A Special Visit

We were invited to the home of this dear sister in order for Scott to write down her profile and history for the Temple Fund Access. We went here with President Loy (above) of the Siem Reap Branch while our missionaries from 3 Zones were touring the wats at Angkor Park. This home is about a mile or so from the Wats. We turned into a little dirt path and eventualy stopped at this little cottage made of Palm leaves. The path and yard to the home had been swept clean for our arrival. Her home was freshly swept with a mat laying on the floor for us to sit on.

She brought in from her banana tree outside, the bunch of bananas that you see above. She gave us her best. Her best mat to sit on, her best bananas, her nicely swept yard and home. She has been saving to go to the Hong Temple for the last 3 years. I guess pretty much since she joined the church. She wants to be sealed to her deceased husband. She has no posterity because she married later in life. They were married it seems like for 9 years before he passed on. For a living she is a guard and grounds keeper at one of the Temples. She gets paid $30 a month. Out of that she has saved a tenth for tithing and a tenth for her Temple Fund. Every month she put her money in the box with the temple picture on it. That is the Hong Kong Temple. Now, after three years, she has the money saved. She reverently went to the box and picked up the envelope that is on top of the box, and very softly with her head bowed, gave Scott her precious savings for her sacrifice money to go to the temple. She goes with the next group going in February. We will never forget the feeling in that home. For a brief moment Scott saw her in heavenly robes being every bit the queen that she is. As I said in my letter home, she has no idea the blessings that await her! I also would like to mention that her mode of transportation is a bike. She bikes over one hour to church and always arrives 1/2 hour early. She often will take someone with her and pump them to the church too. Afterwards she goes visiting. She is the Visiting Teaching Leader in the branch.
If you notice above she has decorated her home with the flowers and below you can see a lone candle on the foundation of her home.

Zone Conference Activity: Ankgor Wat

On October 27th, 2010, We brought three zones together for this zone conference: Kampong Cham, Battambang, and Siem Reap. Most of these missionaries had not seen these amazing ancient temples. Angkor is the most famous, but the others are also very fascinating. The missionaries decided they wanted to go at 5;30 a.m. to see the sunrise which was at 5:45, but by the time all got there, it was closer to 6:00 a.m. Still, the pictures we got and how the sun reflected on the buildings was an adventure that we hadn't had yet and this was Scott and mine, third time there. I haven't tired of it yet. The water lilies were just off the long bridge over the moat walking towards the Wat. The missionary is Elder Huon and I loved how he wears his Kromah around his neck to warrant off the sweat. However going early in the morning, the weather was wonderful and even refreshing. I tried to catch the sun coming up, but my camera doesnt' do it justice.
Above also are pretty much most of the 3 zones. Elders Hurwitz and Matthews were stuck riding with President Smedley and I. They are our assistants.

Ahh! my favorite picture above. The wat at sunrise! My camera did better when I put it on landscape. The Housers in the left hand corner are our senior leadership couple over Kampong Thom and Siem Reap. Hard workers and pleasant to be around! The Elders posing in the entrance to Angkor Wat are Elders Weller, Donnelson, Schiefer, and James. Elder Donnelson just left to go home today, November 8, 2010. We will miss him.

Scott was doing missionary work with a couple who had a lot of questions about all the young men in white shirts and ties. The Thalmans are the Senior couple in Kampong Cham and are always so positive and happy about what they do. Elder Thalman always has a fun story to tell. If you look really close in the close up of the Wat, there is one green plant growing out of the moss on the wat. The Kampong Cham Zone top right hand corner: Elders Cope, Haws, Zabriskie and Heywood. Sisters: Essma and Noeur.
The Siem Reap Zone bottom left corner: Left to right front row: Elders Baird, Nebeker, Meas, Thompson, Swindlehurst, Murdock, Den, Housers, Huon, Vanfleet, and Phirun. And in the right hand corner starring: President and Sister Smedley . You don't seem me very often without my trusty water bottle. Cambodia is a country where you have to drink alot of water!

On The Road to Battambang

After the North Zone Conference on Monday, October 25th, we were on the road to go to Battambang where Scott had a member interview. The scenery was so beautiful we stopped so President Smedley could get a picture of the rice that is just starting to turn yellow for the harvest. The Assistants, Elders Hurwitz and Matthews enjoyed the stop.


