The Elder's Hanoi "Mansion"

After we left Ho Chi Minh, we flew up to Hanoi. I loved the clouds that Sunday as we were flying up for interviews, etc. It takes about 2 hours to go from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi. The next day we had a zone Conference with the Elders and the Senior Couple, the Talbots. The Elders live on the top floor of the building where the Church meets. They feel like they live in a mansion because they have new beds, new dryer, new microwave and a new stove (burner). They feel so blessed with the dryer because no one else in the whole mission, except us, have a dryer. Not one Senior couple nor any other missionary. So, they are grateful because they don't have to iron every day.

They are taking us up to their "Mansion".

The beloved dryer!

And beds. They are thrilled with these beds. Elder Son (say sung) on the left and Elder Ly on the other. These are also very good missionaries. They are two very enthusiastic missionaries!

Microwave, rice cooker and burner. Their fridge is on the floor below which they share with the branch.

We took a tour of a new Hotel to see if we wanted to stay here because their prices are lower than where we are and closer to the church. Although the view isn't as nice. So the Elders wanted us to take pictures of them and show this to their fellow missionaries here in Phnom Penh and tell them that this is their new mansion. Of course the Missionaries here will know different because missionaries have Twin beds not 2 King Beds! It's a beautiful Hotel and we might try it in December when we go back.

Saigon and the Banana Lady

We went to Vietnam on some Church business. While there we, of course went to Church and we also spoke in Sacrament meeting. Afterwards, we saw the Branch president of the Hanoi Branch who was in the city of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) for his business and so he came to church here. That is a good faithful Saint! The man on the right is the Hanoi Branch President Tung. The man on the left lives 7 hours south of Saigon. He has been a member quite a while and joined the church in Cambodia and now lives in Vietnam in the Cambodian section of Vietnam which used to be in Cambodia. His son is the Central District President here in Phnom Penh. That is the Vietnamese District. Imagine traveling seven hours to come to church. He really wants us to go and visit his city because there are 3 other priesthood holders and 10 sisters there.


Saturday, we had a Zone Conference with the two full-time misisonaries and our Senior Couple, the Jacksons. They are the LDSC couple in Ho Chi Minh and doing a terrific job.

Elder Thinh is the Zone Leader and he is training Elder Tranh (say chun). They are amazing Elders. They are so exact in obedience. They love being able to teach in people's homes now. The government is letting us do that which means visiting teaching and home teaching can now procede also. They can teach in people's homes, IF they are invited in. So this is wonderful.
We are riding in a taxi, by the way!

We tried to do a district activity, but the wood shop was closed we were going to visit. So instead, Sister Jackson and I walked in a few stores and the Elders and Scott stayed outside and made friends with this woman who let Scott try out her business tools including the hat, as you see below! This woman was actually interested in finding out more about the Church. So the Elders got her phone number and to see if you would invite them to come and teach.

A Vietnamse Church Wedding

November 11th, we ran over to the 10th Branch building to attend a wedding ceremony for one of our former missionaries, Elder Nyguen from Ho Chi Minh. He served over here for a brief time. He got a job which required him to visit here after his mission, and he went to the 10th branch and there he met his little bride. She is 18 and a true pioneer member of the Church. She is the District Primary President! They are just a great couple. Their official celebration will be in February. They got married now in order to start her paper work to live in Vietnam. The middle picture is an official Asian (Cambodia/Vietnamese) kiss. Maybe it's that way all over Asia!? They will be a great strength in the church over in Ho Chi Minh. This was a small wedding with 2 friends, the branch president, us, the District President, and the bride's mother. Her little siblings stayed outside the branch president's office until the marriage was over. I think they will be very happy!

Zone Leader Council and Leadership Training

November9th we had our monthly Zone Leader Council. For an activity to liven things up a bit, they had to all be on the sheet and figure and a way to turn it over without stepping off the sheet. They were learning how to work together. You can see their creativity. And guess what? They did it!!!!

November 9th in the evening we started our every-other-month Leadership Training for all leaders and Trainers in the mission. We held this from the 9th in the evening until the 12th at noon. Hopefully, I will get a better group picture to put on here. We all had a pretty good time even with the role plays! The Leaders are really starting to see the benefits from role playing. They especially enjoyed the food at this conference. . . and they ate alot! Hamburgers and Hotdogs, Shepherd's Pie, Khmer Food, and Pizza! Actually, I quite enjoyed it too. For the hamburgers, Sarat made a most scrumptious macaroni salad. I just showed her once how to do it, and she has it down pat!

