Local Members and Local Images

Local members of the 1st branch. The one on the right is the brother that we visited with in Siem Reap who came back to the Church in October here to Phnom Penh. We told him we would come with him. It was great! He will be a great strength here to the Church.

A sister that I commented on in one of letters. She has health issues and is a new member of the church. She is a widow with two young children. She said before the church came into her life, she had no food and no hope. Now she has food and hope, and is so happy even though she still has little. To her, she has everything. She requested this picture be taken.

Some strong Young Adult members who are such a strength here is this little branch. They are part of the strong young people who are joining the Church now.

It is a big holiday week here, celebrating the King's birthday, his son's coronation 5 years ago, and the Phnom Penh famous Water Festival. This man is selling his wares to the people celebrating the holiday. There are Christmas lights strung up and down the main boulevards and things will be shut down here until next Wednesday. We will go watch part of the water festival races with the other Senior Couples on Monday.

A typical street on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Missionaries Coming and Going October 2009

Sister Clare Zhou (say Joe), left on Wednesday with the Shumways. The Shumways are returning home to Blanding, Utah after having served a very successful mission as Country Directors for Employment for the Church. They also assisted with 3 branches as shadow leaders. This was their third mission together. Sister Zhou, after many delays, finally was able to go to the MTC in Provo to begin her preparations to serve on Temple Square. Since her arrival, she has since been endowed yesterday in the Provo Temple.

These are the Ashtons from the Othello, Washington. They came in to take the Ashton's place. Sadly, he had a health problem the very first day here that required him and Sister Ashton to return back home to take care of the problem. They are still missionaries and will be reassigned by the Church. We loved them from the beginning and know they will be a great asset where ever they will be assigned. We appreciate that they were willing to serve here and are sorry it didn't work out.

Elder Roberts and Elder Um just got off from their bikes to attend a planning meeting with the branch president.

Our 5 local missionaries who went to the MTC in Manila, October 15. We had two more go the next week. They all will return to us this coming Thursday, November 5th. We also have 8 coming in from the USA, Provo, MTC that same day. We just found out that one Elder will be delayed for 2 weeks because of a severly sprained ankle which needs to heal before he comes.

Missionaries and Baptisms October 2009

This is Elder Son (say it with the long o sound) who came within 24 hour notice that he was to be in the MTC. He came happy, excited and willing to serve. It was so refreshing to have him because we had 10 minutes before that sent a missionary home who went at his own insistence. We tried everything within our power to keep him here, but alas, to no avail. So we were brought much joy by having this young man come to the field. In the background is Elder Fairchild, our very dependable financial missionary serving here in the mission office.

This is Elder Wagstaff, one of our fine missionaries. The one playing the piano is Elder Klinefelter. The next week, Elder Klinefelter is the one whose bike got hit by a moto while he was riding it, but the moto slid into the bike while Elder Klinefelter was in the air. He landed in some wet, but hardening cement on to his helmet, shoulder and chest. He is very sore, had a bunch of cement on his shirt and in his ear, had to get a different helmet and get his bike fixed. I call him a Miracle Missionary. Elder Wagstaff and Elder Klinefelter are companions.

This sister will be the makings of her fiancee. The missionaries are Elder James on the left and Elder Sweetn on the right. Elder Sweeten is a possible relative on my Mom's side of the family tree. Great missionaries.

These four sisters are a Mother, Daughter and the Daughter's two daughters. If you look close you can see Scott clear in the back. These are all members and some investigators here to the baptism to support these sisters.

This month we have been to a number of baptisms of people that Scott did a second interview on. They all invited him and me to come see them baptized. Wonderful, sweet and humble people who definitely know the difference between Jesus Christ and Buddha. That is refreshing, because many people that are taught at the beginning think that they are the same. So, then they learn that Jesus is the Son of God, He atoned for their sins and therefore they can bee forgiven of their sins as they repent, He can give them Eternal Life if they follow the plan, and although Buddha did many great things, he never professed to any of those three. Of course there are more differences. I just state those three key elements.

Tour of Mission Office and Home

I decided that I had not taken any pictures of the mission office and home. So I thought some of you might enjoy it and also I would like a record for myself.

