Thumbs up to a better week!

Family and friends,
As I was sweeping our little apartment I looked at the handle on my dust pan and thought about what I would report this week in our blog. I would like to report:

"Thumbs up to a better week."
Question: What made it a better week?
Answer: Attitude. We accentuated the positive.





Monday was business as usual at work. That evening we took a ride in a tuk tuk to Family Home Evening at Elder and Sister Westover's home. Elder and Sister Tuck reported on their Temple adventure trip to Manila. Their group consisted of twelve members. At least one family was sealed together. The Tucks reported that the Temple experience itself was great. The difficulties were mainly with passports. The members had all the proper paperwork that the Cambodian government distributes. Apparently there are some people in Vietnam and the Philippines that are prejudice toward the Cambodian people and took joy in harassing them.With the Lord's help no one was left behind and the work that they had gone to do at the temple was accomplished. The Tucks were glad to have had the experience but were relieved when every one was safely home again.

What is Family Home Evening without treats? Sister Westover baked cookie crust and we gathered around the table to assemble fruit pizza. Yummy.

We had whip cream and cream cheese blended together to be used as pizza sauce. Besides the yummy spread we used cherries, kiwi, peaches, bananas, and pineapple.

We were supposed to work as a team with two couples preparing a team crust. I think few of us got in on the groove of the activity. Like the "Little Red Hen" when the pizzas were ready the question was, "Who will help us eat these pizzas?" "I will said Elder and Sister..."I will said Elder and Sister..." And we all did.

This is the creative work of Elder and Sister Kohls.
The other two pizzas were eaten before we got smart and snapped a photo of the finished products. I can tell you that the pizza made by Elder and Sister Johnson was very beautiful. A photo of their pizza would have made it into any cuisine cookbook or magazine. I did not want to take over the job of assembling our pizza by myself so I spread half the pizza spread and called Dale over to also help spread. He added lines to look like a football. We invited Elder James to help us. After he had licked all the whip cream spoons he dumped cherries in the middle of our pizza. ( He likes cherries.) I then added bananas, peaches, pineapple and kiwi around the edges. Our pizza reminded me of some of the cub scout projects my scouts would create. Sister Westover awarded our creations. Ours was claimed as the pizza with the most cherries, Elder and Sister Johnson's team's claimed the most appetizing and the Kohls team was the pizza with a personality.

Standing:
Sister Westover visiting with Elder Tuck.
Seated Center:
Sister James visiting with Sister Capener
Seated Back to Camera:
Elder Capener

The TV is displaying the temple trip.

Standing in Circle to the left of photo:
Elder James, Elder Kohls (back) and Sister Kohls







Tuesday was a normal day. As you know I like to periodically check out what is happening in the community outside our office window. The following photos are taken at the same place. It gives you some more insight into what all takes place in the same section of alleyway. The alley is definitely an extension of the home.

Eating breakfast. Pajamas is a regular outfit that many Khmer wear on the streets and when shopping at the markets. When visiting in the Provinces I have seen the women wear them to church also.

This is the same spot. Food preparation time. And washing dishes.

Cooking fish.

Taking a break to visit with neighbors and enjoy some playtime with the baby.







Wednesday we returned to Room Chang Dental to have Dale's permanent crown put on. We arrived shortly before 8 in the morning. Because we were early we had to wait for the dentist to arrive. While we waited Dale practiced taking pictures. He has found a new interest in photography. As you can see from the above pictures our Automatic option does not take that good of pictures. Dale is discovering he can get clearer photos by taking them manually. Using a tripod even works better.  The next photos will show his practice work.

The view out of the window at the dental office into a school parking lot below. We are on the 7th floor of the building. You are looking at lots and lots of motos.

A different angle.

Yet another view.

Statue in the waiting room of Room Chang.

