Did we mention that it is HOT?

Family and friends,
This week passed quickly with the usual power outages and sweat on our brows. Dale has been "on a mission" to contact all of our medical students. The world economy is taking its toll on some of their school funding. Our medical students' school funding comes from three sources. First, the PEF department can lend each student a total amount of $6,500. To become a doctor requires more money than that. The second source of money is from the student. Most contribute to their schooling through purchasing with their own earnings their books and supplies. The third source of funding comes from a grant set up by a Missionary Senior Couple several years ago. This couple recently notified us that the grant money is coming to an end.  Dale has set up appointments to meet with all of our medical students that will be affected by this funding loss. Dale hopes to draft a plan for each of them to determine how they will fund the remainder of their schooling. Some of these students will definitely surpass the $6,500 limit that PEF offers. Dale hopes to come up with a good argument to present to the loan approval board  for why PEF should "have mercy" on these students and loan them the money necessary to complete their education. Most of our students desire to specialize. For example several desire to become pediatricians. If they graduate with a basic medical degree they will not make as much money as a person that specializes. In order to plead their cases each of our medical students need to demonstrate that they are trying as much as possible to help fund their education by borrowing the least amount of money possible from PEF. For example, one of our students gets grades A and B. She mentioned that there may be a scholarship she can apply for. We encouraged her to apply. Another one of our students is very worrisome to us because unlike most of our students who help pay for their books and supplies, she has opted not to contribute anything. She has a habit of not making her $5 payments. When she wants more money she runs to the Service Center and pays her back payments. We have a difficult time contacting her each month and most of the time she is unemployed.  We have heard through a reputable source that when she has money she spends it quickly on unnecessary things. It is frustrating when the last to get paid is PEF. She has also not attended church as she had contracted to do. She gets C grades. Unfortunately, of all our medical students she has borrowed the most money.  All of our medical students were well into their schooling when we arrived in Cambodia last year. Hind sight is that their education plan should have been well outlined before they had received any money. We do not foresee funds available for future specialty doctors.

This is Mary Ung, her husband and their 18 month old little boy. Mary is our medical student who has A and B grades. She said she will look into available scholarships. Her mother paid for her first two years of school. She hopes to become a pediatrician.

Just before they left our office we discussed their little boy's health.They said they can not afford to purchase milk for him. They create a nutritional mush out of carrots, a little meat and something else. They  hope this will replace the milk they can not purchase.



We have several students studying to be English teachers. We learned from one of our graduates this week that although our students projected that as an English teacher they could earn $300+ per month, because they are Khmer it would be rare to secure a job any higher than assistant teacher. Parents want their children to be taught by foreigners, not Khmer. It was reported to us that the only way a Khmer assistant teacher could become a main teacher is if the foreign teacher were to quit and the school could not find a foreign replacement. We have a lot of students working to become English teachers. This new information is causing us to rethink what counsel should be given to young people applying for loans to become English teachers.

This week was Pen Vibol's last week with the Church Education System. The economy is forcing even the Church to downsize its paid staff. The Church has decided that Institutes and Seminaries in Cambodia can be run by 1 1/2 employees. Touch Sophornn and Kuntheavy Seam will remain. Kuntheavy is the secretary and works half days. Pen Vibol has worked for the CES for 10 years. He is 50 years old. He is not quite sure what he will do. He would like to continue his schooling and he wants to improve his English skills. He said he is going to stay positive. Unfortunately his wife is not healthy. She was admitted to the hospital last Sunday after she had heart problems during Sacrament meeting. She blames her heart problems on Vibol's  job loss. It is tough times for many. We had fish and chips delivered from Ma Ma's New York Deli for a small farewell lunch for Vibol. He will be missed.

