Central District President and Family

President and Sister Trieu and Johnson. They brought him to the mission home so I could see their baby. He is their first child. They are so prouod of him and they are so happy. They have had some life challenges this past year, but are "weathering the storm" with dignity and unwavering faith. He is the District President of our Vietnam District. He supervises three branches. The branches are thriving and having baptisms. In the past 6 weeks, they have had 9 convert baptisms in this district. This is very good for this district.

I think he is 4-5 months old. I think he was born in June. So, he is a healthy little boy.

The Frog and the Stool-Specialized Trainings in Kampong Cham and Kampong Thom

On September 20th after we dropped Elder Chen off to the airport we traveled to Kampong Cham in the first of 4 stops to teach a Specialized Training. This lesson is called: Teach People, Not Lessons and asking inspired questions. We taught either the Zone or part of the zone in each of the towns. While I was waiting for Scott to do an interview, I caught videos of these young Women practicing a folk dance of Cambodia to perform at an upcoming Young Adult Activity. In this town, after the training, I went with the Sisters to teach and the Senior Couple came with us. Their driver drove us, so we appreciated that. In one house as we were finishing the lesson I had a frog jump on me. Unfortunately, I had left my camera with the driver and didn't get a picture of the home and family. But when it jumped on me, I gave a little scream and pushed it away from me. It felt slimy and greasy. That's when I knew it wasn't a lizard or a grasshopper. It jumped on Sister Nouer first and she screamed. I saw this little green thing jump off of her. I thought how silly to jump away from a grasshopper, but then it jumped on me. That's what I get for making a judgement on screaming! I did the same thing as our missionary! It was quite funny.

September 21st we drove to Kampong Thom and taught the 6 missionaries there the same lessons. Before we taught, we ate at the Houser's home. The Housers are our Senior Couple here. There isn't a good and safe restaurant in this town. Their cook/housekeeper made this kind of cake in a pumpkin. It was so, so good. After teaching we went with Elders James and Nebekeker. Again, no camera! But here in one of the homes at the end of a rice paddie we drove up to their gate on this little path where the road ended. The front of their home was a beautiful garden that I would have liked to have had here. The little family was very receptive and accepted a baptismal date. We then drove to another home, where we had to hike up a ladder to get in the home. Scott and I took little stools because by then we were getting sore from sitting so long. Our age, you know! When Scott sat on his little six inch plastic stool, the leg bent. He had bought us kiddie stools. He fell off and his legs went out in front of him. I got a good chuckle. Then I sat on mine and sat on the edge, not the middle and I fell off too. By then I was not chuckling but laughing. The family and the elders smiled, but were very polite and didn't laugh out loud. All during the prayer, I kept thinking of how we looked when we fell. This dignified couple looking totally ridiculous falling. It took all my control to hold my laughter in. I succeeded. Later I put the stools on top of each other, and they held good for the rest of the lesson. They found a little wooden stool that they brought Scott. So kind and generous. Scott gave them our stools for their almost to be born baby. We bought 2 foot stools to take with us next time!
Below are two videos of these young sisters practicing their dancing.

Trainings in Siem Reap Sept.18, 2010

After the specialized training to the Siem Reap Elders, we went with Elders Sweeten and Vanfleet to teach. One of their investigator families lives in a neighborhood where there is lots of water because of the rainy season. In order to get to the investigators we needed to wade in the mud and water for about 50 yards or so. It got up to my knees in one point. I have to say, it felt really good to walk in the mud. It was soft, oozy and felt good on my feet.

Elder Sweeten (now gone home) and Elder Vanfleet make this trip every day. Elder Vanfleet is a new missionary and can speak the language really good. The trip was worth it, the family was great. Their little home is up and off to the right of this picture.

We traveled to Battambang again to do a training there Sept 18-20th. Before we left Siem Reap, Scott did interviews and I chatted with the 6 missionaries there. They were so disappointed that I had forgotten my treat. I had M &M's. I told them I would send them up. I thought I did, but our new Assistant tells me I didn't and he didn't get his Peanut M&M's. So he got them today, Oct. 14th!

Some of the beautiful countryside we see as we travel along.

Muddy Feet in Battambang

After our training in Battambang we went with Elders Um and Long, from left to right respectively. We had to walk through mud that is like clay. It sticks everywhere. We were walking down a little path to an investigator's home, when my foot almost slipped out of my shoe because the mud was so heavy. We tried to stick to walking on the grass, but in some places it was just mud and no grass to walk on.


This family is near the home of the investigator. The members of this family are all members. The investigator had a falling out with this sister and needed to apologize. She was afraid this wonderful neighbor would be mad at her. After meeting her, we felt like she would only be kind. We gave her a little lesson on the power of forgiveness and about the Atonement in forgiving. The investigator the next day called Elders Um and Long and said she had just left her neighbor's home and she had forgiven her. It took alot of courage, and it was wonderful that the sister above in the stripes had a powerful spirit of love about her and forgave. The investigator is going to be baptized in several weeks.

Traveling Home from Specialized Trainings

On the way home from our specialized trainings in our four kait cities, we stopped to switch drivers and enjoy the beauty of the country. Almost caught the sunset! The middle picture is a good one of the muddy roads in the province of Battambang. It is the kind that sticks to you like clay. It is almost as slippery or maybe more so, than ice on the highway.


Scott and I standing just ouside the rice fields in Cambodia.

Just some strange guys resting on the road and they gave me permission to take their picture. Tree stumps always make a good resting place. I think they have been working in the fields.

Sept 19 Rainy Season greens things up!

The rainy season is upon us here in Cambodia. This is on the highway going/coming to/from Battambang. Just a couple of months ago,it was pretty dry like an old stubbled yellow wheat field. Now it is like a beautiful green golf course with all the rice paddies. I love the middle picture because you can see the cattle grazing in the rice paddies off the side of the highway. It looks all peaceful and calm.

Sept 18-19 Battambang First District Conference

Battambang is our newest District. Elder Reynolds, one of our Senior missionaries, is the President until they return home the end of January. His counselors are standing in the top picture with Scott. The one on the right is the first counselor and the one on the left is the second counselor. Both were the former Branch Presidents of the lst and 2nd branches. The family standing by us just got interviewed for baptism. They were all baptized Sunday later in the day after conference. We gave a pair of pants I happened to have that Kali, our daughter, brought with her and a smaller pair that would fit their youngest son. They were thrilled because he had no pants. It worked out great! And at the bottom of that sack as we gave out not only the pants but the last tie in that particular bag, was Varci's skirt that she lost here. So, I didn't give that away and sent it home thanks to Elder Sweeten's parents!
Elder Chen from Singapore is the Area Seventy that presided and spoke at this conference. He is a very genuine and gracious man. He knows some of the people that Scott taught in Singapore when he was on his mission. I think it was 12 of them he knew and alot are still active. He was thrilled about that!
The girls in the wheelchairs all belong to the same branch, but were baptized at different times. The one on the left is the most mobile because her wheelchair is like a bike but she pumps it with her hands She is the newest member of that group. All single, as far as I can remember. I just love them.