Two FHE's

We took our Church History Department guests and Elder Pratt to two FHE's Monday the 23rd. This first one is with the Central District President's Home. The blurry picture is the best one of their family. My camera got fogged up, but I liked it well enough to put on anyway. Their little boy's name is Johnson. Elder Turley takes alot of pictures for his department.

The next house is the Lam's whom Scott and I visited last week. President Lam is on the left. Hisbrother is next to him and he gave the lesson out of the Liahona on Holding to the Rod and what we need to do to follow the prophet. The others sitting there are members of the 10th branch. The man is the former branch president of the 10th branch who lives in President Lam's branch now.

Sister Lam, the sister of President Lam, did the game of folding a $100 riel note (worth maybe one cent in USDollars). You had to follow instructions exactly and if you got it you had to help someone in your group accomplish the task. I needed alot of help and ALMOST got it. So some gave us their's. The point was to follow the prophet and then when you are strong help others to also be obedient. Afterwards, we were served sticky rice with durian sauce. It was surprisingly very good! I say surprisingly because Durian is a fruit that really has a bad odor before it's cooked and probably while it's cooking. It is NOT a pleasant smell at all , and I was very happy to find out that the taste was much better than the smell. At least the cooked durian. I don't think I will ever try the fresh one. :)

Remembering Dedication of Cambodia

On Monday, April 23rd, along the banks of the Mekong River at the Cambodiana Hotel, a number of us gathered to review the dedicatory prayer and talk about the day that President Hinckley dedicated the land of Cambodia to missionary work. We were with two brethren from the Church History Department, Brothers Turley (assistant director) and Nielsen (manager) and Elder Pratt, a counselor in our Area Presidency.

In reviewing the exact location a member who had been there thought this was close to the spot, so there we gathered on the lawn of the Cambodiana Hotel in Phnom Penh.

Some took turns reading parts of the Dedicatory prayer.

I will identify this picture because it is easy to do. L to R Elder Ellingson: a senior missionary over PEF, Brother Sorphorn: a CES director, Sister Ellingson: senior missionary over PEF, Suy Leng: service center real estate and helps with goverment relations, Us, and Maury: helps with physical facilities of each church building, including the mission office and mission home.

Clean House and President Smedley's Birthday.

Many Missionaries had worked hard to deep clean their homes so they could get ice-cream. And these Battambang sisters certainly earned that. They have a big home and it all was spit spot. I could have eaten on the floor. So, I told them I would put them on my blog. Sister Tay above and Sister Um at the top. Tehy just did a great job and even I wouldn't have minded living in that home with them.

Our Kampong Cham Zone sang I Know that My Redeemer Lives for Scott's birthday. It was their testimony to him and it was wonderful. Our two assistants, Elders Heywood and Schiefer in the center joined them. Going from Left to Right: Elder Thomas, Sister Thalman, Elder Nicosia, Elders Thalman, Um Haem, Chum, Assistants, Salmon and Sisters Chheung and Nouer.

Sister Thalman made a carrot cake with carmel frosting and lit the candles. They put on as many as they could find for his 61st birthday. The cake, by the way was delicious. Sister Houser in Kampong Thom also made a homemade carrot cake with fresh pineapple for a day before birthday cake. It was equally wonderful. Thank you Senior Sisters for making things special for everyone!

They then sang Happy Birthday and gave him a gift of a Cambodian Silk clothes carrier. Beautiful. Sorry for the blurry picture. I need to learn to wait until it focuses before I take the picture.

The assistants and office elders created this special birthday picture for Scott. They did move Scott's hand in the position they wanted and added a jacket in case you can't tell. They were so excited to give this to him. It's a treasure!

Battambang Sisters in the Wilderness

I worked with the Battambang Sisters. Sister Um on the left and Sister Tay on the right, April 18th in the afternoon after our specialty training. We had 3 appointments and went in the tuk tuk which they were grateful for a change to have a ride rather than biking especially with me paying for it! We went out to an investigator who is about 20 minutes out. They told me as they ride out to the home, they call it riding in the wilderness and when they get to their home, they call it the Promised Land! The rice fields haven't been planted yet, but the rainy season is coming and soon this dry fields will all look like a beautiful golf course. We are almost to the home on the bottom left where it starts having a lot of green and foilage.



Now you don't see me, and now you do! They wanted me to wear a mask because they thought it was too dusty. I couldnt' even see the dust, but wore it a ways to make them feel better.

We arrived at the Promised Land to teach these investigators. They belong to another Christian Church right by their house, so it will take some teaching for them to know the truth. They are reading the Book of Mormon and they really feel the spirit as they read. Well he does, I don't think she reads to much, it's difficult for her.

