Week 3- "Oh, so you have the Urim & Thummim"

HELLO!! Sawat diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

 

This week has been super fast and super fun-- Thai is coming and coming. In fact, my teachers are kind of taken offguard how well we are all of a sudden able to read script. I AM TAKEN OFFGUARD. The Lord will hasten His work? Uhm, literally. Somehow we are getting cut to 9 weeks and each we are somehow learning at a faster rate than the 12-week kiddos have. Not bragging, I'm just seriously floored by the promise that we'd be able to do this. The Lord knows how to teach Thai!!

 

But some REALLY cool stuff we learned this week came from hearing how the Thai Book of Mormon was 1st translated to Thai from English. A little Mormon Thai lady was well-educated and worked for the King, and she was called to translate it, and in doing so, an apostle told my teacher's mission president that she was assisted by the 3 Nephites-- So cool. Also, she didn't know the word for priesthood and really struggled over it. She prayed that she would know what it was, and she woke up one morning, and ON THE CEILING, the name was in Thai, written on the ceiling. Later it was gone! So that's how she did it! I am convinced the people of Thailand are SUPPOSED to have the Book of Mormon, because you learn so much about the gospel by hearing the Thai simple translation.

 

Nephi's name in Thai is "Nii-fay"--- literal translation? 'This Light'. AMAZING.

 

As for script-- it is so bizarre, and yet so simple at the same time, and yet so complicated on the other hand. A dilemma, if you will, for the human brain. I have a little card with all my consonants and vowels I've been memorizing, and when a very 'high class' consonant comes along, I have to look it up to know what sound it makes. It's kind of like having the Urim and Thummim. All we need now is a batch of helium balloons-- because reading Thai is like Papa Smurf 'having another piece to the puzzle!!!'

 

Thai reads like a giant Twitter hashtag. So when you read it, it's kind of like this (you never know when one word ends and another begins:) #andwhenIatethefruitofthetreethanitwasdelicious

 

me & my "khuu" (companion)

 

Also, Thai makes no Tense. And by that I mean, present tense is all they have-- you just use context clues and sometimes throw in another word like "before" or "after" or "one day" to make it a different tense. But in general, you would say: "Joseph Smith is Prophet." to mean he WAS a prophet. To clarify you'd have to say: "Mxa 1800's, cooseb samid pen saadsada." (When 1800's, Joseph Smith is a prophet.) I actually love caveman english-- so much easier than conjugating verbs-- you never have to! "You read know if true, yes no?" Yep.

 

Funny stories:

 

Bro. Burgess, my teacher, was looking at me funny and said, "Have you seen Homeward Bound?"

to which I said, "Literally 300 times as a kid!"

And he said, "If you had an animal doppleganger, I would think you would be 'Sassy' that cat!!"

I looked at him like, "Are you serious?! That's what we still call my sister to this day!!!"

 

So there you go, I'm Sassy the cat here at the MTC. It could be worse, I could be Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh like Elder Quinn, or Brother Bear like Elder Pyne (he literally looks like a bear.)

 

Elder Wheeler, our district leader, was translating names in Thai script and asked Bro. McConkie (our other teacher) if his first name was right. McConkie started sounding it out: "Kaley---" to which Elder Wheeler hushed him and said, " NO NO! NOT THAT ONE!!" and McConkie said, "Wait, who is she?!" Hahaha. Oh Elders.

 

I was translating for 2 Elders speaking to our teacher while they tried to teach how to endure to the end. Our teacher was only allowed to speak English and I had to translate it into Thai to tell the Elders. We got to a point where the Elders didn't know what to teach, so they pulled out a scripture. It was going fine until my teacher read: "And you will have less desire to injure one another...." to which, the Elders asked in Thai: "Did you like that?" ....we literally cried laughing. Worst lesson ever. It was hilarious.