There has been alot of rain and these rice fields were buried in the water.

Oops.. . Wrong Suitcoat!

Elder Matthews grabbed this suitcoat on the way out of the door of the mission home to go to Zone Conference. He was conducting, and was in a bit of hurry. When he got to the church and put on "his" jacket, he discovered that he accidentally got Elder Hurwitz coat. Elder Hurwitz is quite a bit taller than Elder Matthews. It was pretty funny.

North District Zone Conferences-Crossing the River

Waiting in line for lunch. Elder Isabell, one of the North Zone Leaders looks like he is one of the first in line! Also Elder Va. You can't miss Elder Hurwitz standing by Elder Salmon and talking to Elder Ly who has now gone over to work in Vietnam in Hanoi.


Elders Eagan, Wagstaff and Pinvses chat while waiting for their food.

Elder Conway is just happy to be able to eat! With him is one of our local future missionarys who has a mission call to somewhere in California, I believe. He is on a mini mission helping us out while we have a sick missionary. He was glad to come and get training to serve in the states.

For an object lesson we gave each missionary one block with the instructions that they always have to stay on their block to cross the river, which was to get across the cultural hall. If they fell off the block they had to go back and start again. Everyone tried different ways, but the most successful were the ones who helped each other!

Some just like to go by themselves! That is Sister Vo.



Sisters Tay and Sok made it across! It looks like they danced their way across. Well, not quite.

Elders Sanford and Sookuu also made it across working together!

I forgot the spoons for the ice-cream after the conference and so everyone used some cookies I brought while someone else ran to a nearby cafe that often feeds the missionaries. He gave us some spoons :free. That's how often the missionaries go to his establishment! This is Elder Thinh from Ho Chi Minh. He is the central District Zone Leader.

Elder Seang and Elder Frank try their hand at eating ice-cream with a cookie.

Elder Boyd seems to have succeeded while Elder Salmon checks it all out!

Baptism in the 8th Branch

Baptism in the 8th Branch. Sisters Pin and Tay taught this sister and Scott also interviewed her. He also interviewed her Father-in-law who was baptizing her. This is the first time he has baptized anyone and he ended up doing it twice because her hair floated up out of the water. He has only been a member for a short period of time. Scott was in other interviews and I went to the baptism. They wanted me in the picture with them. Marayounit is the sister and her husband is the one who is having a hard time stopping drinking. We had a family home evening at his home several months ago. To the right of Mayayounit is her mother-in-law, who also isn't a member, but is now a progressing investigator, and the other sister is the first member of the Church in the family. She is one of the main bread winner's of the family. They are being blessed being members of the church. Their house burned down, and the Church helped them put up another one, that is safer than the last one. Great family and coming along in the gospel. He did a great job baptizing her, and I was honored to be in the picture with them.

October Senior Conference

October 22nd we met with our Senior couples for Training, Dinner, more training and pictures. Getting ready to start our training in Scott's Office. Going from Front to Back: Elder and Sister Ellingson, Snyders, Liggetts, Thalmans, Sisters Jackson and Reynolds in the background.


Front to back: Housers, Petersons, Sister Jackson, Scott adn in background the Reynolds. Off camera on the left the Curtises.

The Whole group except the Talbots in Hanoi. They joined us via web cam for the whole conference. L to R: Reynolds (Leadership in Battambang), Housers (Leadership in Kampong Thom and Siem Reap), Petersons (Welfare: Country Directors for LDSC) , Jacksons (LDSC in Ho Chi Minh City), Curtises( Welfare: Service Center Director), Thalmans (Leadership in Kampong Cham), Liggetts( Leadership in 3 branches, Family History and Nurse Advisor, and Ellingsons (PEF). We love all of these couples so much. What ever would we do without them. They are such a strength here in Cambodia in building the Church. As a side note: If you'll notice the stools we are sitting on. We bought them after we fell off the shorter ones!

Sisters Reynolds, Curtis and Jackson enjoying each others company while they wait in line to eat. We had Shepherd's Pie and then they brought the rest. It was quite the buffet.

Already enjoying their food!