This home, these people are so nice, and yet so poor. Their home is just so small. You can't see it off to the right. He is a painter and had a huge canvas of Angkor Wat he was painting. He lost one of his legs in a mine field blast, but gets around really good with his crutch and the other leg. I don't think he gets enough for those beautiful paintings because of how poor they are, yet they are all so happy. They are good parents and watch their children. I got to teach them about coming to Church and invited them to come, and they accepted my invitation for which I am grateful because the investigators above weren't too hep on coming with their two little children. So, they will take some work and fellowshipping from members. It was a truly great time with Sisters Um and Tay.

From the Windows of Car

On the way to Kampong Thom from Siem Reap we see alot of these poor chickens getting a free ride upside down on their way to be eaten in someone's home!


The round thing on top is called a poke in English. I don't know what it is in Cambodian. You often see the poke on the back of a moto with a couple of pigs in it. Hence the term, A Pig in a Poke comes to life in Cambodia!

As we traveled around Cambodia from the 18th to the 22nd, we sometimes saw some interesting sites and also some beautiful scenery. The pigs were on the road on the way home from our last stop of Kampong Cham. The driver and the one guarding them, looked over and smiled. He took off his helmet, but put it back on when he gave permission for me to take the picture. I hold up the camera, and point to the pigs and him, then the camera, and he nodded his permission.

The one at the top I believe is in Vietnam. It looks like the road to the airport in Hanoi. But I'm not really sure. On the road from Battambang we saw this group of people on back of the truck. The road from Kampong Thom to Kampong Cham is not really crowded and it is beautiful. For the last part of the ride you drive through a huge rubber plantation. I can't believe the bottom pictures almost look panoramic. I'm quite pleased with myself because that was pure accident. I am grateful you can see what I saw from the car window!

FHE with the Lams of 3rd Branch

We were invited to the branch president's house, President Lam for an FHE on Sunday night the 17th of April. They do a FHE often and invite different members of the branch in order to teach them how to do an FHE. His Brother or Sister do the lesson and they have a game. There were investigators there and some less active members. Also one of our former missionaries came, Elder Meas. WE appreciated the invitation.

Khmer New Year Sport's Day

Cambodian New Year was on April 14-16th. Pretty much people in the city go back to their homelands and the town is quite empty. It's great driving though. Not much traffic. So one of those days the missionaries clean thoroughly their homes , which by the way they all had such clean homes, the Snyders rewarded all with ice-cream and toppings when they came in on Preparation Day or down from the Provinces.
Another day they do CBR's and update their records and the last day they have a Sport's Day and go out to work at 5:00 to see who possibly has come back from the Provinces. This was held at the North District Center. What you see in the middle picture is the carport or bike port. Those are all the missionary's bikes lined up. I loved that picture. They played Ping pong. soccer, volleyball, basketball, and some kind of Khmer soccer with a plastic ball. Also the Cambodian missionaries all love a game that is played with something similar to a badminton birdie except that it has a weight on it and they get in a circle and start kicking it with their heels to each other and see how long they can keep it going. It's amazing to watch. Oh and the Elders who played hard and got too tired played a card game called speed. Above is Elder Nordgren. He fell and reinjured a torn rotator cuff. I'm not sure how to spell it all, but it hurts. He is tough and works through it all.

I was watching a group play ping pong when the ball flew towards me, I cringed my neck to try to catch it with my hands and it landed exactly where it is in the picture!! I couldn't believe it. Elder Vanfleet sprained his foot and Sister Liggett, our nurse, is administering first aid to it. It was a mild sprain and he is doing well. Elder Nebeker consoles him. Sister Loy poses with Scott and I and our newest sisters, Sisters Sparks and Bayles pose together. They are in the Vietnamese speaking program and are doing really well.

Sisters Erekson and her companion Sister Robertson visit with Scott. Sister Erekson is one tough basketball player. In one contest, she was in the finals for shooting baskets and they wore each other out. Finally she just let him get the last basket in. Okay, that's my viewpoint anyway!Scott tried his hand at the basketball shot game. Some Elders and Sisters rest after playing hard. Those bottom two pictures are blurry for whatever reason, I don't know why!

This is a fast moving sport with the little plastic ball. They run up and down similar to soccer and try to make points on a loosely appointed goal line! They sure had fun with this. Elder Thompson was our only American who dared brave playing with the Cambodians and one Vietnamse Elder above, Elder Son.
They had a great day and were ready to go home for sure at 5:00 p.m.

Going to Manila!

Sister Pham (say fam) from Hanoi is off to Manila MTC. The missionaries left on April 14th for training and return May 5th. Below is Elder Hem from the 5th branch. He is an older Elder and just turned 25. He has been working and saving along time to go on his mission and has helped us out on as a part-time missionary before he left for Manila.