 

Lastly, we get tired as missionaries so it's hard to tell when we're napping or being productive. So Elder Anderson (or 100% Korean from Sandy, UT), had his head down on his desk. Bro. McConkie (teacher) came and pet his head, after which Elder Anderson raised his head 30 seconds later and said, "I was praying." Bro. McConkie felt so bad but he couldn't not laugh. We still can't tell the difference when Anderson prays.

 

(Pretending to eat the temple...)

 

Quotes:

"My milkshake brings... nothing to the yard."

"When a feline dies, it cannot be reincatnated."

 

(Accidentally matching with Sister Steele)

 

My District:

Elders: Wheeler, Anderson, Pyne, Steiner, Jensen, Chambers, DeLagarza, Bartholomew

Sisters: Me, Stewart, Steele, McDermott, Yim (Hawaiian convert)

 

(Me & all the sisters! Me, Stewart, Yim, McDermott, and Steele)

 

Anyway, I just want to tell you all how much I love being a missionary. Yes, there are hilarious moments where I say: "Can we come and teach again? .... Today? Right now?" (Didn't mean to say that.) but I know the Lord prepares a way for his missionaries to teach somehow. Above all else, I have been studying the Book of Mormon to a capacity that I never have before, and it is full and ripe with SO MUCH to learn about Jesus Christ. I've been marking the places in the scriptures where it tells the characteristics and nature of the Son of God-- and I have never felt more sure than He could love us enough to die for us. The Book of Mormon is the evidence that God cares about ALL His children and the time is NOW that we need to hear what He has to say. Jesus Christ is coming again, and we must be ready to give Him a big hug and thank Him for everything He has ever done for us-- that includes preparing ourselves to be clean and free from the guilt we as humans accumulate by human error. I know that through Jesus Christ, we can be guilt-free, and happier than we have ever been.

 

There is nowhere I would rather be than learning how I can bring people to know what I do. When we teach the gospel to those that have never heard of a God, we have to explain as simply as we would to a child-- and oddly enough, those messages are the most profound:

 

"Phraphuubenjaw song ben phrabida kccn raw-- phrabida kccn winyaan kccn raw. le' thaa raw tham samrab phraong phiichay, lxag rab baptidsama, raw klab bon sawan kab phrabida bon sawan day-- khray rag raw maag maag."

 

God is our literal Father-- the Father of our spirits. And if we become like His Son, Jesus Christ, by repenting and being baptized as Christ did, we can return to our Heavenly Father who loves us so dearly.

 

I know that Joseph Smith saw Him. I know that one day, so will we. Press forward in faith, nothing wavering, and you will.

 

I love you all! Write this little missionary!

 

Sister Painter

 

Okay I love you all!!!!!

Write me!!!!!!! Dearelders/Handwritten are amazing!

 

Week Two: Routines are Thai-t

Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 12:49PM (Email from MTC)

 

Hey family!!!

So we finally have a routine. Unfortunately, there are a million people here so it's packed and you have to be smart about getting around. In the next 90 days, there will be 8000+ people here. Right now we are pumping 3000. That. Is. Insane.

This week I started to learn how to read script. It's kind of nuts, because vowels can basically go where-ever they wanna go!!! And sometimes consonants make random other sounds too, so it's a learning process. Thai is getting harder as I try to keep everything I already learned under my belt. It's overwhelming thinking they have a whole world of words to learn that all sound the same.



So, you know how I call Mom "Mammy"? Well, the word for mom in Thai is: "MAA!" (Like, MA-mmy. HAHAH. I was like, "yesssss.") The word for dad is 'Pa', and parents is: "MA-pa". :) Just for fun facts.
Jesus Christ: Phrayeesukrid
Heavenly Father: Phrabida bon Sawan
Crazy = babccbaboh. (Buh-bah-buh-bo) :) Hahah.

Funny story: There's a few 18yr olds Elders in our district, and they are fun to mess with. Sometimes I speak fake sign language with Elder DeLagarza because he thought the first time I did it that it was real because it LOOKED legit. He was like, "I DON'T KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE!!!" So once he found out, days later, I told him it was "Thai Sign". Now we speak Thai sign occasionally. Hahaha.

