New Missionaries Arrive!

On September 8th we had this wonderful group of missionaries arrive from the Provo MTC. They are ready to work, know alot of language and are excited to be in Cambodia. Left to right: Elders Stokes, Gibson, Rucker, Edmunds, Spilker, Mitton, and Pearson. On the front row, Elders Lor and Warr and Sister Johnson.

Elder Snyder, the Assistants and Scott and I get in on the picture.

Scott made friends with this police officer while we were arranging the picture, and he wanted his picture with Scott. So there you go!

Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi

On sept 2nd, Scott and I flew to Ho Chi Minh. However,all of my pictures this time are of Hanoi! In Ho Chi Minh we met with the Blinns and had a Zone Conference at our hotel in a conference room. It was a wonderful training and experience feeling of their great spirits and that of Sister Clare Zhou, one of our former members in the International branch who went on a mission to Temple Square. She is now working in Vietnam waiting her time to go to BYU Hawaii. The next day, Scott had 18 interviews at the church. I stayed in the Hotel and did some church assignments on the computer. It was quiet and I enjoyed my Saturday there. In the afternoon I took Sister Blinn on a little excursion to a market nearby the hotel after eating lunch with her. We had a great visit and she is a wonderful senior sister missionary. Her and her husband are the LDSC couple in Ho Chi Minh.
The flowers above however, are from the hotel in Ho Chi Minh. We flew to Hanoi on the late flight and arrived about 10:30. Scott realized as we were getting in the taxi, that he had left his new Ipad2 in the airplane from Ho Chi Minh. So after much inner prayers, he found someone to help him and he got his Ipad back! It was a miracle, I'd say. So we finally got in about midnight or later to our hotel in Hanoi. In Hanoi after church they had 4 baptisms. There is no room outside the building for a font, so they have one they set up in the back of the Chapel area in the kitchen area. It is not deep and the one baptising has to bend down quite a ways, but only one person had to be baptized twice! Elder Son visits with Anita, one of our stalwart members in teh Hanoi branch.

I loved the flowers in the Hanoi hotel also. You can see how big they are as I am standing next to them. We went into a home there after church to see the new member's home. Her husband collects antiques and stuffed animal heads. This one had huge antlers. The chest has the inlaid ivory in it and is just beautiful. We were later invited to eat at her house several days later.

From the Hotel we can see this lake. The people are on little swan paddle boats going out on the lake. It all looked rather serene. At this hotel I rarely see anyone swimming in the pool. I had to capture on camera, that people actually use it!. I got to train the Primary and Relief Society presidencies on Monday afternoon, after we had our Zone Conference with our Elders and the Michels.

Later Monday evening we got to go to the Young Adult Home Evening. They were having a fruit decorating contest. This event took place int eh Michel's apartment . They had the Michel's neighbor come and judge the most artistic arrangements of this pomeo. I was quite impressed with their ideas. We then had a great meal that wonderful Sister Michel had made. What a woman to feed this large crowd! She serves a great German potato salad. One of my favs. It was a great night, with I think about 11 nonmembers present! It was the last night for the sister conducting to be part of this group. Her and her boyfriend were getting married that weekend in the Manila Temple!

New Member Visit in Hanoi

Saturday, September 3, about 12:00 midnight, we arrived at our hotel from being in Ho Chi Minh so that we could be to Church Sunday with the Hanoi Saints. We take turns going to Church in the two branches in Vietnam. I loved this sunset overlooking this lake near our Hotel.

Tuesday night, the 6th, we were invited to a new member's home for Supper. She took off work 1/2 day early and her husband came home early from his job managing a pool hall. He helped her cook this food. It was so good. We had spring rolls, vegetable soup, chicken and bacon, rice,some kind of tofu stuff, and peanut sauce and bread. Wow, she gave us the works!

Her husband collects atiques.

One of our missionaries, or branch builders as they are called in Vietnam, Elder Trung (say chung), and the new member sister. She is solid and will be a great member. She is so much happier as a member of the church.


