Sewer Boots are in...

Hello faithful followers,
This past week was crunch time at the South District Center where our office is. Members were every where doing last minute touch up painting, etc. in preparation for Elder Oaks visit. Elder and Sister James and Elder and Sister Rhynes had active parts in the coming event. Elder And Sister James took photographers around Phnom Penh to shoot footage of  the area. The photographers used the 14th floor of our apartment to get some good shots of the area. They lucked out with sunshine because our days are routinely visited by rain storms. Elder and Sister Rhynes made welcome goody baskets for all the out of country visitors. I believe they assembled 6 baskets. The Rhynes were also in charge of ordering flowers for the Chapel. There efforts paid off. The Chapel was beautiful. The meeting was well attended. The young Elders took a head count. There were 1022 people at the meeting. It lasted from 4:30-6:00. The Cambodian members were told that in order to have a Temple in Cambodia the Saints need to commit to paying their tithing. Sister Oaks shared that she was a convert to the church and when she was first taught about tithing it was as if she had mud covering her eyes. With time she understood the importance of the principle of tithing. As she lived this principle she received the promised blessings. Elder Oaks taught the people of living righteously and avoiding situations that would cause them to stumble. The topic of the importance of the family was addressed. Other speakers spoke on the importance of husbands and wives loving each other and setting the proper examples for their sons and daughters. When their children marry they will respect their spouses and children. The choir was wonderful. One of the young Elders played the violin to accompany them.

This week was vacation time for many in Cambodia because of the Kings Birthday. We worked most of the week but decided since no one was coming in to see us we would take half a day to do some touring. We got a tuk tuk at 7:30 in the morning. The Rhynes went with us.We chose to go to The Choeung Ek Genocidal Center better known as "the killing fields.

This is the Memorial Stupa where the remains of the Choeung Ek's victims are reverently preserved.
The Stupa contains skulls, bones, teeth, and clothing  of the victims found in the killing fields. These remains are on shelves enclosed in glass. One shelf has all clothing, one all skulls, and it continues on each level in this manner. The entire Stupa is filled.
From our ticket: Choueng Ek Genocidao Center is an unique and special place which reflects the most barbarous cruel crime committed by the Ultra Communist Khmer Rouge Regime during 1975-1979. Here about 20,000 people including foreigners were executed and murdered. Obviously, 129 mass graves and about 8,000 human skulls at the site bear testimony to this unspeakable crime.  In order to remember the spirits of victims at the site and as well as over 3 million victims throughout the country, a Memorial Charnel was built in the center in 1988.

The audio tour is well done. We were able to hear the testimony of many people who witnessed these crimes first hand. We also heard testimonies from some who discovered these mass graves. One man was planting potatoes and as he was digging the soil to his horror he discovered one of the graves. There are several areas where remains have not been unearthed. Because of the rains in this area the soil is constantly giving up remains. On the path we were walking it had rained and I looked down and saw teeth that had been uncovered. We were told to expect such things and to respect the dead and leave them lay where they are. We were given a map of the grave sites which are spread throughout the provinces of Cambodia. This area where we walked is a major mass grave site, but not the only one.

 We said farewell to Elder and Sister Snyder who served as the office couple for 23 months. Elder Snyder is in the top photo and Sister Snyder is the sister on the right in the bottom photo. What great people. They were our connection with Cambodia when we first received our calling. They sent us the 101 most asked questions from senior couples anticipating living in Cambodia. They set up our Skype appointments with President and Sister Smedly. They found our apartment for us. They took us shopping for groceries and household goods when we first arrived here. They took us to several restaurants so we would know safe places to eat. They took us for our first tuk tuk ride and helped us understand how to bargain with the driver. We also were taught how much and when to tip people. They helped us understand khmae money. (Dale does anyway.) They showed us where to get shoes repaired, where "home depot" is, where the hospital is and the Bank of Canada ATM. Elder Snyder after hearing that I wished I had a compass and pocket khmae language book surprised me with both. They also kept us informed of all the current events that we were suppose to know about. They took us many places until we felt comfortable to go solo. We will be forever grateful.

