This week has been crazy. I have no idea if I will transfer or stay or Sister Somboonnit will transfer and I will stay or if we will both stay. As a wise sister told me, " You should really just not worry about it, or you'll go crazy." Transfers here are every 9 weeks ( because that's how long people learn Thai in the MTC). Why am I spending time wondering about his when I have yet to finish training and so all things point to me staying with my trainer and in my area? Because President Senior said, " Hold on to Sister Barber until December," then he said, " I'm still considering if you will move or not." So basically, we are just waiting on the Lord to decide what is best for Thailand and me. I will learn either today or tomorrow if I will move or not, and transfers is Wednesday. Woot.
In other news, I don't know if I told you that this month we have a goal mission-wide to have balanced key indicators for two weeks, one baptism, and one to the rescue. I am happy to report we have had two weeks of balanced key indicators, one to the rescue, and sister A passed her baptismal interview this Sunday! Actually, the fact that we got balanced key indicators this week was a small miracle. We were so sad, because we couldn't balance because we had only one investigator at sacrament; then a member came up to us and introduced us to two investigators that came to church with them! They are Snow and Charley ( at the request of Drew I have given them names you can remember.) They are two girls about 20, they are also both Burmese, so we can't really talk with them.... the sister that brought them translated for us, but she is actually from a different ward, so she can't always be there. Luckily, we have a member that speaks Burmese and English, so it should be okay.
Many things happened this week. As the companion of the sister training leader, I have come to realize all big events happen right before transfer meeting ,,,,maybe because so many people want to get away from their companions. but most of the things I can't tell you (: I can tell you that we had a stake Christmas activity. It was fun - they had a presentation about the first Christmas in Bethlehem, and in the Americas there was singing, and it was all in Thai! So I definitely did not understand all of it, but I did get most of it. I think they will be putting a film of it on the Thailand mission Facebook page so you can watch some of the crazyness. They also had ballet dancers dance some of the nutcracker and I might have thought a great deal about home and Afty when they danced the snowflakes.
Basically, all this week has been taken up with the question: will we move or will we stay? Sister A really wants us to be here for her baptism. She is so kind and sweet. and she kept asking us will you be here? Will you see me get baptized? and none of us could answer yes or no.
Well, that's all I got, so here's your culture lesson for the week: "Every religion teaches people to be good", "I'm Buddhist, "I don't speak English". These are the three answers I get most often when I Dan Jones. It's actually kind of funny. I will be like: "Do you know baptism? You can be relieved of your sins and be a new person!" They answer, "I'm Buddhist" and they think the conversation is over, but Sister Somboonnit and I have started saying "You can change." But the "Every religion teaches people to be good" is harder and EVERY ONE SAYS IT. I was wondering for a long time how everyone knows to say it exactly the same way, then Sister Somboonit told me that they teach that in the schools. THE SCHOOLS. So if you were wondering, "Thug sadsan saan khon hay been khon dii." Grr. "I don't speak English" I don't get so much, but I just say, "I'm not speaking English."
Love,
Sister Barber
In other news, I don't know if I told you that this month we have a goal mission-wide to have balanced key indicators for two weeks, one baptism, and one to the rescue. I am happy to report we have had two weeks of balanced key indicators, one to the rescue, and sister A passed her baptismal interview this Sunday! Actually, the fact that we got balanced key indicators this week was a small miracle. We were so sad, because we couldn't balance because we had only one investigator at sacrament; then a member came up to us and introduced us to two investigators that came to church with them! They are Snow and Charley ( at the request of Drew I have given them names you can remember.) They are two girls about 20, they are also both Burmese, so we can't really talk with them.... the sister that brought them translated for us, but she is actually from a different ward, so she can't always be there. Luckily, we have a member that speaks Burmese and English, so it should be okay.
Many things happened this week. As the companion of the sister training leader, I have come to realize all big events happen right before transfer meeting ,,,,maybe because so many people want to get away from their companions. but most of the things I can't tell you (: I can tell you that we had a stake Christmas activity. It was fun - they had a presentation about the first Christmas in Bethlehem, and in the Americas there was singing, and it was all in Thai! So I definitely did not understand all of it, but I did get most of it. I think they will be putting a film of it on the Thailand mission Facebook page so you can watch some of the crazyness. They also had ballet dancers dance some of the nutcracker and I might have thought a great deal about home and Afty when they danced the snowflakes.
Basically, all this week has been taken up with the question: will we move or will we stay? Sister A really wants us to be here for her baptism. She is so kind and sweet. and she kept asking us will you be here? Will you see me get baptized? and none of us could answer yes or no.
Well, that's all I got, so here's your culture lesson for the week: "Every religion teaches people to be good", "I'm Buddhist, "I don't speak English". These are the three answers I get most often when I Dan Jones. It's actually kind of funny. I will be like: "Do you know baptism? You can be relieved of your sins and be a new person!" They answer, "I'm Buddhist" and they think the conversation is over, but Sister Somboonnit and I have started saying "You can change." But the "Every religion teaches people to be good" is harder and EVERY ONE SAYS IT. I was wondering for a long time how everyone knows to say it exactly the same way, then Sister Somboonit told me that they teach that in the schools. THE SCHOOLS. So if you were wondering, "Thug sadsan saan khon hay been khon dii." Grr. "I don't speak English" I don't get so much, but I just say, "I'm not speaking English."
Love,
Sister Barber