Did we mention that is is HOT?  Cool breezes are hard to come by these days. It is best to get all outdoor work and travel done before noon. Today at about 1:30 as we were walking home from church I got a rock in my shoe. When I took my shoe off I balanced my heel on the ground. It was VERY HOT on my heel. We watch children running around barefoot all the time...ooh..ow..ooh. We have fairly thick soles on our shoes and the heat penetrates right through. When we arrived at our apartment the first thing we did was switch on the air conditioner. We do not know how people survive this heat. They live outside morning, noon and night. As you have seen in our past blog there is lots of sleeping going on during the heat of the day. I guess  if you can sleep you won't know you are being baked alive. What is amazing is that in 100+ degree weather people wear long pants, long sleeved hoodies and gloves so they can keep their skin as light as possible.

The dust is pretty bad these days. I usually am OK,but recently have had headaches and a stuffy nose. Dale often wears a face mask. I put my mask on the other day but because of the heat I did not keep it on. I felt like I would pass out with it on. I try to take shallow breaths and breath through my teeth. The road construction just keeps progressing down the street. In its path is left dusty roads. Some of the people with cars have no thought for anyone but themselves as they tear down the street leaving dust clouds behind. We know the rainy season is coming but it hasn't happened yet. I have put my umbrella in my purse in anticipation of the first cloud burst of the season. Because of the road construction, this year our walk to work will be muddier than ever.

Saturday we attended a wedding for one of our PEF students, Bou Sokha. We really hope he will be happy.

His is a story not too uncommon in Cambodia. He is a counselor in his Branch Presidency. He always desired to be married in the temple. Over the past two years he has sought a bride, but those he asked declined his proposal. Bou's mother gave him a year to find a bride.His mother told him that if he did not find a bride of his own choice within that time period she would find him one. Thanks to mom, Bou is now married to the daughter of one of her friends. Both Bou and his new bride are around 30 years old. This is considered very old in Cambodia. The bride is not a member of the church. During the entire wedding service she never smiled and never looked up.
The wedding was interesting. The bride came into the chapel and marched to music up to the front of the chapel. The congregation threw jasmine blossoms at her as she entered. Some of Bou's friends sang in a small choir. The program was as follows:
Opening Hymn- Love At Home; Invocation; Choir Hymn- Love One Another; Welcome and Announcements;Speaker on marriage; Ring exchange; Choir sang; Bride and Groom parents speak; Bride and Groom speak;Closing Hymn: Let Us Rejoice; Benediction; Welcoming and Greeting New Bride and Groom.
Please keep in mind that the bride and her family are not members of the church. The speaker emphasised the importance of marriage and the importance of being sealed in the temple. He spoke about being kind to each other and working on marriage so that the marriage does not end in divorce.

After Bou and his bride exchanged rings they were invited to kiss each other. The congregation went wild with giggles. It was and awkward moment when the bride tried to avoid "the fatal" kiss on the cheek! She was invited to kiss Bou. She was really reluctant to do so. She touched her nose to his cheek.

The brides father got up and said something in Khmer that I did not understand. The brides mother got up and said, "Now I have money." Bou's uncle spoke words of congratulations. Bou's mother got up and said she hoped for much happiness and good health for her children.

Bou spoke about how family is important to him and that he hopes to be sealed in the temple.

The bride refused to speak.

The happiest day of Eang Sopheang's life.

Brides parents: the gentleman (Eang Try, and his wife in pink skirt next to him, Thork Kimla).

Bou's mother, Suer Siyath is in the brown skirt next to the groom, Bou and his bride.

We are with Da Sophea one of our PEF students.  She is very smart. She speaks good English and is also learning French. She is a District Family History Consultant and is doing an excellent job.

Decorations outside the chapel door.






Bou and Eang Sopheang had wedding celebrations in the Provinces the week before the above wedding took place. I believe that celebration was with the bride's side of the family. Most of the people we saw at the ring ceremony were church members. (I guess there was a "his" and "hers" wedding). Perhaps she was happier at the "hers" celebration. We attended  the ring exchange Saturday morning. We did not attend the luncheon that followed. We were also invited to an evening celebration which we did not go to. We viewed this part of the celebration via Face book entries from Bou's friends. Those celebrating ate more food,danced and snapped pictures.

