Hello everyone! Sorry it has been so long. I'm sure you are all dying to know about life in Tacoma. From now on (for the foreseeable future at least), I will be emailing on Tuesday or Wednesday because the library isn't open on Monday.
Also, this week has been crazy! My new companion's name is Sister Humpherys. She is almost done with her mission. In fact, this is her last 6 weeks before she goes home. We also live with and share a car with Sister Johansen and Sister Rydalch, who are the other two Cambodian speaking sisters, and who will be my companions after Sister Humphereys goes home. The 4 of us are the only 4 Cambodian speaking sister missionaries outside of Cambodia. Isn't that crazy?! Actually, they should call us bilingual sisters, because we act as the Cambodian speakers for all of Washington, as well as the English speaking sisters for the small area where we go to church. Our day is about half English and half Cmbodian, which is a challenge, but it's tons of fun! We like to teach Cambodian phrases to the English and Spanish missionaries because they think it's funny to try to speak Cambodian and we think it is funny to listen to them. So far they know "baptism, or no?", "dear Heavenly Father", and "clap twice".
In case anyone was wondering, it rains A LOT here. Usually it's a "drizzle" meaning you can't see individual raindrops, but you still get soaked. Yesterday I had on a blazer, a coat, and a raincoat, and I still had wet arms! Luckily, we have a car, but unluckily, neither Sister Humphereys nor I can drive it because you are not allowed to drive your first 6 week or your last 6 weeks. So, Sister Rydalch drops us off in the morning, and we pretty much walk everywhere until she picks us up at night to take us home. It's wet, but we meet a lot of people! We also go out knocking doors from 5:00 to 7:00 every day, which is conveniently when it tends to be the wettest.
We are teaching some really cool people right now. One is named Om (Aunt) Bo. She's 60 years old and she moved here from Cambodia in 1942 After she escaped the Khmer Rouge. Then, while living in Tacoma, she got shot in a drive by through the wall of her house (apparently she lived in a sketchy area at the time), and now she is paralyzed on one side of her body. She likes to tell us lots of stories about living in Cambodia and Vietnam. She says she first learned about Christ when she was trying to escape the Khmer Rouge by fleeing to Vietnam. She stated praying that Jesus Christ would help her get out safely, and she has believed in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ ever since. She also thinks it is super funny that I speak Cambodian. I'm not sure why.
We are also teaching an older man named Al and his mom, who is 90 years old! They live in the cutest little green house with a white picket fence and the warmest fireplace on the face of the planet. We met them while knocking one night, and they are just the nicest people ever. Al loves family history, and has actually done family history work with the church and volunteered at our family history center for 30 years now! They really like to talk with us, and they are so sincere in asking and answering questions. When we teach them I never want to leave.
The ward members here are also amazing. I would try to explain them to you all, but I have neither the time nor the words. So just know that the WA-TAC is the coolest place ever and I absolutely love it here!
I want to end with a scripture. It is 2 Nephi 22:2, which says " Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation." I know that, because of Christ, we can always have the strength we need to make it through whatever life throws at us. A lot of things this week should have scared me (such as literally everyone here has an attack dog and sometimes they just leave them out in their front yards!), but I have put my trust in the Lord, and that makes everything okay, because I know I will make it through all the hard things.
I love you all lots! Pictures are on their way.
Love,
Sister Lemon
Also, this week has been crazy! My new companion's name is Sister Humpherys. She is almost done with her mission. In fact, this is her last 6 weeks before she goes home. We also live with and share a car with Sister Johansen and Sister Rydalch, who are the other two Cambodian speaking sisters, and who will be my companions after Sister Humphereys goes home. The 4 of us are the only 4 Cambodian speaking sister missionaries outside of Cambodia. Isn't that crazy?! Actually, they should call us bilingual sisters, because we act as the Cambodian speakers for all of Washington, as well as the English speaking sisters for the small area where we go to church. Our day is about half English and half Cmbodian, which is a challenge, but it's tons of fun! We like to teach Cambodian phrases to the English and Spanish missionaries because they think it's funny to try to speak Cambodian and we think it is funny to listen to them. So far they know "baptism, or no?", "dear Heavenly Father", and "clap twice".
In case anyone was wondering, it rains A LOT here. Usually it's a "drizzle" meaning you can't see individual raindrops, but you still get soaked. Yesterday I had on a blazer, a coat, and a raincoat, and I still had wet arms! Luckily, we have a car, but unluckily, neither Sister Humphereys nor I can drive it because you are not allowed to drive your first 6 week or your last 6 weeks. So, Sister Rydalch drops us off in the morning, and we pretty much walk everywhere until she picks us up at night to take us home. It's wet, but we meet a lot of people! We also go out knocking doors from 5:00 to 7:00 every day, which is conveniently when it tends to be the wettest.
We are teaching some really cool people right now. One is named Om (Aunt) Bo. She's 60 years old and she moved here from Cambodia in 1942 After she escaped the Khmer Rouge. Then, while living in Tacoma, she got shot in a drive by through the wall of her house (apparently she lived in a sketchy area at the time), and now she is paralyzed on one side of her body. She likes to tell us lots of stories about living in Cambodia and Vietnam. She says she first learned about Christ when she was trying to escape the Khmer Rouge by fleeing to Vietnam. She stated praying that Jesus Christ would help her get out safely, and she has believed in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ ever since. She also thinks it is super funny that I speak Cambodian. I'm not sure why.
We are also teaching an older man named Al and his mom, who is 90 years old! They live in the cutest little green house with a white picket fence and the warmest fireplace on the face of the planet. We met them while knocking one night, and they are just the nicest people ever. Al loves family history, and has actually done family history work with the church and volunteered at our family history center for 30 years now! They really like to talk with us, and they are so sincere in asking and answering questions. When we teach them I never want to leave.
The ward members here are also amazing. I would try to explain them to you all, but I have neither the time nor the words. So just know that the WA-TAC is the coolest place ever and I absolutely love it here!
I want to end with a scripture. It is 2 Nephi 22:2, which says " Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation." I know that, because of Christ, we can always have the strength we need to make it through whatever life throws at us. A lot of things this week should have scared me (such as literally everyone here has an attack dog and sometimes they just leave them out in their front yards!), but I have put my trust in the Lord, and that makes everything okay, because I know I will make it through all the hard things.
I love you all lots! Pictures are on their way.
Love,
Sister Lemon
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| This is me on then day I arrived in Tacoma. From left to right: Sister Humphreys, me, Sister Johansen, and Sister Rydalch. |
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| This is my district (plus the APs) at our weekly meeting today. It was our district leader's birthday, so we brought everyone party hats. Also, for some reason, we have the 40th street sign. |
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