Dear Family,
I am alive and well here in Cambodia and guess what
Cambodia actually has an autumn. I love that all the trees have half
their leaves falling and the other half are just beginning to grow. I
love that we have a thunder storm almost every night and that the clouds
are sticking around for most of the day, it lessens my need for long
sleeves which means I can sweat less. I love my new area, although I
was surprised to realize I miss the challenge of going over the bridge
everyday, oh well new challenges and ways to grow usually present
themselves. I am so very thankful for having already white washed once,
white washing well truly is a skill, now I'm not saying I've mastered
it, but learning how important it is to remember streets after only
going down them once, serving people so they trust you and sharing love
openly are all important skills I learned the importance of last time so
now I know to use them from the first day. I am thankful for the
Spirit in this work. I am thankful that as we apply the Spirit
everyday we can and are guided by that Spirit in order to help the
people we need to be helped at specific times. Take for example Chi Ly and I
going contacting, having applied to the Lord to find those people who
need Him. The first time was seeing a man that looked Cambodian, but we
both felt like we needed to talk to him, so we did. We found out he is
Vietnamese and travels all over the city fixing shoes. I was surprised
that I actually understood what he was saying. In talking to him we
were able to talk with a client of his as well and give a Kmer pamplet
to her daughter. I don't know how it will all turn out, but I'm
thankful for the Spirit who can give us confidence to act.
I am thankful for the new opportunities that transferring brings.
Even though I didn't change apartments, only rooms and to a new bathroom
(even though it only has a shower head on the wall, I actually like it
more than the tub, even if it makes shaving my legs more complicated)
having a new companion and new area are quite the change. Transferring
brings an opportunity to evaluate progress and find things that we want
to improve on. It brings an opportunity to set new goals and to work
with the Lord in trying to progress. After being in one area and with
one companion for 12 weeks I had become complacent and even realized I
wasn't becoming the missionary Heavenly Father wanted me to be. Even
before transferring I was setting goals and striving to improve, but
having a new companion helped me have a fresh start. Because Chi Ly
didn't know me before I could start fresh and be something completey
new, what a beautiful opportunity. If we think about it, renewing our
covenants each Sunday gives us that same opportunity to evaluate and ask
God's help to change.
Chi Ly is a 22 yr old from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh who has lived with
her grandma for the last two years. She is fabulous, she is a bit
bolder than Chi Pham which makes talking with gossipers more fun. We are
always kind and loving, but we don't mince words. She has wanted to
serve a mission for four years and has amazing understanding of the
Bible, which considering one of our members teaches institute and we are
helping her create lessons, I need to brush up on my new testament and
my Bible Vietnamese (if I ever had it). It is interesting not having a
companion as strictly obedient as my last one, but it is giving me an
opportunity to police myself and cause me to be more aware of my desires
to be worthy of the Lord's blessings through obedience.
As I close my email I want to express my gratitude to Heavenly
Father for sending the Spirit and bringing me peace, so that even when I
can't do something large, if I do what the Lord wants I can know it is
enough. I am thankful for the peace the Spirit brings and the comfort
which comes when we know we did what the Lord wanted us to do. This
came to me full force as I sat listening to two sisters cry because
their mother wants to sell them into prostitution to pay off her
gambling debts. I didn't know what to say and I knew there wasn't
anything I could do. But the Spirit came and did so much more than I
could have as I testified of God's love for them and that they were not
alone. I am thankful for the priesthood and for elders who are worthy
of their priesthood and could give a blessing of such power. As we left
that sad little apartment I felt the Spirit and I knew even if I
couldn't do anything, the Spirit and the Lord could, all we had to do
was invite the Spirit in.
I know my Heavenly Father lives, I know he loves us. I know Heavenly
Father is a God of second chances and third chances, that as we have
desires to change things, big or little, he will always help us. We are
never alone, we each of us, have a special place in His heart. May
God's love go with you this week.
All my love Chi Dao
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