Elder Hem (say highm) and his family. His Dad is the former branch president of the 5th branch.

I just missed the other families to take pictures. Sister Pham is the only member in her family and has been a member of the church for 18 months. She speaks excellent English and is prepared to serve. The other two missionares, I am just learning their names. One is from Kien Svay and his name is Elder Phan. His family is all active and the other is the first missionary ever from Kamphon Thom, Elder Aan. They will come back all fired up and ready to go!

New Office Elder and Assistant

In case you can't tell, these are totally posed pictures. Elder Sanford above is one of our newest Office Elders and he likes to joke around a bit as you can tell. Elder Schiefer is one of our new assistants and he went along with the pose. Both are excellent missionaries and we enjoy working with them alot.

Two Afternoons with Sisters

April 11th I had the opportunity after specialized trainings to work with sisters again. First I went with the 4th Branch Sisters: Sisters Sok and Saum. But I didn't get pictures. I got lunch and then went out with the 11th branch sisters: Sisters Wu and Pen, which is where these pictures are from. Believe it or not, we are still in the city limits of Phnom Penh. I don't know the name of the neighborhood or District. The middle set of sisters are being taught the Gospel and the Mom is close to baptism. She accepted the Law of Tithing on this visit. The sister that has the little store is a new member and they were being retaught about the importance of Church attendance it seems like. I really enjoyed going with our sisters. They are all great teachers and love their investigators so much. The table the middle sisters are sitting on is the common way that many people are taught. They put a mat out sometimes and you sit on the mat on the floor. Sometimes Scott and I will bring stools. I sat on the mat and floor in these houses. The older woman is a Pol Pot survivor and she lived in this little house and survived the disaster. She remains here still where she had been safe before.

April 12th after specialized trainings I got to work with these Vietnamese speaking sisters. Sisters Sparks and Holloway. Sister Holloway is the trainer and has been out about 4 months and Sister Sparks had been out just over 2 weeks. They both did really well. jThey love their investigators and although they have to teach slowly because they are just learning Vietnamese, the people loved them for their great efforts and understood all that they taught. This member sister helped them to the home where we went. The apartment is in the above housing neighborhood. Despite how the apartments looked on the outside, I was surprised how clean and big the room was in the building we were in. We went up I think 7 flights. I did well because every day I go up and down 4 flights of stairs a bunch of times a day. One of these days I will have to count how many times a day I go up and down the stairs! Good exercise!
It made a great week for me to go with the sisters. I had a lot of opportunities to also teach in Cambodian and in the Vietnamese home, the sisters translated. It was wonderful to feel the spirit of these investigators and see how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has made such a difference in their lives.

Saturday Conference Shopping

We in the Asia Area had our General Conference on April 9th and 10th. I invited these Senior Sisters to come with me to some of my favorite shops while our husbands were in Priesthood. They were delighted to do that. The mission home is across the road and down about 2 streets.


While shopping I decided to show them where I got my haircut that I liked so well, except for the dirty comb. This is a kind of barber/beauty, but more barber shop. As you can see they advertise $1 cuts. Because I am a woman, they charged $3! Discrimination! Just kidding. :) I did find another shop today nearby that is cleaner and a bit more professional and I will go back there again. I am so grateful that after 2 years I found a shop I like. It is in a nearby shopping center called Paragon. Yeah!

Sister Ellingson found this outfit for relaxation. The shop keeper came up and said not to take any more pictures because these are orginal designs and she wants to keep them that way. It was a great shop and Sister Ellingson introduced us to it. Everything is unique and designed by the owner of the shop.
We had a great time and were ready to eat about 30 minutes before our husbands got out of priesthood. So we walked to the restaurant where I had made reservations and they let us come in there where our husbands met us and we had a great dinner and evening.
This is what I do at home with my daughters and daughters-in-law, so it was fun to do this with these great sisters. We lose 4 of our Senior Couples within a month in July-Aug and we only have 2 coming in to replace them. If any of you that read this post are seniors and want to go on a mission, sign up to come here! You'll love the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission!

Ta Khmao Sisters

I spent an afternoon and evening with the Ta Khmao sisters. These are two investigators that were taught. Sister Hildenbrand ont he left and Sister Loy on the right. Sister Loy made an excellent potato beef chaa which she shared with me and also with Scott when he came to pick us up. Cambodian beef is so tough, but she just chopped the beef into little pieces and cooked it. I couldn't believe it was so good. A good trick to remember about Cambodian beef!
I really enjoyed the afternoon with them teaching. When I come they get to ride in a tuk tuk because I don't do the bikes here. They are excellent teachers and good planners too!