Madeline in Cambodia: Fantastic Week at the MTC

Cumriabsua friends and family!

It was another great week at the MTC. Let's see what happened... Language wise this week we reached completely different levels from before. We are in the process of reading and writing Khmer! It takes a whole lot of brain power but it's coming. On Thursday, I read my first verse of the Book of Mormon in Khmer! Even though it took me about an hour and twenty minutes and I didn't understand 1/2 of the words, I did it! So that's super fun. Honestly I think Cambodian is probably the sweetest, ramen noodle looking language there is. I love it even though I only understand about 2%.

Gym time is the best. On P Day and Fridays we play basketball. I am very terrible but let's just say today I sank some 3's. We run, play soccer, spikeball and frisbee. It's nice to just get outside and not sit in a chair for 8 hours. Funny story (I think), our Southeast Asian Elders always play soccer outside. I wish I could join them but oh well. Anyways yesterday our Elders (Cambodia, Indonesia, Thai) played the Scandinavians. Our Elders brought out their flags and every goal they triumphed in victory. Let's just say we have some major Southeast Asia pride.

We had two TRC's this week! The first was on Saturday. It was our last in person TRC sadly. So we taught our sweet little Om Meak for the last time. She promised us that she would take us out to lunch when we get back. She's so precious. Our second TRC was our first skype TRC! I was extremely scared but all was well. After a bunch of missed calls and sound problems we finally got to talk to our person, Loy Chutenkah? I think that's her name. It was so hard to hear. Anyways she was probably the most beautiful person I've ever seen. Cambodians are so beautiful. She was so smiley, sweet and patient with us. She would just laugh when we messed up or said "soom niyiay mdong tiat?" (again please?). Anyways it was a great time. What made it even better and more embarassing was towards the end we had a little mishap. We asked if we could finish with a prayer. Sister Winters was leaning on my chair and decided to sit down and my chair totally disappeared from under me and I felt straight on my bottom. Loy just laughed and laughed and I laughed and then attempted to say a decent Khmer prayer. Oh man.

Bittersweet week. A lot of our zone is leaving this week. The Malays left yesterday and the Indonesians with hopefully leave tomorrow if their visas come. And then on Wednesday we get a ton of new people in our zone! I'm so excited for that! I'm thankful for those friends I made my first week and I hope I can follow their example to all of the new missionaries.

One thing I've really been focusing on for the past couple days is faith instead of fear. I know sometimes it's really easy to start worrying about the unknown. I have definitely felt that as I only have three more weeks until Cambodia. I'll be honest sometimes I'm sitting there in class thinking, "What in the world am I doing. I can't go to Cambodia. This is way scary. ah." Whenever I'm having moments like those I think of my sweet dad. Whenever I would get worried my dad would say, "It's going to be okay, do you believe me?" I would always reluctantly say "I know, I believe you." But I think that's what faith is. Faith is trusting and putting yourself out there, and believing that yes, it will all work out. Faith is the channel by which we can receive the hopeful, strengthening blessings of the Atonement. Fear is what closes that channel. Heavenly Father wants us to be happy. He doesn't want us to be fearful. Yes it's hard, but it's okay. So I have decided not to fear. Fear not, but have faith!

Thank you all for your sweetness and friendship! I am so very grateful! I wish you all a good week and happy days!

Love always,
Sister Mortell

The MTC provided us with some skirts for Cambodia. So enjoy this picture of us doing the Asian squat, peace signs and Sister Winters taking one for the team.