Wednesday, July 17, 2013

By This Shall Man Know You Are My Disciples!

Soooo.  This week has been a really good one!  I love the MTC!  :)  It's lots and lots of fun, and we receive so many blessings each day!  Sister Ference and I are becoming really good friends and during our companionship inventory I realized how far we've come as teachers and also as companions!  We're learning how to work together, and we're learning how to help each other and it's awesome!
Our investigators Phii Saamaad and caycay are still doing really well!  Phii saamaad continues to instruct himself and be absolutely golden :)  haha.  We asked him what he learned at church and he said he learned about... the Atonement (kaanchodchay), repentance (kaanklapcay -which means like a return of the heart), temples (phrawihaan) and covenants (pantaasaanyaa) haha... he learns everything and he loves the gospel!  Haha... and he thinks I'm kinda crazy (which is probably true!)  Because sometimes I teach in Thai like I would in English!  I told Phii Saamaad that Christ was jampen jangleeyi or... necessary and then that last word is an intensifier!  So I was saying... necessary EXTREMELY! :)Caycay is doing well too!  We had a good lesson where we discussed 2 Nephi 32, and we talked about receiving revelation and talked about baptism!  We're trying to help him resolve his concerns and help him see why he needs the gospel more!  I think the scriptures are important to him and he's starting to understand how he can use those :)
Um... fun Thai mess up for the week.  In a room prayer before bed I said "chuay phua khaa phraong (help us) russxg (feel).... then in trying to remember a word I blurted out "khanompan" which means bread.  No no no.  I meant peace which is "khwaamsanob"  haha... and of course then I said "You guys... I just asked us to feel bread..." Maybe it's not that funny to anyone else! 
Also.  Another kind of fun story!  This week I sang in sacrament meeting because it was our districts turn to do the musical number.  Haha... I had Elder Wilson on the piano (he was a cello major at BYU, really good friends with Maddie and Elder Larson!) and I had Sister Jackson on the violin and I was going to sing Savior Redeemer of My Soul!  haha... we only practiced it... 2 or so times.  And... that maybe wasn't the best choice!  I forgot that that song was really difficult to breath on... it has a lot of really long phrases.  So... somehow... the first page of that song ended up being absolutely awful.  I'm not being modest.  It was straight up awful.  I was like wheezing for breath (haha... who does that?  Just breathe awkwardly... don't run out of breath!)  But... it was... so awful!  It just made me smile though... luckily I have enough pride to spare :) so I wasn't embarrassed!  But... for the first few phrases... I'm pretty sure everyone must have been cringing... like when someone starts singing in church and they're tone deaf... and then you know the next 5 minutes are going to be kind of uncomfortable for everyone!  Haha... But... then after a couple phrases apparently I just decided to sing normally!  And it ended up on a good note!  Haha... I think Heavenly Father may have shut the ears of some of the people in that congregation because they all told me it was beautiful :) or He blessed them with kind hearts!  Or... He made them think I was getting emotional... apparently that's what it came off as :P  Haha.  It was funny though.  But also... it made me smile because... at the end there is a lyric that says something like "Chasten my soul, till I shall be in perfect harmony with Thee" and I thought it was kind of an interesting symbolism... of how our own efforts can start out weak and tone deaf, and out of breath... but by the end can turn out with the Lord's help! :)  I love that song!  It practically begins playing in my head when I realize how much I need the Savior, after a hard day, or whenever I'm frustrated with myself... I just know I need my Savior and My Redeemer.  I love it :)  I wish I could sing with the glory of an angel!  Music is awesome!
That reminds me... the title of this email!  We sang "As I Have Loved You" I dunno what it is with primary songs... but I love them all!  What beautiful words... "As I (the Savior!  I'm sure you all knew that :P but I didn't think of it!) have loved you, love one another... by this shall man know ye are my disciples... if ye have love, one to another!" Beautiful.  That's something I try to work on every single day!
Annnnd another good thing!  This week I had a coaching session with Brother Shipley... and basically my question for him was "how can I be a better missionary?  I wanna be better!" Generic and very Sister Croft-y I know :)  Buuuuut.  He had me turn to Ether 12:27... which I have read many a times.  The new insight he shared with me was that it was not my job to try to fix my weaknesses.  It's my job to 1) come unto Him 2) be humble 3) have faith.  (I think that's all anyway!) So I shouldn't be worrying about what I can do to be better... I should be loving and worrying about and praying for the investigators.  And THEN will Heavenly Father make my weaknesses strong.  I really love that :)  it's so hard not to worry about yourself :P  But... I'm learning!
I'm not sure what else to put in here... we've had a really great week!  And we only have 4 more!  That's 4 more emails from me before I am calling you from an airport... on my way to a land of snakes, elephants, and wonderful Thai people! :) Oh wow, oh wow! :) That's absolutely insane!  But the gospel is so good!  And we're learning... and we're so blessed.  Haha... I never thought I'd think I knew what I was doing when I left the MTC.  Like... people say you think you can speak your language... and then you get there :P I'm starting to see how I'd think that :P but.  Also.  I'm so not worried about the language at all!  Heavenly Father will help me :) and it'll come!!!  So it's okay :)  Ahhh.  I still have a lot to learn dear family!  Buuuut.  The gospel is so good :) Go to the temple for me :)  I'm still so jealous of you for being able to go!  :) The gospel is the best!!!
gap khwaamrag mag mag mag mag mag mag mag (with a loooooot of love!),
Sister Croft

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