Shay Schwab will be serving in the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission for 18 months starting in July! This blog is operated and updated by Shay's brother Kalin.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
សប្តាហ៍ចុងក្រោយ (Last Week)
Hey everyone since we skyped, I am not going to go through every day of the week, but really it was just Christmas and Exchanges all week! Oh and we went to a wedding!
It's so weird that my mission is over... I have to be honest, I am incredibly sad that it is coming to an end. I will miss teaching God's children and serving the Lord every day. I don't know how many people that I've changed on my mission but I know that my mission has changed me. I am so grateful for my mission.... No words can describe how much I love my mission, how much I love the people here, or how much I love the gospel and my Savior. Things I've learned on my mission
Repentance is real... I love how in the gospel we don't live in the past... we learn for the past but we move on and look to the future look towards our potential... I'm grateful that we can always change and become better. I've seen so many people change here on my mission and I love that nothing we do can ever reach beyond the Saviors love for us... we can always return to him we can always repent.
The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I LOVE THE BOOK MORMON! I can't believe I didn't realize it before but there is real power that comes when you read the Book of Mormon... I can't believe I had advice and guidance from God and I didn't read it before the mish! I'm so grateful for the guidance that comes from the Book of Mormon, there has been countless times in my mission when God has encouraged me to keep going and comforted me through it.
The gospel gives us hope... at the beginning of my mission I came out here and saw the people here and I wanted to give them food clothes... anything to help them, but after serving a little bit longer I realized that the gospel is the very best thing that we can give them... It's worth more than anything else that I can give them. It gives them hope! It's one of my favorite parts about the mission to tell people who they are they are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father who loves them! They have so much potential and I love sharing that with them!
The gospel is happiness... I was super confused when I first got here because all these members were in the worst situations... but they were still so happy... I remember thinking... Why?! But it's because they are not confronting all of these trials by themselves but they have the Savior with them every step of the way... They receive his grace so that they can endure their trials and be happy during it! They are all so strong and happy and I know it's because of the Saviors Grace in their lives!
God loves all of his children... I can't imagine how much God loves his children because for me I love all the people here so much... I know that God blessed me with just a piece of his love for the people here! They are like my family... I love them!!! I know that God's love is real and never ending, and that he wants us to return back to him and he will help us to be able to do that!
We all have different gifts that God needs us to use! One of my favorite parts of the mish is being surrounded by such amazing people... the missionaries, the members, the senior couple, and the mission president and his wife! I think they are all amazing and I have learned so much from them and the gifts that they have. It's cool because we are all so different but we all come to one mission to serve God's children and there are people here waiting for our individual testimonies! I love it! I've loved learning from the other missionaries.
The Savior knows us and what we need. Last of all, I know that the Savior loves us and performed the Atonement for us... I know that he performed the atonement because he loves us... he didn't have to do it, but he chose to so we all could live with Him again... with our Families for Eternity! I am so grateful for our brother who was will to suffer so much so that we can receive his grace, repent, and live again.
I love the gospel and those are only a few of the many things that I've learned on my mission... I feel like I could go on forever... I LOVE MY MISSION!! I would not give up this experience for anything! I can't believe it was even a hard choice for me to go on a mission.... It shouldn't be easy.. Of course, I can give up a year and a half of my life to serve the Savior who gave up everything for us! I'm extremely grateful for my mission and don't know where I would be without it. I'm grateful for my awesome family that have been the best examples to me throughout my entire life I would not be here without you... so THANKS... thanks for everything! I will see you in a week!
ដោយសេចក្ដីស្រឡាញ់
សុីសើ្ទរស្វប់
Sunday, December 18, 2016
One more full week as a missionary
Hello Everyone!
Monday:
Tuesday:
After that we saw Monika and her mom, and we watch the joseph smith video with them at the place where they sell. We turned it on super loud to compete with the loud music of the tuk tuk parked by us... it was really cool though because even though it was crazy and loud around us the spirit was still there and Monika's dad kept on stopping and watching parts of the video, and he saw the first vision, so hopefully we are softening his heart a little bit at a time!
Wednesday:
We taught English at the ministry and then we saw Ming Sophia and review sacrament with her! Then we saw Chadaen and taught her about the priestood we committed her and Mony Nut to marry a worthy priestood holder in the future! They committed to do it! haha
then we taught english class and I gave the spiritual thought about prayer! It was my last spritual thought in english class... ahhhh... kind of sad really!
