I swear, it is so wierd to me that nobody back at home speaks
Armenian. I mean, seriously. You're here in Armenia, and EVERYBODY
speaks Armenian, obviously, but only a tiny handful speaks English. So
it's funny because whenever we need to change our lesson really fast,
we just speak in English and say, "Hey, I think we should actually
change our lesson to this..." So even though you it was right there in
perfect hearing, they didn't understand a thing. You've gotta be
careful sometimes though with that (with speaking in English) because
sometimes they think you're talking about them. Could make for an
awkward situation... So we generally just speak in Armenian. =D
Anyways, I have been going crazy with learning Armenian words! It has
been insane! As a mission, we're doing this competition type thing
where we have to learn 10 words every day for the whole month of
February (in addition to some days in March). It all comes down to
learning and retaining 300 words, overall. The prize is that we all
get to go out to dinner in a nice restaurant, for free, in Yerevan.
Um, heck yeah!!
We're getting pretty close to the end. This is the most intense time
of the competition. If the whole zone (which areas consist of Hrazdan,
Artashat, Center, and Charents Shavon) doesn't get 96% or better as a
whole on their words, then no nice restaurant! It's intense. =)
We were in sacrament meeting, and I was translating for Elder and
Sister L in sacrament meeting (my first time translating in sacrament
meeting). The elders looked at me and gestured something along the
lines of, "You're translating today in sacrament meeting for Elder and
Sister Larsen." I was freaking out!! Translating is HARD! I was like,
"Noooo!!" They just laughed and gave me the headset that I had to
speak in. They would. Haha They're like my 2nd trainers.
But it actually went really great!! The Lord definitely helped me with
that. I was like, "Wow! I can translate sacrament meeting!!"
So a MIRACLE happened yesterday!! Man, the Lord really knows what he's
doing. Well this week at church, one of our member's (a youth)
brought her mom to church. This family is from up in Vanadzor but they
have been living in Artashat for the past few years. The mom, the
daughter and the grandma had been taught everything up in Vanadzor,
but only the daughter and the grandma were baptized. The mother
couldn't give up coffee or something like that.
Anyways, we had a super great sacrament meeting. It was so spiritual
and so good. I was definitely so uplifted. Anyways, sometime during,
or a little bit after, the Mom went out of the meeting. President H,
the stake president was there, and he was talking to her. She was
crying because she felt the spirit so strong. Anyways, President H
comes and gets us and says, "N is here, and she has agreed to become
an investigator." We were like, "Wait, WHAT!"
So we go into the room she was in, and she's just so full of the
spirit. The spirit is just pounding on her. Anyways, we go in and
verify what President H just said. And she said that she does want to
become an investigator. She says that she knows it's right. So we get
the full story about what's just happened. So, in Vanadzor, she said
she just didn't feel anything when she went to church. It was kind of
vochinch, or whatnot. But our meeting in Artashat...was different. She
was just overcome by the spirit and it changed everything.
We sat with her in there for the last two hours of church, and helped
her understand what she was feeling. Gave her a baptismal date, and
helped to assuage her fears. She is scared about the thought of
getting baptized. It's all a lot for her right now. When we were
giving her her baptismal date, she was kind of evading the thought of
getting baptized on the 22nd. She didn't think that she would make it.
She seems to have a lot of guilt from past sins. Anyways, as we
continued to talk to her she said, "...Okay, I know that I would make
my date." And she kind of laughed a little bit. It was so great! The
spirit changes the hearts of the people. It was a MIRACLE! We are so
happy.
She's going up to visit her family up in Vanadzor for a few days
though. We are praying that she doesn't shy away from her experience.
She can do it!
Okay I'm out of time but I'm gonna quickly explain the pictures! The
first one, that's me when our rickety stool decided to collapse when I
was on it! (Splashing mint tea on my legs in the process.)
And the second, well, everyone who has lived in Armenia knows what
THAT license plate means. That's a cheetos car. (Cheetos is our code
word). In other words, that's a mafia car. Crazy!!
Anyways, love you all!!
Sister Fielding
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