I'm preparing my Institute lesson for Saturday. We were not going to get any work done on this day. After we finished at the dentist we had Zone Conference to attend. That was from 9-3:30. They always cater lunch for these meetings. They ordered Mexican food from the Viva Restaurant. It was nice for a change.


Thursday and Friday were normal days. We had minimal power outages. Dale spent quite a bit of his time  away from our office helping Sophornn and Kuntheavy with their computer problems.

Friday evening I did our laundry. The experience could have been LOTS worse. I ended up using three machines. Machine A did what it was supposed to do. "Victory!" One load successfully completed.  Machine B washed the clothes but would not complete the spin cycle. That is where I used Machine C. Machine C no longer washes clothes but it can spin clothes. I  transferred our sopping wet clothes from Machine B to Machine C pressed the spin button and hoped for the best. Wow, two "Victory" cries in one night! Load number two successfully completed. I actually got the laundry done much earlier than usual. It was a great feeling.

Saturday I taught Institute at 6:30 in the morning. The early morning walk to work was hot. It was an indication that by noon when we left work it would be scorching. After class we worked in our office for a couple of hours. We walked home and then used a tuk tuk to go to the grocery store. Since we did not have to walk home we stocked up on canned goods. Lucky Store got in a shipment of Magic Time canned vegetables. Magic Time is a good product. A can of  Magic Time vegetables is $1.10 in comparison $2.50 or more for other brands. I use the juices from the canned vegetables in soup to make gravy. Nothing goes to waste and yet everything goes to waist.

Sunday Dale was asked to teach the Gospel Doctrine class at the International Branch. He did a great job.

Today at church we met a group of about 10 students from BYU that are here doing service work through August at some of the local Non Governmental Organizations. It was fun to have them at church. People that speak English we can understand!  Their professor has traveled all through Asia. He spoke in Sacrament Meeting today. He said that when he was in high school he met his first Cambodian. He said that some of the students at his school were not kind to this boy. They called him a racist name. The boy just smiled at these students. The professor said that he approached him and asked him if he knew that these students were calling him a bad name. The boy said it was OK because he was free. He explained how he had crawled on his belly through the jungles of Cambodia and eaten bugs and other such things to escape to Thailand. He told him how he watched his family members being killed. He was in America now and this made him happy to be free. The professor said that later in his own life he was called to serve in a branch that consisted of Cambodians, Vietnamese, Laotians and others. He learned through them of their flights to safety. He has worked and served in the Asian countries for about 35 years. After church Dale had a conversation with him. He described some of his feelings concerning the Asian countries. He said if he wants to eat great food he goes to Thailand, if he wants to see beautiful countrysides he goes to ...Dale couldn't remember where... and if he wants to experience craziness he comes to Cambodia. We can vouch for that comment.

President and Sister Moon's daughter and son in law and two granddaughters and newest grandson are visiting Cambodia through May 26. Their grandson was born at Christmas time. The Moon family attended the International Branch Sunday.  President Moon will not be able to do too much visiting with them because in another week two General Authorities and their wives are coming to tour the mission. We also have more new missionaries coming and others leaving. I guess he counts his blessings on the little bit of time he does get to spend with them.

This week should be fun. Tuesday and Wednesday we will be attending a countrywide YSA activity. We hope to meet with many of our students. The activities committee is planning food and activities for 1,000 people. Maybe there will be that many...maybe not. That is a lot of motos in the parking lot!

Practicing time exposure from the roof of our building.

Practice...

Practice...look in the sky to the left. We were on the roof trying to get photos of the lightning storm.

 More practice.






I have nothing more to report...

Dinner anyone?

Put on a happy face.

Dear family and friends,
I am grateful for my daughter's Face Book entry this week. I wish I had read it before my altercation with the apartment staff Saturday afternoon. They removed my clothes from the washing machines. I was on time to get my clothes but they were more on time. My clothes were put into another machine to spin. I allowed this maddening laundry situation to play on my emotions. Counting to 10 would have been wise. Counting to 10 in Khmer would have been even wiser.