The other day we had to go to the Service Center and the Mission Home. The tuk tuk driver we were using asked if he could pick up his kids from school. The kids were really cute. This particular tuk tuk driver is our least favorite. When our main driver Sam OL can not help us he says, "I'll send my brother." ( Sam OL has LOTS of brothers!!!)  Our least favorite tuk tuk driver earned this status because of our following experience with him: Sam OL sent "his brother" in his place. We went on a routine run of errands. When we arrived home Dale asked him  how much he wanted to be paid. The tuk tuk driver said, "It's up to you." Dale handed him the amount we usually paid SamOL. The tuk tuk driver said, "No, not enough". Dale paid him more but we have tried to avoid him ever since. Now when Sam OL says he will send "his brother" Dale tells him we will get someone on our own. This week we were in a situation that we needed a ride. When we called Sam OL he could not come and sent "his brother"...GRR. When we were done with our errands and said we needed to go to our apartment he asked if he could pick up his kids. We said yes, but under my breath to Dale I said, "He better not charge us extra!"

We have had a fairly uneventful week. The heat even makes it more uneventful. No one in there right mind that has access to shade and air conditioning would subject themselves to the Cambodian heat. We are inside, so I guess dementia has not set in ...yet.

Staying cool in Cambodia.  Have a wonderful week.

The electricity is off and on and off and...

Hello Family and friends,
The heat is on (100 degrees) and the electricity is off and on and off and on and...
When this happens it makes for a slow week at work. We had several moments when were attempting to make payment requisitions for our students. After much waiting...waiting...and waiting for the power to kick back on we were able to print their forms. When the power fails my cell phone goes  dead. I called one student back three times...hello...disconnect...hello...disconnect...hello...disconnect.  Saturday morning was our most productive day. We had electricity most of the morning with only one glitch. We left the office about noon. If the electricity failed from that point on we did not care.

Several days this week the power was off when it was time for us to go home. The problem with this is that if we can not turn the air conditioner off it will work full throttle once electricity is up again. We are then cooling an unoccupied room through the night. This is a complete waste of energy. We care that this waste happens but we do not care enough to remain at the office waiting for the "window of  opportunity" when the power comes back on so we can shut it off. I do think about all the people sleeping in the hot open air who would be so grateful to sleep in a cool room.

I learned of several children who had fevers this week. I wonder if the change in the weather has anything to do with it. The sad thing is that cooling these children down is near impossible in this hot environment. Very few homes have air conditioning. Many people sleep outside. Those that have electricity have fans, but the electricity is often off. We have a Christian orphanage in our neighborhood. When we walked by Saturday morning there were several children sleeping under nets on the playground. Note: The playground is a concrete slab.

One of our PEF students wrote on their Face book site: Government not only cuts power three times a day but now also no water in neighborhood. What a life!

We haven't lost our water ...yet! Even though we don't drink it we do shower, flush toilets, clean dishes, mop  floors and do laundry. We are dependent on a water source regardless if it is contaminated or not.

It was so hot Saturday as we were walking home the streets were very quiet. Very little traffic. Everyone was sleeping or resting.

These workers are taking refuge in pipe sections from the scorching sun. They are part of the work crew that are installing pipes down 63rd Street near our home and office.

Kadaunaa!

REALLY HOT!

Every once in awhile I take a peek out the office window to see what's happening in the neighborhood. This brings to mind the Oldie Goldie Sesame Street song: 

Oh, these are the people in your neighborhood?

In your neighborhood?

In your neighborhood?

These are the people in your neighborhood?

The people that you meet,when you're walking down the street.

The people that you meet each day!

Preparing lunch in the alley. The women walk the streets of Cambodia in pajamas. They view them as light weight clothing not sleepwear. Some pajamas are floral or colorful patterns but most are Hello Kitty, Mickey Mouse,and Angry Birds.

