A week of blessings.

Family and friends,

We have received many blessings as we serve here in Cambodia.

IT'S A BOY

Our next grand child will arrive either in May or June of this year. We are so happy for Jenni, Stuart, Rylie and Owen as they prepare for the arrival of their new baby. We are happy for ourselves also. Thank you to all who have remembered our family in your prayers. The Anderson's have been faithfully anticipating adopting another child for quite some time.  Our grandson, Owen, is anxious to choose a name for his little brother. Until this very important decision is made we affectionately refer to him as Baby Blue. We are grateful to Heavenly Father and Baby Blues "tummy mama" and biological father for their unselfish gift in allowing Baby Blue to join our family.

Kids seem to be this weeks theme.

Today we attended Tuol Thom Pong Branch. DoVirak,one of our PEF students, requested that Dale stand in the prayer circle as Virak blessed his daughter. It was an honor for Dale to do this. It was great that Virak blessed his baby. Too often in Cambodia the families want the Senior Elders to bestow the blessings on their children. This is a father's honor and responsibility if he is able. We encourage them to use the Priesthood they have been ordained with to bless their families and members they have stewardship over. Virak left church early and so we did not get a photo of their baby.

Saturday we attended Chandy Touch's birthday party. She is six years old.  Sophornn, who we work with, is her father. Sophornn is also the Branch President for the International Branch. The branch was invited to Chandy's party. It was like a branch activity.

 The guests arrived at 3:00. The guest of honor did not arrive until 4:30. Chandy's mother, Ruddy, was very apologetic that they were late. The food took longer to prepare than she had planned. The cake order was also not ready at the pick up time.While we waited for Chandy's arrival a few of the adults gathered the children to play Hot Potato, Duck Duck Goose and Shark. There was some free play time also. We all know how crazy free play can be when kids are let loose in the church. Keeping the children from dismantling  the decorations before Chandy arrived was fun..err not.

The gift table.

                Table decorations.

Chandy arrives and runs, and runs and runs.

The cake has arrived.

Chandy loved her princess cake with very scary hair.

A child's delight  made from skewered mini dogs with pink and white marshmallow twists displayed in coconuts. 

Dale serving the food.

Children of the International Branch...

The party was still going strong when we left at 5:45. We needed to get home before it was dark. I still had  ugh...laundry to do. I did not do it on Friday because we got home too late. Now Saturday night would become my agony.

This morning on the way to church we took a detour. We passed a sign that said LOUNDRY.  Unfortunately we did not take the same route home. I wanted a blog picture.  The sign explains washing clothes in Cambodia. For the past 10 1/2 months I thought I was suppose to do laundry. I have been doing  loundry! I have nothing to complain about. This is what loundry looks like.

Now I understand my clothes cleaning option. Some places offer a room to do laundry or provide a machine for each apartment. Apparently Gold 1 apartments offers a place to do loundry.  I feel so much better.

Monday when we left the office to go home there were several mothers with their children in the church parking lot. We were told that they were picking up food commodities for their children who were under the age of eight. Most children love to get their pictures taken. Other children are not quite so eager. Kids, kids, kids...

.

"Don't leave me mom. I'll protect you. If I look him straight in the eye maybe he will go away."

This week has been a wonderful week for PEF.  Four of our PEF participants are debt free. They set a goal to pay off their loans in 2013. They did it. We are so happy for them. When this happens it is such a great feeling for them and for us. 

