Zone Conference Two-Battambong

On the road to Battambang from Kampong Thom sometimes you come across some interesting sites. These pigs really attracted by attention. Lucky for them they have someone on top of the truck looking out for them!

Battambang is getting a new official church building. They've got it all leveled off now with the footings ready to go. It is on one of the main roads coming into Battambong. There are two branches there and I think they will grow fast once the building is finished. It is supposed to be finished by February of 2011.

We all look full and happy because we just got through eating pizza and ice cream! I can name all of these missionaries because it is a small number of people to name. L-R Elders Miles (he came back in as one of our assistants after Elder Moore got sick), Phirun, Duong, Sisters Essma, Sok and Reynolds. Back row: Elders Oldroyd, Allred, Swindlehurst, Cox (a new assistant), Draper, Reynolds and President Smedley. Where am I? Taking the picture!

Okay, so here is one with me in it and Elder Cox is taking the picture. Just so you know, I'm alive and ticking!

Zone Conferences three and four

Our third Zone Conference was the North and Central Zones. Each of those zones has a set of sisters which always brightens things up. The Curtises on the left are assigned the Central Zone Branches and the Fairchilds have branches in the South Zone, but since they are our office couple, they came to help us which we so much appreciated.


Everyone enjoys ice-cream after Zone Conference. I usually have a brownie, cupcake, cookies, or a rice-krispie treat, but alas, no time this round to make. No problem it seems, the ice-cream always hits the spot. The sisters from l-r: Sisters Bin (say bine), Wu, Askerlund, Vo, and Harlan.

L-R: Elders James, Walker, Cheang, Murdock, Um Phan, and Horl. (Elder Horl two days ago had his backpack stolen from a Tuk tuk driver. He forgot to take it out when he went in to a bank and the driver drove off with it. When he called the driver, he hung up on him. It had his precious scriptures, his country ID, his church card, and a camera another Elder that left gave him with all the pictures from his mission and he ends tomorrow. So sad.)

L-R Elders Klinefelter, Anderson, Jennings, Ly, Peterson, Lines, and Pyne. Elder Klinefelter is one of our office Elders and all the rest are missionaries assigned to the Vietnamese here in Cambodia.

Our final Zone Conference was the South Zone. That was the one I didn't get any pictures of. For sure next time. We had a great conference there and Scott thought it was the best of the four. That was the only Zone that got an Easter lesson as an idea for a FHE. Kali, our daughter, sent me 12 numbered eggs with symbols and a scripture reference in each egg. The missionaries really enjoyed looking at the symbol and having someone read what happened at that point in the last hours of Christ's life. I think that kind of lesson helps those last hours all come together.

Well, at least I have a picture of the Easter Eggs!

Takhamao Chapel Open House

On March 19th, a day before the open house, Minh Kin, the Minister of Cults and Religions called the Service Center and told them that he had decided to come. That means that the stand needed to be put up different with pictures and names in the background. There needed to be two comfortable chairs for him and his wife. Scott and I were seated on black leather chairs one of us on each side. We greeted him and his wife when they got out of their car and walked up the aisle with the congregation on either side of us. I felt like a first lady or something, because I needed to walk by his wife and greet her. She was pleased with my attempt at speaking her language and told me that she had enjoyed the apples from our orchard. He also told the members and non-members there that he had been to Utah and there were many kind people. He had been to our home and met our children and they also were very kind to him. After his talk school bags were given to a school that needs help and the man in the blue shirt is the principal of that school. The students came and we all handed out bags to them.


We did the protocol thing with handing out the bags. First it was Minh Kin then his wife then Scott then me. The Senior Couples had met at the service center and put them together. Scott spoke and then Minh Kin spoke, then we all went on a tour of the church. My only regret here is that I never got a picture of the whole building finished. I have a picture earlier several posts back of the unfinished building. It is very nice and built so that it can be added on to.

There were members in every room who explained what happened in that room. This is the room for teaching the Young Men. I was very proud of the members. They all were dressed appropriately and did an excellent job.

This former missionary is telling about lessons taught here and gave a very good five minute lesson on the Restoration. The very first room we went to was the cultural hall/chapel where they had some of the LDSC things set up like the puppet show, the CES information and Family History Information. They were most interested in that and took some material.

This is the Young Women room and they were explaining Personal Progress. In the Relief Society Room Her Excellency Mrs. Kinh was most impressed with a picture of a husband helping his wife in the kitchen. She looked at her husband and thought that was a good idea. He smiled and didn't comment.

