Happy Birthday Olivia! Shnookabumbum, I love you so much! I can’t wait to kick your butt in wrestling when I get home. I have been practicing with the elders, and I think I might be able to take you down – Smith-Driggs vs. Smith-Driggs ;) Love you sweetheart :)
Also S/O to the people who brought my mom dark chocolate last week...Sister Hales, Sister Boyack, and Brother Carter! I heard Janet Hales brought some homemade dark chocolate – WOW props to you Sister Hales :) (My mom is now making it too...)
The Work:
English Class is going great. We still don’t have a church here in Laos. But there is no need to worry. God is here with us. As it says in Alma 32, we don’t need a “synagogue” to worship our Lord. The members here teach me what true faith is. This is week 4 of not going to church. All will be well, no worries. Thanks for your prayers everyone!
Chillin with the best. GOOD PEOPLE
The Bottom Line:
Repentance is for the righteous and the faithful. Repentance is a very personal act of love and sacrifice. Luckily the sacrifice has been taken care of. Our choices have consequences, but the love and assistance of the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father will never forsake you.
The Culture:
1. Every year Laos has a boat racing festival. Boats come from all over Lao to compete 1 day only. It is so fun to watch these rowing teams of 30 men just row their hearts out. Very awesome!
Boat racing festival
Making boats
Sending the boats off
2. One of the most commonly eaten foods here is Papaya Salad. It is made differently in Laos than Thailand because of one ingredient. They put in something called “Badag” or “ປະແດກ.” It is a sauce. This sauce has been made for many many years here in Lao. I asked how to make it, and I was given these instructions. Get ready:
o Get a raw fish and put it in a jar
o Put water in the jar mixed with salt
o Leave it in a very humid place for about 1 year/1 year and 6 months
o After that 1 year, open the jar. Mix around the inside
o Put it in the papaya salad and eat it raw! You are finished! ແຊບ ແຊບ ແຊບ
Funnies:
1. Last night I slept-talked again. For all of the Lao people reading this blog, you will laugh really hard. I mumbled a lot then shouted twice: “ປາກຫວານກົ້ນປ້ຽວ!!” - which if directly translated to English means: “Sweet mouth sour bottom,” but the meaning is that someone is a sweet talker but their intent is not all true. They say one thing but mean another. Hahahahaha Elder Magill was awake, and he just chuckled. Classic Smith-Driggs.
Simba
2. I ordered some Ovaltine at one of our favorite restaurants here, and the lady brought it out to us. When I drank my first sip, I was like “OH… yup that is definitely iced coffee.” Hahahaha classic. Look out, Elder Smith-Driggs is going Less Active and starting to drink coffee. Those elders in Laos are really having some trouble hahahaha.
Fell asleep in the truck.. classic Smith-Driggs
Spiritual thought:
In our house here in Lao, we have a gigantic poster that reads, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” Every day I wake up and look at that. Our work here is so different than anywhere else in the whole world. Right now we are in a strange situation with no church. The only thing I do every day is teach English and occasionally visit members’ homes to tell them that we love them and not to worry. Sometimes I sit here and laugh at our situation. Honestly, I am typing this up on a laptop in our house. It is 2 pm on a Friday afternoon. We just finished translating a meeting for the nursing college of Lao, were fed a buffet, got dropped back at our house and now we are finishing and grading English reports for our students. Am I even a missionary? Yes. You bet I am. I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I am serving the people of Lao by teaching them English. I am helping others tap into the knowledge given to them by their Father in Heaven, and in that, I am giving them hope. If I can give my students a hope for the future, I am bringing them unto Christ. My testimony is one of sincere gratitude for my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ. I testify that His grace is sufficient for us all. May we remember that God’s door is always open, if we will just soften our hearts long enough to allow the master teacher to mold us into the man or woman He needs us to be is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
That’s it for me this week guys. Sorry I had to take the blog off of Facebook. I am so grateful for your prayers for the Lao members. It means the world to me. God bless you all. Have a fantastic week prepping for Halloween!
Love the Lord and Laugh,
ອັບຣາຮາມ ສະມິດ-ດິກສ
Abraham Smith-Driggs
No comments:
Post a Comment