4/22/2014
That title was the most direct summary I've ever done. Like
Isaiah, I'm trying to be plain in my speaking.
We went to the temple this week!
It was the best thing in the world. I actually felt a
physical ache when we left and I realized how long it would be before I had the
opportunity to attend again. But- you know that quote about "missionaries:
people who leave their families for a short time so that others can be with
their families for eternity", even as dramatic and overused (I've seen it
on scarves) and footsteps-in-the-sand-ish as that is, it's true. That's our
purpose and our hope. And the families we're working to reactivate in the
church, we hope to be able to help them reach that goal of being sealed as a
family for time and all eternity. Remember Aaron, who got baptized back in last
June? He's approaching his year mark, and his wife Toni already passed her year
mark in March. They want so bad for their marriage to last beyond the grave, so
that they're still husband and wife in heaven. So they've set the goal to go to
the temple as a couple and be sealed on June 28th. Because I had the privilege
of teaching Aaron through to his baptism, I (and hopefully several other
missionaries who've worked with them in the past year) will be able to attend
that ceremony. What a wonderful blessing! I'm so grateful they've stayed
faithful to the covenants they made at baptism so that they can look forward
happily to the day that they'll be able to be sealed in the temple.
Some things you didn't know about Cambodians:
*They do not like the Vietnamese. It all goes back to the
Khmer Rouge, which makes sense because most people don't like invading forces
in their country. Go study something about Cambodian history if you want to
know why. Back when they had an operating branch here, it was the Asian branch,
not the Cambodian Branch. So it had a little bit of everything: Viet, Cambo,
Thai, Laos, Chinese, Korean. And when it was at its peak of activity, the
branch was split into 2 branches which met in separate buildings across town.
If you were Vietnamese, you went to the one in Hilltop area in the Stadium
building. If you're Cambodian, you went to the one on the East side in the
building by Safeway. Everyone else went with whomever they most identified.
That's how much they dislike each other - it was best for their spiritual
development that they remain separated. Think Samoans and Tongans, or like Jews
and Samaritans. It's funny though because a lot of them have mixed heritage
(like hardly anyone is 100% Cambodian) and so a lot of them have a portion of Viet
in them. But they don't claim it as their own, and seldom admit it's a part of
their ancestry. A few times lately, investigators or members who feel very
close to us and really trust us will whisper that they're a 1/4 Vietnamese, and
then act all ashamed like they just told us they've broken all the
commandments. We try to be understanding of how big of a deal it is that
they've shared this, and assure them that it doesn't change our views of them
or make us or God love them any less.
*They love Safeway. It's a ridiculously high-priced grocery
store, where the same things you find at the dollar store are priced at
your-first-born-child and $0.99 (but if you have a safeway card, you can get
$0.30 off so it's only 1 small child + $0.69. That's what I call a deal). For
this reason, it makes no sense that Cambodians love this store, when most of
them shouldn't be able to afford it. They make the bulk of their income from
going up into the mountains to cut bear grass, bringing it into their garages,
inviting all their friends over to thrash and bundle it, and bringing it into
seattle to sell it to be used in flower arrangements. It cuts up your hands.
I'll send pictures (woohoo self-mutilation). Anyway, most of the cambodians are
struggling financially, especially because they abuse the concept of credit
(they all own houses and cars they can't afford, which they now work non-stop
to try and pay off) and they love to gamble (it's a cultural pastime. They have
slot machines in the buddhist temples). So they shouldn't be shopping there.
But they all know and love Safeway. So it's easy to give directions to our
building because we'll tell them left, here, right here and they look at us
with blank faces. Then without fail, when we say, "it's ក្បែរ Safeway" and they all go,
"ohh, Safeway" and nod understandingly. It's a great place to
find potential investigators and overpriced food.
These are our Best Friends, the GQs. On the right is Kid
Zion, famous for lyrics such as "they tell me I'm a stranger in this land-
gringo. But when it rains you know I stay warm- peacoat. Eat mormon crickets
till I barf- seagull. When Christ be at the bar you know he judge- legal".
On the left is just plain Larson. They use the
same hair product and only wear skinny ties. If they are given a tie that's too
wide, they skinnify it before they ever where it (where you un-stitch the back
of the tie and cut the sides off and re-iron it and re-stitch the back so it's
thinner than before). They shop primarily in the mens section of H&M, as
well as some retro thrift stores.
Something you didn't know about me:
*Because it's me, and I'm pretty vocal about whatever's
happening in my life, I've found that my recent gluten/casein sensitivity and
therefore my decision to avoid these things largely affects the lives of my
companions. So in order to be more accommodating, I have constructed a system
that warns them of my mood before they need to encounter me. On a prominent
wall in our house, I have hung a sign that says, "Today I'm
experiencing.." and then a space to hang what the answer of the time is.
In a envelope next to the sign, I have written out on index cards the 5 stages
of grief: denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance. So
depending on how I'm feeling about my diagnosis that day, I hang the applicable
index card on the wall by the sign. That way my companion and the other
companionship in the house knows to deal with me accordingly. For example, when
I'm in my denial stage, I'm way into anything that would distract me from the
diagnosis, so I get into all these projects and things. If my companions see
denial on the board, they know its a good time to ask me for a favor because
I'm looking for ways to ignore the problem. In bargaining, this is the time in
which I've decided its not that big of a deal if I have this or that thing that
contains gluten. My companions know this is the time to ask me to bake them
things or go out to eat. In pretty much all the other stages they just
avoid me. It's a rather effective system. Mostly because it gives me something
distracting to do when I'm in my denial stage.
And pictures:
We get transfer calls this week on Saturday. Wowskies this
one went fast.
Thanks to Tutu and Mom for the most excellent Easter
packages! We died eggs at the church on Monday and then hid one (hardboiled)
egg at a time somewhere in the Young Women's room for our companions to find.
By the world's standards, a lame Easter. By my standards..I have received a
plethora of candy and seem to be gaining weight at a steady rate so I say
Easter well done.
I've been in the WA-TAC 47 weeks, and the church is true
here too!
-Sister McQuivey
word, homefriends.
More photos:
word, homefriends.
More photos:
perks to being on foot!
why, even with a gps,
it's sometimes hard to find the people we're looking for
look, my calves are pinker than the skirt! hahahaha
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