Thursday:
We had an exchange and i went with Sister Luke. We saw Bong Soaphia and Ming Somat. We shared about going to the temple with Ming Somat... she told us Sister I don't have any money, so we asked "well do you have faith?' She told us that she did so we committed to start saving up money to go to the temple and going to church everyweek so she can prepare herself spiritually. She committed to do it and she came to church this week!! So score!!
Friday:
We saw Ming Juun in the the morning she is a less active, who I love but drives me nuts because she won't come to church and when we tell her to come she just laughs at us... so when we went and saw her we shared about God's love, and I told her it was my last time seeing her, and she told me wait sister come to my house on the 25th and see me before you go and I said "come to church" she laughed and then i was like Ming I am serious you have got to go to church!!" and I kind of ended up yelling it haha and then she ended up yelling at me. " Sister you know I can't" and then she just laughed... so that was that... we will see if she comes to church.
Then we had a little miracle... our lesson fell through, and I had the though to visit om siat, but she wasn't supposed to be home until friday next week, but I just figured to go with the thought so we road over to Om siat's and she was home we started to teach her and then a random neighbor came in and started to learn with us, we ended up teaching her about prayer and she said we could come back and teach her and her grandchild who is like 8 years old! It was super cool, God just put us there in the right place at the right time!
Then we saw Om Sokha who fell asleep during our lesson... she had a cold because she sold in the rain the night before.
Then we saw Om He and helped her with some family history, and then we taught Ming Sokha and Ming Sophia Monika's mom and aunt and they are super good. Ming Sokha is really smart and works at the hospital we taught her about the plan of salvation and she understood it really well, and then she committed to baptism!!!
Saturday:
We found a lost LA her name is Ming Chantee she is the only member in her family... she has cancer.. but she still prays and reads the scriptures she just doesn't have any time to go to church because she has to work all the time to take care of her family... I am really glad we found her! We are going to try to start seeing her once a week.
Then we taught Monika about testimony to get her ready for her baptism.
Monika was baptized and her mom and aunt came to see it! She had to be baptized three times because her clothes were too big and wouldn't go down, but it's all good she was baptized and she said it felt amazing and then she felt clean, and light! I love Monika so much, I can't believe how far she has come, just two months ago we were explaining to her what a verse from the scripture meant, and now she is baptized and when we ask her if she has anything to share she always does! Ah I love her and I am super excited for her family!
Sunday:
We taught Om Siat about Christmas, it was awesome because Om Siat had no idea why we celebrated Christmas, and when she found out that it was to celebrate the birth of the Savior she got super excited! She was like but sisters we shouldn't just celebrate it once a year but everyday! I totally support that haha..
After church we met with Ming Rady a super strong member. She told us the way she learned about the church was that she found a for strength of youth on the floor and read it... she loved what it taught about families and about how we show act. She wanted to family to grow up and be like that so she found the church by herself and now she and her two kids are baptized! How awesome is that?!
After that we went and saw our two investigators bong chenda and Bong chiang, and they ended up dropping us... they have been reading and praying and they will continue to do it but right now they just don't have the time to meet with us or go to church... yeah it's kind of a bummer, but I have tons of hope for them still... now is just not the time.
Well that's it for this week. Crazy that I only have one more week as a missionary... I am super sad but I am going to live up every last second of it! I love being a missionary. It's been the most amazing experience of my life. I love the people here I love my mission and I love my Savior, and I am so grateful that God sent me here to teach his children!
I love you all! I will write another letter next week after I skype so this isn't my last one yet haha!
Love you!
Monday:
We went to an area in Pochentong for Sister Gosal's birthday. We all had lunch together and then walked around the park!
My First Kid |
Happy Birthday |
Birthday Lunch |
Tuesday:
We saw Navi and taught her about the gospel of Christ. She really liked the lesson, but her mom wouldn't sit down and listen because she was too busy.... Navi is golden it's just her mom... and Navi really wants to go to church but her mom makes her sell with her on sunday so it's kind of a struggle right now.
After that we saw Monika and her mom, and we watch the joseph smith video with them at the place where they sell. We turned it on super loud to compete with the loud music of the tuk tuk parked by us... it was really cool though because even though it was crazy and loud around us the spirit was still there and Monika's dad kept on stopping and watching parts of the video, and he saw the first vision, so hopefully we are softening his heart a little bit at a time!
