Easter in Cambodia

Hello Family! 

So fun fact, nobody celebrates Easter in Cambodia! Actually most of us forgot that it was Easter... but everyone is getting ready for the Khmer New Year, it's a huge thing in Siem Reap everyone from the city comes down here, and I guess all the roads are crowded and it's impossible to get anywhere because there are so many people! Crazy, everyone is getting ready for it! 

Monday: 

Normal P-day... just pretty much chilled at the house, Sister Chantakhoun did teach me how to make some pretty good spring rolls though! 

Tuesday:

Sister Hall was sick... so I told Sister Gong to take Sister Chantakhoun out and we could do an exchange, because Sister Gong had to go have exchanges in PP so she was going to be out of her area for a long time, so I stayed with Sister Hall and we talked about life and did some CBR work. Then Sister Gong came back and told me she wanted to go with me to go visit someone. I was like "YES" I love Sister Gong so much I have wanted to go with her for a long time! So we went out and saw Ming S, our investigator. We talked about her starting to do her marriage certificate so that she could get baptized. Let me tell you it was such a blessing to have Sister Gong with me, I didn't know really enough about the marriage certiciate to even help, but Sister Gong told her exactly what she needed to do! It was literally such a blessing! 

Wednesday:

So this morning we were off to see P and Ming S stopped us... she told us that she went to go get her marriage certificate done, and they want her to pay 50 dollars.... it's insane and way too expensive... and then she rode around until she found a place that can do it for 25 dollars... but she still can't afford it.... we are trying to figure out a way to help her, but I really think that fasting is going to help, not going to lie after meeting with her I was feeling a little discouraged, but I was studying I read a scripture that said ëverything that is impossible is made possible through God" and you know what that is totally true! It may be difficult, but if it's supposed to happen... God will make it happen, we just have to do all that we can to help her along the way. Plus if we are doing all that we can God will help us the rest of the way. I know it! Anyways after that we got to go see one of my favorite families! Om Y's fam, and we taught P, she is doing great! Then we went and saw Srei M our investigator, she is golden! She is just super quiet haha! She is the wife fo the LA that we have been teaching, she is really good though and really wants to get baptized :) we are planning on a baptism at the end of next month!

Also cool thing about Cambodia: it's been super hot lately and we are just sweating all the time, but the people here though are so nice, we literally went up to this tuk tuk driver and asked if he wanted to learn, and he totally rejected us, like total rejection, but we go to leave and he was like "wait take some cold water with you" and that happened like 3 times in that one day! I have never been rejected so kindly before haha! 

Thursday:
We had some weekly planning, we went and saw Ming S, and it's been really cool to see her change... she wants to get baptized so badly. When we told her about the wedding certificate she literally drove out the next morning to try and get it done, she really is changing. I love seeing her come unto Christ as well. It's so cool to be apart of God's work! He really does run it! But she is really struggling right now, they don't have enough money so her husband left and is trying to find a job.... she told us he called her to tell her how much he misses her and her family... she just started to cry, she doesn't want him to work far away, and her husband is partly deaf so she worries about that as well...She is so good though everytime we come over she is trying to read, and she told us that her husband was reading with her as well... before he left. She is really progressing though, even though she is having these trials...
Then we went and saw Bong T, Bong T is like one of my favorite people ever! She is so good, but she told us she is just super tired right now because there is nobody to help with the shop she said that they went to Thailand and found out that Ming M (our RC and Bong T's mom) has cancer....it's super sad.... She looked at me after she said that and said "Don't worry Sister the Lord is going to help her, and God's plan is perfect" I couldn't have said it any better myself. God's plan is perfect, and no matter what happens in this life we don't have to worry... as long as we stick to God's plan!
After seeing her we went and saw Ming S a RC, we shared with her Alma 34:41, and she loved it, she told us she is never going to give up faith because she knows that one day she will be able to rest from all of the trials in this life. 