The positive to my explosive reaction is that we may get new washing machines. I told the assistant manager that I would not be able to recommend their apartment to the people that replace us if the laundry situation does not change. Our apartment is the smallest of all the Senior Couple apartments. I like it because although dirt and grit is a daily battle at least I only have a small battle field to work with. Many of the couples have several bedrooms and bathrooms to maintain. Our apartment location is a reasonable walk to work. The negative is that we are the only missionaries including the young Sisters and Elders that do not have a private laundry facility. Our laundry situation has been a huge challenge for me ever since we arrived in Cambodia. I am still working on getting out of my gray cloud after my Saturday afternoon confrontation. When in a slump it can be hard to let go. The following advice that Jenni shared is perfect advice for me.

"Don't be gloomy.Do not dwell on unkind things. Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. Even if you are not happy, put a smile on you face. 'Accentuate the positive.' Look a little deeper for the good.  Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart.  Love life." Gordon B. Hinckley

So I am suppose to TWINKLE...my nose is shiny...does that count for anything?

I will take this opportunity to list the positives of our week.
1. We have experienced some rainstorms but have not had to wear our sewer boots. One of my goals is to NEVER wear them!
2. Another good experience was the chance to interview several of our PEF students. These dedicated students are a joy to meet with. Some of them have sad stories to tell but they remain faithful. They are a great example to us. Their humility and acceptance of their lot in life puts us to shame. We appreciate their examples as it motivates us to do better, be better and be more grateful.
3. We attended an engagement ring ceremony on Friday. This was not an arranged partnership. The bride and groom actually found each other and fell in love. It was refreshing to watch them interact with each other. They were loving and tender. We have a good feeling about their future together.
4. The engagement event was in Ta Khamau. Our ride in a tuk tuk to Ta Khamau takes about forty-five minutes. I took advantage of the ride to snap some photos of the people on route.
5. We are pleased that Dale's asthmatic symptoms are lessening.
6. Dale broke his tooth but the positive is that he did not need a root canal. When we were leaving the dental office Dale begged the receptionists to give him a second Room Chang Nike shirt. The dentist gives a shirt to new patients. Dale already received a shirt when he got his first crown. He pestered the receptionist until she gave in. She emphasized that he could not have any more. He now has a white and a black  Room Chang sports shirt. They are nice shirts.
7. One of our PEF students, Hout Buntry, who worked for Grasshopper Adventures, came by our office to give Dale a Cambodia bicycle shirt. It is a used shirt and the zipper on it has a problem, but the shirt is a cool remembrance of Cambodia.
8. There are many mango trees in Cambodia. Several members of the Church have given us mangoes.  Although mangoes are available year round, this is prime mango season. I liken the abundance of mangoes at this time of the year to the abundance of zucchini during summertime back home. We can only eat so many mangoes before they begin to have a tootie fruity effect on us. We have been "re-gifting" some of our bounty.
9. We also received a bag full of green oranges. Dale said it is strange to call an orange an orange when it is green. Green oranges are sweet, but tough to chew and contain large seeds. I discovered that after thoroughly cleaning them, refrigerating them and slicing them we can suck the juice and toss the pulp, rind and seeds. A orange juice squeezer would be a perfect tool.
10. Sunday it was fun to attend Tuol Tom Pong Branch. We were greeted by several young ladies who we had not seen in several weeks. They brought a different kind of sunshine into our day. The "twinkle' in their eyes was uplifting. It was a change I needed.

Now enjoy some of the photos of the week...

Kroch Pursat ( Green Orange)

Dale's broken tooth.
Dale is taking home some pretty cool souvenirs of Cambodia. Two crowns, two Room Chang sports shirts, one pair of glasses and a Cambodia bicycle shirt. Too Cool!

Getting ready to eat Fish 'n Chips at 'Mama's New York Deli'. Mama is walking towards us in this photo.

