Sunday, February 28, 2016

When you become a Mom!

Hello Everyone!

Monday:

We went to lunch with Sister Jackson because Sister Spangler went back to america this week. We went to this cambodian/chinease place. Then we went with her to go get some ice cream. I seriously can't believe those sisters died... so crazy! I feel like they were such a big part of the mission and now they are just gone! What the? Time really does fly by....
Have fun in America!

New companion: Sister Chanthakoun from Minnesota! 


Tuesday:

We took a 7 hour bus ride to the city to do transfers.
Goodbye Sister Kosal, have fun with Sister Y. 

Took a quick trip to the city to see these Sisters before they left.
Wednesday:

We switched comps, Sister Kosal went with Sister Y, and I waited for my kid. My kid's name is Sister Chantakhoun. She is fresh from the MTC in America. So the four of us that were training, we waited for our kids's at the phsaa. Then the Kids came in the big van with President Christensen. After we met our kid's we went contacting. It brought back some crazy flashbacks... I can't believe it was only like 5 months ago that was me. I remember, I was super scared and had no idea what they were saying! It was super fun though! My kid is awesome I for sure think I got the best daikuu! She is from Minnesota. She is super cute and already loves the people! I can't wait to see her improve she is going to rock it! After contacting we went back to the mission home and caught our bus back to the kite.
7 hour bus ride back to our area

Sister Tao going to serve in Vietnam


Thursday:

In the morning I showed the new sister's around the area. Then in the afternoon we went out and saw Ming Saron, she is having a super hard time with her family she is super frustrated with her sons right now. She is just having a really really hard time... She still really wants to get baptized though, and she still prays for her family every single day. She has got really strong faith. After seeing her we went and saw one of my favorite families and we taught Parri. She is so good, her mom told me that when she used to pray and read with Parri in the scriptures, her husband would say "why do you read with her, she will never know how to read, she doesn't understand."but now Parri prays, reads super clearly, and she has a deep understanding for the gospel for only being 9 years old. She is so good. I can't even describe how much I love that family! Also side note Sister Chantakhoun like everyone loves her. Even though it's sort of hard to speak right now, she has such a strong spirit when she does. I can't wait to see her improve she is going to be such a good missionary!


Friday:

We had Soktia come with us to teach lessons, which was literally an answer to my prayers. I had been wanting to go visit this less active, but I can never understand her, I mean Sister Kosal couldn't even understand her when she was here, so I had been praying for a member to help. Well, Soktia called me Thursday night and was like hey I want to help the sisters! It was a miracle. Anyways we went and saw Om Nao, Om Brak, Bong Kontia, and Bong Dawn. It was really good. We have been focusing on sharing about the atonement lately. We are hoping that sharing about the atonement and love of Christ will get those less actives coming back to church. I love sharing about the atonement. I am so grateful that Christ came to earth and suffered for us, and even though I don't know exactly how the Camboidan people feel, that he does. He knows each and every one of us! I am so grateful for that.
After English class.


Saturday:

We went and saw Ming Nih, and taught her lesson two. Also I would just like to say how thankful I am for the spirit I was teaching about Adam and Eve and I am pretty sure I butchered it, and I was worried that she wouldn't understand and she sits for a second and says "so they had to eat the fruit so they could have kids"my mouth just dropped and I was like that was not me! That was the spirit! I can honestly say if we try our best the lord really will make up for the rest. After we taught Ming Nih we went and taught Parri, and Om Num paritipated in the lesson. We talked about scripture study and prayer, and Om Num told us that before she didn't know how to read but now she knows how. How did she learn? Reading from the Book of Mormon. It's amazing I am telling you miracles happen if we have the faith to receive them! It's so amazing the Lord really does bless those who have a sincere desire. After teaching Parri, who is getting baptized on Easter by the way, we went and taught Ming Sokpeak a RC. When we saw her she just started to cry, she is super frustrated with her kids... and she has been sick.... She said she was really angry because she didn't get to go to church this week. We let her talk it out and then shared about the atonement. After we shared she was so happy... she just gave us a huge hug, and said thank you so much for coming, when you visit I just feel happiness again, like I just went to church. I was so happy to see her like that, because when we first went there she was distraught... It's amazing what the spirit can do!
Quick bike selfie.


