Solomon Goes on His Mission

Brother and Sister Ellsworth took Solomon into their home right after he was baptized when Brother Ellsworth was the Branch President.  They helped him with food and clothing and work.  The missionaries kept working with him.  He got stronger and stronger spiritually and was finally ready to serve a mission.  He joined the church during our first year in the mission. He was called to his homeland in Nigeria. He was very excited to serve there. When he went back a little while ago to visit his homeland, he baptized him Mom and sister, I believe.  He will be a great missionary. I'm sure he will be forever grateful to the Ellsworths and the missionaries who taught him and continued to work with him. 

Relief Society Sisters come to say Goodbye and Thank you.

I was contacted after the North District Conference by the District Relief Society Presidency saying that a few sisters wanted to come by and say goodbye.  We set a date and time.  I was totally surprised to see such a large group and also a couple of the brethren came.  They brought fruit and gifts and all went around saying something that they learned from us or appreciated about us.  It was overwhelming to me and Scott that they would take time, give us gifts and then verbally tell us thanks and why they appreciated us.  Truly it was tearful and touching to our heart strings.  Two of them even gave me material for Khmer skirts, took my measurements and they were waiting for me when we returned from Vietnam.  And they fit nice too.  I appreciate their sacrifice to give us when most of them have so little. I think each branch in the North District was represented by a Relief Society president or one of her counselors or both.

The District Relief society President is in the orange. The sister who has battled colon cancer is on the left and had one more treatment to go before we left.  She is doing well, but will need to have the "bag" on the rest of her life, much to her dismay.  But she is always to church and thinking positive and is very appreciative that she is alive to raise her two children. Their oldest daughter died several years ago in an accident. Someone hit her while she was riding her bike, I believe.  We were there when the family went to the Temple to be sealed.  We didn't go to the Temple because it was in Hong Kong but we spoke to the group and met them when they came back so full of the spirit and so pleased to be sealed as a family.

I had never had this treat and it was very delicious.  Kind of a cake cooked fruit. But did I catch the name?  Nope.   So Sorry!  Thanks again for all your kindness to us!

Farewell Family Home Evening with the Orphanage

We were invited by Sister Keo Botevy to come to a special FHE at the orphanage that she and another sister run.  They wanted to do a special dinner for us and some other senior couples were also invited.  They had everything very well prepared and organized.  The tables were ready and waiting for us all.

 

These are the children who live in the orphanage.  Some are really orphans and others are sent here by very parents who can't afford to give them an education.  Here they are sent to school, housed, fed, and have chores and responsibilities just like they would at home. They have wonderful caretakers.  They are good children and we have enjoyed them this past 3 years. We have also bought some of the crafts they make like knitted scarves, bracelets, and now they make necklaces.  This helps bring in needed money to keep up the orphanage.



The tables were set with red cloths and flowers.  Now for the show! They did a program first and then fed us. They learn traditional Cambodian dances and for special occasions they will do it in costume. The have danced for the King of Cambodia!  I love the little monkey dance.  They also had a spiritual thought by one of them and the branch president and counselor in the mission presidency.  It was translated by Sister Kunthy Chhoen. 

After this dance they always throw flower petals.  They threw many at the table where we were sitting.

Next came the delightful monkey dance.  I have some of these on video that I will try to get on the blog.

Young men and young women trying to get acquainted is what I THINK this dance is signifying. President Samet, the branch president and President Thoun talk about the importance of FHE.

Scott thanks the group for their performances and kindness to us and it seems like he said some good words about the importance of FHE also. The oldest child there leads the group in song.  I zoomed in on one of my favorite singers there.  The young man leading the group is a new member of the Church and is planning on going on a mission.

They fed us a good sandwich and salads and fruit.  And then we had more entertainment of cultural dances.

 

I think the above dances are about planting the rice and then harvesting the rice.  Then they invited everyone to come up and dance.  A very big thank you to the orphanage for a very delightful and rewarding evening. You made us feel very special indeed.  However, you are the ones who are so special. We will never forget you. 

Family Farewells

We have been trying for almost 2 years to meet this brother's wife.  He and his children are all members, but not his wife.  We were here for their baptismal day and always wanted to meet her.  We finally made it after the North District Conference.  She is a very good woman and we hope one day will join the Church so that they can be a Forever Family.  He is a counselor in a branch presidency.  We are grateful to him and his family for being true to their baptismal convenants and remaining active.


This is the brother that helps guard the North District Center.  He also helps with the grounds.  His wife has had cancer of the colon and we have tried to be very supportive of them.  Scott bids him a loving farewell and gave him one of his ties.