Sharing the same path on the way home from work with motos, bicycles and pedestrians.






The gold ornamental house to the right in the above photo is called a Spirit House. Because it is often too difficult and expensive to travel to graveyards, these shrines are often erected outside of businesses and homes. Food, play money and other gifts are placed around the shrine as gifts to the dead. Incense is also burnt. I recently read that many businesses and home owners place these houses outside their buildings so that the ancient spirits of the land have a place to live. This will prevent the spirits from bothering the living. Because of the millions of people in Cambodia who died of genocide in the seventies there are many "Spirit Houses."

I stepped aside so the motos could pass by before I took my turn walking the pathway. There are some very narrow areas along our path.

Moto driver going to market. This photo was taken on our trip to Ta Khamau.

A barrier divides the traffic. It is not uncommon for people to travel the wrong way on either side of the barrier.

       
 All loaded up and ready to board.

We were on the road by seven in the morning. Traffic was fairly light.

These young boys sell air fresheners made from small white flowers to passing motorists. Often times parents will send their very young children (age 4) onto the busy streets to knock on car windows to try to get people to buy their goods. These children are some of many that probably do not attend school. Instead they work throughout the day selling. People usually pay them about 25 cents. What is amazing is how these kids run around on the hot concrete bare footed. The skin on their feet is like leather.

Sam OL our tuk tuk driver. He drove us to Ta Khamau on Friday.

Guests at the engagement ceremony of Samat Kimsroy and Leaphy. Kimsroy is a Branch President and also one of our PEF participants.

Samat Kimsroy and his bride, Leaphy. They are very much in love. A very, very happy couple.

    Road construction gridlock.

Road scum I get to scrape from my shoes upon arriving home from work.







Just for your information. We have 3 Fast Sundays left. It is unbelievable and also believable that we have been here that long.

A new week begins. We will follow President Hinckley's advise and "enjoy more fully the sunlight". There is indeed plenty of sun in Cambodia.

Until next week: "Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart.  Love life."

Four Months and counting...

Hello family and friends,
We took several photos this week. That does not mean it was an exciting eventful week. It means when I woke up Monday I was looking forward to finally getting lots done for PEF. I was determined to make the week a good one.

Monday morning I began with taking pictures of Dale walking to work. Monday was hot and muggy.
Dale is passing a guard station outside somebodies home. The guards are suppose to open and shut the gate when the owner comes and goes. Most guards are young adults who spend much of their time studying, text messaging and sleeping. This guard station has been vacated for several weeks.

This is the road work outside of our work place.  At the present time only motos, bikes and pedestrians can pass through this area. It is too narrow for cars.

In this photo we are approaching the path directly in front of our work place. We are required to walk around to the back of the building. The main entrance has been closed due to the road closed to cars. One month ago this dirt path was a grassy area. The rainy season has softened the ground.  All the traffic has killed any grass that there was. The ground is now packed rock hard dirt. We doubt the work crew will replace the landscape once their job is complete. I imagine we won't see grass here again while we are in Cambodia.

A wave of his hand and off Dale goes. I'm only a camera shot behind.

We are nearing the corner where we will turn right  in order to get to the back gate.

                         Getting closer.

One last look back before we arrive at work.

The back parking lot has two basketball hoops. Many young people hang out here in the afternoon. It was quiet at 8 in the morning.

This is looking back towards the back gate. There is a theft problem and the guards are suppose to keep watch that no bikes and motos get stolen. The only problem is that the guards like to watch the road construction work during the day. They guard the locked front gate instead of the open back gate. Go figure!

There are flowers in bloom year round. These are blooming outside our building.

Mixed white and pink blossoms make a beautiful ground cover in one of the flower beds that beautifies the Church grounds.