Wednesday:
We taught English at the ministry and then we saw Ming Sophia and review sacrament with her! Then we saw Chadaen and taught her about the priestood we committed her and Mony Nut to marry a worthy priestood holder in the future! They committed to do it! haha
then we taught english class and I gave the spiritual thought about prayer! It was my last spritual thought in english class... ahhhh... kind of sad really!
Thursday:
We had an exchange and i went with Sister Luke. We saw Bong Soaphia and Ming Somat. We shared about going to the temple with Ming Somat... she told us Sister I don't have any money, so we asked "well do you have faith?' She told us that she did so we committed to start saving up money to go to the temple and going to church everyweek so she can prepare herself spiritually. She committed to do it and she came to church this week!! So score!!
The Office |
Friday:
We saw Ming Juun in the the morning she is a less active, who I love but drives me nuts because she won't come to church and when we tell her to come she just laughs at us... so when we went and saw her we shared about God's love, and I told her it was my last time seeing her, and she told me wait sister come to my house on the 25th and see me before you go and I said "come to church" she laughed and then i was like Ming I am serious you have got to go to church!!" and I kind of ended up yelling it haha and then she ended up yelling at me. " Sister you know I can't" and then she just laughed... so that was that... we will see if she comes to church.
Nada took a selfie |
Then we had a little miracle... our lesson fell through, and I had the though to visit om siat, but she wasn't supposed to be home until friday next week, but I just figured to go with the thought so we road over to Om siat's and she was home we started to teach her and then a random neighbor came in and started to learn with us, we ended up teaching her about prayer and she said we could come back and teach her and her grandchild who is like 8 years old! It was super cool, God just put us there in the right place at the right time!
Then we saw Om Sokha who fell asleep during our lesson... she had a cold because she sold in the rain the night before.
Then we saw Om He and helped her with some family history, and then we taught Ming Sokha and Ming Sophia Monika's mom and aunt and they are super good. Ming Sokha is really smart and works at the hospital we taught her about the plan of salvation and she understood it really well, and then she committed to baptism!!!
Saturday:
We found a lost LA her name is Ming Chantee she is the only member in her family... she has cancer.. but she still prays and reads the scriptures she just doesn't have any time to go to church because she has to work all the time to take care of her family... I am really glad we found her! We are going to try to start seeing her once a week.
Then we taught Monika about testimony to get her ready for her baptism.
Monika was baptized and her mom and aunt came to see it! She had to be baptized three times because her clothes were too big and wouldn't go down, but it's all good she was baptized and she said it felt amazing and then she felt clean, and light! I love Monika so much, I can't believe how far she has come, just two months ago we were explaining to her what a verse from the scripture meant, and now she is baptized and when we ask her if she has anything to share she always does! Ah I love her and I am super excited for her family!
Baptism |
Sunday:
We taught Om Siat about Christmas, it was awesome because Om Siat had no idea why we celebrated Christmas, and when she found out that it was to celebrate the birth of the Savior she got super excited! She was like but sisters we shouldn't just celebrate it once a year but everyday! I totally support that haha..
After church we met with Ming Rady a super strong member. She told us the way she learned about the church was that she found a for strength of youth on the floor and read it... she loved what it taught about families and about how we show act. She wanted to family to grow up and be like that so she found the church by herself and now she and her two kids are baptized! How awesome is that?!
After that we went and saw our two investigators bong chenda and Bong chiang, and they ended up dropping us... they have been reading and praying and they will continue to do it but right now they just don't have the time to meet with us or go to church... yeah it's kind of a bummer, but I have tons of hope for them still... now is just not the time.
Well that's it for this week. Crazy that I only have one more week as a missionary... I am super sad but I am going to live up every last second of it! I love being a missionary. It's been the most amazing experience of my life. I love the people here I love my mission and I love my Savior, and I am so grateful that God sent me here to teach his children!
I love you all! I will write another letter next week after I skype so this isn't my last one yet haha!
Love you!
ដោយសេចក្ដីស្រឡាញ់
Sister ស្វប់
Sister ស្វប់
Monday, December 12, 2016
កិច្ចការផ្សព្វផ្សាយសាសនា (Missionary Work)
Hello Everyone!
Monday:
We went to the ផ្សា and did some shopping and then we went and prepared stuff for English Class and MLC.
