Housekeeping

When Sarat had a heart attack several weeks ago, I got to do the mopping of the floors. This took quite awhile on the top two floors. Someone else does the Mission Office on the bottom floor. I'm responsible for my home. By the time I got done I was wet with sweat and even more appreciative of Sarat and all that she does here for us.


This is proof that I did the work and not just pose for the picture!

Spit Spot!

This is Sarat. This was taken before her heart attack by Kali. She is now back with us and doing well, however taking it a little bit easier.

Fruit and Missionaries

I got these three pictures from Kali's pictures. If you've seen her blog, you've probably seen these pictures, maybe. This is a picture of the fruit I described on a recent blog, or rather one similar to it.

Two of our missionaries: Elders Donnelson and Christian walking down a road where the church is located in Kampong Thom. I just like seeing our missionaries walking, or riding their bikes as they work. So, this picture is for me!

The former Elder Horl, or Mun as we call him now. He is the one who took the cyclo pictures. Thanks, Elder Horl, or rather Mun!

A Dream Come True

Scott has always wanted to ride one of these Cycloes. He talked the man who owns this into letting him ride it, for some rial of course! This man always parks this cyclo across from the mission home and often takes maybe a 3 hour nap in it. Mun Horl, one of our former missionaries, now a guard here, took the pictures of this great event!

The owner of the bike is shows Scott how to stop. The brake is in the back behind the seat. You reach around and lift a bar up, which stops or slows down the cyclo. The bag on the side is his lunch. All he adds are noodles or rice to it.

Seminary and Institute Graduation Central District

Saturday, August 21, everyone here completed at least the first year of Book of Mormon Seminary or Institute. The older ones were teachers and also received graduation certificates from Seminary or first year Institute. They also received Teacher certificates. Two of those teachers were branch presidents of 3rd branch, President Dong (say yoom) and President Dinh of the 10th Branch.

Afterwards they all feasted on a fruit called Plai Mian (say pl aye me un in Khmer), but I don't know the English or Vietnam name for this. It is a round -shaped fruit, that has a soft brown shell-like cover, which you break open and squeeze out the fruit. It is a sweet white grape-like fruit with a hard seed you spit out. I like it, it is very tasty. I call it the Cambodian grape.

Hong Kong Temple Trip-August 16-21

We had this group of about 20 in to the mission office Sunday afternoon August 15th for a little meeting about temples and what to do in Hong Kong. For most, this is a first time in a car, first time on a plane, and first and last time going to the Temple until we have one here. The Housers were the Senior couple supervising this trip. We had two translators going. Sister Chan from the 5th branch and she also received her endowment. The other is President Viasana from the Kien Svay Branch. He is a returned missionary and was being sealed to his wife and his son sealed to them.

I caught some of them coming off the plane. The branch president and his wife from Kampong Cham Second branch: Khong Lim.

The Rivong family from Siem Reap, and Sister Chan, also in the background, the Hun Lim family from Kampong Cham. Elder Houser is also on the left helping with everyone's luggage.

President Viasana and his wife and Mom and son all went to the temple. I caught them coming off the plane, but a family member had already taken their little boy. So I put the picture we took at the mission office before they left on here too.

They all look pretty happy and satisfied.

The Bonan and Socheata family from Siem Reap. They all loved it, but were very very tired, and said they did not ever want to go that far away again, because they were all carsick every time they got on a bus, car, or plane. This was their very first time traveling on any of those modes of travel. But she said it was a more than wonderful experience and they are so grateful to be sealed as a family in the temple.

August 11th Wedding

We were invited to the wedding festivities for Sister Harrison's brother. The Harrisons live in Hanoi where Shane has his own business. Sister Hannah Harrison is the Relief Society President in the Hanoi branch. So it was wonderful to see and their cute kids at the party. Yes, that is a pig you can see. That was the first course after the appetizers for the meal. I did not get any pictures of the bride and groom this time.

Brother Dom (not the Vietnamese spelling, but it's how you say it), is in the 6th branch for Vietnamese here in Phnom Penh.

A closeup of the pig. We were all surprised to see this pig come out and be put on the table. Everyone had to take a picture of it. Since it was a small one, there was not much meat, but I guess many Cambodians and Vietnamese like the fat attached to this. However, only one person at our table ate alot of this. It was a Cambodian woman who knew the Harrisons. It tasted pretty good, but I could not force myself to eat the fat. I just couldn't do it!

Clock Pillow Arrangements

Scott decided that everyday he would put the pillows on a different time, like a clock. For 12 days, he faithfully and might I add, carefully, arranged the pillows. Somehow I am missing 4 and 8 o'clock. So, I'll probably have to redo this. But for now it's a nice memory of his creative thinking.