Sunday:

We went and saw Ming Mao and Bong Thavery. They are so awesome, we also shared about the atonement with them as well! They both have such strong testimonies already! Before we left Ming Mao said "i just want you to know I love you sisters with all my heart" I seriously love everyone here in Siem Reap. They have blessed my life. Cambodia for sure has my heart. I love it here so much. That was my week! My kid is doing awesome no worries she is going to be a great missionary! I just want her to be confident! She has the spirit that's for sure, and her love for the people shines through her! It was a pretty good week this week! I love you all so much have a good week!

The Elders conquered the Earthquake.


Also random side note:

When we have a kid fresh from America you realize how much you have changed
1. English is hard... sometimes I can't translate my Camboidan into English, it just doesn't make sense...
2. Traffic doesn't scare you... you almost get hit by a moto... and then your like what's the problem, that happens every day...
3. People are blunt... people say you are fat, or too skinny, yeah it happens every day.
4. Cambodian's are a lot more touchy than American's... just embrace it!
5. The people use the same knife they used for the meat to cut the pineapple, I mean we can wash it right?
There are so many more! I didn't realize how different it was here! I guess I forgot!

 ដាោយសេចក្ដីស្រឡាញ់
Sister ស្វប់

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Transfer calls. . . they always surprise you!

Hello Everyone!


MONDAY:

Monday we went to Angkor, and it was super awesome! I can check one of the 8 wonders of the world off of my list! Way awesome! Sometimes I forget that I am in Cambodia, seriously I feel so blessed to be in such a beautiful place! After Angkor Wat we went and met with Lookpuu Rotaa, and Bong Mao our investigators. They are having a really hard time right now. They are very poor and they just changed houses, but their new neighbors continualy try to break into their house so Lookpuu is worried and doesn't want to leave his family there. They love meeting with us and going to church because it's one of the only places that they feel... happy... we love them alot, and right now we are shooting for a baptismal date for them next month!



Tuesday:

We went and saw Ming Saron, our new investigator and we taught her about prophets. She is progressing really well... Her family is really poor, and her house.. well it's like a big tent with a big wooden bed in the middle. She has no walls or anything, all she really has is the wooden bed for her house. Her husband doesn't have a job and he is half deaf. Or partially deaf... we really want to try to teach her entire family. She is so awesome and has lots of faith it's just her family is having a really hard time right now... After that we went to see a Less Active her name is Ming Goontia. She came to church last week, and this week as well. I am pretty sure she will be a rescue. We taught her and Ming Rit went with us! Anyways after that the elders showed us a new investigators house and we are going to start teaching her this coming week.
 

Less actives we go visit


Wednesday:

We went and saw Bong Charm, a less active, whose husband "lost himself"they literally have no idea where he is, and she is taking care of two little kids by herself... it's super super hard for her. She is super nice, loving, but she is having a super super hard time right now... then we went and saw Bong Thavery, she is super fun. She is a super strong member! She put up a sign on her shop that says she doesn't sell on sundays anymore, and she said ever since she has done that, they have been having so much more success then before. She is seriously awesome! haha I love her so much! She is always working at the shop for her mom! Her mom Ming Mao is a RC and haha she is so awesome as well. Their entire family is just awesome. Super strong members, they just get it you know. Then after that we came back and had English class, which we have come to discover that our english spelling is going downhill! Haha I don't know if I will be able to write when I get back! English class is always super good! We practiced talked on the phone in English it was pretty sweet seeing two cambodians try to speak to each other on the phone in English! They actually did really well! 

Bong Po's daughter


Thursday:

We had an exchange and went on a 3-4 hour bus ride trip to Battambong. I did the exchange with Sister Pace. She is just finishing up her training and oh my goodness she is already so good at teaching and the language and everything! Seriously so good! I learned alot from her. She is going to be one awesome missionary! 

We have the cutest neighbor


Friday:

Finished up the exchange and went on the 3-4 hour bus ride back to our area. 
Long bus ride


Saturday:

We went and taught our investigator Bong Parri, she is so good. We committed her to baptism for the 27th of March. She was so excited! Oh my goodness I love her and her family so much! After that we went and saw Ming Phorn who usually doesn't like to meet with us, but it was really awesome because she asked us if her son could receive a priestood blessing. I was so glad she asked she has been less active for a really long time, so on sunday the elders came and gave her son a blessing, and are going to start teaching him. I really hope this gets her family to start learning and to get her back to church. After that we saw Bong Po, she has been less active ever since her mom passed away. We start her about prophets and we started talking about President Gordon B Hinckley and it was awesome to hear her talk about him, because that is the prophet she remembers. I think it brought some of those old feeling of happiness from the gospel back. 



