So this week has been such an amazing blessing!!! I got a new companion! I still teach and study with Sister Holmes and Sister Adams, but now I'm assigned companions with Sister Choi, who is going to Hong Kong speaking Cantonese! So I had to move rooms the other day, which surprisingly took like 5 minutes since we don't really have too much stuff haha, but ya it's awesome because we have the whole room to the 2 of us! I made myself a queen-sized bed out of 2 bunk beds next to each other :) So I'm living it up here for the next 5 1/2 weeks!
Me and my new companion Sister Choi (she's going to Hong Kong)!
In other news, I was also called as the Sister Training Leader for our zone. And that was honestly quite the surprise. Maybe Heavenly Father knew He had to call me so that I'd actually read the white handbook....but it's been quite the blessing so far. In all of our training meetings, the messages have always been exactly what I needed to hear. I've learned so much about about having and trying to obtain the character of Christ, especially when it comes to working with the sisters.
Sister Choi, Sister Peterson (Cameron's future wife haha), and me.
You all should read Alma 7:22-24. I think verse 23 sums up the character of Christ plainly, and it's what I'm striving for every day that I'm here. It says, "And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive."
I just love this verse so much. As I adjust to this new lifestyle as well as becoming Sister Training Leader, I have seen the blessings of striving to have these attributes of Christ. I've learned to be more humble and submissive, especially when I know a ton of these younger sisters and elders know way more than I do. Being diligent in all things has become an important characteristic as well, especially when it comes to learning Thai. (PS...we are learning how to read script this week!! It's complete craziness, and I might have had a tiny panic attack, but I have faith that Heavenly Father will be able to help me through this.) And now since being here, I have learned the blessings of being patient and long-suffering and being temperate in all things. Teaching in a group of 3 is definitely a challenge in itself, and it takes a lot out of us when we plan lessons for our investigators. But I know that if I go into planning with patience and complete love for my companions and my investigators, I can feel the spirit more strongly, and I will more fully be able to show that love for my investigators and hopefully bring them closer to Christ.
Some of my favorite zone missionaries! Elder Witt and Schindler were also our zone leaders.
My Thai companions!
Another cool thing that happened was we got a new elder in our district: Elder Sukhan!! However, we just found out that he's heading out to Thailand this Friday! He was a fast tracked elder just waiting on his visa stuff to get here. It was so amazing having him around though for a week cuz he helped us so much with our Thai. It was like having a Thai dictionary right in front of you if you felt too lazy to get your own out...which is most definitely me ALL the time. haha. It is most definitely sad to see him leave. And now Elder Arne is back to being a solo elder. So I guess we'll have to escort him to the bathroom and all that jazz again haha.
Elder Arne and Elder Sukhan trying to be models.
And not only that, but a large majority of our zone left yesterday :( We had sisters and elders leave for Cambodia, Vietnam, and various places around the U.S., all speaking south-east Asian languages. So our numbers are most definitely dwindling, but it is allowing me to get to know everyone else here better, especially the sisters. That is another reason the calling I received is such a blessing. It allows me to get to know our branch presidency better, the elders in our zone, AND I ge
t to talk to the sisters one-on-one and really get to know them, their desires, needs, concerns, etc. It truly has been a blessing thus far.
Last zone picture outside the temple. (the majority of them left yesterday #sadday)
After hours herbal tea/hot chocolate party in our residence. :)
New companions #yesasianpride
Ok, and now I guess I'll just leave you all with a spiritual snack :) Something I really loved that was said in a past devotional was that "We should never settle for spiritual plateaus in our progress of becoming disciples of Christ." That was said by Sister Jan Zwick, the wife of Elder W. Craig Zwick of the Seventy. I just love this so much. It explains so simply that being a disciple of Christ is a life-long pursuit. And if we are always pursuing this goal, not only will we grow in our knowledge of the doctrine, but we will also grow in our relationships with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. So something I've been thinking about a lot lately is how our strength as disciples really lays in our righteousness. As we are righteous in all of our doings, and striving to become more like Christ and listening and obeying the council and guidance of our priesthood leaders, we will truly be blessed, and we hopefully will never just plateau in our relationship with the Savior.
#selfiesunday
Thanks for all of the DearElders and your sweet emails!! I miss you guys all so much and I really pray about you everyday!
Love always,
Sister Lam
No comments:
Post a Comment