Week 2

Cumriabsua!!!!

My second week at the mtc flew by compared to last week. everyone told me to just make it to sunday and they were right. after that, time definitely picks up the pace.

Ive hit a bit of a wall with khmer. im fine speaking it but the alphabet is SO DIFFICULT for me, which i dont understand because ive never really had a problem with languages, even ones with different alphabets. So i dont like that im struggling. DId you know that the khmer alphabet is the l;argest one in the world?? Like mandarin and languages like that have more characters and sounds, but in terms of a phonetic alphabet, khmer is the biggest. did i mention it has 109 letters? crazy huh? The letters are literally all the same shape but with one tiny squiggle to make it different so they all look the same to me. its getting frustrating but im trying my best and working so hard and i know i just have to keep doing that. PLus my comps and i laugh about how we get so frustrated with the language. Like, weve been here for 10 DAYS. why are we expecting to be fluent in 10 days?? haha, its remarkable the stuff we can say in such a small amount of time.

My companions and i are getting along really well. Just some background info: Sis Peterson is 22, half japanese, and left a full time job offer AND work on her masters degree to come on a mission. SIs Thain is also a convert, and shes very loud, but sweet. We all laugh so much together. Im becoming good friends with them and with the other people in my district.

I know i mentioned prayer in my last email as well but sis thain shared a quote that i really liked: "Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" I really likes that. Just something to think about.

I got both of the care packages. Thank you!! But no more candy! Since ive been here ive been eating so much candy (i think its because im stressed) and ive already gotten so fat! So keep the packages coming but try to keep the sugar to a minimum :) I am also getting your dear elders. the mtc prints out the email and gives it to me the very day you send it, so its really nice.

Tell nanny i got her card and that i love her very much. It was so sweet. I think about her and pop every day, and they are always in my prayers.

Every monday my comps and i have service, which is basically just helping to work around the mtc campus. And we have toilet duty. nice. we each clean about 70 toilets. really nice. BUT a cool thing i learned is that by doing small service things like that, we save the church over one million dollars every year by making sure they dont have to hire someone. so i thought that was pretty cool.

Lookruh (teacher) Thomas told us something in class the other day that struck me. we were being a little rowdy and immature so he explained the concept of "quiet dignity." He said, "We're all very young. But we're going out to teach the world the important things we know. They can see in your face that you're young. So don't act like it." Lookruh is funny and nice, but sometimes he can be blunt with us and put us in our place. But i like that, He got back from cambodia less than a year ago, and hes so smart. I have a lot to learn from him.

Phoebe - Ive been hearing so much about your move into the city! Good luck! I know youre going to do so well there. I brag about my sister whos a real new yorker working in the financial district to everyone. you're amazing and i love you so much. do good!

I dont have a ton of pictures from this week, nothing super eventful happened. But anynway I love you all so very much and i love hearing from you! 

Love, love, love, 

Sister Dai-vee (thats how cambodians pronounce davis)