Wednesday two Senior couples boarded a plane together to return to the USA.  The Shelley's leaving is like cutting off one of our arms and a leg. They were Member Leader support in Kampong Cham. Without them we are not sure how we will be able to serve our 17+ PEF students in that Province. The Church has no technology in the Provinces. Computer access comes from the equipment brought from home by our Senior Missionaries. The Shelley's did all the leg work in Kampong Cham. They  found  reputable trade schools for our students to attend and assisted them in filling out their loan applications. They also helped them find ways to pay on their PEF loan. Often there was a need to help students with their banking concerns. The list of things they did for us goes on and on. They would email us all the necessary loan and school information and we would submit the loans. Whenever they would come to Phnom Penh for a training meeting, etc. they would  bring with them money students owed in back pay. As far as we know there are no Senior missionaries scheduled to replace them. What we will do now is a big question mark. For the past few years there has always been Senior Couples to call upon. Not anymore. Cambodia lacks a reliable mailing system. Dishonesty inside and outside the church is a reality. Sending cash by bus seems to be our only option. It is not a good option. We may out of necessity need to use it in order to allow our students to continue their education. This is one of those "only time will tell" situations. The Henderson's were our Humanitarian couple. The Kohls from Colorado have replaced them. The Humanitarian program will move ahead smoothly with the Kohls at its head. Nonetheless we will greatly miss the Henderson's. They were one of  our "sounding blocks". They were funny and also compassionate about the service they were doing here. I know that they still had concerns as they passed the baton on. Change is always hard even on a mission.

NEWS ALERT!!! There is a return ticket home once a Senior Couple has served their 18 to 23 month mission. I saw the tickets with my own eyes. We also received an email from Sister Henderson:
Dear Elder and Sister Meier,
Elder Grmines asked me to tell him what it was like clearing customs. I thought you might like this information as well. Here is what to expect on the trip home. I was surprised to see that all the shops in the PP airport were still open for our late departure.We were given customs from on the flight into Seattle that asked us to list the items we had purchased abroad and to put a dollar value on them (excluding anything that was mailed). There were several lines on the form. Each passenger is allowed $800 duty free. We just grouped items together, paintings, baskets, clothes, etc. and put a dollar value on each group. When we arrived in Seattle we collected our bags and went to customs. The agent looked at the form and just waived us through. The Shelley's went through security inspection (for about the 12th time) and on to their connecting flight. We left with our luggage and our son was waiting at the top of the escalator. Upon arrival, the only long line we stood in was immigration and that moved quickly.
We're here with our son Matt in Seattle, it's cold! On to the next chapter of our lives. Be aware that the closer you come to returning home, the faster time flies.
We have enjoyed knowing you and look forward to visiting with you after you return to Vancouver.

Last supper with Elder and Sister Henderson and Elder and Sister Shelley. 

Place: Tell Restaurant

All the Senior Couples were here including the couples from Battambang and Kampong Thom.  We lose our Kampong Thom couple in April. This will be another sad day for the Provinces and for PEF. The Kampong Thom couple also travel two hours to Siem Reap to check on the saints there. They are Elder and Sister Grimnes. Our only other couple leaves in July. We are praying that there have been couples called that we are unaware of. "Only time will tell".

The Shelley's at the airport. Sister Shelley was also the country nurse. ( I guess if in doubt soak in bleach!")

This was the Henderson's first Church mission but they have taught English in China. A really great couple.They do have family in our area so there is a chance that some day we may meet up again. Their home is in St. George, Utah.

Don't get too weighed down this week.

We love you.

Does this make me look fat?

Family and Friends,

The week was good "aching back" and all.
Monday we went to work as usual. We were looking forward to evening when we would meet at the mission home to take an hour long cyclo ride through Phnom Penh with several of the other Senior couples. The cyclo drivers met us at the mission home. We boarded our cyclos and off we went through the busy five o'clock traffic. It seemed we had the right-a-way as our group zigzagged around buses, trucks, cars, tuk tuks, motos, bicycles and pedestrians. We did stop for red lights. I now know what it feels like to be old. When Dale and I got home we agreed that cyclo tours are not "our thing". Give us walking shoes or our own bikes. We can chuck this evening up to "an Asian" experience.

Elder James was feeling the vibes we felt. He took action and got out of his cyclo insisting that his cyclo guy ride. It was going well until BOOM! He got a flat tire. We all heard it blow. Wouldn't you know all the curbside tire repair guys were "closed". Their tire supplies and pop bottles of gas were in place, but they  were eating rice at a nearby vendor. There is a time to work and a time not to work. This equals a bad time to get a flat tire.