Three Goodbyes

The same weekend that we had Elder Pratt and Elder Juan with us for the South District Conference, we found out that Elder Donnelson was going to go home 5 weeks early to recuperate from an illness. He had to have complete rest for at least a month, and that wasn't going to happen here! He is at home now, and getting better every day. We also had an Elder, Elder Kosal, coming in Sunday evening to be set apart before he went to the Provo MTC. He is going to Boston. So on Monday, all three were leaving at the same time on the same plane bound for Taipai! So we made one trip to the airport to deliver everyone ! Elder Juan wanted his picture with Elder Hurwitz. Elder Kosal's friends and family came to see him off and we got to pose with everyone!

Elder Juan has President Smedley's tie on because he, Elder Juan gave a tie to a little boy they were visiting. The little boy cried because his cousin got a tie from President Smedley (Scott) , but he didn't . Elder Juan felt so bad, he took his tie off and gave to the little boy. So then, Scott took his tie off and gave to Elder Juan. We had another tie in the car and Scott put that on. But then he saw Elder Kosal's Dad who is not a member of the Church. He and the rest of the family came Sunday night into the mission home for the setting apart. They are just a real humble sweet family who most aren't members. Elder Kosal's Dad came to the airport with a clearn new white shirt in honor of his son leaving on a mission. So Scott took his other tie off and gave to Brother Kosal!

South District Presidency and Branch Presidents

L to Right sitting Presidents Kosal and Mok Mai, counselors. President Chhuem ofTakhamau,
Elder Juan and Elder Pratt standing and President Visana of Kien Svay.
On the right side from bottom to top are President Sovann of the 4th branch, President Sophan of the 5th branch and President Saramany of the 7th branch.

Elder Pratt's Visit to SDC

Elder Juan on the left and Elder Pratt on the right had a special visit with these future missionaries.

Kites

On our way back to the Mission Home after our South District visits, we saw this big truck on the left hauling not only it's load, but a bunch of people.

I love these kites! They are so beautiful flying. This time of year is a little cooler and there is always a little breeze, so we see alot of young people flying these kites and also their own homemade kites.

Visits for South District Conference

November 6, 2010, we visited three families in conjunction with the South District Conference. We had Elder Pratt from our Area Presidency and Elder Juan, an area Seventy from Taiwain as
presiding over the conference. Elder Juan didn't get here until after the visits and Elder Pratt went with another Branch President. We went with the 4th Branch President. Our first stop was to Elder Mae's Mother and Sister and little nephew. His Mom sells bread every morning. When the bread is all sold, she comes home and makes skewer sticks out of bamboo. That is what is in front of her on the ground.

Us with the 4th branch president and Elder Mae's family. Elder Mae, by the way, is doing much better. He was so appreciative of seeing these pictures.

She has done this for years and does it so fast with a very sharp knife. I would have surely cut off my finger! Altogether she makes $150 a month which is actually a little over the average monthly take home pay. She is being blessed for her son's service.

This family wants to go to the temple. The only hold up is the mother doesn't want to hold a church job and come to church all the time. She never told us why, but she wants to go to the Temple. So Scott taught her there was no such thing as a "normal member", meaning one that comes to Church and does no service, they just come and that's it. He is a guard at one of the buildings. I did not see her to District Conference, but perhaps she was there. It was full all the way to the back of the cultural hall.

We went with the branch president and one of our assistants, Elder Matthews to visit a family on the outskirts of the branch. The other Assistant, Elder Hurwitz, went with Elder Pratt. A funny story. He, Elder Hurwitz, was supposed to drive Elder Pratt back to the Mission Home for a quick lunch. We were finishing out visits and would meet them there. They got in the van, and Elder Hurwitz said to Elder Pratt that he, Elder Hurwitz, was pretty nervous to drive the stick. He said he had only done it a couple of times, and I think he was worried about not driving a general authority very good. So, Elder Pratt said he had driven in that kind of traffic that we have here many, many times. Pretty much all his church service. So, he got in and drove Elder Hurwitz to the mission home!

We went down this little path and left to their home.