This scene is directly across from the lady cooking in the photo above. The alley is an extension of these peoples' homes. Dale shared with me a news article which reported concerning the poor air quality in Cambodia. It is partly attributed to outdoor cooking. This is the only method of cooking  most of the people we see in our neighborhood use. There are a few gas stoves. Electric ovens or ovens of any kind are rare. 

This guy really likes Dale. He repairs tires. He got a new muak (hat). Every day when we walk by he greets us and points to his hat. We are not sure how long he will continue to point at his hat and give us a thumbs up. His greeting adds to the routine of our many Ground Hog days. If he ever leaves I believe the universe will be knocked off balance.

Our walking path is getting slimmer and slimmer as the road continues to be dug up.

This is the same restaurant we photographed last week. This restaurant is really popular with the local people. It is very busy at breakfast and lunch time. We have seen both Khmer and Europeans customers. Some of the "white" people think they are immune to parasites and ecoli. We are not among them.

Meas Sameth works with us. We are now the PEF Self Reliance Center. Sameth is learning the ins and outs of  PEF. He has been a great help with communicating with our non-English speaking students. Prior to coming to work with us, Sameth ran the church Employment Resource Center (ERC).  He continues to help people find jobs in addition to helping us with PEF, teaching the Planning for Success Work Shop and Career Work Shop for the Khmer people. We continue to teach Career Work Shop for missionaries soon to be released.

Today was interesting in Relief Society. The Relief Society President asked one of the sisters to read a scripture. While this sister was reading the Relief Society President answered her cell phone and proceeded to carry on a phone conversation. During this time she also rearranged some of the gospel pictures she had on display.  We received a lesson in Khmer multi-tasking.

It's been a hot, slow, week.

Until next week. Pleasant dreams and stay cool.

One year in Cambodia.

Family and friends,
March 12th marked our one year anniversary in Cambodia. These next 6 months will pass in a blink of an eye. This past week went quickly. There was no news worthy event to report on during the week. We took USA donuts to work on Wednesday as a surprise for Pen Vibol's birthday.  I baked brownies in my "Betty Crocker Easy Bake Oven" for Meas Sameth's birthday on Friday. The brownies were good. I was glad. If they had not been good we would have resorted to plan B...USA donuts again.

Saturday we were invited to a wedding for the daughter of Try Sorn. He is a member of the Kean Svay Branch. We used to attend church at Kean Svay. When Elder and Sister Capener arrived they were assigned that branch and it was no longer our responsibility. Besides knowing Try Sorn as a member of Kean Svay Branch, we also know him because he is a guard at the mission home. Most all the Senior Couples were invited to his daughter's wedding. There were two parts to the marriage. At 1:30 the bride and groom got married and exchanged rings. At 4:30 the guests and wedding party gathered at Try Sorn's home for a party.  Kean Svay is a distance from Phnom Penh. We rode with Elder and Sister Westover in the office van. Elder Westover had other commitments at the same time as the party. Not wanting to stay in Kean Svay too late, the Westovers provided us with a reason to leave early.

 Khmer invitations are fancy with lots of pages. This one was also doused in perfume. Very few people have mailboxes. Invitations are hand delivered. Because each Senior couple has a "mail slot" at the mission home Try Sorn was able to place the invitations in each of our boxes.

The groom is Yon Kimyan and the bride is Try Ratha. The groom joined the church a couple of years ago. We had never met either the bride nor the groom before.

I have no idea whose car this belongs to. The groom works for Kentucky Fried Chicken. I think the car was probably borrowed for the occasion.

This is the son of the Kean Svay Branch President. He looks a bit uneasy to have Dale take his picture. In the background is a statue of a goat. It is on the church ground lawn. Not sure why there is a goat.

Saturday morning we had a large turn out of students at our 6:30 institute class. It was fun to have so many in attendance. They come to learn English.






Sunday we visited the International Branch. It was their Branch Conference. I was part of a last minute choir. It is a sorry day when I am one of the stronger singers. We stood, we sang, we sat down. No harm done. I received no reports of people leaving the church as a consequence of our singing efforts.