We finally arrived at our office with great hopes of getting many things accomplished. By 9 o'clock we had already had the power shut down twice. We rely on a generator to kick in when the city power fails. We played "red light-green light" all day long. The maintenance man informed us that the guy that has the knowledge to repair the generator was in the Provinces. He was due to be back in Phnom Penh at about 1 o'clock. It was questionable when he would actually be able to make repairs. We have no clue how many times the generator has been resuscitated. There will come a day when a replacement generator will be necessary. I personally believe that day has arrived.

What would you do if there was no electricity, no Internet and your office was heating up fast?
This is what we did. Dale found some reading glasses in his desk left behind by past Senior missionaries. Kutheavy, Dale and I were the only people in the building. Let me share with you how we wasted a few minutes of our day.

The grasshopper look.

Oh...the mystery.

Kuntheavy models the grasshopper specs.

Are we having fun or what?

                 Oh yeah, this is fun!

What a way to make the time pass by.

I even tried on Dale's glasses. This is SOOOO fun!






Let's check out the time...

Wow we wasted 6 minutes! Monday was a VERY LONG DAY!

It rains every day now. So far we have not had to walk in it. As I write this blog we are having a lightning and thunder storm. The television just went out. I hope the Internet and other electricity remains on so I can complete this blog entry.

Friday evening Elder and Sister Rhyne left for the great USA. We went a little early to the airport so we could eat at Burger King. I had a caramel sundae and Dale had a Whopper meal. He said it was really good. My sundae tasted very American.

Good-bye dear friends. Sister Rhyne is frowning because we were joking around at the same time we snapped the photo. As I sit here blogging they are enjoying being with their family in Texas.





Saturday we taught early morning institute. We actually had power the whole time we were in the building. We left about noon. As we headed out of the building we could feel the humidity. It had been a pleasant walk to the church at 6 in the morning. At noon it was HOT and HUMID. These construction workers were either on break or done for the day. Everyone was resting on whatever they could find to lay on. These guys had the best resting spots.

They set up their hammocks across where we walk to work. Notice the guard house to the left just beyond the hammocks. This is the same guard house that Dale is walking passed in the first photo of  today's blog.

This weekend we had South District Conference. Saturday Elder and Sister James, who own a car, picked us up to go to our meeting. On route it began to rain. As we watched people scurry for cover we also saw several little kids strip down to nothing and basically take baths in the rain. One little guy was thrilled with all the puddles to play in. Of course we had no camera. After Saturday evening conference we went to a Mexican restaurant we had never been to. The food was great.

Everyday we check out our window to see what is happening in the alley below. This week a guy was moving into one of the apartments. He had a tuk tuk piled high with his belongings.

Our same alley was bustling with children and women the other morning. The orange table the baby is laying on is actually an ice chest. It is very versatile. Today it is a changing table. This small area is the closest home to our window. We believe it is a small community store. That is why they have an ice chest. Most people have no refrigeration. They shop daily.

We learned this week that people get their best buys  at the open markets about 10 in the morning. Farmers like to get home before the heat of the day.  They begin their day early and hope to have all their produce sold before noon. Khmer who want the bargains shop the later part of the morning when prices go down.

I would love to write an exotic wonderful report in our blog, but I simply do not have one to offer. To update you concerning Dale's asthma, he is taking the strongest dosages he can of his medicine. He is not completely asthma free but he is considerably better.

In regard to doing LOUNDRY.  I had only one glitch in my laundry experience this week which was resolved quickly.

At the beginning of the week we had a new leak in our ceiling. By the time anyone could check out our apartment the ceiling was dry with no evidence of a problem. There is nothing they can do until the problem resurfaces. I will be very happy if it does not leak again. The evening I stepped in the puddle and looked up and saw the drip I was a bit upset. I imagined the huge chore of cleaning plaster dust again. Not fun.

District Conference was excellent..
President Moon offered this thought:  "Service is the rent we pay for living on the earth."
Sister Moon said, "Tithing is not about the money, it is about our faith."

That's all folks.