Tales from the fat(tie) little notebook

September 4, 2013

 

So I bought a notebook the first weekend we were here. I was noticing that the one little flip notebook wasn't going to last me for very long. So I decided that another one was necessary. (I have since gotten 3 more.) but they all have very separate purposes. the fattie notebook (it says "fat lil' notebook" on the front) is where i write all of the awesome things that I am learning. all of my studying, all devos, spiritual thoughts, brain blasts and the like. it might only last for a couple more weeks. same with my first journal. you guys might be getting that back before I've even left the mtc. what can I say? I have a lot to say.... 

We heard from Elder David F. Evans of the seventy last night at devo. Mind blown. (but that does that actually surprise anyone anymore???) he talked about revelation. more specifically about how we receive revelation line upon line. it made me think about deciding to come on a mission. I definitely didn't decide to do it all at once. not like most of these young elders and sisters here. mine took a lot more convincing and a lot more thumping me on the head. but he talked about how the age change a year ago was the result of revelation. one year ago in October, we had 58,500 missionaries. last week, we topped 76,000 missionaries! :D and by the fall, we are expected to have 85,000 missionaries serving. SO COOL!!!! he told us about how two days before the announcement was made, the general authorities were discussing Jacob 5. I don't have my scriptures right in front of me, but just read it. and read towards the end. the servants are prophets, and throughout the course of the allegory, the continually ask the lord of the vineyard for more time. until one of the last servants - he doesn't ask for more time - he asks for more servants. I get chills just thinking about it!!!! it reminds me of the quote that dad sent me last week. the work is truly increasing to a degree that no one could ever have imagined. (verse 73)

Another thing I've learned a lot about here is obedience. not that I think of myself as a disobedient sort of person. i just like to do things the way I like to do them. you all know this. and sometimes young elders don't know how to say things nicely. or how to be quiet. so sometimes I have to be grumpy gramma and tell em to hush. or give them a look that says "do you know how you sounded just now?" but most of the time I love em all very much. they are definitely a lively bunch. even more so than the elders in the other district. but our district is really tight. we are actually getting in about 30 more people today, basically tripling the size of our zone now. no more Thai kids, but we are getting in Hmong, Cambodian and Vietnamese speakers. they'll have 9 weeks after today. Muahahaha! (we only have 6 weeks left!) it's crazy how fast these weeks fly by. Sooooo crazy. I totally agree with the fact that the first 3 days are the hardest. if you can make it past those three days of orientation and feeling completely lost... you'll survive. but I love it here! the scheduling is perfect. I pretty much did that in my previous life anyway. and love love love love love love liausdogighbnafjdaisldjflisadf loooooove the devos/conferences/class/gym... if only real life could be like this all the time. the last 2 weeks have just zoomed by. and they only seem to be going faster. I misses you guys like cray cray. (that's for Harmon). I can't tell you how much your dear elders mean to me! they make me all happy and fuzzy inside. they might make some of the elders a little jelly, but that's ok.

 

ummmmm what else is there?
hehe.
prize for the one who gets that quote! 

 

So we started learning script this week. oh my gosh it feel like all those times when you try and write in code to your pen pals. but this time you have twice the alphabet, and certain things (and combinations of things) make different sounds. and now you have vowels over, under, before and after the consonant. what the heck? i think someone was feeling high when they wrote this language. it's crazy. but i love it already! we still don't know how to say much that isn't church-related... they teach you in this very unique way that i think actually helps you learn it better. they teach you grammar skills WHILE teaching you to say things in Thai. so we learned how to pray, in THAI. we learned how to bear our testimonies (saying things like I believe "the following") which actually is a grammar principle of using the word "waa"... and other things like learning how to use the verbs to be (I thought Spanish was funky when it had two.) we have pen (ben), khxx, and yuu. ben refers to titles or roles (like Thomas S. Monson is the prophet, Susan Ellis is my mom, etc) khxx (think of kinda saying an "uh" sound while smiling like elder perry) is an is for explanation - like this IS the true church. or prayer is the way we receive revelation. yuu is all about location. it's uber fun.
they have different "classes" of letters in Thai. and depending on the class of letter you use, will depend on the tones that you have within a word. and more words have multiple syllables. so most words have different tones. actually, let me rephrase that. EVERY syllable has a tone. even a "no tone" syllable is considered a tone. and if you say the word chay differently, it can mean either to use/to spend, or it can mean yes. the word sua can either mean tiger or shirt. so I want you to go put your tiger on... probably wouldn't go over too well. but then again, maybe you have a tiger suit hiding in your closet... I just might be a little surprise later. 

 

I don't know if I've told you, but my sleep schedule is very weird here. I think the last year has programmed by body to sleep really well... for about 2 hours. then it decides that it doesn't need any more sleep, so it just makes me toss and turn for the rest of the night. I'm getting double what Ii used to get, so I haven't been tired for the last 3 weeks. at all. it just takes me a few minutes to wake up in the morning. and my prayers usually end up lasting about 15 minutes. praying in Thai WHILE sleepy... probably not the most effective combination. 

 

I hope you've been getting my letters! A lot of time I am able to write at nights after I get done with my journaling... so I write to my favorite people on the whole wide earth! I hope you guys are all doing well. I know life gets busy, but I DO SO LOVE to know that life is still moving on outside of these walls! we see a car and go whoa!!!! especially if it is a moving car. we don't see a lot of those... 

I never considered myself a picky eater either. but I think my palate is a little beyond cafeteria food. I know I shouldn't complain. but I just wanna eat authentic Thai food soooooo badly!!!! 

 

 

love you all.
bits and pieces.
it's soooooo fuzzy! 

I just might die. 

:D 

choog dii! (choke dee)
*it means good luck/have a good day

Jess (Sister Ellis)