Here is the garage

The first picture is of the seating area after you enter the front doors. President Smedley's office is just across from that foyer. The office desks of the Assistants, Administrative Assistant and the office senior Sister are just beyond the divider screens. The Assistants, Elders Jenkins and Heder are on the phone receiving the weekly reports.

Scott working hard in the office!

The next floor houses missionary bedrooms and a large bedroom with a queen size bed we call our General Authority Room because we put them there when they come to visit the mission or come to District Conferences. We can sleep about 16 people here. The most we've had is 12 but this next transfer we get 13 new missionaries, so I will break my record of feeding missionaries.

The picture you see is what I call the family room. Off to the left is the General Authority room and to the right is a missionary bedroom with 2 twin beds. The other 2 bedrooms that will sleep 5 in each room are across the little foyer from these pics.

Next is one of 4 flights of stairs we go up and down every day. I don't even count how often that is!



The top floor you are greeted by this little foyer.



Off to the left is the kitchen.





Off to the right is the dining room



and the last door is our living room and bedroom. The bedspread was here when I got here and we think it is probably from the Mekong quilt store which is quilts handquilted by women in Vietnam. All proceeds go back to improve the lives of these women. It is a beautiful bedspread.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this little visit to Phnom Penh and the Cambodia Phnom Penh

Mission Office and Home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Prey Veng

Well, we went to the Province of Prey Veng to a little, deep-in-the forest/jungle of Cambodia. We traveled about 2 hours out of Phnom Penh with one hours worth of the best asphalt road we've been on so far. It was almost free-way like until we got to the town where the ferry was. Then it narrowed until you drove to the ferry entrance. The picture you see here is of us being the first in line for the next ferry.

It cost about $2.00 to ride the ferry over with our mission van. Little children and adults all come up to the van and tap on the window. One little boy on the way back pointed to my sandwich. I would have shared it with him, but the minute I open my window there would have been 20 kids who wanted to eat also. People were selling, fruit, sun glasses, drinks, etc. It was amazing! And they don't leave when you drive on to the ferry, they ride over to the other side with you and stay at your window tapping, tapping. The Elders bought sunglasses from one of the young men. He had such a Mormon face. In fact, half the people that came up to us had Mormon faces, including the young girls in the van. They kept looking at us, so I smiled and they smiled and I pulled out my camera and asked if I could take a picture and she nodded yes. Then afterwards, she said in English that we flattered her by wanting a picture. So they chatted with Scott for a bit as we ferried over to the other side of the Tonlee Sap river.



It is such a swift flowing river with waves. I would hate to fall in it, you wouldn't last.
As we got to the other side, we drove straight ahead for about 5 miles and then met up with the Pastor waiting for us on the side of the road. He hopped in and off we went.



He had us turn off the pavement and we drove on these muddy roads for about 10 miles, then we turned off that road, onto a very little lane. that looked the same as the big road, only narrower.



We drove about 1 mile and came to a little clearning where this little church is. All along the lane, the homes are extremely poor. Made on stilits, of course, but also thatched roofs and walls. Some were made of wood. But everyone smiling. As we pulled in, they all were excited to see us.

There were about 38 adults and 19 children, 10 of whom came in after we started.

President Smedley (Scott) took charge and he thanked them for letting us come to teach them. Then he started teaching them about the Book of Mormon (one of our assistants, Elder Jenkins, translated). Oh, before that, he told a little bit about our family, then went into the Book of Mormon. He had me stand up by him, then he said, I will have Sister Smedley share how she got a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Well, that took me by surprise because I had been reviewing the first discussion so I could follow along as the missionaries taught and hadn't reviewed any words about that subject. So, I just swallowed a minute and thought. Then the thought came to share about when I was little. I said, "When I was about 6 years old, my Mother read from the Book of Mormon to us. When she read, I had a warm feeling enter my heart, telling me that the Book of Mormon is true. After I got older, I read the Book of Mormon, and that same feeling came into my heart and told me it is true. I bore testimony of that truth and also that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them. That the Book of Mormon is another Witness of Christ. I felt like the words came back to me, and I was able to say it all in Cambodian except the word witness and something else I can't remember. Then Scott bore his testimony in Cambodian. Can''t remember all that he said. Sorry! It was good. Maybe when I write the family letter I'll remember.

Anyway, we divided into 3 groups, which you can kind of see from the picture seeing people sitting on the floor. They gave us their only chairs. Each group were taught the first discussion. I sat with Elder Jenkins and I was able to share my conviction that Joseph Smith really did see the Father and the Son and that I knew that was true.