To answer mom's question: The way we BEGAN to learn Thai was by reading in 'romanized' english. So backwards c's and x's are all tonal sounds. Thai has those 5 tones, like I said, and they are represented by vowels in script. Script is coming slowly, and it's amazing that I even remember half the letters. I have a kindergarten book that I trace the characters on. I feel awesome when I do it, because there is pictures.... :) Haha.

I officially cannot eat any more treats for about a month. If anyone sends me a package, send me PENS, HIGHLIGHTERS, or snack foods. I have eaten so many Valentine's treats that I literally cannot eat any more sugar without exploding. :) You all spoiled me!!!!

I ran into a LOT of friends this week! Brandon and Melinda got here, and I saw Alexis's sister working here, and my buddy Rory who works vending machines! So fun.

 

We also got to go on a temple walk. It was nice to get out, but it is FREEZING! The Provo temple is SUPER nice. I've been twice now, and I love it.

Write me DearElders!!! I miss them! Hugs hugs hugs to all of you who have written me. I should be able to respond today!!!

Sister Stewart and I are teaching lessons this week. Praying we'll start to get the hang of this Thai thing! It really is insane. :p 

I love you all!!!
Love,
Sister Painter!

Week One: "What Just Happened? I think I spoke Thai..."

Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 4:41PM (in the MTC)

 

 

 

 

 

HEY FAMILY!!! AND FRIENDS! Sawatdeekah!

Week One! What a DOOZYYYY. But in a good way (most of the time)-- I have a lot of jumbled thoughts here and not a lot of time to get them written down but I'll sure try my hardest.

First things first-- holy cow. There are a million missionaries here. And they all say hi in a different language. No Armenians yet, but I'm looking out! I've run into virtually everyone I know since the first day I got here. And I see them every day! I'm excited to see Melinda tomorrow!!!!!

So the first day I walked into my classroom with 13.7 lbs of book materials. No lie. And Bro. Burgess, my teacher, spoke entirely in Thai from day one. He's nice and occasionally speaks English nowadays, but the first day I got by with what I studied on Youtube, believe it or not! I answered his questions upon walking in, and the Elders were all mad. :) Anyway, as for language learning-- Thai is crazy! There is 5 tone marks: up, down, none, mountain, and valley. So "maa" said in 5 different ways is 5 different words. It's crazy. So I try not to talk when I'm excited or my phrases can go from: "Hi my name is Sister Painter" to "Horses run on the skyscraper" (Just kidding. There is no relation between those to statements, but I'm making a point here. It's crazy.)

 

I feel like getting used to having a companion around (24/7, WHERE ARE YOU SISTER STEWART) took the longest to get used to. It's definitely not being in a relationship-- It's like having a 5th limb that you can learn from and work with to get stuff done! Sister Melissa Stewart is my companion, she's from Boulder City Nevada. She's pretty cute! I like her.

 

 

 

 

I've had a congested... well, everything, the last week. In fact, I actually can't hear out of my left ear? Weird. So I went to the clinic and they really didn't know. So as of right now, I've been trying to get my ears to pop and I can't do it. :p It's rough! Anyone who has advice, dearelder it to me!

I don't have a lot of email time, so I suggest dearelder-ing me on Friday night so I can get it Monday and think of a response for Tuesday. It won't be that way in the mission field, but until Thailand, that'll save me some time so I can respond longer!

The first day in class when we got back to the classroom after dinner, it said on the board: "Don't worry, be happy" and I just knew everything was going to be OKAY! Jared always says that to me, so when I saw it, I was like, "Inspired message from my teacher!" Hahaha. The funniest signs are in the bathrooms: "OUT OF ORDER-- NOBODY'S HAPPY!!!!" and "THIS WAY TO THE MINISTER OF MAGIC" pointing to the toilet. I have literally seen it all.