Sunday:

We went and saw Ming Saron, she was having a super hard day so we just shared a scripture with her, and chatted with her a little bit, I think that was what she needed. Then we did some service for Bong Mon's family. We cut up this tree so we could feed it to her cows, and then after that we went and saw Om Nate. The real news of sunday is ..... TRANSFER CALLS! So here is the news... I am training... I am training someone coming in from America! Also I am staying in Siem Reap! I am super glad I am staying in Siem Reap I seriously love it here so much I love the people and I love the area. I am sort of nervous to train, but I know that the Lord will help me out haha. It will be good. I am super excited for this upcoming transfer I have a feeling lots of miracles are going to happen in this area. Also Sister Kosal is going to the city and serving with Sister Y. I am super grateful for the time I got to serve with her. I love her! Anyways that's it for the week we are heading down to the city tomorrow so I can pick up my koon on wednesday! Wish me luck family! You are all in my prayers! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!
Sunday best for church!


Om Nate wanted to be styling for the picture



ដាោយសេចក្ដីស្រឡាញ់
Sister ស្វប់

Monday, February 15, 2016

Valentines Day!



Okay I have like no time to email, so I am just going to tell you about some little miracles that happened this week!
Elephant ride

We found two new investigators! It was awesome and both of them came through the members. For the world wide zone training this week we talked about "teach repentance, baptize converts." We really want to focus on finding people through the members and this week that really paid off. We want to focus on finding people that are prepared because those are the people who will stay strong in the church and stay active. We shouldn't have to sell the gospel to people!
Companions



Zone Training


We went to go visit one of our members, and she had a friend that was just sitting there. Right when we got there Ming Sroah, our member, looked at us, and was like "sisters you are just in time, this is my friend and she really wants to learn about Christ will you help her with that.. We met Ming Nih she really wanted to know about the gospel and when we started teaching her she understood a lot. She was more then willing to pray in the after the first lesson, and she took a Book of Mormon so her kids could read it to her. She doesn't know how to read... but so crazy story about her she has quite a few husbands in her life, and she said they all either died or left... super super sad and now she is a single mom and has 11 kids. Most of her kids go off to work though she only has three left at her house. Anyways she is super prepared though, and she has tons and tons of questions about everything. And on Sunday she ended up coming to church with Ming Sroah, it was a miracle! She was really really excited to go to church.
Angkor Wat

Service

Valentines day! Love you all!

This is how every boy should give their mom a Valentine.


Also we found another investigator the one that Ming Saron brought to sacrament meeting last week. Well we ended up meeting her this week after church and the Elders had baptisms this week. We were teaching her and we had only taught about pray and she looks at me, and says "I am going to tell you straight sister I want to get baptized can I do that next week?" I was like we have to teach you first but we are shooting for baptizing her in 3 weeks after we have taught her all the lessons. It was awesome though, such a miracle. She is super prepared that is for sure! She was like okay I want to meet you a lot then so I can get baptized fast, so we are going to try to meet her 3 or 4 times a week. It really is amazing meeting the people that are so prepared for the gospel. Super excited about her.


Relief Society Pres. 

Got Stung by a Bee.

 


Miracle number 3 our investigator Parry the daughter of the lesson active, yeah so we told their family that we want to prepare her for baptism in 3 or 4 weeks but they need to come to church. It was a miracle because they have like 3 members in their family that are less active, but after sitting in during the Plan of Salvation lesson on Saturday, they all ended up coming to church on sunday! MIRACLE!!! Out of every miracle that happened this week that was for sure the best one. It was seriously the coolest seeing that huge family ride in on their moto (seriously they had like 5 people on the one moto, and they brought two moto's haha! Seriously though that was the highlight of the week! I am super grateful to be out here and see miracles like that every week. 
Monkey



Angkor Wat


Side note: Got stung by a bee on saturday, felt like I got hit by a bus Sunday morning... I was super sick in the morning, but after sleeping it off a little bit I was able to go and meet everyone, plus go to church! Super happy about that we were super busy on Sunday, no time to be sick haha! Yeah well I don't have any more time we have an investigator we need to meet! Love you so much everyone! Happy Valentines day! LOVE YOU! 


