Monday, July 25, 2016

Dreams Do Come True & Daily Joys

Dear Family and Friends, 

I came up with this email subject as I rocked out to some Disney tunes (sung my Motab) as I showered... I still get trunky for Disneyland on a DAILY BASIS. No joke, but it's okay. Don't worry, being a missionary is 1000 times better and more rewarding that Disneyland... maybe. (; But it sums up my week. New investigators, exchanges, a baptism, and a new bike. 

So last week when I was emailing Hayden, I was talking about some of the daily "joys" of being a missionary in Cambodia. Hopefully my mom included them in the blog, but I realized that you guys really have no idea what my life as a missionary here is like. AT ALL. And I apologize for that... I’ll try to do better and put more effort in these emails home.... starting next week. haha. I’ll pick one aspect of Cambodia and then just expound on it. Like the phsaa, the traffic, members, etc. GET EXCITED!!!! 

But as for this week, last p-day I took a 2 1/2 hour nap. Man, was it heavenly. So good. Missionary work is starting to take its toll on me. But it's okay. The help from the Lord is also starting to kick in, so I’m making it through every day. (: Speaking of dreams and sleeping... before my mission I rarely remembered my dreams, but lately I’ve been remembering all of them and they are CRAZY!!! Two nights ago I had a dream that my investigator was chasing me and my mom through a mall... haha which was more like a nightmare... she scares me so much. 

Ming Sohpi. Remember her?? She's not really progressing... but we are just keeping her around because Sister Soem has received revelation that one day she'll get baptized... that's one thing about Khmers, they are way in tune with the spirit, typically, so I don't really want to doubt her, but every time we have to teach her I get so stressed out which interferes with the spirit... we are trying our best, but she has such absurd questions. What nationality is Heavenly Father? How am I supposed to answer that??  At first we were trying to answer every question she had which got us way sidetracked (teaching her 4 times and still not finished the first lesson....) then Sister Soem went on an exchange with Sister Beng (a Khmer who is pretty intense in lessons) and she refused to answer questions unless they pertained to the lesson with was good. Sister Soem took it a little to the extreme and our next lesson she was way tense and we didn't teach with love or the spirit at all, so that is now a focus of ours. Teaching with love and the spirit. Sister Soem told me that during the lesson, the only thing she could think about was the story in the bible about Legion... haha she was convinced she was possessed... haha but when Neak Ming left the lesson she said she felt really good and that she felt like a lot had jooled (made sense to her) so that's cool. (: 

New investigators. We got FOUR!!!! So cool. One is a referral from the boyfriend of a missionary. Her name is Kim Hua and she is the sweetest. We met her and she said., “all I want is salvation.” I responded cool. That’s exactly what our church has to offer and what the Lord wants to give you. I expect her to slowly start to shine. (: As for the other 3... I haven't met them yet... we had an exchange on Sunday, yes, I know SO weird, with the sister AP's. So, I couldn't really argue against them, but they got them when I wasn't there... but I’m still stoked and know they are blessings from the Lord. As for my exchange... it was the weirdest exchange of my life... one it was on a Sunday, two, I jool ruamed (attended) a baptism for their investigator, so that's where the baptism fits in. I might not have very many baptism stories of my own from my mission, but I definitely have some good ones from other missionaries. (: This one was crazy and quite honestly a miracle that it worked out. Tender mercies from the Lord. 

We ordered out new bikes and I am stoked. So excited. 

PIONEER DAY. You guys, it would blow your mind how big Pioneer Day here is. Bigger than Christmas but a lot of their understanding is wrong. But we, American missionaries, didn't have the heart to tell them.... haha.  We spent all day at the church on Saturday, literally all day. 9-5. Super against the rules... but when you've got a Khmer comp sometimes they just don't listen to you. So we did a play about Joseph Smith right? Getting everyone in "costumes" and getting their make-up (fake eyelashes, about an inch of foundation, straightening their hair until it smoked and smelled like it was about to fall off) took forever.... I just sat there in the corner reading my scriptures, such a missionary, I know, while Sister Soem was right in the middle of it. She was right at home... but the actual performance went well. We did the play, they had some youth do some square dancing, they did a traditional Khmer dance (SO cool!!!!), and then they had some of the young women do a pop dance song... it was pretty interesting and not related to Pioneer Day whatsoever. And because they don't have a cultural hall all of this was done in the chapel... was it appropriate for the chapel? Probably not.... you've just gotta love Cambodia. hahaha 

I feel like there was a lot more that I needed/wanted to share with you guys but I’m out of time so enjoy some pictures and have a great week.

Huge shutout to the lovebirds, Hayden and Michelle, who get married this week. Love them so much. Let's be real, we all know Hayden lucked out big time marrying M. (; She is such a catch. (: LOVE YOU!!!!! 

Love, 
Sister Loftus
Double D





Here she is the infamous Ming Sophi



Eyelashes for the Pioneer Day play




Pioneer play



Almost forgot. Got a haircut... you're welcome mom. Hope you're proud. 



Exchanges with Sister Larsen and the miracle cake. 


The Daily Joys of being a Missionary in Cambodia~

It's hard... but it's okay. This is what I signed up for. It's just hard because in order for them to understand and have things click in their head, you have to bine (speak super straight to them and kind of yell at them) and I don't like doing that especially in Khmer...

The majority of the investigators and members are so good. They have such a strong testimony, just not strong enough to sacrifice... but I feel bad asking them to sacrifice because most times them sacrificing means they don't have food for that week.... it is hard for them to see especially when things don't work out the first week and their family goes hungry. We know that sometimes it takes time for the Lord to work miracles. 

Most of them can't read... and have no way to get to church. They don't have money to dope (have someone drive them on a motorcycle and they live way too far away to walk, like 2 hours walking..) 

I love teaching the CPR lesson about Church, Prayer, and Reading but it doesn't have a cool analogy so it just doesn't click in their head. 












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