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What Happens When: You Know (or dont know...) ALL of Khmer

Hello my family and friends!

I don't have too much time today, but I just wanted to tell you all that I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary and serve the Lord every single day. The experiences we have out here in Cambodia and all over the world as servants of the Lord are truly sacred and priceless. Along with the miracles we witness everyday, we see the hand of the Lord in our work each and every day and it makes me so grateful for this opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father's children here in Cambodia. Learning Khmer is one of the most challenging things ever, but as I look back on the progress we have all made since that first rough week in the MTC, there is no other way to explain how it is possible that we can speak to people and they understand us than to give credit to the Lord. He makes it all possible! This week I had a lot of language/culture learning experiences and I really had my eyes opened up to the reality of the gift of tongues. Sometimes when people see me on the streets they stop my khmer companion and ask her if I'm french (because they just assume all foreigners are, regardless of facial features). Then they hear me answer using pretty formal language or big words and they say "WOW. You know ALL of Khmer!"

It is the funniest because I am SO far from knowing even a lot of khmer, but I guess after 10 months I know enough to get around and do my calling. Seems like when I put in the effort to actually learn some new words and get better at reading, the Lord will give me a reward and little pushes of hope along the way. For example, this week while we were teaching a lesson at a moto-fix shop. Some kids pulled up on a moto, jumped off, and started yelling that there was a snake inside the moto. It just happened that the day before I was learning all these words about snakes and the lady next to me just starts talking my ears off about all these different types of snakes and I understood all of it! They did get the snake out, after pulling the whole moto apart, and I screamed a whole lot when they flicked the snake out onto the road and it was trying to bite everyone. whoops. It was huge! I don't know if snake vocab will help me preach, but it helped me contact that lady, so I'm not complaining! :)

Then about 2 days later, I learned all these words for temple recommends and standards and Sister Curtis called asking if I could translate her talk and give it in sacrament meeting. Glad to help, I accepted, but I didn't even think to ask what the talk would be on. Then when I received a copy of the talk guess what it was on? Temple recommends and standards! PERFECT. It all worked out, and I had extra help from the spirit when giving that talk yesterday. Miracles are real, GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL. and so are large khmer snakes....

Quick update on the week:

-we sang hymns at every lesson on Friday's exchange. I went with Sister Gallahad. She's way funny and super great at loving everyone! Singing in khmer was a crowd grabber. Made for some good contacting and we talked to lots of ladies that were so impressed that we take the time to learn the script alphabet.

- Sister Gallahad and I also went on an adventure to a wat last p-day and there was the creepiest animal there. Some 83 year old monk actually invited us to the wat (they never talk) and took us around the back of the building to "meel sat muay - see the animal" we didn't know what kinda animals he was talking about, but we were careful and followed him. There was this huge sloth/monkey/bear in a cage and the monk brought us this huge "snut" of bananas to feed it and told us that if we didn't call the sloth/monkey/bear's name while we fed it, it would bite our fingers off... but we fed it and freaked out when the beast started doing pull-ups on a ledge in the cage. I still have no idea what kinda animal that was, but they only come from the Thai border apparently. That was a p-day to remember.

- english class is going to take a new push for professionalism and success. I'm excited. Details coming soon.

-my bike hasn't gotten stolen or trashed yet. Wish me luck

- I ate unripe star fruit dipped in chili salt. It's like the size of a grape and so sour it makes your whole mouth and throat burn if you eat enough of them!

Sorry not much happened this week, we're praying for more people to teach. The picture is of our exchange and teaching Jariyaa + her neighbor friend.

Love you all, have a great week!

Love,

Sister Haddock