Thursday and Friday this week we taught our second Career Work Shop for missionaries getting ready to go home. In fact these Elders were flying out Friday evening. I do the introduction to the Workshop and Dale does all the rest. He does a really good job and the missionaries report they learn lots and feel it is beneficial.(Elder Sanford, Elder Nebeker, Elder Vanfleet, Elder Nicosia, Elder Frank Elder Meier and Sister Meier)
Elder Vanfleet is from Cedar City, Utah. His mother is khame and lived through the Pol Pot Regime. Her story is recorded is in the book "Out of  the Killing Fields into the Light". When her son was called to Cambodia she was really worried because of her memories. Elder Vanfleet said he was shocked because he didn't even know there was a mission in Cambodia. His mission has been a blessing to him and his family. His family is in Cambodia right now. They chose to pick their son up in the mission field and tour Cambodia. Sister Vanfleet still has relatives here. We saw Elder Vanfleet in action in the Provinces. He dug dirt side by side with the khmae and did several other service projects. He is a great guy. Career Workshop is a highlight of our mission. Is so fun to work with people so full of life. A great two days this week.

What would our week be like without the rainy day experience. We were actually in Elder James' car. His car stalled and as these cars went by we could feel the car begin to float.

 Five boys came to our rescue and pushed us to higher ground. Elder James gave our heroes $5. They were so excited.

When Elder James tried to start his car he blew great puffs of exhaust into the face of the tuk tuk driver positioned directly behind us. He didn't seem to mind. I guess it is all in a day in Cambodia.

Saturday we visited Wat Phnom well known for monkeys. We thought we'd get some fun photos to share.

This is what we found....OO..EE..OO!

Cambodia...Cambodia...Cambodia...I'll let the photos do the talking.

These are called "sewer boots". Dale and I purchased them from our local market. It is not appropriate to share with you what went floating by me the other day when walking home in the rain.  I was highly motivated to make this fashion statement after my close encounter of the grossest kind.

Where we will go after dinner at Gasolina.

As we speak with the people here we each speak the "phrases" we learn in the respective languages. Tonight I said good night to the guard at our apartment. He in turn replied back "good night Madame and have sweet dreams". So until next week may you also "have sweet dreams".

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up...

The streets become rivers when it rains. These photos were taken from our tuk tuk. In an hours time the water is flowing into store fronts. The children love to play in it. It is like when it snows in the states and the kids take over. The temperature cools and after an hour or two the rain stops and the streets begin to drain. The pattern seems to be, clouds rolling in about 3 in the afternoon with lightening and thunder. At about 3:30 - 4:00 the wind starts up and the clouds dump rain.  As we passed gas stations all the motorcyclists were waiting out the storm under the covered area. People ran into whatever shop they could find for shelter. Everyone just waits. Of course there are people who "just can't wait" and they are the ones that after the storms you seem them smashed up against a barrier. Just like when we have ice storms or snow storms in the states and are advised to go out only if you absolutely have to. Rain protection in usually a thin poncho like the disposable kind that can be purchased as emergency gear for a buck. As far as color choice...they really don't care. We see lots of guys wearing pink.

It rained one evening when we had to go to the mission home. We usually walk, but chose to stay dry. Our tuk tuk was completely enclosed with these tarp wall.  A bit of air came through which I was grateful for.

Standing on the streets of Phnom Penh  in the rain.

Dale was on the hunt for a bike pump,and a replacement rod to adjust his bike seat. With the help of our tuk tuk driver Sam Ol his mission was accomplished. Got his bike ready to go...oh no a flat tire! The tube valve was broken. Walking to work we approached a street vendor that services motor cycle and bicycle tires. Dale bought a valve for $1. It was a rip off, but supply, demand and convenience won over Mister Thrifty. He calculated what it would cost to hire a tuk tuk to go back to the bike place pictured to the left. One dollar is pretty good when factoring in that option.