This week we had another PEF break through. One of our PEF students that has only paid $10 of his six year old loan called and said he wants to start to make payments. That was pretty cool. He was called to be a Branch President about two months ago. He is considered a 150+ student in our PEF records. This means it has been over 150 days since his last  payment. We told him if he makes payments four months in a row we can do "Renewed Hope". This will wipe his slate clean. Our records will show him as a faithful payer on his loan.

Since it was a slow week, I will take some blog space to share with you an article from "The Cambodian Daily" newspaper.

Phnom Penh Traffic Police Strap on Cameras

By Sun Mesa and Joshua Wilwohl

  A number of Phnom Penh traffic police now have digital video cameras strapped to their motorcycle helmets in what is meant to be a bid to cut down on the many claims of bribery and corruption made against the blue-uniformed force by the city's motorists.

  Six small digital cameras have been secured to the top of the officers' motorcycle helmets and they are now required to switch them on when they stop motorists, deputy municipal traffic chief Sem Kunthea said.

  "Many people always accuse the police of taking their money without evidence. Now, there is evidence for us to record all activity when police make stops, and this will prevent complaints from citizens," he said.

  Mr. Kunthea said officers started using the cameras six months ago.

  "We have recorded about 50 to 100 video clips of the officers' interaction [with motorists]." he said, adding that his department is considering equipping more officers with cameras.  In none of the footage were officers seen soliciting or receiving a bribe, he said.

  Asked why only six cameras were in use among the 499 traffic police officers, Mr. Kunthea said the project was still in a trial phase.

  Not many, however, appear convinced by the efficacy of the traffic police anticorruption drive, noting that it all hinges on the officers in question actually turning on the video camera.

  "They can still take bribes..because they can just turn off the camera...or delete video," said motorist Van Bunthol, 32, at the intersection of Norodom Boulevard and Street 214 on Wednesday---where a traffic officer was seen with a helmet camera, while a half-a-dozen other officers monitored traffic. 

  Probably the most noticeable police presence in Phnom Penh, the traffic police have earned a poor reputation for their very public solicitation of cash bribes from motorists, particularly from small commercial vehicles whose drivers are commonly seen handing out small bundles of riel to eager traffic police officers at the city's traffic intersections.

  Preap Kol, executive director of Transparency International Cambodia, said an independent monitor would be required to view the video footage if the police hoped to claim that their efforts are serious.

And what do you think?  We think this is very Khmer. Kind of goes along with Steve's drinking water where the quality drops!

Until next week...keep smiling.

The heat is on.

Dear Family and Friends,

Friday evening around 5:30 in the evening at the North District Building. Can you feel the heat? Take my word for it, "The heat is on."

This week we were able to make contact with several of our PEF students. Friday was Women's Rights Day. Many people do not go to work on that day. We were pleased that one of our PEF students we had never met took advantage of his free day and came to our office to introduce himself. I have spoken with him on the phone several times. He is a really nice man. His work schedule is changing so he can return to church. He said that although he and his family have not attended church in years he has continued to study his scriptures and read the Conference talks. His family has prayer together. He has a 10 year old son and 3 year old daughter. He said he loves his family and hopes to be sealed to them in the Temple. We hope this will happen for him too.

We attended a Young Single Adult activity on Friday. It was scheduled from 2:00 in the afternoon until 8:00 in the evening. We took advantage of this activity to speak with several of our PEF students. Several students we had hoped to meet up with were not at the activity. A few of the church branches had activities at the beach. The missing  PEF students we wanted to speak with chose to go to the beach. I understand perfectly why they did.  I would have jumped at the chance to get away from Phnom Penh air and city heat.

Elder and Sister James were in charge of the games for Friday's activity. Elder James had access to some official dodge balls so he attempted to teach the young people how to play. This game was new to them. It took awhile for everyone to catch on to the rules. In the process of learning several girls got knocked in the head. Balls were flying high and crazy. I don't think these people are used to rough play.When the game was over they were not anxious to start another one.