In the Primary Room they were impressed again with things that were taught the children and the songs sung. I"m sure they were thinking of their grandchildren being taught those things!
They were impressed with the building, got in their car and left. It was very gracious of them to come to the open house and we surely appreciated their interest in the building.

President Smedley's Second Wedding

A fruit procession to greet the bride and groom all lined up outside Suon Sukom's parent's home at 6:30 a.m. Bright and early!


The bride and her bridesmaids are there to greet and accept the fruit that is being brought. She waits for the bridegroom below to bring his fruit to the procession. We all were given fruit and it was put it on the floor as you can see below.

What are in the containers? I really don't know. Probably nothing and it's just a decoration. After the fruit ceremony and it is blessed by the monks and the parents of both bride and groom have accepted the couple and the fruit, then some kind of dance blessing is performed over the food, then everyone leaves and has breakfast and eats all the fruit that was brought.

How did I get such a close view? We are sitting on the floor off to the right.

The good looking bride and groom. They really just wanted a more LDS wedding, but her parents wanted the whole shebang (spelling) with all the formalities, etc. So because of the respect for the respect for her parents they did the traditional fruit procession in the morning. Their agreement with her parents was that no alchohol would be served at the home because of course in the church they had none.

At about 1:30 p.m. in the 4/11th branch chapel, a little ways a way from her parent's home, Suon Sokkom and Yi Pannah tied the knot. He is in a District Presidency and she works in the financial division in the service center. Both speak excellent English. They will go to the Manila Temple next month to be sealed. They have to save their money before they can go. Behind on the stand are youth in white shirts and purple bows/ties. This is a youth choir that sang a wedding song from the New Era. It was beautiful.

Sukom's dress is more of a traditional wedding dress. They are another good looking couple where both are returned missionaries. Also Sonna and her husband are both returned missionaries. Sukom changed her outfit four more times throughout the evening and so did Yi

Pannah. But I stopped taking pictures after the ceremony and the flower dance.

A very sweet and happy couple.

After the ceremony and closing prayer and before the reception, they had a traditional flower dance performed there in the building. This is one of the buildings that the chapel is also the cultural hall.

Administrative Assistant

Tay Phiron and his wife were also on the KSL special. He is Scott's Administrative Assistant and goes to school after work, then gets home about 9:00p.m. He is the most devoted Dad and husband. His wife is also a returned missionary. His sister is going on a mission to here in Cambodia in about 2 months. He has let her live in a room across from his room in an apartment building that was also on the special. He told her he would provide room and board for when she went to school and also to help her save money to go on a mission. He is a devoted brother also. We just love him and his family. They went to this wedding and also the one the next day on March 19th.

President Smedley's First Wedding Performed in Cambodia

Sonna Chhoeum and Prom Pov (Broom Bow) tied the knot March 18th in the new Takhamao Chapel. This was the first wedding performed in the new building which was dedicated on March 14th. Her beautiful wedding dress was brought here from the States by a former Senior Couple that spent their mission in the branch. The sister got it at the DI for $30. A steal of a deal. After the ceremony, Scott told them they could kiss. He literally is so shy that he put his head in his hands and turned red and just swallowed. She finally made him kiss her and after they exchanged rings, he didn't argue too much for the second kiss.

Us with the bride. In most traditional Cambodian weddings, the bride changes outfits at least 4-5 times as does the groom. This couple wanted a wedding closer to an LDS tradition and so had the bridal clothing that you see on them the whole evening.

The bridesmaids are all returned missionaries. Sister Him (hum) in the middle here just returned home about 4 1/2 months ago and already has a great job. The groomsmen are also returned missionaries.

Sister Sonna was on the special by KSL. She is the District Young Women President. Her family, the Chhoeum are all members of the church and their daughter-in-law was just baptized. Her brother is currently one of our missionaries until this Friday, April 16th and then he comes in to be released. Scott let him and his companion go to the wedding and spend some time there after.

Pillows and a New Couple

I quite like this artistic arrangement from Scott. However, he didn't notice that there is an elephant in the middle pillow and it isn't sitting upright, but oh well, it really doesn't matter, does it?

Elder and Sister Peterson arrived looking bright and cheery. They were sure happy when they could take off their jackets. They arrived on March 17th. They are from St. George, Utah.

They were pleasantly surprised to have this many people greet them when they arrived. IN case you haven't noticed all are senior missionaries EXCEPT for our assistants: Elder Miles in the back left and Elder Cox in the back middle. WE appreciate them coming to greet the Petersons.