Russian Boulevard

We traveled up and down Russian Boulevard too  many times to count. It is a main thoroughfare.  We go to the North District Center on this road and to the airport and also to one of the grocery stores that I really like, Bayon Market. I have never got a picture of this statue representing one of the
idols worshipped by some Buddihists. But it stem from the Hindu Gods.  I can't remember which one this elephant represents.  But it is quite interesting as it greets you as you come to Monviong Boulevard, another major thoroughfare.


I always wanted to capture these trees and finally did it about a week before we left.  I don't know what kind of flowering tree they are, but there are always blossoms on them and the parks through here are well kept, clean and well used.  It made it all a pleasant drive coming and going.

I think we were traveling on Monivong here, where some poor chickens are dangling waiting for their demise and to help a family survive.

Final North District Conference visits (for us)

We had a nice visit with this family. They are both returned missionaries and we encouraged them to come back more regularly to church.  He got a good job and it is at the airport working on some Sundays.  He says after he is secure in his job, then he will arrange for Sundays to be free.  We were leaving their home and going to another one when we saw this rooster just sitting in a tree near a home.  It was crowing away and as can see by his stretched neck. 

The next two visits were also to encourage families to come back and prepare for the temple.  All come sometimes, just not on a consistent basis. The youngest daughter that I am standing by is the one that comes faithfully from her family.  Her Dad is not in good health, but was very kind to let us come and see him.  Our faithful missionaries were teaching the largest family when we got there, so they stayed as we visited.  These two are very good missionaries. 

Across the road from the last family are the railroad tracks. You step over them to get to this couple's home.  Across the road is a type of lumber yard where they sell bamboo poles and used lumber. 

The Lawnmower!

We visited the North District Center and there was one of the guards and groundskeepers using a lawnmower. That is the first one we've seen at any of our churches. They usually just cut it by hand.  We were so happy for him to have this new ability to keep the lawn trimmed. 

Family Home Evening with the Seniors

L-R me, Scott, Sister Westover, Sister Meier and Sister Tuck. On the back row, is Elder and Sister Rhyne, Elder Meier,Elder Westover, Elder Spencer, Elder and Sister Henderson, Elder James, Sister Spencer, and Elder Tuck. Sister James is taking this picture.  In the one below, I am taking the picture. We enjoyed being with the Senior couples when we could attend some of their events.

The first Monday of June we were able to go to a FHE at the James's apartment with the other senior couples who are living and working in Phnom Penh.  We didn't make too many of the FHE's with them, but we surely enjoyed all that we went to.

Final Visits to Branches 3 and 10.

We were delighted to find out that Sisters Bayles and Sparks had a baptism after the 3rd branch Sacrament when we attended there.  The sister in the red on the stairs is a convert of about 20 months.  Her and her husband had been living on the street when first approached by the missionaries.  They both joined the church, started paying tithing and were blessed with a small room with a roof over their heads. She has noo legs and lives in her wheelchair which she usually rides in to church every Sunday.  I think it takes about 30 minutes.  To get to Relief Society upstairs, she pulls herself up with her hands.  Is that not someone who has the fire of their baptismal covenant in their heart?  The cute littlel girls belong to the district Relief Society President of the Central District, Sister Ai. 

We were invited to the 10th branch FHE our last month.  It was great. They had a spiritual thought, a fun game and two kinds of fruit.  Elder Workman was doing one of the games and was a great windup toy.


Brother and Sister Hai are letting us know of their love for us.  She gave me a bracelet of her own that happened to be in her purse because she wanted to give us something to remember her by.

The brother in the black shirt is Thai.  He joined the church about 2 years ago.  He speaks a little Cambodian and is learning Vietnamese. His wife, on my right, translated all the lessons as the Elders gave them into Thai from Vietnamese. He is now in the Branch Presidency of the 10th branch.  Great Family.

Farewell Pictures

Our Assistants give us a great final pose about a month before our departure!
Elder Nelson did a self-portrait and Elder Ott poses at our final trainee/trainer training!  We had to send off our shipment the end of May and off goes our Red Carpet with it.  So, we got a picture of us Walking the Red Carpet.  We figured we were Returning With Honor too!   We also got a picture of President Saphong walking the Red Carpet too. He was Scott's counselor for over 2 years and now is a Branch President (for the 2nd time!)  He definitely is a Man with Honor!

We finally received our shipment yesterday, August 2.  As you can tell, I am just a little behind, but I am now in June so almost done with the mission blog.