On Monday of this week we went to dinner at Elder and Sister Tuck's home in Ta Khmau. It is a distance from most of the other branches in Phnom Penh. The Tuck's originally were living in our apartment. We were able to rent our place because they moved closer to the members they serve. They are renting a huge place. It has 5 nice bathrooms. Very western in style. I believe there were 3 or 4 bedrooms, a study, a huge kitchen and formal dining room, a laundry room, a full outdoor kitchen and patio for BBQ entertaining, a huge food storage area....it is pretty amazing. They feed the missionaries serving in the area once a week. I believe she said she feeds 4 sets of missionaries. Sister Tuck enjoys cooking and entertaining. She also has many hobbies and the responsibilities that come with their home suit her wonderfully. She is responsible to keep the plants alive of which their are many hanging baskets and potted plants around the property. They have a fish pond which they are required to buy fish food and feed the fish. They were also required to purchase a Cambodian Flag and have been asked to fly it during the holidays.  It is flying most of the time because it seems every other week there is some kind of holiday. This week is the Kings birthday. We have to put PEF loan approvals on hold while everyone takes the days off. It can be frustrating when we have deadlines to meet. Nothing can be done without approval from a committee. The committee is unavailable. Or as the operator on the telephone said, " Sorry the number you are trying to call is 'unawailable' at this time".

Pictured above is Sister Tuck, in the blue shirt. Next to her is Sister Rhyne and Elder Rhyne. Elder Rhyne was mission president in Russia about four years ago. The Rhynes are over the Family History program in all of Cambodia. Next to them is Sister and Elder James. They do public affairs. This is a new position in Cambodia so they are inventing their calling as they learn about the country. Sister James has visited one of the orphanages in the area. It was established and is managed by two LDS sisters who lived through the Pol Pot Era. Dale has been helping the James' with their laptops. The "blue screen of death" has threatened them several times. Next at the table is Sister and Elder Westover. They are replacing the office couple. They make sure our visas are current, keep track of missionaries, find missionaries homes, help purchase furniture for our homes, make sure our rent is paid on time, keep us up to date on calendaring events and much, much more. Dale is on the end. I am behind the camera and Elder Tuck walked out of the room. We had a wonderful dinner. Even when the power went out the company was great.We ate by flashlight and drank plenty of water to replace the fluids that were pouring out of us due to the lack of power to the fans and air conditioners. It was refreshing to walk outside and board the van for home.

We attended a Young Single Adult Conference this week. These young adults are ages 18-30. We were able to meet with several of our PEF students. It was great. There were spiritual moments and just fun times too. Above shows one of the games they played. They had to keep a balloon between their heads. They were given commands like jump, move in a circle clockwise, move in a circle counter clockwise, dance,etc. If the balloon came dislodged from between them they could catch it with their heads and continue on. If the balloon hit the ground they were disqualified. When it was down to 3 couples they had a bump your opponents elimination where the couples would move towards their opponent and bump them with their hip, etc. until there was one couple still standing. It was quite clever and funny. They were pretty good and it lasted for some time. Tough competition.

Food was prepared for about 300 people. As you can see getting the prepared is not up to USA code, but it smelled good while it was cooking. What would outdoor cooking be without  flies?  Dale and I had water, pop and a roll. Before I could say anything a Sister put a bowl of curry in my hand. I dipped my roll in it and ate some. It tasted good, but I was worried. I only ate a little. I really don't want to get seriously sick on this mission. My one consoling thought is that the food was brought to a hot temperature.

Outdoor cooking at its best. Oh the days of dutch ovens and reflector ovens! Where is the brown paper bag, slice of bacon, egg and a stick when you need them? Cambodia is hot...try standing around this big pot in the middle of the day. HOT! HOT! HOT!

Everyone was so happy working together.

Many of our PEF students from Kampong Cham are in the above picture. We have visited their province twice. They are young and amazing. The members here hold several callings + attend school + have jobs + take care of family members. 