I'll let the photos doing the talking:

Now where is Elder James?

We felt like we were part of a nursing home brigade. Now we know what we have to look forward to. May the Lord's mercy prevail.

There is something terribly wrong with this picture.

Contrary to what I was told I did not find my cyclo comfortable. There is no place to rest your head. I pretty much sat straight up for the whole ride. I was looking forward to a soothing, laid back ride. It didn't happen. My driver is from the Vietnamese border. He spoke a little English. He has been a cyclo driver for five years. At the end of the ride I  commented that now he could go home. He told me that the cyclo I had been riding in was his home. A new twist on mobile homes.

This is what we looked like going down the street. Our group used 20 cyclos. The sad thing is that the fee is $4 per cyclo. The cyclists receives $1 for their labor. Some of us Seniors are a bit portly and these guys worked up quite a sweat. There are not too many hills. When we did encounter hills the cyclo drivers dismounted and pushed. It sort of felt like slave labor to me. But, it is an honest source of employment for these people. They are grateful to be able to work.

After "working up a sweat" and "finding our pulse" we ended the evening at Dairy Queen.We had small chocolate covered strawberry blizzards. Yum.






Tuesday was a routine day at the office. We had planned to go to the airport to greet Elder and Sister Kohl from Fruita, Colorado. Their flight was delayed a day in California so they did not arrive until Wednesday night. Wednesday we arrived home from the airport shortly after midnight. The Kohl's seemed to be doing quite well when they got off the plane. I figured it was because their biological clocks were still set on USA time. In the USA it was mid morning.

We are going to enjoy Elder and Sister Kohl. When we introduced ourselves to them they said, "Oh yes we know your family. They specifically mentioned Ethan and Reece. Sister Kohl said she worked with Kyle in Primary. She mentioned how perfect Elise does McKenna and Kylises' hair. President Moon looked at us curiously. I told him, "The Kohls are from our son's ward. They see our grandkids more than we do." In Fruita there is a celebration for Mike the Headless Chicken. Elder Kohl was raised in Fruita. His grandfather actually saw Mike. Elder Kohl brought a Mike the Headless Chicken T-shirt with him to Cambodia. If you would like to learn Mike's story you can go to http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/story.php .

Thursday afternoon all the Senior Couples gathered at the Titanic Restaurant for a welcome to Cambodia lunch with Elder and Sister Kohl. It was very pleasant sitting outside with a breeze coming off the water. The Titanic in the afternoon is not quite as fun as in the evening when they provide Cambodian music and traditional dancing. Atmosphere more than the food is the draw for me to this restaurant. Dale and I had chicken fried rice. It was somewhat greasy. I was glad I ordered a small plate.

Road construction on our walk home from work. This has been going on for quite some time. It has not been good for shop business. The work crew have been working everyday so hopefully it will not be too much longer. I think they may be renovating the sewer system to accommodate the new high rise buildings being built.

Progress on the construction site down the block from our apartment. The work crew we used to joke with has moved on and now there is a new group of laborers. Many of them look like teenagers. They too enjoy saying hello. We miss the original crew.

Saturday morning we left our apartment about 6:00 AM. to teach institute. Dale took this picture as we passed by. This is the front to the moto repair shop we walk by every day on route to work . What you are looking at are people in bed under nets. They sleep out on the street. The morning temperatures have been about 68 degrees. This is very cold for Cambodians. They bundle up in jackets and hats. I thought how miserable it must be to shower outside when it is so cold for them. We are enjoying every little breeze. It will soon be VERY HOT for a VERY LONG TIME.