Friday:

P PASSED HER BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW!!! haha I asked her how it was and she was just like ëasy" She is cute... she is getting baptized next sunday! We went and saw Ming M today, she just told us she feels super tired... but she knows God is looking out for her. That family is awesome, not matter what trial gets thrown at them they just keep the faith, and usually through the trials their faith gets even stronger! Also side note "when you guys come to Cambodia she wants us to come and visit" haha she really wants to meet you! 

Saturday:

Service, we went out to the other Sister's area and get pull some weeds and do some gardening work :) I love service!
Then we went and saw Bong C, she was super good! Usually she is super quiet but she started asking us all of these questions about the Spirit World and Ressurection, it was super good! After that we taught all of the little kids around her house to sing I am a child of God. Nothing like listening to kids sing! It always brings the spirit! After that we went and saw Om N an active member who talked to us about her life, and how she met her husband :) She is pretty funny! 

Service!

Sunday:

All of us missionaries gave talks, started off kind of crazy, like we had no hymn books, our presidency was 10 minutes late, so here are all of these missionaries running around with their head cut off haha trying to get everything done. Like hymn books, translating, and giving talks. Haha it went pretty good though! I gave a talk on Charity! Sister Chantakhoun gave her first talk in Khmer! wahoo! She did awesome! After that we went to classes. After church we went and tried to meet Bong R but she never wants to meet with us, but her 11 year old daughter was there and she really wanted to meet with us, so we shared a scripture about faith with her. She told us she really wants to go to church and learn about Christ but her parents don't want to go, and they are always fighting... it was super sad but we promised her we would come read the scriptures with her every sunday. Then we met with Om Y, she told me "Sister Schwab how long have you been here " I was like almost 3 months and she says "Well i am going to pray for you to be here a lot longer I don't want you to leave!" I love them so much! For real! I love this area so much I don't want to leave, this has seriously been the faster 2 transfers of my life. I love it here, and I love my mission! As for easter yeah nobody celebrates easter, BUT we did make some tacos for easter... so there ya go haha! 

Anyways that is all for this week! I love you all so much! Seth... I can't believe he is getting so old he's a stud! I can't believe he went to Prom... crazy, Good luck to Tyler for his graduation, and Kalin you are just awesome ;) Love you all


Hope you have a great week! We will be having a baptism this week!
ដាោយសេចក្ដីស្រឡាញ់

សីុំសើរស្វប់

Turn up the heat!

Hello Everyone!

Monday:
Normal P-DAY

Tuesday:

We tried to go to some RC's houses but like nobody was home! So instead we ended up going to see Bong Thavery... now Bong Thavery is like an awesome active member! We just shared about Miracles I love hearing miracles about the members! She was telling us that ever since she started taking sunday's off from work that her family has actually been making more money! Like double as much as before. It really is amazing and the Lord really is blessing her! Her family is a family with a lot of faith! She was also telling us that she is trying to get her passport so that she can go to America and sing! After that we went and saw a new investigator her name is Om Lime. She is super cute, she is this old lady with no teeth. I asked her if she wanted to learn about Christ and she said "yeah I want to get baptized you know become all clean and stuff" Haha I was like awesome! Then we tried to teach her... haha she is super cute it's just hard for her to learn, and understand us. She kind of just repeats what we say and then when we ask her she doesn't know... it just doesn't sink in.. that's okay though! She is great and has the desire and the faith! Seriously I already love her so much! 