ដាោយសេចក្ដីស្រឡាញ់
Sister ស្វប់

Sunday, February 7, 2016

7 months in the mish



What's up everyone?

Alright so I don't have lots of time this week for the big email so I will just tell you some of the miracles that happened this week! 

So fun fact about the Siem Reap branch. We have like 60-70 people come to church every single week, BUT we have over 200 members. Plus we don't have alot of the CBR's so alot of the people are lost as of now. Ahh it's super frustrating! There is so much less active work to do here. We need to get them coming back. If there is one thing that I have learned on my mission it's that it's super important to READ you scriptures, and GO to church every week. With the less actives we did have two more less actives come to church this week, and one hasn't been there in a super long time her name is Om Nao. She is pretty old, and just told us it's hard for her to go because the new church is so far. Sadly that is why alot of the members don't go because the new church is too far and "they don't know how to ride a bike, they are too old to ride a bike, or they don't have anything to ride to church" it's super hard sometimes... they all have different reasons why they can't come... BUT there is still hope. I really believe that once they remember the happiness that comes from the gospel, and they really understand the baptismal covenants that they have made that they will come back! Yeah that is where alot of our focus has been though, bringing back those less actives. We have tried to make it a focus on the Book of Mormon/ Joseph Smith is week. It's crazy alot of the members don't actually know who Joseph Smith is.... so we are trying to get them excited about the book of mormon and joseph smith. i think once we get them reading their scriptures again they will start coming back, and for those who don't know who to read we are trying to encourage them to come to church so that they can hear the word of God. Lots of our LA's can't read... which is also kind of hard. It's okay though! 
Service

just doing a little service ... i guess it's really good for your skin it just takes 4 days to come off




Best President ever



MIRACLES
So one of our less actives her name is Ming Mon and she has a daughter that is 9 years old. Well turns out she hasn't been baptized but her mom wants her to start learning with us. It's super awesome she is one of our new investigators, she already knows so much! We asked her who the prophet was, and she already knew that it was president monson! I was seriously impressed most of our RC's don't even know that haha, jk, but really tho.. Anyways it's really cool because her mom is a less active so we think by teaching her daughter it will get Ming Mon coming back as well. She always sits in on the lessons and it's awesome watching her teach her daughter about the gospel. I think it just means a lot more when it's from your parents and not from two random sister missionaries even though I mean we do love them a lot!! Yeah that is one of the miracles this week!

On our way to visit less actives


Sister Kosal! My កុន 

Random fact: Our investigators that we starting teaching about two weeks ago, love church so much that they went to our branch and the branch after ours. Pretty awesome... their names are Lookpuu Rotaa, and Bong Srei Mao, they have a little boy who is almost one year old. They are stuggling right now... they don't have any job, and they don't know what to do, but they always feel super happy when they meet with us and when they come to church. It's true no matter your circumstances the gospel will bring you happiness. 
Reunited

Family picture



Ming Rit pretty much found us a new investigator we were visiting a Less Active Om Nao, and her neighbor came in and Ming Rit just pretty much told her about the gospel, and said okay the sister's will teach you right now! So we have a new investigator her name is Om Puan, it's super cool because Om Nao the Less Active helped us teach her, and she was the one who came to church this week. SUPER AWESOME!!!

Also Ming Saron, brought a "lost lamb"to church this week. She bore her testimony about it and she was so excited! Then she was like I can't wait for the sisters to teach her because I know she is going to have happiness from the gospel. Then she talked about how she thinks her entire family is going to want to learn! She is awesome, we are super excited about that! We will start teaching her this week. The members here are awesome! Seriously the best! 

Anyways those are some of the miracles of this week! It's been a pretty good week! Can't believe I have been out for 7 months already... wow super crazy... i feel like i should know what i am doing by know but i don't haha! Maybe in 7 more months i will! Well I love you all so much have a great week! 

ដាោយសេចក្ដីស្រឡាញ់
Sister ស្វប់