 

I came in with 800+ missionaries last wednesday-- the largest group in 12 years or something crazy like that! There are 29 people that came into my District with me, so they split us up and literally found the smallest classrooms on campus to shove 15 Thai's into each. We realized we were in "Outer Darkness" when we saw the English missionaries' classrooms in another building. To sum it up, my English is even getting rough within 6 days because of how much I cram into my noggin' every day, so I said to Sis. Stewart: "The English missionaries practically sit in SLEEPY BOY CHAIRS!!!" And she's like, "...what?" And I was like, "Uhhh.. You know, those really comfy cushy chairs... Sleepy... boy.. chairs. No! LAZY boy. LAZY BOY CHAIRS."

 

Such is the life of Sister Painter.

My district of Elders always say at the end of the day: "Mail came today.... for Sister Painter." My district leader says: "I swear they are ALL for Sister Painter. ALWAYS." Hahahah-- tell everyone THANK YOU for all the lovin' and mail. Apparently the weekend was the popular time to write me, because I got 10 dearelders yesterday (holy cow, I had no idea I was so loved) and the Elders were like, "What the heck?!?!?" so I said, "Hey! I've been writing missionaries for a long time! It's my turn!" :) THANK YOU everyone for the support-- I can't even tell you how much that meant to me yesterday, because yesterday was the hardest day we've had I'd say!

 

We're currently teaching an 'investigator', and his name is Phii Ut. Thai is nuts! But somehow, I am learning and speaking Thai in what seems like a miraculous way. I just... do it. Like, it's not that hard. Yes, it's hard, but I just REMEMBER words randomly and put them together! Yes, it's "caveman" Thai, but it's still getting the message across! I actually am really loving learning. It's the 'drink from firehose' effect, but it's seriously working.

But the biggest thing: Something amazing is going to happen in Thailand. I just know it. They're in major change, and they're sending us missionaries out there at the front of it. Somethingggg is going to happen while I'm there, or Laos and Myanmar wouldn't be opened to service missionaries now. It's just amazing. We are the biggest group of Thai missionaries.... ever.

I thought the missionary schedule would be hard. Fun fact: It's long, but it's not hard. I have not been sleepy for 6 days, since I got here. I get up at 6:30am like, "Okay ready!" It's so... weird! I thought it would be grueling. However, don't get me wrong, THIS IS HARD. I never understood really what Jared meant until I started living it. Being a missionary is physically, emotionally and spiritually DEMANDING and DRAINING!

Fun fact about the scriptures! In Thai, every brother and sister has to be labeled, "Older" or "younger"-- so.... when you translate the Book of Mormon to Thai talking about the Brother of Jared, what happens??? Well, they prayed and asked Thomas S. Monson whether their decision was correct, and he said yes! So just for everyone's knowledge-- The Brother of Jared was OLDER than Jared! Crazy, right? Go tell your friends. The Thai's know what's up.

Anyway, so something in Thai before I head out real quick (in romanized english, not in symbols). There are people waiting for my computer:

Chan rag phraabida bon sawan le phrayeesukrid. Chan ruu sadsanaacjag khwaamching. Chan ruu phrayeeskrid le praphuupencjaw phrakod cooseb samid. Le Chan rag khrobkrua!!!
(Translation: I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know this church is true. I know Jesus Christ and God appeared to Joseph Smith. And I love my family!)

I'll write next week! KEEP WRITING ME LETTERS!! I promise I will try to respond to everyone as fast as I can, but the MTC keeps us busy!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
(Chan rag raw!)

Sister Painter

PS: Can someone dearelder me Jared's happenings from his blog? elderhammersmissionpage.blogspot.com (Thank you!)

Entering the MTC -- 3 Doors Down

Family and Friends!
My MTC Address is here! If you are planning on writing me a note, I should be in the MTC until April 10th (9 weeks). In a funny turn of events, my MTC address is '3 doors' from Jared's. He was #304!

