This week as a compliment during our
weekly planning, Sister Harris told me that she has observed that I'm good at
controlling my temper. I'm still laughing about it.
I would like to contend that I still
don't know how to control my temper, it's just that Cambodia has sucked the
temper out of me. There is only so much to be angry at when you are in a
country that's always sunny and has people who wear pajamas everywhere and
laugh when they rub your arm hair. (Sister Harris got her first taste of that
the other day. I think she was less than pleased.)
So it turns out that all of my
companions, Sister Harris included, have taken it upon themselves to teach me
all of the songs from the Children's Songbook. Since it's Christmastime, Sister
Harris has taken her job seriously. She won't let me listen to Christmas music
until after Thanksgiving, but she has marked the pages in my songbook for the
Children's Christmas songs. She goes, "Joseph goes to Bethlehem, The
Nativity song and Picture a Christmas. those are the heavy hitters. You have to
know them for when you get called to work in the Primary." That
wasn't even a funny joke.
Om Im, one of our hilarious recent
converts (the super old, roly-poly woman) is definitely starting to warm up to
us. At first, I think she was reluctant to let go of the elders and have the
sisters teach her instead. It only took her a couple weeks. Now she is really
starting to love us. Whenever she sees me she waddles over and smiles real big
and squeezes my arms and everytime we go to visit her at her house she gives us
her homemade soymilk. (Poor Sister Harris is just going to have to accept the
fact that I write unfortunate bathroom stories about most of my companions).
So, I haven't had any problems with the soymilk, but Sister Harris has a very
sensitive stomach and she is straight up CONVINCED that the stuff is evil. She
had had it twice already and noticed similar......consequences both times. So
this past week We sit down at Om Im's and she goes "Let me grab the
soymilk." I don't thnk Sister Harris understood what she said though
because Om Im wentinside and SIster Harris goes, "Oh no. OH NO. Is she
getting the milk?" I just sort of smirked at her and when Om Im came out
with the pitcher Sister Harris is like "Oh no. h gosh. Here she comes.
She's coming. That stuff is straight up laxatives is what it is!!"
was in tears laughing so hard at my companion's pain. I'm a great mom.
Always lookin out for her. (Although I will say that I did offer to drink her
cup when Om wasn't looking.) Anyway, that's how you know someone loves you -
when they offer you homemade soymilk that acts as an atomic bomb to your
system.
Well, we contacted a lot and picked
up a couple new investigators this week. They both are familiar with
Christianity a little, and they both seem pretty sincere, but neither of them
came to church this week because they were both going back to their
"homeland" this past week. recently everyone and their dog has been
headed back to the provinces for long weekends and its getting super annoying.
It just makes me wish I could go with them back to Battambang or Kampong Cham.
PLus, they dont come to church and thats also pretty annoying.
Also this past week Sister Harris
taught English class and it was AWESOME. Elder Plothow, who normally teaches
our class, was sick and he texted me asking to fill in as English Class Leader
(I had some PTSD flashbacks from when I was in Battambang as the English class
leader when he asked me) and to find someone to teach. So I asked Sister Harris
to teach because she actually really likes teaching. It was super cool. She was
totally in her element. She was making everyone laugh and I got to sort of
assist her. It was super funny. We read the story of the Boy who cried wolf and
she did a pretty good rendition. Then we taught them about the word
"rather" which is way more difficult to explain than you think.
Sometimes english cass is so dumb (This is how you pronounce the letter 'P':
"Puhh!") So stupid. But SIster Harris made it really funny for them I
think. I was so proud of her. She didnt think it was that big of a deal though.
She goes, " I may not be able to speak Khmer, but I am an EXPERT at
English. No problem!"
Another fun Sister Harris-biking
story. So her bike chain keeps on getting all messed up. And it has happened so
many times til this point that we have worked out a system where she will
scooter herself on the bike to catch up to me and then grab onto the scarf that
I tie onto my backpack (i have told you guys about these scarves. they work for
many, MANY situations). So then I just tow her on her bike behind me. Hopefully
we'll get a picture of it one day. It's hard work for em but also hilarious.
For some reason, when Sister Harris loses the abilty to bike, she also loses
the ability to remember to STEER herself. So I go by a moto or a tuk tuk and
all I can tell from behind me is that she has let go of my scarf, almost run
herself into the opposing vehicle and I usually her an "Oh no!" and a
squeal of fear before she falls off her bike. Pretty funny for me. Last night I
was towing her like normal back home at night in a pretty quiet area near our
house and she just goes "It's like I'm in a parade. Hello Cambodia."
Her sense of humor is something you have to hear in person. It's got me
doubled over every day.
Another good quote from her about
contacting people: "Some people are such HATERS! It doesn't have to be
hard!" Good advice for all you normal people out there. If you meet the
missionaries, be nice and pleasant. If you really ask them to, they will just
go away. We are not like mosquitos that just keep on coming back no matter how
many times you swat. Dont be awkward like cambodians and just laugh and beat
around the bush. Just be normal and nice and honest. It doesn't have to be
hard!
Here's my one complaint about the
Cambodian society this week: these people need to get on top of their
addresses. I can't remember if I mentioned this part to you guys when I was
trying to explain how difficult CBR finding is here. There really is no such
thing as an address here. Few people actually have a house number, most people
don't live on main roads, and almost no one can tell you what nieghborhood they
currently reside in. It's downright impossible. All I do is go up to a person
and Im like, "Sorry, to bother you, but I'm just looking for Russei
village, group 6. Do you know where that is?"
Most common responses:
1) No.
2) I don't know my own group.
3) I don't think that place exists.
Number 3 is real. If they don't know
where it is, they will just tell you it doesn't exist. THIS IS MY LIFE.
Another random quote from Sister
Harris about that one offended less-active family: "They're not the only
people that hate us. They were just the first."
The coolest thing that happened this
week was that Brother Gibson and Brother Tanner came to our mission. The First
Counselors in the General Sunday School Presidency and the General Young Men's
Presidency from Salt Lake. Sister Harris was playing a special musical number
for a meeting they had with the members and so we got to meet them and say
hello and when brother tanner asked me where i was from, he was like "Oh
New Canaan! We had an Elder Larson from there!" Turns out he was the
mission president in Brazil over Nick Larson's mission. Small world. I
love little connections like that. He was a really nice guy. So theres your
shout out for the week.
I think thats pretty much it. I'll
leave some stuff for next week. Nothing new with any people we are teaching but
we're hoping that things start happening soon. We're both loving Steungmeanchey
and the members here.
Love you guys and miss you so much!\
Love, Sister Davis
PS You guys are all slacking. I got a
postcard from 9-year-old Luke Bryant this week, which went as follows:
"Dear Chole,
Are you haveing fun in the armepit of
the world? hahahaha Do you like being where you are? because I wouldnt because
I don't like liveing in a armepit. good luck love, luke."
This is the best mail I have received
on my whole mission. The rest of you better keep up to Luke's standard.
Sorry i didnt really take any
pictures of myself this week but you can have some random ones of sister harris
if you want!
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