The Young Single Adults love to sing and dance. I got in on the dancing. They hired professional singers to sing and play dance music, but quite a bit of the night the members had the mike in hand and everyone was dancing to them. A lot of the dancing is just as groups. Girls with girls, girls with guys, guys with guys, and what ever other combination there might be. They came to have fun and they made it happen.

Mixing up the dancing partners I have no problem with. What I didn't think was so great was the men/women bathroom. Sitting on the stool looking down and seeing guy feet in the stall next to me was alarming. Waiting in line for my turn to wash my hands with guys and girls in the same bathroom was as my grandson Owen would say, "awkward". But then again.... it's Cambodia. 

There has been lots of painting and fixing up of the church buildings in Phnom Penh.  I believe three General Authorities are scheduled to visit and train the members in Phnom Penh next week end. The members are very excited to have them visit Cambodia. Elder Oakes will be one of the visiting General Authorities. He has done a lot in Cambodia in the past. Maybe Cambodia will be in the Church News or Ensign soon.

I began with rain and I will end with rain. 

This is the parking lot of the building our office is in. 

We want to share this news with you. Our daughter and husband are wanting to adopt another child. If you know of any birth parents looking for a loving family please direct them to their blog.  Hoping to Adopt: Adoption is a miracle from God's arms to your ams to ours.

adoptionslovestuartandjenni1.blogspot.com 

Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers and mothers to be. And to everyone have a wonderful week.

"After this next big Lexus go!"

Once again I sit at the computer to record for family and friends and for memory sake the events of our doings in Cambodia. I believe we are beginning to "be one" with Cambodia. We have become part of our neighborhood. As we walk to the office there are people that we greet and they greet us with a cheery "hello" and "have a good day".  There are people that at one time would try to persuade us to use their tuk tuks. Now they stay nestled in their tuk tuks either napping or greeting us in khmae,"We know, you walk". There are certain events that happen like clock work. We awake each morning to the sound of the garbage collector squeaker (similar to a rubber ducky). When we leave our  apartment there is always a gathering of people at the In and Out store (similar to 7 Eleven with no gas station). Just a few feet from the entrance to our apartment garage is a mobile food stand that serves breakfast to the same people day in and day out. We pass an elementary school and hear children playing and the daily announcements being broadcast over a loud speaker. Motorcycles, cars, tuk tuks, bikes, carts and pedestrians weave in and out and round about each other all working towards their final destinations.The intersection just before we get to our office seems to be the whirlpool where everyone converges. Dale usually surveys the situation and calls out the plan... "after this next big Lexus go!".  At this cross road there are usually five or more police officers. Occasionally they will stand in the center of  traffic and blow their whistles and use their hands to orchestrate a great traffic dance which moves us all forward and to where we want to be on time and unscathed. Every day we are greeted at the Church gate by the gatekeeper. He and Dale joke with each other and we are on our way into the building, up the stairs, through the gymnasium, down the musty, humid hall and into our office. Once we enter Dale clicks the power button to the air conditioner remote. We power up the computers and begin our day. About one o'clock we take a break and while the khmae are eating their rice and noodles somewhere on the streets of Phnom Penh we sit in our air conditioned office downing PBJ sandwiches, apples and water. What a life! 

This past Monday the Senior couples held FHE together. As we left Elder and Sister Snyder's apartment I was able to get my khmae photo of the week:

Yes, this is the hole that the apartment dwellers can toss their garbage down. It is lovely, convenient and the instructions for its use are clear. At our apartment we have to use the dumpsters in the garage. Perhaps some day we too will get a Trash Hole. We can only hope.

This week we visited the mission office to turn in our expense report for our trip to the provinces. We also had planned to pick up a bicycle left behind by  Elder Ellingson's. (We replaced the Ellingson's as the PEF missionaries). We were told the bike needed some tender loving care. Dale is the perfect person to nurture an old bike back to good health.