Anyway, my addresses are listed on the side bar below the Palace photo. You'll never lose them!
And of course, here they are as well.

Sister Monica Painter
MTC Mailbox # 301
THAI-BAN 0410
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

You can also write me via dearelder.com for free and I get it the same day at the MTC. :)

When I leave for Thailand, write me at this address: (After April 10)

Sister Monica Painter
Thailand Bangkok Mission
1645/6 New Phetchaburi Road
Makkasan, Ratchathewi
Bangkok, Thailand 10400

Everyone, it's been quite the ride. This is going to be the hardest, but most amazing adventure. Any letter from a friend is so appreciated. My sister will be updating my blog while I'm away (in theory)-- but if you would like to get my emails straight through email, let me know before Saturday evening.

See you all soon! Hugs for everyone! And pass one on to my missionary for me. :)

Thai Love You!
Sister Painter

Farewell

I remember vividly being asked once in Young Women’s, “Do you want to go on a mission when you grow up?” to which I solidly replied: ……………. “I can’t handle that kind of rejection.”

Anddd.... here we are!

But for a year and a half of my life, I got a lot of scrutiny about my decision to serve a mission.

Nobody believed I had the will-power or the drive to both wait for a missionary and BE a missionary. What tired me most of all was that I could not explain myself to those people, because I didn’t know why I had been called to the work. I was inspired that I would go on full-time mission with full-faith in Jesus Christ, but I didn’t see how that was possible. I wasn’t even sure if He and I were understanding each other-- our plans seemed to drastically skew in opposite directions. How could He ask me to tack on another year and a half when I didn’t even want to wait for two? I struggled to have faith, but I wanted to be obedient. 

Over time I was assured that I was missing the whole point. I could go on a mission blindly, just because it was asked of me. I could knock on doors, I could ride a bike for a really long time, and I could be rejected a million times, just because He asked me to. But it would mean nothing to me had I not learned what I did in those times of utter loneliness. I was so focused on the why that I neglected to acknowledge the who. The man that died for me had asked me for a year and a half of my time, and that was all.

I was never asked to give up getting married one day. I was never asked to do what Christ did. All that has been asked of me is to love my neighbor inasmuch as Christ… loves… me. 

And after a year and some months after I had received such explicit counsel, the day came where everything made sense. I had been praying continually asking if I should continue preparing for a mission, each time I was reassured that I should. Elder Hammer seemed to get all the same answers, and he made sure I knew that he supported me. I had waited, and he was willing to do the same.

He then asked in a letter three months before conference, “Monica, if somehow the age requirement was lowered and you could go early, what would you do? Would you go?” I thought about it some, and knowing it would never happen, responded: “I suppose would go.”

I'm now convinced that missionaries in the field have a direct phone line to the first presidency office.

As I turned on the television to hear conference in October, I never imagined what would be said within those first few minutes. As President Monson announced the age change for boys, I knew in my heart that my faith had not been in vain all this time. My mouth dropped and my eyes streamed with tears. I excused myself for a moment to get a tissue and returned completely out of sorts. I knew in that moment that my Heavenly Father knew me personally, that everything I had learned as a child was true, and He had heard my endless prayers concerning: “How would I accomplish this thing which I am not currently able to do?”

I called my mom. I told her, “Mom, I don’t know if you know this, but the church is true. I know I grew up this whole time in the church, and I’ve known, but I’ve never known so much as I do today. I’m ready to go, Mom. Now.”

She replied, “That’s great. …. Go where?”

There was a bit of miscommunication. Apparently she had just barely turned on conference and missed the first 3 minutes, so we had to take a step backward in the conversation. But once we were on the same page, my parents assured me they were right behind me.

But the person I felt the most support from was my Savior. Had I not had that time to discover my relationship with Him, and grow in patience and trust in Him,  the moment of joy when my wait was over would not have been  so meaningful to me. Above all I learned that I cannot go through life without Him. Sometimes we forget that the first great commandment is simply to love Him. If we took the smallest moment to acknowledge his hand, to give thanks in the small things, we’d realize how close the living Son of God is to us. We’d desire to share that love with everyone that would hear.

