IT'S HOT!

Hello family and friends,
Saturday was REALLY HOT. It  was the first day that we really felt the heat. Supposedly it was 97 degrees with a report that indicated it would feel like 108 degrees. The forecast was correct. It was the first day since we have arrived in Cambodia that we took a tuk tuk to almost everywhere we went. It was too draining to walk.( I feel sorry for the young Elders...heat or no heat they are out riding their bikes and walking the streets.) Last night while we were teaching institute a thunder and lightening and rain storm rolled through. By the time we were ready to leave the rain had stopped. It was dark out but the air was cool.We chose to walk home. Dale's white shirt helped us not be completely invisible in the dark.In a previous blog I wrote about khmae weddings and how a family simply takes over a street. On our walk home a wedding was being set up. We had to walk through the canopied area. Forget booking a church or hotel for a wedding ceremony and reception. Simply call up the local wedding planner and have them meet you at Street 57. In less than 24 hours you have canopy, flowers, tables and chairs, decorations, food and music...and the guests. The rest of Cambodia simply swerves around the festivities. Very unique. It is also very expensive. For  poor people they tend to spend lots of money on their weddings. Guests usually give money for gifts to help with the expenses.

 We went to Lucky Burger for Dale's Birthday. Outside the restaurant was a free standing sink with this sign posted above it. I thought it an appropriate label. Of course you let your hands drip dry afterwards. I am not sure if this is where employees wash their hands, but I was watching people to see what their hand drying method might be. I'll let you figure that one out.

This was one of the highlights of the "khmae way" this week We were walking home from work and there were several areas where more wiring was being added to this marvelous network. One guy steadies the ladder while the other guy climbs to the top and balances on the pole to string more wires. I had just put my camera away and missed the next step to this process. The guy pictured in this photo proceeded to walk across the wires stringing them to the next pole. The work codes and safety measures here are ...well...they aren't.

Dale took this shot of our apartment window. Dale found a "better deal" than what our apartment internet service  offers.We had Digi Internet installed this week. I was at the PEF office and did not see this "Digi guy" circus act.  Dale called me on the phone and told me that what he was witnessing was pretty incredible. These people are oblivious to danger.

 Above is a very "scratch and sniff" photo. This water was very black, thick and had many things floating in it I wished I hadn't seen. Notice the person in this murky mess. Dale asked me to snap the picture quickly before he "lost his Lucky Burger". The khmae people must have immune systems of steel.

We are suppose to be on a mission. I think this picture is very Deja Vu . We have pictures like this from Columbia Ultimate and ADP Dealer Services. I thought Dale retired. On the white board behind him are the pictures of our PEF students. We have most of their pictures posted, but we still have some photos to take. It is really helpful to put a face with a name when speaking with them on the phone or setting up interview appointments. Sister Ellingson created this board when she served here. I had to update it, but am grateful for the work that she did. It has been very helpful.

In the picture to the left I am pretending to know what I am doing. You can't see all my post its on the walls, but I have many little helpful hints to get me through each day. Slowly I am learning my responsibilities. We have been scanning hard copy files to the online PEF student files. Against the wall are some yellow bags. At the end of the week I had five of those bags filled with paper shreds. Our goal is to have everything in the computer before we leave the country. We hope that we will have more time to orient the people that will replace us. We are going to request that whoever replaces us has five days with us in the office before we depart.  We had training in Salt Lake City but we needed the real  hands on experience. Talking about something and actually doing it are two very different creatures. We really needed to understand what the people before us did. We want to be able to introduce our replacements to some of the PEF students and explain to them the interviewing procedures, etc. There are many steps that can help to make the transition from one set of Senior couples to the next smoother. Our first few weeks in the office were a nightmare. Thanks to Dale's understanding of computers he has been able to get the office running pretty well. Elder and Sister Kelly who are serving as the Area PEF Directors out of Hong Kong have been working with us this past week.  They had never experienced the"hands on" workings of the PEF program. It  has been a real learning experience for all of us as we have worked together to better understand how we can best serve the  people in Cambodia. The Kelly's are great people and we have truly been blessed to have them come to Cambodia. We will be working with them for one more day this week.

View from our office window. 

Today I spoke khmae in Relief Society. I only spoke a few sentences as I was asked to speak about gifts of the spirit. Mainly they were interested in the gift of tongues. I do not speak very fluently and I speak in very simple sentences. But the ladies appreciated me trying. I guess it must have been a highlight for them. When I met Dale after the meeting he said, " I heard that you spoke in Relief Society."

The people are so kind here. We help each other. We help them speak English and they help us speak khmae. They do much better with English than we do with their language. I keep reviewing words and have not given up hope that one day I will hear and understand the words that are being said around and to me. That is a miracle I am looking forward to.

Until next week may you have wonderful dreams and peaceful days.

Cum Riap Lia