It's a beauty don't you think? The basket is a feature that in Cambodia is a must. Also the bell will get Dale through rush hour traffic in record time. There are only a few problems. The back tire is flat. The chain is rusty. The kick stand plops down if you run over the slightest bump. Mechanic Dale to the rescue. We went to the local Cambodia Home Depot...a hole in the wall...lots of different types of holes here in Cambodia. He bought a wrench and was eager to get his new project completed. While adjusting the bike seat the seat bolt broke off. I believe the bolts are made in the same factory where my mop, bunny broom and duct tape were produced. If it looks like a bolt it must be a bolt..or perhaps only a bolt wanna be. Same with the bike tire pump...it looks like a pump. If you just want to look good it works great. Now we have a dead bike in our apartment garage. Where is a Bike Trash Hole when you need one? I don't think Dale has given up yet...after all the bike was for free and we haven't spent the usual $$$ it costs when we get free bees. 

 

This is the front door to the mission home and office. I am not sure if it was transfer day or a conference day  The missionaries from all over were congregating in the foyer. Shoes are on the stairway and bikes are parked outside.

There were bikes parked in every nook and cranny. This is only one grouping of several bikes.

When we went to pick up Dale's dream bike we had been given keys to unlock it. Like everything else, the key did not work. We had some young workers at the mission home cut the chain. We were sorry to have to destroy what appeared to be a fairly decent chain and lock. The day was extremely hot and these poor guys were really sweating as they took pliers and an ax to hack and twist the chain until Dale's bike was finally freed.

This is a big transition time for Senior missionaries in our area. The office couple leave this month. They are Elder and Sister Snyder. They have helped us get settled into our calling. They have been absolutely wonderful. Elder Snyder served in the military during the Vietnam War. They are touring Vietnam this week. The Snyder's are very important to all of us as they make sure our visas are up to date. They secure housing for us, and make sure our rent is paid. They keep our calendars up to date. They make sure new Senior couples are greeted at the airport and are well cared for when they begin their mission. Their calling is for 23 months. Their replacements are Elder and Sister Westover. The Snyder's trained the Westovers for about a week prior to leaving for Vietnam. The Westover's did their first solo day Saturday. We are all impressed with Elder Westover's driving skills on the crazy streets of Phnom Penh. He and Sister Westover have worked hard to learn khmae and are doing great. Saturday morning Elder and Sister Jones from Rigby Idaho flew into Phnom Penh (pictured above). They will be serving in Vietnam. The church can not proselyte in Vietnam. The Jones' will not be allowed to wear their name tags.They are member leader support under the umbrella of charities. They requested a difficult mission when they applied. They got what they requested. Just a warning to family and friends that plan to serve future missions. 

 

This week I finally ordered a coconut drink. I have learned that"it looks cool" to drink from a coconut, but I really do not like coconut milk. This is the first and last coconut I will be drinking in Cambodia. Please note I love coconut meat and things made from coconut milk. 

 

We went to Kean Svay Branch today. We visit three branches. Kean Svay is our branch that is the furthest from our home. It takes over 30 minutes by tuk tuk to get there. The branch members are great. Two young girls were baptized after the three hour block meetings. After the baptisms we went to the Elder's home to do their monthly inspection. 

Today was fast Sunday. Dale bore his testimony in khmae. He did well. I spoke in khmae to members before the meeting began. People are very kind as I attempt to communicate. I keep listening and studying and praying that I will have a break through in my understanding and speaking. During the week we are not  exposed to the language as we would like to be. It is pretty much Dale and I together. We do have students come in. Many speak broken English and we likewise speak broken khmae. As a result our sentence structure is weak.

Dale shared with me that in Priesthood today a discussion arose concerning Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;..

The discussion arose concerning the fact that some people have never experienced snow. It was brought up that in Africa instead of   "as white as snow" it was "as white as the inside of a coconut". It works!

Have a wonderful week.

Candy is slippery...