I ate a beetle

Wednesday:

We taught Parri, we changed her baptism date to the 3rd of April so her aunt could come. It actually turned out super great because Parri's mom Bong Mon got baptized on the 6th of April like 5 or 10 years ago, so it worked out really well. After that we had an appointment with a PI and we wanted to meet her outside of ankgor watt, but she thought we were meeting at the church... the church is a 40 min bike ride from angkor watt, but I told her we would be there in 25 minutes... we made it in 30 haha well, turns out that she is not in our area, she just sells in front of ankgor watt, so I called up the other Sisters and they had just finished teaching and were off too lunch, so they came by the church and taught her. All in God's plan I guess haha! It actually worked out perfectly! Then we went back out to our area to do some service for Ming Sroh! We cleaned her shop for her... then I get this call from Lookpuu Rotaa, and Bong Mao, who tell me that they are waiting at the church. So we swing back around and go to the church again... haha we were SO SWEATY and gross! We taught them about scripture study, because they both haven't been reading the book of mormon..Hopefully the next time we meet they will have read it together!

English Class

 

Thursday:

We got to see Bong Gia today! I was so excited! We literally never get to meet her. She is always at church, but she works everyday of the week, and we always see her when we are on our way home, but turns out she had a day off this week and we just happened to swing by her house. We talked about miracles with her as well. She was telling us that she is the only one in her family that is a member, her other siblings are buddist, she told us that it has been 7 years since she joined the church, and some her of siblings still won't talk to her.... She is still just so happy, the faith of the people here really does just amaze me everyday... even with all of their hardships they still are thankful, and happy. I was so excited we got to see her though! So it was super hot on Thursday and we get home with two extra sisters in our house because they were doing an exchange, and we had no water and no power... we tried to sleep in our house but at like 11:00 Sister Kong wakes up and says "alright we are going to a hotel" so all 6 of house just slept in a hotel that night... I guess you can say we can't handle the cambodian heat.... we need our AC!

Gardening service activity

English Class

 

Friday:

Came back to the house, and our house was flooded, but we still didn't have any water... yeah i don't even know... eventually we did get everything cleaned up, and we did get the power and the water back on! :)

We got to see Darlin, Julin, and their family. We went to their hotel and they wanted to feed us breakfast... so we ate with them... it was way weird the breakfast was like America... I was so happy to see them though, I literally felt like my family was coming to visit! They were wondering when I would come back to TTP! haha! I love them so much! After that we went to go see Bong Charm and shared the story about Peter walking on water... She told us she has a lot of faith, and she was telling us it's just hard to go to church because it takes her 2 hours to ride her bike and she has to take both of her kids... it's just hard for her, but she says she really really wants to go. We just encouraged her to keep on having faith, and the Lord will help her get to church. Then we went and saw Srei Mao she is a new investigator and a husband of a less active. We taught her lesson 1! She already has started reading the book of mormon, and we committed her to baptism for the 24th of next month! Super awesome! She is great! She is 20 years old, and has one son! Most of her family are already members of the church!

Saturday:

We taught Parri, just getting her ready for baptismal :) After that we went to go see Ming Mao a RC but her daughter was there, Bong Thavery, so we just ended up teaching her again. We taught her about Alma 34:41, and having patience through trials. It was just what she needed, she was telling us how her mom is super sick. She's got a liver diease, and the medicine that is supposed to make her better is actually making her alot worse. Her mom already got a priestood blessing, but we all decided to fast for her. I really have a strong testimony in fasting I know that miracles can come from it! After seeing Bong Thavery we went and saw Ming Mao to check up on her. She is super sick... she had an IV in her arm and just told us how weak she feels, and how guilty she felt for not being able to go and clean the church. I was like Ming don't even worry about it! Then she told us that she was giving a talk tomorrow and she was so excited! She was like it's about time, I know I haven't been a member that long but I have been waiting for this day for a long time! So even though she was super sick, she was so excited to talk on sunday! She loves sharing her testimony! Ahh, I love her so stinking much! After seeing her we went and read the BOM with Ming Saron.

