taryn 7.19.10

Hey Family!
Well yesterday i got a big phone call, my companion looked at me right before she answered it and said "its president" and then handed the phone to me. i didnt think i would be getting that phone call. my heart dropped. he started it by saying "sister young, im going to change your life around a little bit. you are killing someone off, and then are going to give birth." he asked me to train, and then talked for a minute about the importance of a trainer.
the past few weeks have been hard because my companion is going home this week. we are all old in the mission now, we went 9 months without getting any sisters. hearing her talk about home, the things she is nervous for, and the things she is excited for, it has been hard knowing she is going home to her family and difficult to keep my mind focused. this is going to be such a change! IM TRAINING!!! oh man im nervous. in almost every meeting president always mentions how the calling of a trainer is the most important calling a missionary can get, you are setting the pace for the rest of their mission. i still do so many of the things that my "mom" (sister hulme) did my first two moves here. we got a few sister in and he called me! i dont think im qualified for it. it is going to be hard but such a fun and neat experience. so... i am leaving tonight for bangkok to kill off my companion tomorrow, and then get a brand new greenie. its going to be an adventure! ill let you know about her next week.
Most of our investigators are doing great, though we have lost a few to the difficulties of trying to change religions when coming from a strong buddhist family. We got quite a few new investigators, we go through them pretty fast here.. one girl is named bong, we met her as we were biking through a neighborhood quickly to another appointment. i saw her walking and had the feeling to stop. i was so blunt, more blunt than i have ever been in an invite because we were in a hurry. i said something along the lines of, "hello, im a missionary. do you want to learn about Jesus Christ?" she surpisingly said yes, gave me her number and we were off. i called her quite a few times after that and she never answered. a few weeks later i prayed and told Heavenly Father that this was the last time i was going to call her. it rang and rang and then she answered and invited us over to her tiny one room apt the next day! she is very sweet, kept wanting to give us everything. she knows nothing about christianity, but is interested in learning, and also her mom died, the last of her family, 2 months ago. i have good feelings about her! im excited to go back and see her.
we have a lot of people we are going to have to see the end of this week because these first few days are shot with my comp packing and then going to bangkok. i hope that they all remember to pray and do their commitments!Our ward mission leader is in the mental hospital right now, im not sure why, but its something that acts up every once in a while ever since he was in his twenties. his sister was telling us about the place he is in, its like a jail with bars and everything. she then went on to tell us about the poor little boy that was next to him. all growing up his mom put him in front of video games. he played all day long every day. his life now is a video game, he does the motions, driving a car or playing with a paddle and even does sound effects, though there is nothing going on in front of him. so so sad. it was interesting because my comp and i had just finished talking about elder bednars talk from the ensign last month about computers and fake reality. you should all read it, its pretty long, but really good! we had just talked about goals for when we get home to keep our reality straight, time limits for playing on the computer- including facebood, blogs and things. so many good uses of the internet, but satan finds a way to make even those good things bad through over-use.
We met up with some Jehovas Witnesses the other day in the park and ended up talking with them for awhile. They had all the normal trying to bible bash scriptures. some of them i couldnt even answer and said i would ge back and study those things, but it just made me know even more that this church is true. i just smile and was nice to them, but inside i just wanted to show them how silly they seam. one of them was from australia, the other from belgium!!!!!!!! the australian was pretty nice, but man jordan i feel bad for you, the belgian was a stinker! she kept smirking and saying, "so why is america so special, does God not love me, im from belgium, i dont have scriptures from my country." and things like that.
I am so grateful for this church and that i was able to grow up in the strength of it. i know it is the only true church on the earth. i agree with the Thais, almost every single one when we invite them says "every religion teaches people to be good." usually it is their defence for not learning with us, but i do agree with them. every religion teaches people to be good, but they just dont have the fullness or the saving ordinances. i want to delcare it to the world.
well family, i think thats enough from this side of the world for the week. i hope you are all having fun and being SAFE in lake powel. i love and miss you so much! i really cant wait to the day that i get to see you again, not too long! you are the best family ever. really.
love, sister young