You are probably wondering why I have a picture of our laundry. I wash the clothes every Friday. Every Friday I have some kind of a laundry problem. Our machines are not in the best location. Our machines are also not in the best repair. Our machines sometimes clean and sometimes makes things dirtier than before they were washed. I never know what to expect when I do the laundry. I do not look forward to Friday evenings. Dale's solution was for me not to do the laundry on Friday. Do I really want to ruin a different evening? Nah. You are probably wondering  what my laundry frustration was this week? As I was loading the machines someone was either watering plants or washing a car. I was being sprayed with water. I called stop but nobody heard me. It was only a mist. At the time I didn't know if it would get worse. Fortunately it did not. I also had a problem with the spin cycle for our dark load of laundry. That meant I had to stand and watch the washing machine to make sure it didn't get off balance or shut down before the cycle was completed. The laundry area is not a pleasant place to "just hang out".

We have had many blessings with our PEF calling this week. We had one young lady pay off her loan.We received word that another young man will pay off  his loan this week. Another young man said he would like to pay off his loan by the end of the month. He also has been saving his money to pay for his Masters Degree. It is rewarding to know these young people are securing jobs that pay enough to allow them to support themselves and become debt free. Two PEF students that we have spoken to on the phone yet had never met came to our office to introduce themselves.  Another blessing was receiving current information on one of our students that has not been contacted in over a year. Now we can speak with him.

This week Dale and I talked about how fast our mission is going. We only have 7 Fast Sundays left! For friends that may be reading this blog who are not members of our church. Fast Sunday is usually the first Sunday of each month. When we left on our mission we claimed we would return to the states in 18 Fast Sundays. We are over the half way mark. The clock keeps ticking.

This is what many of the Cambodian laborers wear to protect them from the heat and dirt. Does this make me look fat?

         

Have you seen this person?

Warning if you spot this person on a Friday evening keep your distance.

Extremely dangerous if carrying a laundry basket.

Do not approach.

Report sighting to D.A.L.E. 

As always we send you our love and pray for your happiness.

"Oh our aching backs.."

Dear Family and Friends,
This week began with a holiday on Monday. That means Dale and I were the only people at the office. Actually Kuntheavy the secretary for the Church Education Systems called and asked if we would be at work. She needed to pick up something from her office but did not want to go there with no one else in the building. She came by about 10:00 and visited for a few minutes. She did not have school so she was wearing her blue jeans. We teased her about coming so casual to work.  Her branch Relief Society was having an afternoon gathering and then she was going to teach Seminary in the early evening. We said we hoped she would change her clothes to teach. She giggled and asked why. After all it was a holiday...a day to relax.

In the afternoon Elder James dropped by our office with laptop problems. Dale performed his fix it magic. Elder James left happy.

Monday evening we attended Family Home Evening with the other Senior Couples at Elder and Sister Johnson's apartment. Sister Johnson labored all day preparing a Mexican feast that was out of this world. I did not know that in Cambodia it was possible to cook like she did. She had to improvise on some ingredients. Had she not said anything we would not have known there had been changes. Our first course was corn chips and the best ever cold cranberry salsa. The main course was chicken enchiladas with lots of melted cheese. We also were offered side dishes of Spanish rice, mixed bean salad, cubed watermelon and homemade rolls. We had lemon pound cake with lemon glaze and whipped cream for dessert. Sometimes eating in Cambodia can be a challenge. Monday night the challenge was to refrain from eating too much. As the Cambodians would say, "We were lucky!"

Tuesday everyone returned to work. No more holidays for a few weeks. We attended our weekly  Church Education staff meeting. Sophornn, Pen Vibol and Kuntheavy are on pins and needles as they  prepare for a visit from their boss from Hong Kong. He will arrive this coming Wednesday. Everyone is scurrying to make sure he has a good visit.

Wednesday everything fell apart. It began when the wireless Internet connections shut down. The Family History Library located on the lower floor had access, but all the offices upstairs did not. Most of us do not use wireless, but Sophornns' room uses wireless only.  The staff was frantically calling upon Dale to fix the problem. He called the Church help line. As a result of following their directions we were in a real pickle. Now everyone's Internet connections shut down. Business was not as usual. Sophornn called in the problem to the Service Center. Those that could assist us were out of town. With no one to help, Dale and I decided to go home. We told the office staff to contact us when help was available. We planned to work from home until then.