Hello family and friends,

This has been a very busy week. We phone called several of our  PEF students to check on how they were doing and to schedule graduation and transition interviews for some. We were in training meetings a couple of days this week with Elder and Sister Kelly who are the Area PEF Coordinators.  They visited us from Hong Kong. Their home is in Provo, Utah. We also traveled to one of the Provinces, Kampong Cham. You might recall that we visited there about a month ago to meet with our PEF students. This week's trip was primarily for a PEF fireside to educate prospective PEF students and their families about the PEF program. The fireside was Thursday evening. A fair amount of people were in attendance. They had a much better turn out of people than the fireside in Phnom Penh the week before. The reason for this was that the publicity for the fireside in Kampong Cham was better. The firesides are set up by the priesthood in the various areas. We do not have much say in the when and where that they happen. We may be given greater responsibility over the firesides in the future. We shall see. That old cliche "it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks" fits here.
I wanted to share some of this weeks "khmae" discoveries that made me smile.

 Caution: Candy is slippery and can cause choking.

Dale got a little goody package from President Smedley and Sister Smedley for his birthday and these little morsels were among the wonderful treats that can be purchased here. They come in chocolate, melon, vanilla and a number of other flavors. They are a cross between a hard candy and a chewy candy. Not quite tootsie roll soft.

Soft Soap Safedoctor: Green and non-phosphor

Healthy Care

Healthy hand wash-lotion

Refreshing and clean type

We stayed at Elder and Sister Shelley's house in Kampong Cham. They live in a large home. They have an extra bedroom and bathroom. Last time we were in Kampong Cham we stayed at our "Viva LasVegas" suite. The bathroom was my first experience with a shower that was not semi contained.We removed the toilet paper to be safe that it would not end up a ball of mush.

As you can see the shower is in the center of the room between the toilet and the sink. The drain is in a corner of the room next to the bathroom entrance. It was pretty well soaked after each of my showers. I was amazed how quickly it would dry. We did squeegee the floor after we used it. I can see why return missionaries to the states would like this set up. When it is time to clean the bathroom you simply blast it with water and walk away.

This is Elder and Sister Shelley.  They have been serving in Kampong Cham for about 9 months. They are the only missionary couple in this area and have many responsibilities. Their calling is member leader support. This means they do counseling with our PEF students, work with members on genealogy, train the leadership on how to conduct meetings, how to teach, how to hold interviews,etc. They also teach English classes for the church members as well as in some of the schools in their area.They have worked side by side with members in the rice paddies, also planting bean gardens, helped construct some basic buildings and have other projects in the works. Sister Shelley has been compiling music for the primary children because at the present time the children here do not have too many of the primary songs to sing. Sister Shelley is also the church nurse for the members in Cambodia. This means she checks situations when missionaries get sick and attends to members that may need to go to the hospital, etc.) They have been very kind to us and helpful and we truly appreciate their goodness.

This cow was grazing on the neighbor's property next to the home of one of our PEF Students. I was really happy to get this picture. Most of  my cow pictures have been taken as the car has rapidly passed them by. Most of those pictures were of cow rears or cows with no heads. 

These boys live near the river. We stopped the car and asked if we could take their picture from our car window. They are carrying rice. This day was very hot. Remember last week I said the hot season has arrived. It has with a vengeance. Evenings and mornings are still pleasant, but as the day progresses it gets quite draining. I have never sweated like this in my entire life. I think about the many people that do not have the luxury of  air condition and showers. The homes we visited in Kampong Cham were very primitive to our standards. They have collection barrels to gather water and they cook outside. My legs were exposed to some sort of insect that left purple blotches all over me. I counted 19 spots. These people are exposed to this day in and day out. Many do not have bathrooms but use the bushes for privacy.

 This house is a very nice house for this area. Homes are grouped together similar to our subdivisions. You will pass several homes that are built pretty much the same as each other. There are many homes that are very small and have minimal protection from the elements. Often the front of the home will also serve as a place of business.  