In this photo the game is almost over. These are the few left standing.







Elder and Sister James also introduced three legged racing. It was interesting getting people paired up. No one wanted to get close to each other. This is surprising since they are used to piling onto motos, into tuk tuks, cars, buses, elevators etc. They also huddle together for cell phone photo shots. Many became timid when they had to be tied to each other for the three legged race. Go figure!

Here Elder James is explaining the three legged race rules. Den Chansokum in the plaid shirt is translating.
That too is interesting. Many times the translation is a bit off.

Since it was Women Rights Day Sister James was cheering the girls on to victory. These two crashed at the end.






As a grand finale Dale and I and Elder James and Sister James raced. Dale and I  failed miserably. I know I shouldn't make excuses but I don't think we would have done as poorly if we had tied our ankles together tighter. The tie around out ankles was super loose.We were maybe four or five steps into the race as the James' crossed the finish line. Sister James wants us to race again in April at the next Young Single Adult activity. We can only hope she forgets. Unfortunately she is not a forgetful person.

After dodge ball and the three legged race we joined the spectators for the district volley ball tournament.  Four districts competed.

The South District  (in yellow) were in it to win it. Guess who won?

Yep, Yellow is #1!

The best part of this whole game was where the
referee sat. Cambodia should receive an award for their lashing skills. Note where the referee is sitting. Just like on TV.

While the tournament was in progress we observed this bloody battle of the kangaroo boxing pens. I had to cover my eyes during part of it. The match was ruthless.

Meet the kangaroo boxing pen competitors. Do you think you could take them on? Warning: Looks are deceiving.

Making happy happen.
These little boys found a little ditch to play in. The little boy in the brown shirt was having a great time jumping over the ditch. He was so proud that he could do it. Kids are kids no matter where you go. No need for toys when you mix kids, rocks,dirt, water and a youthful imagination.

I was attempting to learn a Khmer traditional dance. It is a three step around a table. The table usually has flowers or fruit decorating it. Khmer mothers   exercise their baby daughters fingers and toes by bending them back working to keep them flexible. My fingers do not bend backwards like these young ladies do. Even though I was Queen Klutz it was fun to laugh and interact with the girls.





We left the activity at about 6:30. We did not stay to eat the noodle dish that was served. Instead we went home and had an omelet.

Last week I gave incorrect information concerning the road crew campsite near our office building. This week looking closer at their campsite I realized that they are not using the Church fence to hang things from. Dale took better pictures this week.

Off to the left of the grassy area is the church fence. As you can see their camp is not using the fence. They have constructed their own fencing to enclose their camp.

The big blue tank and the white tank are their water source.

The cooking and sleeping area of the camp.

Monday morning in the alley outside our office window. A breakfast fire is burning brightly. This lady is doing her laundry.

Play time in the alley.

Restaurant cooking on the streets.

Getting ready for the dinner crowds.

We walk by these ovens every day. With the road construction in progress we literally walk around these ovens.

These ovens and photo directly above are part of same restaurant. Cooking is done outside. Eating is done at tables set up inside. At the end of the day  the sidewalk in front of the restaurant and the floors inside are scrubbed down. Chopping blocks are set directly on the ground where cooks sit and chop meat and veggies. Dishes are washed in plastic or metal tubs placed on the ground. After the dishes are washed they they are placed in plastic baskets on the ground to be dried.

Construction in front of above restaurant. This huge generator is being lifted. Notice that the crane is dangling over the wires. We did not stick around to see the outcome.

 This is the first we have seen this barber shop on our route to the office. Notice how clever the Khmer are. To the left is a mirror hanging from the tree so customers can see the back of their hair. A mirror is set up in front so customers can watch the barber cut their hair. Add a comfy adjustable chair, a tarp roof for shade, hair products, razors, scissors, combs, brushes and a talented barber and you have yourself a business.

