Sounds like a fun trip for Aimee, I hope she learns a lot!
Yea, I did see the pictures on Facebook. That is cool, tell her congrats for
me. It feels like yesterday that I was graduating, I can't believe it is her
turn already! [The trip Michael is talking about is her graduation trip that takes her and about 100 other graduates on a church history tour for two weeks. You can follow her adventures by going to myorigination.com and following the blog.]
As far as food goes, this week we had dinner with the Hmong
missionaries again. This time we had this stuff called La (rhymes with flat).
It is sort of like lettuce wraps, but you use your hands more...and they have
this weird lettuce stuff that isn't native to the US, and their isn't even a
name for it in English. The Hmong missionaries all have different names on
their name tags. When they come out, they are assigned a "Hmong name"
and because of how cultural it is, they get to have it on their tags instead of
their real names. While we were at this dinner, I asked the family if they
would give me a Hmong name. After they were thinking for a while the name I got
is Koob Tsheej. It means a man of God, and it also means the leader, or
conductor of a group of people. It was kind of interesting hearing that from
these people, especially because they know so little about me. I am getting the
Hmong missionaries to order me a Hmong tag with that new name on it, so I will
be Tub Txib Koob Tsheej (Tub Txib means Elder). And I barely remember how to
pronounce this name, so I will have to tell you sometime, because it is hard to
explain...Anyways, I thought that was cool!
I am jealous of the missionaries in AZ that get those sorts
of things provided by the members. We have to buy all of our own stuff. The
members are great, but sometimes it is annoying because we hate having to ask for
help, and you can tell sometimes that people are bugged that we are always
asking for help from them, but there are some things we just don't have the
resources or time to do on our own. It would be nice if we could somehow show
the members how grateful we are. [Larry and Irene mentioned that the members in the Tempe Arizona area have been asked to provide toilet paper for the missionaries.]
The big concerns in the Zone are over for now...at least the
ones we know about. I have learned that there are always issues going on, but
as long as I don't know what they are or who is doing them, I can sleep better.
It is their choice to waste this opportunity for spiritual growth. I just wish
people did what they are supposed to. We haven't had any problems with sickness
or depression in this zone since I have been here, but usually that stuff just
goes straight to the mission president, and skips us. I heard that there is a
new rule in the church now, if you go home for anxiety or similar issues, you
have to wait at least a year before you can come back out, as opposed to the
previous 6 month requirement. So apparently it is a big deal. You guys
definitely don't add stress to me, but you did manage to ruin my diet with that
package!!;) Thank you, though. I really needed it.
That is crazy that only 2 of the 5 will be home for that
space of time. I am sure it will be weird. Hey you are looking to the wrong
child for grandkids soon. [This week with Aimee on her trip, and Daniel on a 4 day scout hike, we have only two kids at home. It's lonely and quiet!]
I have
been studying charity every day this week, and I think it takes a lot of
patience and humility to love others, especially when they don't love you. I
was reading a talk and it said "In our prayers we often say 'we are
grateful to thee for all the blessings we enjoy' but what about all the
blessings we don't enjoy? It is even more difficult to be grateful for
those". I thought that was an interesting way to look at things. I will
need to work on that.
We were driving down the road this past week, and all of the
sudden a fire truck came flying by us. As we followed it, they just stopped in
the middle of the road, and we noticed a brush fire on the side of the road.
Then we saw like 4 more fire trucks coming, so we pulled off the side of the
road. Haha we ended up stuck between a bunch of fire trucks, right on the road,
as we watched these firefighters trying to put out a fire in this field. It was
crazy! I took some pictures I will have to send home soon. What better time for
a selfie? :)
Haha thank you for being so trunky mom, it really helps;) [In Laura's letter, she compared these last few months to the last few minutes of a workout. Katie Harward shouts out to her class that we need to finish strong.] I
will do my best to work hard, but I don't think I am in the burnout phase
yet...not until I get to my next area. I am not sure if that will be in 5 weeks
or in 11 weeks, but I am sure then it will hit me. I constantly think about how
Elder Coburn finished his mission, and I want to be exactly like that. That is
sort of why I am hoping that I can drop from leadership for the end, because
that would make it so much easier to just work hard. But either way, whatever
the Lord wants. So far in the mission field, I have not found, seen, or heard
of any other missionary working as hard to the end as Elder Coburn did....I
didn't realize how focused he was until I see a lot of other missionaries just
checking out for their last few weeks, or even their last transfer. I think
when I get to my next area I am going to try to not tell anyone how long I have
been out, that way everyone doesn't keep reminding me that I am almost done. We
will see!
Thank you for keeping me in mind! I appreciate all of your
support. I did the math this past week, and I think I will fill up this journal
by the middle of July, but other than that, I don't think I need anything.
Thank you for everything!
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