Tuesday:
We saw Om Siat... she wanted to have Family Home Evening but we had MLC in the evening so we had a Family Home Afternoon. She invited everyone to come, but because it was at 2 everyone was sleeping haha oh the struggles... But it was still really good, we watched Finding Faith in Christ and our investigator Ming Vana came in! We watched the video and then bore our testimonies about the Savior... Om Siat just told us " Watching this video just strengthened my testimony I know that Christ died for us so that we could receive salvation, she testified about the miracles Christ performed and about the Plan of Salvation! Wow I am telling you Om Siat is amazing! She is one of the best members/ missionaries I know!!!
Then that night we had MLC, and we learned how to take care of our new bikes, fun fact now I know how to oil a chain, tighten brakes, and fix a broken chain! haha so that's way better then before oh yeah and I know how to shift gears now... well sort of before my knowledge with bikes was at a zero or less then that now it's probably at a 10 out of 100 so it's better then before haha!!!
Wednesday:
We had MLC most of the day. We taught about Faith in Finding. We talked about how it's Christmas and miracles are bound to happen! I feel like we have had so many miracles and I know that there are more to come! It's really cool that in missionary work you literally can make miracles happen by opening your mouth... Just a few words like I know that you are a child of God can change someones life forever! It's amazing... honestly I just love missionary work!!!
Then we had english class and showed the video "Light the World" It's soooo good! We encouraged all of our English class students to think of someone that is struggling and reach out to them... be like Christ and help them! It was so good! It amazing that that video can touch your heart no matter what language you speak or where you are! The students seemed to really love it! Then after the video we got up and bore our testimonies about service!
Thursday:
We saw Monika and talked to her about Missionary work and committed her to sharing a pamphlet with someone that she cares about... Monika is amazing and already invited her mom to accept the gospel! It's funny because she is kind of shy when we teach her but wow she just invites people to learn and she is so confident! I love it!
Then we Navi and watched the Joseph Smith video with her! After watching it we asked her how she felt and she told us that it all makes sense now... why there are so many churches and why it needed to be restored... then we committed her to be baptized on the 14th of January! She really is amazing and the restoration answered so many of her questions!
Friday:
We had all day zone training and then I bore my last testimony... sort of weird actually it was super weird! I told myself I wasn't going to cry... but I totally did haha I didn't even get to words out without crying... I really do love my mission and I can't believe that it's coming to an end.... wow it went by so fast.... I knew at the beginning I would love my mission... but i didn't know that I would love it this much!
After zone training we saw Monika... who called me at like 3 and told me she couldn't make it to our lesson.. I was like no it's important that we meet you because you have your interview tomorrow and then she was like okay sister I have to tell you something... I want to meet you but I don't have my BOM because I gave it to my friend to read... I gave her the pamplet but she wanted to read the book so I gave it to her.... I about died!! Monika is sooooo amazing!!! I told her that it was okay, we would bring her another one haha! I love her!!
We saw Monika and prepared her for her interview!
Saturday:
We saw Ming Vana and Navi haha Ming Vana is really funny actually she kind of reminds of dad. She will not sit still, she always has to be doing something, so getting her to sit down during a lesson is kind of hard sometimes we would teach and then she would stand up and do something else, so we would start yelling the lesson so she would come back haha... but it's all good I really like her and she makes me laugh and even though we had to yell parts of lesson 2 at the end she still committed to baptism!! Wahoo Miracles!!!
Then we read the BOM with Bong Sophia's those are some of my favorite lessons... there is nothing like reading from the book of Mormon!
Then we saw Ming Somat and watched the Joy to the World video with her, and then Monika had her baptismal interview and she passed!!! So she will be getting baptized this Saturday!!!
Sunday:
We saw Bong Chenda and Bong Kiang, we are going to start meeting them more because they both committed to baptism!!! So cool I am telling you December... so many miracles!!! At church we had 6 investigators! Monika brought her Aunt Ming Sokha and now we are teaching her as well!! So awesome! They have a really great family, and I feel like there are going to be a lot of new strong members because of Monika and her desire to share with everyone!!
After that we had FHE at Om Sokha's house and shared the Christmas story!!!
Well that was my week I am getting really excited to see all of you! I have the best family ever you know!! I love you all and see you in like 2 weeks :)
Love
Sister ស្វប់
Monday:
We went to the ផ្សា and did some shopping and then we went and prepared stuff for English Class and MLC.