A few fruits and vegetables to transport to the market on a moto.

Look closely at the truck beyond the moto driver in the pink jacket. You are looking at stacked bicycles. Notice the guys sitting on the top.







In our last blog I told you about our Zone Conference. We just received our group photo.

Front row: Elder and Sister Kohl, Sister and Elder Capener, Elder and Sister Tuck, Elder and Sister Wilson President and Sister Moon Elder and Sister Meier Elder and Sister Rhyne. Next two rows: ?

And finally...

Sleep comfort bed!

Wonder what his number is?







We are looking forward to another great week of fun in the sun. Love to all.

hack,Hack, HACK...

Hello Family and Friends,
The heat is here but the rain is not. The road construction crew are making their way down the block. They have covered about a quarter of a mile of road headed in the direction of our apartment. At the same time this is happening another road crew is tearing up the road directly in front of the church building where we work. The dust is incredible. Dale's asthma is in full swing. He now must take the highest dose of his medications. He hates taking so much. He broke down Friday and wore a face mask on our walk to work. The dust might not be as thick if they would asphalt the  road surface as the work progresses along its route.  Some shop owners attempt to make the air better by hosing the ground in front of their businesses. Unfortunately this replaces the dust with mud. I tip toe through it to avoid mud spatters on the backs of my legs.

It has been a fairly uneventful week. Monday we did have the Kohls visit us at our office. It was fun to take a break and talk about how their mission is going and what their adventures since arriving here have been. They are like us in that they use tuk tuks. They have access to a van and a driver when they travel to the Provinces. They walk a lot. They chose to walk to our building. It takes almost an hour to walk from their place to where we work. They are getting that Cambodia baked look on their faces and arms. When they left our office they said they were going to stop at USA Doughnut. They are doing great in Cambodia. We really enjoy having them here.

Wednesday we attended Zone Conference all day. The Kohls, the Rhynes, the Capeners, the Tucks and us were the Senior couples that attended. The other Senior couples attended Zone Conference on Tuesday. It was nice to meet together. Elder and Sister Wilson from the Area Presidency came to train us. They did a great job. President Moon and Sister Moon also addressed us. We were given a clean Book of Mormon to begin reading and marking with 5 colors. As we read and come upon the gospel principles faith, repentance, baptism and making and keeping covenants, the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end we are to use one of the 5 colors to represent each. I have not begun doing this yet but intend to. We also are to pray to know what we need to improve upon in our lives and then record what it is and what we will do to succeed. I also "intend" to do this. My life is paved with good intentions. I just had an ah-ha moment. I think I have a procrastination problem. I  better write that one down on my "need to improve" list. I intend to do this when I finish this blog!

Thursday to avoid some of the dust we took a different route home. We came upon some children trying to pick mangoes from a tree. The tree is very tall and the children are very short.  Dale decided to help.

The tool of choice is a oval basket about the size of a Nerf football attached to the end of a very long skinny pole. The basket is enclosed except for a small opening on one side just large enough for a mango to slip in. The basket is slipped over the fruit. With a downward tug the fruit is picked from the tree and is caged in the basket. Now all that is necessary to do is lower the pole and remove the mango.

It sounds simple but it took a few tries before the mission was accomplished. All eyes were on Dale. He was not going to let a fruit get the best of him. Once he picked one he was determined to give it another try.

He made this little girl very, very happy.







Mok Sarorng, one of our PEF students gave us two free doughnut coupons to Brew House. After Dale performed his heroics in picking mangoes we stopped to get our free donuts. The Brew House deli menu looked good so we ordered sandwiches too. Yeh! I didn't have to cook dinner. I didn't have to wash dishes and soak them in bleach either. Oh happy day for me!