This family makes shoes and he also is a moto dop (say dope). Meaning moto taxi. He had one tie that he owned. They go to church about once a month. We invited them to come to conference and the Dad showed up. I think he had his tie on that Scott gave him. The young man in the purple shirt is their oldest son and he accepted a tie. Their kitchen is underneath their home. They sleep on the top floor. They showed me the shoes they make. They are very nice ones. She had me try one on. I could see my foot was Ugly Step Sister and the shoe was Cinderella. But I accomodated her and she just laughed when my foot was obviously not going to be comfortable in her nice shoe!

We really enjoyed this family and hope they will come out to full activity and show actions of Faith! Their life will surely be blessed!

On the Roads of Cambodia

These pictures were all taken by President Smedley from his new phone. So, you are seeing Cambodia from his perspective! As we are driving outside of Phnom Penh we always see water buffaloes. This particular herd we had to slow down so we wouldn't hit the one of the road.

Taking a cow to market.

What we experience here in Phnom Penh! The woman in blue on the moto is holding an IV. I assume it is for her since she doesnt' look all that well. On the left of the red car is a young person selling wrist flowers of Jasmine. They smell wonderful, but I sneeze alot, so we only get them sometimes for guests if we happen to see them being sold on the road. We totally enjoy all of the interesting things we see constantly. We never tire seeing the creativity of the Cambodians! They are wonderful and we love them. But you have to watch out when you are driving so a moto doesn't surprise you by stopping or coming out in front of you. Always an adventure.

I'm glad I am not driving that moto with those big white bags. He must have incredible balance!

Crossing the River in South Zone Conference

South Zone Conference was October 29th. For an activity we did the same as with the other Zone Conferences. We put the blocks on the tile floor and it wasn't too much of a challenge, but they still had fun, as you can see. Elder Mae, who has been sick, but now feeling so much better, was even participating a little. Because it was so easy, we brought them in on the cork floor and it was too hard! We had a few who made it across the river anyway! One thing they all learned, that it goes better in tough places to work together and that was our point! So, I think we achieved that anyway!

Elder Ross above left helping his fellow Cambodian Missionaries to understand the game.
Elder Long above right trying not to fall off his block. Elder Hill is in the background.
The bottom picture l to r: Elder Ross helping I think Elder Chum, Elder Long, Elder Jensen, Elder Elder, and looking on is Elder Hill.

Making a Rice Millet

On our way home from the Provinces and the Zone Conference there, October 28th, we saw this wooden post below moving up and down by foot pedals and someone stirring something in a pot, so we stopped to see what was going on. They are making a form of Rice Millet. I guess that is the right word for it! They put rice in the above pot, and put it on the fire below left. The lady stirs and stirs and and puts it in the above hole where her husband mans the crusher. She puts more rice on the fire and at the same time she stirs that, she mixes up the cooked rice inbetween her husband crushing the already cooked rice! She was so coordinated. It was amazing. We gave them some money for letting us look at their business. Very sweet people. Too bad they live too far away from where our missionaries are.


Here she is stirring the rice to cook it.

This is the finished product, but they throw it up in the air from this tray and the culls rise to the top. They get those out and sell the finished product in little packages such as below. I have tasted this and thought it was delicious.

More Temples and Crossing the River Siem Reap

The unlucky temple is above because it was struck by lightening. So people thought it was an omen of something. So there are no engravings nor any drawings on this temple. Above is the Bayon Temple. Where Scott is, is on the other side of the wall from the missionaries.

This Temple with all the the tree roots is Ta Phom, I think that is what it is called. These trees seems as big as the Redwoods, maybe bigger. The roots seem to grow just anywhere they want. The singers are men who have lost limbs from the mine fields. This is how they earn their money.

We tried Crossing the River here too. The Sister up above organized a group to put out their blocks in the way above and then gingerly stepped on them without falling off, or you have to go back. She made it all the way back. This is Sister Essma and we are so sad to say she goes home the 19th of this month! The two sisters below, helped each other. The ones who made it the fastest are the ones who took time to work together to come up with a plan! It was all very interesting. This is in front of the Branch Building. Land has been approved and bought for the church to build a chapel here in Siem Reap. This was on October 27th. We had a great time with all three of these zones. They are all hard working and fun missionaries. We stand in awe of their goodness!