Hey family!
So I am still alive and doing fantastic! Cantonese is coming along slowly but surely. This last week my brain has been clearer than ever and I have been able to remember so many more words and grammar principles. We have been working on teaching the law of chastity and the Word of Wisdom to our investigators. Every time we move into a new lesson there is a whole new entire set of vocabulary that we have to learn. So we know words like abortion, drugs, beer but not phrases like "Good night!" "What is your favorite color?" or any other things you might normally say in a day. But all that is important is that we can teach the lessons. We can learn the rest later.
Sometimes I forget we are learning freakin
Chinese. It is weird. After learning some words and hearing it everyday it no
longer sounds so abnormal. We got these two new sisters in our room who are
going to Australia
Our teaching skills are improving everyday
here. We have gotten so much better than our first week. We have also come to
know that we teach much much better in Cantonese. Sounds weird. But it is true.
God knows when to send you speaking another language or not. Our teacher said
that her boss said that we are supposed to practice teaching in English to
build up our confidence..... haha not. I am pretty sure that our lesson with
Bob in English was our worst lesson to date. I was really upset with myself for
not doing as well as I could have, but soon realized that we have to have bad
lessons to learn from and to see how much we improve. So.... yeah. I much
prefer teaching in Cantonese. We are forced to speak simply and clearly. No
grand analogies. Just Gods love and his simple doctrine.
We had an awesome TRC lesson this week. I was
really nervous before since we were teaching our first 40 min lesson. But it
turns out 40 mins is SOOOOO much better than 20 min. We actually get to get
down to the meat, take our time and savior each moment. We were teaching the
first lesson about Gods love, blessing families, prophets and the restoration.
Then we were going to focus on the Atonement and Jesus Christ because he
is central in everything we do. The first half of the lesson went really
well... everything was flowing. We were teaching two returned missionaries who
were really nice to us and would talk about their expirences. When we started
talking about the restoration I had them reach the first vision. The spirit was
so strong as they read it. Then sister pearl asked them how they came to know
that Joseph Smith was a prophet. So we went around and everyone told how they
came to know. When it was my turn I felt the spirit so strong. All I could
really say was, Every time I read these words, I feel the spirit and I know it
is true. I might have said some other simple phrases, but honestly all I can
remember was feeling the spirit very strongly. After the lesson, the people we
teach write feedback for us and we get to read it and this is what one of them
said, "One of the strongest feelings of the spirit I have had since I have
been home. Thank you so much for your love of the Gospel and sharing your
testimony with me. I am so grateful for the spirit and all it taught me. I feel
close to the spirit, to God and what to do better. Your sharing of Joseph
smith's experience really hit me. I feel the prophet Joseph Smith is even
closer to me now than before. He seemed so real, like he was with us when you
testified." Anyway it was really good feedback. Allot of the
times when we teach we never really know if we are helping someone. Allot
of the time we just think of it as practice and just move on, but some
people actually learn from what we say. It is kinda awesome!
I love being here, but am excited to head out
to test out what I have learned! I love this gospel and I love
all of you! Thanks for your support!
Keep on keeping on! Know God loves you!
Shea
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