Friday morning my hairdryer died just as I was finishing. It scared me and I quickly unplugged it from the wall. There was a high pitched whir sound and smoky smell.  This event determined part of what we would be doing with our day. When I allow my hair to air dry the outcome is 60's Hippie hair. We also needed to take our passports to the mission home. Our visas need to be renewed by April. This is one thing I do not want to have screwed up. I intend to come home in six months. About 3:30 Friday afternoon we called for a tuk tuk . We went to the mission home and dropped off our passports. After visiting Elder Westover for a few minutes we rode the tuk tuk to Paragon (name of store) to buy a hairdryer. I purchased the same dryer as the one that broke. The first one lasted one year. The new one only needs to last 6 months. From Paragon we went to the IBC store to buy computer paper. We were near Lucky Burger so we paid our tuk tuk driver and told him we would walk home. He left and we crossed the street to get dinner. The Lucky grocery store is next door to Lucky Burger so we stopped there to picked up a few things. It was my "lucky" evening. Lucky grocery had stocked their shelf with Green Giant three bean salad. We purchased six cans. Between canned beans salad , two reams of computer paper, a hairdryer and a few other grocery items our load to carry home was hefty. I didn't care because for a second night this week I didn't have to cook or clean dishes! We were pretty sweaty by the time we arrived at our apartment.

The good news for the evening  was no cooking and washing dishes. The bad news is that it was laundry night. One of the machines I used decided to be difficult. As a result I rewashed a few things by hand. It was back to "LOUNDRY" again.

Friday evening the road crew outside our work place set up a camp. They created a lean to by using the trees and the church fence to attach their tarps. The church fence also serves as a clothes line and tool rack. This would not happen in the USA.

Saturday morning when we walked by the camp at 6:15 in the morning the workers were waking up and preparing for a new day. Some were dressed and a few were in their boxer briefs smoking cigarettes and preparing their breakfasts. We were surprised to see them cooking with a propane stove. We usually see open fire cooking. Some workers slept in hammocks and others on the ground. Basically a small work crew village has settled outside our workplace. We saw no portable potties so we are not sure exactly what they are using. Having walked the streets of Phnom Penh for about a year I really do not want to know their plan.  I personally would avoid spreading out a blanket to have a picnic on the lawn outside our building fence though.  The church is gated and guarded so using the church building facilities is not happening.  Their was lots of water off to the side of their tent. I figure they have rigged up some kind of hose for showers,etc.

We caught this guy hard at work. He has it pretty good. The cab seat actually has some padding and it's roof is relief from the sun. Yeah, there is some relief but it is still HOT even in the shade. If  I had to be exposed to the heat all day I would sleep too. It's called slow cooking.



Saturday we left work about 1:00. The temperature outside was heating up. I chose to stay in the apartment and just rest. Dale went up on the roof and took a dip in the pool . He wasn't gone very long. In Cambodia you can get cooked in the sun pretty fast. He said there were people under the canopied area near the pool but no one was sitting out directly in the sun. We stayed in our apartment the remainder of the day. It is just too hot and dusty to be outside for any length of time.

Sunday we attended Tuol Tom Pong Branch. It was fun to meet with some of the young people there. We had a few people help us understand what was being said. Today I did not know what the Relief Society lesson was so I was pretty much lost during class. It was OK. I asked to know what the lesson schedule was. I think I need to always take my Conference issue of the Ensign with me. Every once in awhile they take a lesson from there. I never really know when though. I will probably get this figured out in August. Then it will be time to go home.

I had a twinge of home sickness today while standing next to Kloth Chan Pisey, one of our PEF students. She was holding this really cute 4 month old baby girl. The baby reached for my hand and grasped onto my little finger. She had a good grip. I felt a little twinge of yearning to hug my kids and grand kids. I know that we are supposed to be here in Cambodia and we are grateful to be able to serve this mission. We are being blessed and we hope we are helping people here in Cambodia receive blessings also. Eighteen months really is a very short period of time to serve. I am grateful that we are able to do this. I am also grateful to know that we have family and friends to return home to in less than a year. It is all very good.

hack, Hack, HACK... Have a great week. "What the hack we will too."