Friends from TTP

Sunday:

Elder Xiong was sick, so I ended up translating for all 3 hours of church. I mean usually I translate for 2, but the three hours was killer. I really need to work on my translating, most of the stuff make sense in Khmer and then when it comes out my mouth in English... I like yeah that doesn't make sense.. haha all well! So we met some people that came from Singapore, and I guess they knew Van and Susan Hale! Crazy right?! Anyways so after that we went and saw some LA's and some RC's. So here is a good story, Ming Sokpeak our RC tells me "Sister Schwab nobody here will ever marry you", and I was like why? Then she goes, ït's because you are so big, the guys will be afraid if you hit them that they will die" I about died laughing and then she about died laughing, and then when I told me kid what she said we both about died.... oh my gosh... what the? It was really funny, and super random! That's what you get when you tower over all the Cambodian people. So overall this week was pretty good. All of us missionaries are giving talks next week!

I will be talking about Charity it's funny, because I have been study alot about Charity lately. I want to have more of it! Sister Chantakhoun, my kid, will also be giving her first talk! She will speak on Faith! So wish us luck! Hot season is here and I have never been so sweaty in my life, I am literally sweating all of the time! But it's all good! This transfer has gone by super fast. I seriously love it here in Siem Reap! All is good! I love you all so much! You are in my prayers!

Tell Sethy to have fun at prom!

haha Love you all!

ដាោយសេចក្ដីស្រឡាញ់
Sister ស្វប់

Another week in the mission

Hello Everyone!

Monday:

Okay so on monday Sister Moon and Brother Moon had an FHE, It was super awesome they talked about building the kingdom of Zion, and how if we are going to be able to do it, we need to do it together. The church is still so new here so it's important we work together. It's crazy to think about but most of our Bishops, and leaders in the church are like RC's because we don't have anyone else to do it. It's crazy sometimes I forget just how new the church is here.... It really makes me thankful for growning up in a place where the church is already so firm. I think it may be a couple more years, or a couple ten years before Cambodia is like that. It's also so cool though to be here, where the church is so new! I love it! It grows every day! 

The Moon's came to visit

FHE

Tuesday:

I had an exchange with Sister Hall, she is super awesome, and already way better at Khmer than I was! We took Sister Jackson's tuk tuk around all morning and when and visited some LA's. We taught about Ether 12:6. Om Nao talked about how it's true nobody has seen God, but we know he is watching and looking out for us all of the time! Which I know is true! Then we came back and had interviews with the Mission President. President Christensen is so awesome. He gave me loads of good advice about training and what to do, and we talked about personal study. It has been a focus on the mission! Every time I meet with him I feel like I learn so much. One thing I learned that I really need to do better on is PONDER... , I really am not good at it. I am really bad at just sitting back and thinking while I am studying, but President made a good point when he said "if we don't ponder while we study it's like asking God to open the doors so we can receive revelation and then shutting it again." It is something I really want to work on, actually I just want to work on studying in general... It was a super good interview... it was crazy he asked me how long I had been serving and I was like 8 months and he looked at me and was like "no way it's been that long" but it has... time is flying... After that we went and did some service for Om Num. We did some gardening for her! SERVICE, it really is the best! 

Doing service

Wednesday :

Wednesday morning was rough we literally rode our bike everywhere and nobody was home, but we stopped at our investigators shop and she was just sitting there trying to read the book of mormon, dang she is awesome. She can't really read, so we sat with her for about 45 minutes and read with her. I can't even tell you how awesome it is. She is literally coming unto Christ. One of my favorite things in the mission is to see people changing, and she is. She has changed so much since the first time we met her, she just has such a strong desire to learn and understand. She is really working towards baptism so that she can start a new, I love her so much, it has been really amazing to see her change. You can just see that light entering in them. It changes them. It's true that the gospel really is the best thing for the people here in Cambodia. It is the only true way to have infinite happiness.
Also we found two new investigators today. Srei Mao and Bong Hang. Srei Mao is the wife of a LA who just started coming back to church. We went and taught her and she prayed! She is great, and really really wants to learn. I am super excited about her. She already has that desire and wants to learn. She is 20 years old and has a little baby boy. When we went we only taught about prayer and Heavenly Father, and we are going back this week to teach her again.