We then showed the Restoration film. Many of the scenes in that, is just how Cambodia is today, especially where we were. It is just frontierlike and beautiful! They really related to the movie and were quiet when it depicted Joseph Smith talking to the Father and the Son.

Afterwards, the pastor wanted to bear his testimony on the Book of Mormon, and also another lady in his congregation read the whole book and has a testimony that it's true. I have a picture of her with her husband. She is in the red blouse and black skirt. A true Primary President type of woman.



Then there is the big group picture and a picture of me with some of the ladies. The first one on your right we gave a ride back near the ferry. She is totally a Relief Society President type person.



We thanked them all for letting us come. They were all gracious. The whole meeting lasted about 2 1/2 hours. The pastor wanted to know what to do, because it is so far for him to come to Church. Scott told him to keep reading the Book of Mormon, and for sure someday the church will be established near him. This area, was so far into the forest that there was nowhere any missionary could stay. There just wasn't a home and there wasn't any way for them to bike into town to get safe food. So for right now, we invited him to go to a church nearer than Phnom Penh. This one would save 1 hour of his 2 hour sojourn. Such a sweet man and also his wife. They wanted our picture taken with them. He is in the polo shirt and tan pants.

You can see the Elders and President Smedley (Scott) getting the van ready to go. It was such a narrow fit getting out and getting in, but we made it. You can see Elder Salmon and Elder Jenkins is in the background.




The two Elders on their bikes, Elder Cox on the left and Elder Salmon on the right, are the missionaries teaching the Pastor and they also went with us teaching the congregation.

I will tell more in the family e-mail.

All in all it was a very memorable experience. The first time ever that I will have born testimony of the restoration in another Church with a cross on the wall behind me! Many sweet people and several desiring to know more.

Just for fun

This is a picture of the ring I had on when I took my wonderful fall and broke my finger. Now, if you all look closely you can see that it is no longer round in shape, but oval in shape. Hence, that is proof that it indeed was a nasty fall! I just had to show someone!

The other picture is of some of the things you see in the middle of the street. This man sells things from the cart and this is him trying to go across the road. We were at a light waiting to turn left and he just turned left and walked into the oncoming traffic and people went around him. He made it across!

Zone Leader Council, New Senior Couple and Baptisms

Well, we just had a Zone Leader Council and as part of Scott's (President Smedley's) presentation he taught several ways to light a fire and then we went back in to the office and he taught them about everyone having a spark. There may be different ways to light the fire, but everyone has a spark or the light of Christ and we shouldn't give up or cross someone off our list permanently. I talked about having a focus and purpose which will bring about unity. I did the yarn game where you toss it and hang on to the string, then I had them figure out what the purpose of the activity was, told them a story of how Andrew Jackson turned the War of 1812 into a victory by uniting his troops with a focus and a purpose, then we talked about Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon and how he had a focus and purpose that brought about unity. His first focus was God. I showed them that stick writing of Jesus that I have at home, and they had to figure out what it said. We pointed out to figure out what it said you really had to focus. Then shared a story about a young man who joined the church in Tonga. Elder Groberg shared that story in his Book, Fire of the Faith. He tells that this man had such a strong testimony that the beatings of his Dad and his brother never changed his mind. Eventually they repented and told him they were sorry. He was totally forgiving and never harbored ill will because his focus was knowing that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. So that's the summary of our talks.

We also met on Tuesday at the airport a new Senior Couple, the Curtises from near Herriman, Utah. How grateful we are for their willingness to serve. They will do LDSC (that is LDS Charities) and also manage the service center and shadow lead 5 branches. So, they will be busy, busy! Many of our Senior couples were here to the airport to greet the Curtises.

This past Sunday, we visited a branch where there were two baptisms. The sisters in the pictures are Sisters Yang and Essma. The Elders are Elders Salmon and Elder Cox and Elder Nybo and Elder Allred. The two new members bore their testimonies afterwards. The room was full of very supportive branch members. Elders Nybo and Allred are our two office Elders, but Elder Allred was allowed to go back to this branch to baptize this young woman. He had taught her all the lessons and was transferred right before the baptism and since it was fairly close to the mission home, he could baptize her. It was great!