This is the side yard to the neighbor of one of our PEF Students. We were waiting for her to come home from work. The picture of my cow shows it grazing on a patch of grass. Most of the land that the people live on is pretty barren. The church is starting a garden program in Cambodia. The trick is to get water to the gardens in the dry season and to prevent the gardens from being washed away in the wet season. I do know that some planting is done in containers. We drove by the young missionaries and they were working on one of those projects. They were using hand shovels to fill shallow baskets with dirt to carry and dump into another area. Farming is still primitive in this country.

Before we headed back to Phnom Penh we had lunch with some of the Seminary teachers serving in Kampong Cham. This is a "real" khmae restaurant. I prayed for my well being and still am on pins and needles whether I will get sick this week. They boiled the water and served it in little coffee pots. I did not drink the water, but did let the ice melt in my glass and drank that. I read if the ice has a hole down the center it is probably safe. The ice was that type. As I was waiting for the food the sisters at the table started wiping their dishes off with napkins. That sent a red flag up for me. I decided I would do as the natives did so I wiped down Dale's and my plates, silverware, etc. I figured if they were doing it I would not offend them if I copied. So far so good with a stable digestive track.

This was dinner with Elder and Sister Kelley, Kim Sang who is a Branch President and also the Service Center Manager and Bernard who also serves in Hong Kong. We are at a Vietnamese Restaurant. It was very nice and the atmosphere was fun. I bet you think all we do is eat. Not true. It is just that I always take pictures of us eating.

This is what we really do. As the men were working to learn the PEF software Sister Kelly and I got a chuckle out of these guys all grouped around the computer. I actually took a series of photos that Sister Kelly wants to use for a report about what was accomplished during their visit to Cambodia. Everyone is learning together to make this program succeed .

I have to add the cuteness of our mission to this blog. We had just left the church building. This is a family in one of the branches in our area. We were riding in our tuk tuk and I noticed them behind us so snapped the photo. Their little girl is so sweet. Some day she will be all grown up and driving her own motorcycle. It is so interesting to see girls and women driving around in evening attire, heels,suits, etc.on their motorcycles. If a woman is a passenger on a motorcycle she usually sits side saddle instead of straddling the bike. They usually just sit holding on to absolutely nothing. 

Motorcycles need gasoline and this is usually the fill up station for them. The tuk tuks use this method quite frequently. In Phnom Penh gas costs $6 dollars a gallon at gas stations similar to stations in the United States. If you value your vehicle you go to them. Gas from a Pepsi bottle I have been told often is watered down. But it is the gas of choice for many. There are these fill up stops all over.

American Idol International School

Need I say more?

Today was South District Conference. We went to a building we had never been to before. It is about 3 miles away. By tuk tuk it took about 30 minutes travel time. Had we not gone we would've never discovered the American Idol International School. What a blessing!! To walk that far in the busy traffic, heat, and terrible sidewalks, and streets it would've taken an hour or more. No one would have wanted to sit by us either, "WHEW". This picture is outside the building. The building was constructed by the church and is very beautiful. The tuk tuk in the photo is waiting for us. It cost us $9 round trip. President and Sister Smedley leave June 28th and the new mission president takes over.  The District Conferences scheduled now are the Smedley's final ones with the Saints in Cambodia. Sister Smedley gave a very sweet talk today and spoke of her love for the people in Cambodia. She is a very good person. President Smedley gave a great talk on repentance. I know they worry for those they have worked so hard to help. They want them to stay firm in the faith they have embraced. Lives have been changed and improved. Families have been strengthened. I know they have hope that those they leave will continue to be blessed and happy. The church is in its infancy here. The goal is to have a temple in Cambodia. Elder and Sister Rhyne were in the MTC with us. There focus is genealogy. In the short time they have been here they have broken records on the number of people using the genealogy libraries in Phnom Penh. The work is moving forward. The church is here to stay and it will grow and lives will continue to improve. Dale and I are grateful to be a part of this great work.

This is in the Service Center of our Church

( a touch of khmae)

King James Version is:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:

not as the world giveth, give I unto you. 

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Have a great week.

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