Thursday we were still waiting for help. Elder and Sister Rhyne called and tempted us to go shopping at the markets. Playing hooky sounded like a good idea to us. We discovered that the best time to shop the markets is weekday mornings. We got home around lunch time. After eating we went to the office.  No problems had been resolved and to add to the mix there was a power outage. When the lights go out the halls are dark like a cave. We opened our office doors allowing window light to stream into the blackened hallway. We finally received word from the Service Center that a new router would be installed  Friday morning.

Friday morning came and went. In Cambodia lunch time is very important and so we had to wait until everyone was done eating. Now it was close to three o'clock. Finally people showed up and Dale went with them to the room where the router is housed. While they were working I received desperate calls from two of our PEF students. One of the young men had turned in his paperwork and payment request to the Service Center two weeks ago. He should have received the check for school a week ago. Unfortunately when he called with his concerns that he had not yet heard from them he discovered that the Service Center has apparently misplaced his information. Without access to the Internet I was unable to send duplicate information to the Service Center.  His payment will be late or not accepted. I received a call from a second young man. He had procrastinated coming to get his loan. He works at the Service Center. We were able to get his money disbursed to him, but it was a through a back door approach. Not the way that I care to do business. We had other PEF students that we had to turn away due to the computer problem. This has been a real headache. At the end of Friday our problems were still not resolved. Salt Lake told us that they would be able to help us on Monday. That is Tuesday in Cambodia. Remember that the BIG BOSS from Hong Kong will be in town on Wednesday. Dale decided after our Saturday early morning institute class to try to contact Salt Lake again. Victory, they were able to get our hard wired systems working again. We still have no wireless connections.  Sophornn is now in panic mode because his office has no hard wire He ordered a work crew to come on Monday morning to drill a hole between our room and his so he can hook into our computer. This should be interesting. You need to understand that all walls between rooms are made out of brick. If you would get mad and punch the wall you would bust your hand and maybe knock some chalky paint off the wall.

To add to the joy of this week. Tuesday my lower back began to hurt. I am clueless to the cause. Perhaps it is because we stand on hard surfaces, we walk on hard surfaces, we sit on hard surfaces and we sleep on hard surfaces. Apparently Tuesday night I hurt bad enough that I must have clenched my teeth as I slept. I woke up with a strange feeling in my mouth. It was not fun trying not to swallow a piece of my tooth while painfully attempting to sit up in bed. Part of my crown broke. My tooth is a bit sharp but there seems to be no pain.  I do not want to go to the dentist in Cambodia. Unless it gets worse I will take care of it when we get home. Saturday morning Dale was walking funny. I asked what had happened. He said that he tweaked his back. We are quite the PEF Senior couple. If I didn't hurt so bad this could be funny.

The weather is beginning to change. It is heating up. Once March arrives it will be hot until we return to the states. "We are Lucky!"

The king died a few months ago. He will be cremated in February. This structure is being built to house his remains. This area was a beautiful park and play park for families. Now all the land has been sacrificed for this. In Phnom Penh there is very little grassy spaces. We would like to tour the Royal Palace. We will be able to once the king is laid to rest in February.

Elder and Sister Rhyne and Somaly at the Family History Library at the South District Building. They are grateful to Elder Meier for working to fix the Internet. The Rhynes' have some amazing stories of how the people in Cambodia are finding their ancestors.

 And you ask why we have computer problems?

Friday waiting on Salt Lake to help...

Saturday morning attempting again to get Internet set up correctly...

Saturday morning finishing the set up in our office...

The wireless repeaters seem to be the problem. We hope to get this fixed soon. We can make connection downstairs and upstairs in the Chapel but not in the offices which are on the same floor as the Chapel. There is a  repeater located in the office next to our room which Dale tried to reset on Saturday.

We will be back to work in about sixteen hours. Not looking forward to going to the office. We are looking forward to meeting with the Senior Couples for a scenic drive on the riverfront Monday evening. We will be riding in cyclos. These are like backward tricycles that a cyclo driver pedals. All we have to do is pay money and sit back and relax. I think we will go to Dairy Queen afterwards. Dale's asthma has settled some so he should be able to have ice cream.