 

Thursday:

So we went and saw Ming Saron and taught her about faith and repentance, she told me that when my mom and dad come up I can't just forget about her, I need to come see her... I told her that I stopped my mission like the beginning of next year and she like freaked out... I was like I still have so much time don't worry, but yeah... I guess Ming is right... I don't have that much time, even though I do, but don't... All I know is that I hate time it's weird! After that we went to see Ming Sokpeak a RC, we taught her about having patience during trails. Her daughter came over and was like "have you ever tried this before" I was like no what is it? BEETLES! Did I try it...YES... did I have to pull off the wings to eat it... YES... Did I make my kid eat it... Um.. Yes.. Was it good... NO! It was nasty... but hey I felt like I had to try it. When you're in Camboida, right? 

Friday:

Zone Training!
During zone training some of us were chosen to share our testimonies about why we loved our missions. I was one of them, I think one of the things I love most about the mission is the people seeing them change, the new missionaries seeing them grow, and most of all I love sharing about the Atonement of Christ, and giving the people here something to hope for. Just knowing that even though I don't understand all of their pain and heartaches Christ does. I love sharing about our brother who loved us so much that he was willing to come to earth and suffer for us. I love our Savior and I love sharing about it! I feel so lucky to be here in such a great place with such amazing people, and getting to share about the gospel! 

Saturday:

We went and saw Parri and lucky us we got to teach about the LOC... always awkward with your 9 year old investigator haha... anyways other then that we shared about Temples and Eternal Marriage I loved talking about it. Right now Om yum is preparing to go to the temple, she just needs her family to become active again. It was a really sweet experience we all just talked about how we wanted to live with our families forever, and preparing to go to the temple is the way to do it. And amazing enough... Sunday all of them were at church! All of them! It really is amazing what a difference a little 9 year old's testimony is making on her family. It really is true children do have the purest testimonies! I love that family so much! Then we saw Bong Charm and Lookpuu Rotaa, Bong Mao, and we went and saw Ming Mao and talked about Miracles in her life. 

Sunday:

We had 6 investigators at church! Then after church we finally got to meet with Ericka she is soo good. We taught her lesson 1 and she already understands so much. She believed everything we said and promised to read the BOM so cool story about Ericka I knew her since the day I got to siem reap but I just have never gotten the chance to teach her because she is always so busy. because she works at a cinema place, but she has still come to church everyweek. also she speaks really good english like she is pretty much american. Anyways we finally got the chance to meet her! She is great, super nice, and we pretty much just think of her as family haha! After we met with Ericka, we met and saw Srei Rat she is a RC, and she is having a hard time... she is 15 years old, and she pretty much provides for her family. She told us her bike was broken so she couldn't go to school or work, and they didn't have any money to fix it, so this morning (monday) we went back to her house and fixed her bike... I love that girl so much she has a lot of faith. Sister Chantokhoun my kid, said when she was talking she had the thought that she was going to be a missionary... I think so too! She is great!
Other then that nothing really else happened this week. Sister Chantakhoun is doing good. The start of the mission is just super hard, but he is handling it like a champ! She is going to be a killer missionary! Well that's all for this week! 

Ericka

Shout out to Hanna Norman! Finland! You are going to be awesome! Love ya and good luck! Finland is one lucky place!

Also SV Lady Braves! Good job! Second place is awesome! Seriously love you all! Keep your heads up! 

ដាោយសេចក្ដីស្រឡាញ់
Sister ស្វប់

8 months in the mission

You know... I am still kind of confused... I can't believe I have been out for 8 months, someone literally asked me how long I had been serving yesterday and I said 5 months... I didn't think I was lying but turns out I have been here way longer than that! haha! Super crazy how fast time flies though. 

Monday:

We went to see our investigator Ming S, our investigator. We taught her about the POS. She understand Adam and Eve like perfectly lucky for us the second school lesson last sunday was on the plan of salvation and adam and eve. Was it inspired? I think yes! She is beginning to understand more and more! It's super cool start to see her come unto Christ. 

