week. not gonna lie, there was crying, a lot of scripture reading, some more crying, and LOTS OF PRAYING. Each of us kind of hit a wall of frustration about the end of the week. Don't be worried though, I hit the wall about Thursday. This language is hard, the days are LONG, we feel like we aren't improving, and all we needed was to know that everything was going to workout and get over this ridge. Luckily I hit it a day before everyone else and when I prayed Friday night to be rejuvenated and get more motivation and comfort, I had the best day of my life on Saturday, and was able to help while everyone was having a hard time. I shared a few scriptures that helped me and was able to pull some of the sisters and even the elders back into a good happy attitude.
Tuesday Devo was really good too. President L. Whitney Clayton was the guest speaker and his wife shared a good thought. They go to africa to help the people and there was an african lady that said:
"in some places in the world they say 'the glass is half full or half empty'. Here, we are just so thankful to even have a glass. and even more blessed if there's anything in it". THIS CHANGED MY WHOLE PERSPECTIVE. there is so much to be grateful for. I have started a Blessings journal to write just a few things every day I'm grateful for. even when it seems like there's not a single blessing that day, there's always a tender mercy or miracle i've been blessed with day by day.
I've decided to read the BOM (or the PKM preahkompiimoomon as we call it) all the way through again. I bought a fresh copy and oh my lanta it's the most amazing thing! I invite you all to do the same. My goal is to finish by the time we leave the MTC. which is in 6 weeks. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? IM freaking out a bit....
This week we taught our first TRC. It's when you go talk to volunteers in your language (most of them are RMs from kampuchia) and they ask you questions and you share a message with them. It was a bit harder because they are members that are there becuase they need some uplifting. we don't know how to say much besides the simple stuff, but I still loved it and learned a lot. They even thought we had been here for 7 weeks based on our language. but nope. they were so suprised to hear we were here for only 2 1/2 #blessed.
Gym time is my favorite time. We go run around the temple field or we go to the fitness center and watch mormon movies or we play district bball. BEST THING EVER. we are all on different levels of coordination in Bball... and it is the funniest thing ever. I LOVE MY DISTRICT. there's no way I would still be here if I didn't have these particular sisters and elders in my group. we are more than Best Friends. we are a family. we lean on each other for everything and we love no one else. we also can make each other laugh like no one else. good times. good times.
I shook hands with the Indonesian Ambassador on accident this week... yep it was an accident. but I was standing in the hall and he just wanted to shake it, so I guess we did? Cool though right? also, the Vietnamese ambassador is coming in November. nervous much? yep. because Vietnam is in our mission! and we are praying that it will become it's own mission very soon! So we will get to have a little chat with him.
RAMEN PARTIES: can I just say THANK YOU MOTHER for your love and saving me and my roomies from some very depressing nights after a very hard day of class? we come home and eat spicy ramen in the hallway and it is the best bonding, relaxing, and pick me up. I know yall are like "thats gross!"? nope. Ramen is like eating lobster after having been eating in the cafeteria haha!!! I love it. So thank you!
One last thought... the Savior's ministry was only actually 3 years. it is AMAZING how much he did and helped people in that short amount of time. My "ministry mission" is 1 1/2 years. How much good can we as sisters accomplish in that long?
I love this place. I love who I am becoming, and I love who I serve - Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the people of Cambodia.
I cannot wait to get out there! but first... language hehe...
Have a great week everyone, I miss and love you all!
Srl)~n "love",
"Sistuh" Haddock
ps. my dear elder address is the same one that is listed on my website - www.whithaddock.wix.com/currentlycambodian