Let me share with you a thought for the coming week. "We can't claim heaven as our own if we are just going to sit under it ". This quote was taken from The Rent Collector by Camron Wright, a book I just finished reading. It is about a Cambodian family who lived in the Stung Meanchey dump. The inspiration for the story evolved from a documentary that the author's son made titled River of Victory. You can see the trailer at www.RiverOfVictory.com . I hope to purchase it when we return to the states. The author creates a novel (fiction) that reflects the setting, conditions, character traits, and important historical facts from the documentary. The author imagines what might happen if the gift of literacy were  given to a family in those circumstances. It was an interesting read and cleared up a few questions I have had in regard to some of the traditions of the culture of the people we are serving.

You are each in our daily prayers.

Week One 2013

Dear Family and Friends,
New Years Eve we went to work as usual. As the work day came to an end we had great expectations of going to the roof of our apartment to see what Phnom Penh does when the clock strikes midnight. As the night progressed we just couldn't keep our eyes open long enough.We went to bed about 10:30. Most of the festivities happened in the Provinces anyway. About 1:00 AM I looked out our apartment window to see  people standing around the entrance to the IN and Out store across from our apartment. They were eating snacks, talking and drinking pop and whatever. It just looked like people "hanging out". Not too eventful.

New Years day we did not go into work. Instead we went to the Phnom Penh Tamao Zoo with Elder and Sister Rhyne. It was a 2 hour tuk tuk ride one way. Periodically we would use our face masks. It has not rained in at least a month and therefore the roads are very dusty. Emissions control is not an issue here, but should be addressed. Riding in a tuk tuk behind old trucks spewing black exhaust is always fun.

We were not prepared for the road leading into to the Zoo. It was lined with beggars. We presume someone must transport them to the road to begin their days work of begging because that is the only way old blind men and women, and crippled people could have gotten there. I wished we had known about these people because we could have brought some "beggars" money with us. We did not give to anyone. There were probably about 50 beggars. If we had had money the question would have been who do you give to. There were also little children along the road. The adults seemed sorrowful but most of the children were playful and thrilled to see us. They would wave and say hello. They were pleased when we acknowledged them.  A dirty little stream ran along the side of the road we traveled. Some of the beggars as they saw us approach would fill a small pan with water and toss it on the road to keep the dust down. They were the beggars I wanted to give money to. They were doing a service, not just begging. That part of the trip made me sad and  uncomfortable. It made me wonder what these peoples lives were as children and young adults. Just by their age I figure many were victims of Pol Pot (1975-79). The poor in this country seem to be unable to rise above their poverty and disabilities.

When we arrived at the zoo there were many people already there. Not everyone is in dire poverty. There were picnic areas and khmer concessions set up. We didn't eat the food but the khmer had no problem. There were a few public bathrooms. For 500 rial you can use them. Entrance into the zoo for foreigners is $5 each. I do not know what the khmer pay. There was no charge for, Sameth, our tuk tuk driver. Many people ride their bikes, motos or drive cars to each exhibit. We chose to walk. I was impressed with the absence of garbage on the ground. The zoo is on government property. Perhaps this is why the litter seemed controlled. Many non Cambodian groups work to maintain the zoo. This also may be a factor to its upkeep.  The zoo is home to rescued animals. These animals would not survive in the wild. One of the bears had a stump as one of its legs. Several of the birds were missing an eye. All of the animals are native to Cambodia. Some are endangered species. Many of the animals fell victim to poachers who seek their parts for vanity, medicines, and superstitious purposes.

Dale already sent some of our zoo pictures to some of you so this blog may be a review. I am certainly not going to put all of our photos in but come with me now on a trip to the zoo....

Our first stop was to the deer. I had no idea there were deer in Cambodia. I picture deer needing four seasons which in Cambodia they do not have. The information signs said that wildlife is hard to see in Cambodia because the animals tend to stay hidden from people.