We’ve been given a lifetime of opportunity to find our way back to Him, and our desire to do good comes with our desire to be like Him. Isn’t that the message and invitation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? To become like Jesus Christ? How better to exemplify Him then say what He would say, and do what He would do? Sure, I could stay home. Somebody else would do my work. I could say no. But the Lord didn’t refuse when He was asked to give His life.

He died because He loves us. He knows every heartache we will have in this life, He knows them perfectly, because He suffered in Gethsemane so that one day He could help us by taking some of the burden. His sacrifice was never about Him, it was never about the glory. It was about giving us an opportunity. He died, so we could live. All He asks is that we love Him in return. That we don’t forget Him. But some people don’t even know that He exists. It pulls at my heart at how lost they must feel.

We are not the only people on this earth that suffer grief, heartache and trials of hardship. Christ needs someone to tell their neighbor that, “In every change, He faithful will remain.” He needs disciples-- and He needs them now. He needs people to speak truth to those that have never had a reason to hope. They need to know that He lives.

At times in my life I have felt very small. How could the Lord of the cosmos and creator of an innumerable amount of worlds and space, see me sitting on a curb with my face in my hands?

Reassurance comes from my favorite scripture of all time. In 1831, Jesus Christ gave these words to Joseph Smith in a revelation, “Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; and none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost.”

So for the next 18 months, I have been given the privilege to communicate to the people of Thailand that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that He loves us. He has the power to do all things, and should we trust in Him, He will never let us down. 

We have so much joy knowing the truth of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We have the keys to return to a Heavenly Father and meet with His Son again, and we invite all to join us. Everyone deserves the truth.  Our lives are continually blessed, and it is because of the hope and trust we place in the Savior who is loyal to us.

But we must be loyal in return—for where much is given, much is required, and “it becometh every man who hath been warned, to warn his neighbor.”

“It may not be on the mountian height or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle's front my Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls to paths that I do not know,
I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I'll go where you want me to go.
There's surely somewhere a lowly place in earth's harvest fields so wide,
Where I may labor though life's short day for Jesus, the Crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care, and knowing thou lovest me,
I'll do thy will with a heart sincere: I'll be what you want me to be.”

I know that this church is true. It is the restored church that Christ himself originally organized so long ago. I know that He lives. And I know that He loves.

I’ll see you all again in a short 18 months. Until then, God be with you ‘til we meet again.

Need Your Addresses!

A Letter of Recommendation

A letter of recommendation I received in 2010 upon applying for colleges. I feel like it still applies for a mission.

This was written for me from my little sister's friend.

Dear Random People Who Should Care:

This is Monica. She is tall, and has brown hair. She enjoys brownies and long walks on the beach. she also knits, and designs enticing arrays of butterschotch-filled christmas baskets. (...?) Not only does she contribute to recycling, but she also has teeth. and some skin on her face. it comes in handy when she wants to look like a human being. She basks in the light of candles, and glows in the flurry of extensive and skill-ridden violin-ing. Not to mention can play a mean scale of accordian. In her spare time, she likes to help ancient citizens count their old-world coin collections, and feed handless oragnutans in south east asia. While piano is in her line of work, the vivid and dynamic reflexes of a feline plunder through her veins when drawing an artistic phenomenon. Such as characters to her novels-and-such. With the words, "Hey you with the face." In her vocabulary, her comedic expression and endless drive to make the world smile excrete through her pores when singing christmas carols. With extra curriculars such as orchestra, gnome carving, and russian-language teaching, this nature and out-door ridden homosapian will MAKE you want to get down and boogey. And there, People who should bereading this even though im not sure the name of them, is why you should pick MONICA PAINTER, to be at the campus, of (insert college here.)

Signed, and disowned by,

Ciana JP Meere.

(signature included below)