Living the Thai-life

Day 49
July 11, 2017 Tues
Provo, UT
This past week, we were basically dropped by one of our investigators. Our teacher reviewed with us our performance after one of our lessons and let us know that realistically, we wouldn't have been invited back. We talked about how we had a rough start, but that we have grown and gotten much better.  Ultimately we decided to pick up a new investigator amongst our other options- so we are now teaching Kali (rough English translation). She's already a Christian, and though we've only taught her once, she's very enthusiastic about Jesus, and is thrilled to learn more! We are very excited to keep teaching her in the short time we have left (12 days and a few hours, but who's counting?)!
Our new Thai and Vietnamese missionaries arrived on Wednesday- 40 new people. Initially, we were so excited for them! We had a small freak out when they started coming as we realized some might move into one of our rooms.  If you remember each of the 3 "old" companionships have our own room.  The new missionaries got assigned to to different rooms, so hallelujah, but tragically we do have to share our bathrooms:).  They've integrated with us so I guess we like them well enough!

The weeks have started catching up to us, and a few times in our evening classes this week we've started losing it a bit. Like, we'll start laughing and it gets a tad hysterical until we take a break. It's all good though. My Thai is (hopefully) improving, and I'm definitely getting better with reading and writing.

As a district, we have now entered into no-English challenge zone. We are doing our best to speak as much Thai as we can, and we've even been asked to read the scriptures in Thai with our investigators. When we we were the new Thai, and the old Thai missionary (Elder Julander) seemed so fluent and like he could read so easily, I now have come to the realization of the truth when he humbled himself to us constantly by saying "when you get to where I am, you'll realize how little Thai I actually know." This is so true.

We also had the chance to do our first skype TRC on Friday. Unfortunately, we didn't get to skype someone in Thailand, but we did skype a Thai sister at Weber State University who was baptized a few years ago then married her missionary after having served in Australia herself. We had a great 30 min lesson with her, and the spirit was there strongly- we even got lots of positive feedback from our teacher (something that doesn't always happen)!

On Sunday, because there were so many new districts in our zone (2 new Thai, 2 new Viet), we ended up having 4 priesthood classes, each led by a companionship that's been here with the Zone Leader's split up- so I ended up teaching again. It was somewhat last minute, but I really made the missionaries teach one another (it was about Keeping the Sabbath Holy, so what could I tell them that was knew?) which not only took up most of the time, but was an opportunity for them to go into the role of the investigator, and think like they would and anticipate their questions. It went great!

The Sunday devotional was by Wright and Janett Thurston (I don't think they hold a flashy calling or position within the MTC, just friends with the MTC pres.) and I loved it- I took just as much if not more notes than when Elder Bednar was here. They covered so much, and gave a lot of great quotes and goals for me to aspire and live. Afterwards, we stayed in the stands and took an MTC-wide panoramic (I was sitting mid-front close to the far aisle on the house left side in the bleachers, so towards the right in the picture?). They said it was going to be used for the new building's open house tours, but maybe it'll be posted on one of the Mormon sites. We went and watched Testaments for our Sunday film, which is a story from the perspective of a fictional family concerning Christ's coming in 3 Nephi 11 ish. It was amazing!

Also this week, my Holy Tabbs finally arrived! I love them already! They do take some time to get in (I've only just barely finished putting in the 1st lesson, and that's just additional references- it doesn't include the PMG ones). I'm excited to use them in my lessons, and how they will help me familiarize with the scriptures.

I'm almost out of the MTC, so about 2 more weeks of packages, mail, and Dear Elder's before I'll be in Thailand. I'm pumped!


-- 
Elder Montague

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