Dale has a telephoto lens which helped to get these shots. The animals decided to stay at a distance from the fences today. This guy was in plain site. Camouflaged back in a wooded area we could see a gator twice the size of this one.

Monkeys were in cages and....

monkeys were free to roam.

The first animal we encountered was a monkey sitting on a fence post. He looked at me and I was looking at his eyes. I really got spooked when he acted like he was going to lunge at me. I forgot that looking directly into their eyes is a threat. I made sure not to make eye contact after that.

There were a variety of monkeys. They are all native to Cambodia.

LIONS and

TIGERS and

BEARS.
The cages for these animals are not quite what you would find in the United States. They are electric. I did not find much comfort in this precaution having experienced too many power outages at home and at the office.

Of all the animals in the zoo,the rescue efforts for the sun bear seems the most progressive. Rescue groups from Australia have come to their aid and protection.

Iguanas are a part of this wonderful country as well as snakes. Not my favorite. 

I can't remember what this is called. But it is sort of a goat like animal but much bigger and not really a goat at all.

Wild dogs. They have a name but I do not know what it is.

I had no idea Cambodia had otters. I was really excited to see them. They are one of my favorite animals to watch play in the water. And as my family knows I love to watch otters in the snow. They always seem to be having so much fun.

Another wild dog ...sorry no name again.

Then we came to cage after cage of rescued birds. 

I like this picture with the two owls together.

There are many different kinds of eagles in Cambodia.

Mynah bird.  

This fellow was missing his other eye.

We also came upon this family of bats. I sort of felt sorry for them because there is not a dark place for them to hang. These guys are really large.
Creepy!!

This elephant is receiving a sugar cane stick from a visitor. The zoo keepers sell coconuts and sugar cane to feed the elephants. They sell bananas to feed the monkeys. Dale got this shot with the elephants front feet perched on the metal gate.

There were many more photos of animals but this gives you an idea of the type of zoo you would experience if you were ever to visit Cambodia.

Leaving the zoo we passed the beggars again. By the time we left several of them had retired for the day. Above is one of two beggar/greeters who stationed themselves just outside the zoo gate. This is like a large puppet. I guess it is Cambodia's idea of a Big Bird character. If I were a kid I would be hiding from it.

Sister Rhyne and I watching as we travel the road leaving the zoo. Sameth was wearing a Peter Pan type hat. He was really proud of it. 

This truck was loaded down with kids that spent the day at the zoo. They looked like they had a great time. It is obvious that safety is a deep concern in Cambodia.

We stopped at a road side stand for the Rhyne's to buy some grapefruit. These grapefruit are green on the outside and their size is twice that of the grapefruits we buy in the states. 

This bull was roped to a pole at the side of the road we were traveling home on. We stopped so Dale could take its picture. It stands about 7 feet. It is huge. When Dale got out of the tuk tuk to snap a shot, the bull got  agitated. Fortunately the rope used to tie it to the pole was strung through its nose. This prevented it from tugging too hard.  This is one BIG memorable animal. I am sure many tourists have taken its picture. 

We returned home about 3:00 in the afternoon. It was so dusty on the road and on the zoo walking trails that by the time we arrived home we were coated in dirt. We got cleaned up for the next part of our day.

We were invited to a New Years dinner at Viva Mexican Cafe that evening. It was fun to get together with the other Senior Couples to talk about how the holidays went for everyone. 

The remainder of the week was work as usual. We had our typical power outages. Made some happy birthday calls to PEF students. Wrote up a few payment requisitions. Inspected the missionaries apartments. Deep cleaned our apartment. Purchased new scriptures for me from the Service Center. Unfortunately the Service Center was doing their year end inventory so I have to wait to have my scriptures delivered to our office sometime this week.We taught institute Saturday morning and we attended church at the Tuol Tom Pong Branch. It was a good Sabbath.With that said here's wishing that this next week will be

ROARING GOOD!