The Michels are the Senior couple there in Hanoi. They are the Country Directors for LDSC. They enjoy maybe the most, their ecclesiastical assignment as Member Leader Support. They were going to be on TV on a reality show the next day and the camera was going to follow them all around. They are great and we love them. Scott is enjoying the food quite a bit!

Elder Jensen Leaves

September 1st, about one hour after we finished with Leadership Training, we hosted Elder Jensen and his family. His parents had been with him for about week and because we were to the Battambang conference we couldn't do the devotional, interview, etc. So, they came in the day before they left for the states and Elder Jensen walked the Red Carpet, had his interview, his lasagne dinner and the devotional where he got to share his final testimony. The rest of his group left the next week, but he had to get into school.

Elder Jensen was a great missionary and probably the best cook in the mission. I hope he opens a restaurant someday. I will be one of his first customers. Lucky for me, he shared his recipe for Pumpkin soup! I have learned to love pumpkin soup here. It is delicious.

Elder Jensen's proud parents, and well they should be.

We Made it Back in Time!

We were back no longer than 10 minutes from Battambang when the people who were coming to see Sister Soum set apart started arriving. Whew! So glad it all worked out. Sister Soum finally was able to leave for the USA and training in the Provo MTC for the Temple Square Mission. Her English is so good, and will be even better when she returns. She has helped us out quite a bit by being a companion for 2 transfers with another Khmer sister up unti that sister finished her mission. We were short one sister and Sister Soum was such a blessing to us and her companion. Her family has loved the companion and she is now living with that family. They love her as a sister. For Sister Sok, this is such a wonderful gift. We wish Sister Soum the best as she serves the Lord in Salt Lake City.

Family Visits in Battambang, Aug.27th.

I thought the little children were so beautiful of the first family we visited for the District Conference. It was raining as we did these visits and some of the roads weren't so fun. The two boys are brothers and their father is the past Elder's Qurom President. We invited them to the conference and the young man on the left came along with a sister and his Mom. We were very excited to see them. The young man wants to go on a mission and wants to prepare himself to serve. It seems like he would be a good missionary. It was refreshing to go to the new church building and property to see the progress on the landscaping. It is going to be so nice. I'm excited to go up there in a week and see the finished product.

The father of this family is in a wheelchair. His legs are paralyzed. His wife and I think her mother, cook food to sell every evening. They were cooking fish and some kind of egg dish with herbs and green onions. It all smelled so good. Scott and I are going to bring home a couple of the stoves like they ones these people are using. Her pans are sitting on them. You put wood in them and then you can put the woks right on top of them. They would be an excellent storage item in case of no electricity or gas. The granddaughter of this home knows the doctrine of the church. Any question her Grandpa asked her she had the answer for. She is 5 years old. What a terrific family.

These grandparents are so proud of this little granddaughter. They wanted to make sure they got a picture with us after the conference. We accomodated them and then left right away after the evaluation meetings and some baptisms. We had to get back to Phnom Penh and the mission home because we had a sister leaving for the USA and Provo MTC. She is going to the Temple Square mission.

I was amazed at how many cows we saw on the way home. The guy with the oxen is from Kampong Chneang. They are the pottery making city. They sell the stoves, and many other clay items. They have the items hanging on their trailer. It's quite a contrast of the new and the old as the moto passes him. Another Kampong Chneang salesman's wagon has tipped in the brink. They had some help and were getting it back upright. Amazing people. I love the cattle, maybe because my Dad was a rancher and farmer.

Up to Battambang

We took our kids to the Ta Mao Zoo, but didn't get any pictures of it their last day here, which was August 23rd. We saw a lot of beggars. The zoo was great and I don't have a clue why I didn't get any pictures especially the one of the monkey jumping on me to get a treat I had just bought. I hurried and stuffed it in my purse so that it wouldnt' get it. But what a surprise that was to have a monkey jump on you!

August 25th we are heading up to Battambang to do a Zone Conference with the Battambang Zone and the Siem Reap Zones, then we will do member visits Saturday morning, training later in the day in preparation for the District Conference. The following are more beautiful scenery and unique sights as we travel.




