What Happens When: an engagement, baptism, hospital trip, and transfer calls happen in 5 days
Hello my friends and family!
The passed 5 days have been the craziest, most strange days ever! First off, I was invited to play the piano for an "engagement ceremony" for a girl in my ward here. 1) what is a ceremony of engagement? not a wedding....not a proposal....?
2) the song "marriage for eternity" was chosen for the youth to sing and me to play the piano. If any of you have heard this song, you know why this was the most comical event of my mission so far. Anyway,it was like a wedding in the gym at the church minus the actual marriage part, and all the youth and missionaries sang beautifully. Cambodian events/occasions never cease to surprise me. (Pictures Below)
KIMSIA GOT BAPTIZED! My golden investigator, Kimsia, the one I have taught since my first transfer here, got baptized sunday after church, It was so special to hear her bear a beautiful testimony and see her encouraging others to be baptized next. So fun! She is going to be a great addition to our ward and she even is looking into becoming a missionary already! Haha I was so grateful for the opportunity to teach her and watch her life change as she began preparing to enter the waters of baptism. We will be friends forever! The cutest part was watching her tell the Elder's investigators to just go on and get baptized! yep, that's our recent convert :)
Also, I've been spending the last few days in the luxurious, 5 star hotel called the hospital with my sick companion, Sister Thoun, for the past few days. She is doing well now and is recovering. Seriously though. Scrubs are not a thing of asian doctors. Heels though, those pass. If you want to be a nurse here, you have to look and dress like you stepped out of a magazine. I do miss my people though, I just gotta get out and keep teaching! Excited to visit everyone in my ward tomorrow. not excited however, to say GOODBYE. Yikes. That's right, TRANSFER CALLS came last night.... and I'm leaving my birth area! Usually, they try to keep at least one missionary in an area so they always have someone to continue the work, but this time, they are bringing in 2 new sisters to Teuk La'ak because Sister Fields is finishing her mission :( {she's so good I can't lose her} and I am moving to Stung Mean Chey :) That is the south part of the city, where "Trash Mountain" is. If you haven't heard of trash mountain, I bet you could google it. I'm way excited for this new transfer, meeting new people, a whole new area, and a cool companion, Sister Leng. Even though I want to stay in Teuk La'ak forever, I'm way pumped for this new experience. Missions are fun. You learn how to change yourself to love people better, and you never know what you're gonna get, but everything is prepared in the Lord's hands, so you just keep going straight forward! I love being able to teach so many different people and hear their stories. There is so much work to be done here, and Cambodia really is a special place.
love you all,
Sister Haddock
Hospital ramen party (it was sunday, so we had to be smart shoppers saturday night)
THE couple of the engagement
BAPTISM! (we get out of church at 6 pm, sorry it's dark)