Avocado Smoothie. You gotta try it! 

Tuesday:

We went to go see Bong C a less active. We taught her about the Holy Ghost. We thought maybe it would be a good lesson for her because she is always super worried about her children, and she just... she just is having a really hard time right now without her husband and everything. We thought sharing about the Holy Ghost would help her because even in the hardest times, the Holy Ghost can comfort us. After we taught her the lesson she did seem pretty happy, and then she gave us all of these green tomatoes and told me how to make them. These people really are the best people even though they have nothing... they still find something to give, and even if you don't want it..haha they still make you take it! I love these people so much! After that we went and saw Ming S again, because I have had the question on my mind like all week to ask her why she wanted to get baptized.... I was just worried that she wanted to get baptized because she thought the church would build her a new house or something... but it was way cool because when I asked her she told me "Sister, I have tried the Buddist church, I want to enter into the church of christ. Before I knew about the gospel I committed many sins.. she said I am ready to be clean, I just want to be clean from everything that I have done before!" It was amazing to hear her testimony about that... sadly though... we are going to have to push back her baptism until next month! We just want to make her she is super ready! Plus we haven't gotten to teach her everything yet! After that we went and saw Lookpuu R and Bong M our two other investigators we taught them about the LOC, and talked about how they need to have their marriage certificate.. they understand why, but it will be hard for them to do... because they are super poor... 

My kid!

 
Wednesday:

7 hour bus ride to Phnom Penh

Thursday:

All day training at the mission home! Found out again, like I do everyday... I have so much to improve on! 

Friday:

7 hour bus ride back, then after the bus ride we tried to go meet some less actives and nobody was home!!! 

Saturday:

We went and saw a RC her name is Bong C! We went and ate with her, and then shared a scripture about the Love of Christ. We shared in 2 Nephi 26:24. We were talking about the atonement and how amazing it is that because of atonement we can live again.. Then Bong Chantee told us about her father... her father drown a long time ago. She said actually last night I was just thinking of how much I missed him, and then I had a dream about him, and she said when I woke up I just knew I would be able to see him again one day. Then we came to her house that day! Super awesome! I love Bong C so much, she always talks about how we are just one big family! After that we wet and saw Ming S again. We talked about repentance and baptism... she is really wanting to repent, and we told her about changing her baptismal date, and she completly understood.. it went a lot better than I thought. 

Ming R's grandkids!

Sunday:

Sunday was good we taught our 9 year old investigator Parri about the 10 commandments which she totally understood, she is literally so good, she understands so much! We gave her a picture Book of Mormon book and oh my goodness all of the little kids loved that! We told them they have to read the first chapter before we come back! Parri is going to be baptized on the 27th of this month.. if everything keeps going well! We just need her mom to start coming back as well. She comes every once in awhile but is still a less active! After teaching Parri we went to the church and taught Lookpuu Rotaa and Bong Mao, and we taught them about the 10 commandments as well. Lookpuu Rotaa was confused about why we couldn't worship graven images, and after reading the scriptures "yay scriptures!" for real though I love the scriptures that speak more powerfully and strongly then I ever could! He completley understood, and after that he was like I really want my wife to understand, would you please just practice with her and ready with her? It was a total change like black to white! We were like YES! So I really hope it keeps going like this! It was for sure a step in the right direction that is for sure!

Other than that nothing much really happened this week! My kid is doing good I seriously love her so much! I really hope by the end of the training that she is confident in herself! She already has a love for the people and that is going to go a long way! Also she is improving so fast! It's super amazing to see the gift of tongues working like right before your eyes! I think with me it was more difficult to see, but with someone else! It's evident! Super awesome, I am so grateful for the Lord and all of his help in this work! I am just lucky enough to be apart of it! 

Love you all so much I hope you had a good week! 

ដាោយសេចក្ដីស្រឡាញ់
Sister ស្វប់