I love this little house by the rice field. The farmer probablylives in this little home.

We had our Zone conference and on Saturday visited this family and the sister in law. There were 4 member families here. The Father was taught how to do a blessing and gave his wife, who has been in poor health a blessing. Also the husband of the woman in blue received a blessing.

The Father of the home also received a tie from Scott. The district president, President Bunno is with us and also a counselor in the 2nd branch presidency. I think it's the second branch.

We then visited the new church building. It was almost finished. And now it will be dedicated on October 3rd. General Conference Sunday, and they will have an open house a week or two later.

Going Home to Mission Home and Utah

More scenes of buffalos and rice fields on our way home. We took a different road that I've had on here before. It is so nice to drive it. Calm and peaceful.

A final pose for a year. Till we meet again.




I follow them from the ticket desk till they ride up in the elevator and are out of sight. It was great having them and we had alot of fun. They loved Cambodia, just as we do!

Sunday and Teaching with the Elders

Elder Faught got 3 big packages from home. We told him we would take him and his companion and his packages to their home, so that he wouldnt' have to carry them. He said that he would walk and he would beat us home. So he and his companion set out. His companion couldn't keep up, so Scott motioned for him to come and sit by him on the driver's side and we would try to beat Elder Faught. So Elder Faught took off running. If you look closely you can see him far ahead running. He had his suit coat on too and was running so fast. So, he beat us! But he still got his packages and it looks like he'll share with Elder Hem (say Haim).

We also went to a park across from an older hotel called the Victorian. This is the King's park. In these big tall trees there, bats hang, hundreds of them. About 6;30 p.m. or dusk, they take off. It is quite a site to see and quite a sight to see them just hanging from the trees. Our wildlife specialist, David Smedley, taught us that the red dots on logs, in the water and sides of the pond here are toad eggs! How about that?

We went once again with Elders Hill and Nelson to see the same member and investigators that we did last time. They are all making progress! This is good news. It was a great experience for our family to walk the same paths as the missionaries do. I call this area up near the Angkor Wat, the jungle area and it is absolutely so beautiful.

On our way to the first investigator, we stopped to visit with this older farmer and his 15 years younger wife. They were working in their fields with their little kids. She put this vine that grows behind her all around the rice starts to keep them moist and free from bugs and other critters. She tips the starts upside down and surrounded them with this plant. It must work! The Elders had been out here working in this area the week before and could see they needed help. So they volunteered to come back and help plant the rice and they help plant the field behind Elder Hill. He is not a member, but he is warming up to the missionaries.

Jake is making great progress. He built this little bench for his guests. The last time we were here, we sat on the ground. Now he has this nice bench by his pretty flower garden which is a favorite of mine.

I loved seeing the sun set, and watching the cow graze until it gets too dark to graze.

These three families are all great. Two are members and receiving the after baptism lessons. Many in the first picture are not members. In the house nearby, the lady had a banana plant on the ground and was cutting it. I asked what will you eat on this plant and she showed us the very middle of the banana leaf stem has a pulp that tastes similar to taro or a potato. So that was their supper.The kerosene lights look like we dont' need them, but it was dark and that's all we had to see by, and the flash lit up the room so it looks brighter than it really is.

The family where Millie is sitting by their girls is the family of Nareth. Nareth is a wonderful member and has helped several come into the church. She wants her husband to join. We came a month before this and helped teach him and challenged him to keep his committment to learn and he said he would and has not tasted another drop of liquor since that time. He is a great guy. And embarrased because he didnt' have a shirt. Scott gave him a tie and I took a picture of him with the tie and no shirt, but he was embarrassed, so I didn't put that on the blog. David brought several white shirts with him. Jake and Nareth's husband had no white shirts, so a couple of weeks ago, I sent up the shirts with the missionaries. Both men were very excited to receive the shirts. They had met David and knew the shirts came from him. Both Jake and Nareth's husband have baptismal dates. I think Nareth's husband is baptized, but Jake isn't yet, but is progressing well.