Tuesday:
We saw Om Siat... she wanted to have Family Home Evening but we had MLC in the evening so we had a Family Home Afternoon. She invited everyone to come, but because it was at 2 everyone was sleeping haha oh the struggles... But it was still really good, we watched Finding Faith in Christ and our investigator Ming Vana came in! We watched the video and then bore our testimonies about the Savior... Om Siat just told us " Watching this video just strengthened my testimony I know that Christ died for us so that we could receive salvation, she testified about the miracles Christ performed and about the Plan of Salvation! Wow I am telling you Om Siat is amazing! She is one of the best members/ missionaries I know!!!
Then that night we had MLC, and we learned how to take care of our new bikes, fun fact now I know how to oil a chain, tighten brakes, and fix a broken chain! haha so that's way better then before oh yeah and I know how to shift gears now... well sort of before my knowledge with bikes was at a zero or less then that now it's probably at a 10 out of 100 so it's better then before haha!!!
Wednesday:
We had MLC most of the day. We taught about Faith in Finding. We talked about how it's Christmas and miracles are bound to happen! I feel like we have had so many miracles and I know that there are more to come! It's really cool that in missionary work you literally can make miracles happen by opening your mouth... Just a few words like I know that you are a child of God can change someones life forever! It's amazing... honestly I just love missionary work!!!
Then we had english class and showed the video "Light the World" It's soooo good! We encouraged all of our English class students to think of someone that is struggling and reach out to them... be like Christ and help them! It was so good! It amazing that that video can touch your heart no matter what language you speak or where you are! The students seemed to really love it! Then after the video we got up and bore our testimonies about service!
Thursday:
We saw Monika and talked to her about Missionary work and committed her to sharing a pamphlet with someone that she cares about... Monika is amazing and already invited her mom to accept the gospel! It's funny because she is kind of shy when we teach her but wow she just invites people to learn and she is so confident! I love it!
Then we Navi and watched the Joseph Smith video with her! After watching it we asked her how she felt and she told us that it all makes sense now... why there are so many churches and why it needed to be restored... then we committed her to be baptized on the 14th of January! She really is amazing and the restoration answered so many of her questions!
Friday:
We had all day zone training and then I bore my last testimony... sort of weird actually it was super weird! I told myself I wasn't going to cry... but I totally did haha I didn't even get to words out without crying... I really do love my mission and I can't believe that it's coming to an end.... wow it went by so fast.... I knew at the beginning I would love my mission... but i didn't know that I would love it this much!
After zone training we saw Monika... who called me at like 3 and told me she couldn't make it to our lesson.. I was like no it's important that we meet you because you have your interview tomorrow and then she was like okay sister I have to tell you something... I want to meet you but I don't have my BOM because I gave it to my friend to read... I gave her the pamplet but she wanted to read the book so I gave it to her.... I about died!! Monika is sooooo amazing!!! I told her that it was okay, we would bring her another one haha! I love her!!
We saw Monika and prepared her for her interview!
Saturday:
We saw Ming Vana and Navi haha Ming Vana is really funny actually she kind of reminds of dad. She will not sit still, she always has to be doing something, so getting her to sit down during a lesson is kind of hard sometimes we would teach and then she would stand up and do something else, so we would start yelling the lesson so she would come back haha... but it's all good I really like her and she makes me laugh and even though we had to yell parts of lesson 2 at the end she still committed to baptism!! Wahoo Miracles!!!
Then we read the BOM with Bong Sophia's those are some of my favorite lessons... there is nothing like reading from the book of Mormon!
Then we saw Ming Somat and watched the Joy to the World video with her, and then Monika had her baptismal interview and she passed!!! So she will be getting baptized this Saturday!!!
Sunday:
We saw Bong Chenda and Bong Kiang, we are going to start meeting them more because they both committed to baptism!!! So cool I am telling you December... so many miracles!!! At church we had 6 investigators! Monika brought her Aunt Ming Sokha and now we are teaching her as well!! So awesome! They have a really great family, and I feel like there are going to be a lot of new strong members because of Monika and her desire to share with everyone!!
After that we had FHE at Om Sokha's house and shared the Christmas story!!!
Well that was my week I am getting really excited to see all of you! I have the best family ever you know!! I love you all and see you in like 2 weeks :)
Love
Sister ស្វប់
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