New Companion! Elder Neuberger from TX-- week #22

Well Christmas is coming, but here I honestly think its still August! Its just hot!  And nobody even knows what Christmas is, everyone here is just stoked for mango season. I guesss theres tons and tons of mango trees here, so thats going to be good. 

So Elder Brewer finished his mission and I got a new comp. His name is Elder NeuBerger. Way cool dude. We're going to help a lot of people and have fun doing it. This transfer is going to be awesome. I am no longer in training. My 12 weeks are over, and now I'm leading out the area. Which means i have to remember every single persons house in all of the villages. Ha its been fun. 

So for the Investigator Uptdate: Ponloke, hes the restraunt man. Turns out he is a fortune teller and is telling the old lady we live with, that the reason she is sick is because her daughter believes in the Jesus. Seem legit. His magic cards told him that. So maybe our next lesson will be to stop doing magic. Never thought I would be teaching about that. Om June: He hasnt drunk in like 2 weeks, should get baptized in 2 weeks, but since he has no teeth it is very hard to understand him when he talks. We thought we heard him say he has been getting high, yes this 65 year old tootheless man. Lets hope its false. Ming Sophol: She is watching her house get built so shes way "busy" but wants to get baptized in like 3 weeks. Shes still doing good. There was a big wedding this week so no one was home at all, so we didnt really get to teach a lot. The party is over so hopefully things will work out. We got some other people we are teaching, but I have no time because we are going to a hill that has big statues of fruit, so i am crunched on time. 

This are is just so beautiful, but the people are just so poor. There are some pretty desperate situtations that we see everyday. One of our investigators named Samoon had his house collapse. He and his wife have 3 children. I kid you not they are living in a house thats 6 feet  by 6 feet. Its rough. But on Tuesday we are helping him build a new house so Im way excited. 

Well sorry this email is kinda lame, I've got to go. But I love all of you guys. have an awesome week and remember what Christmas is all about: The Savior. It's all about Him and His amazing Atonement.  Love, Elder Smith

Coolest family!  They sell sugar cane together.

Bought a live fish and then came home and cooked it.

Just a little bus stop snack of fried tarantula 

Prey Cho

Our church building--there is no church sign, but that blue sign advertises English classes

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I found Sam’s companion’s blog and he went into a little more detail about their week…

"My companion is Elder Smith. He's the coolest! He just finished training with Elder Brewer. Pretty funny that when Elder Brewer left Chaktomuk he went with my kid, and when I left I went with his. Elder Smith is from Eagle, Idaho and loves to work. He's a fearless contactor too! I love it! He'll just walk up to a huge group of people and invite all of them to learn about Christ.People out here in the khets are all way inviting, even more so than in the city! Everyone always invites us to come and sit with them on their kre (a wooden bed) underneath their stilt houses. 

So for those of you who feel bad, because you've never heard of Prey Cho, don't feel bad, because most Cambodians have never ever heard of Prey Cho either. It's this little farming community off the side of the road to Kampong Cham. It doesn't even have a town, it literally isn't anything, haha. The way Elder Smith put it is that Prey Cho has got to be the most overlooked place on the planet Earth. Haha, there's nothing really there to set it apart from anywhere else on the road to Kampong Cham. Maybe you're wondering, why in the world is the church there? Well because about 6 years ago this man named Puu Dee was baptized and became one of the most active members in one of the Kampong Cham branches, even though he had to ride about 45 minutes to get to church (that's how far away it is by moto or car). He kept spreading the gospel to his friends and neighbors. He's one of those guys who just tells everyone about it. They all started joining to the point that about 1.5  years ago, right before I entered the MTC, President Moon decided to establish a group out there. So that's where I am! We actually don't even live in Prey Cho, we live in this village called Kvet Thom. That's what our area is, just a cluster of different farming villages that we ride out to. 

Right now is the middle of harvesting season so everyone is harvesting rice everyday. Everyone has told me this whole last week as I was preparing to leave out to Prey Cho that it is the prettiest area in the whole mission. I believed them, but I had yet to see it, just because the only part of Prey Cho I've ever seen is the national road that goes right through the middle of it, but even that part is beautiful. The whole road is lined with these white-barked trees and you can see rice fields on either side as you ride down it. But even prettier than that is if you just go down the road, and go under one of the tons of wat archways, and ride for like 50 meters and all of a sudden you're just on a raised dirt road surrounded by rice fields and palm trees literally till you cut the tail of your eye (that's how you say, “as far as you can see" in Khmae). It’s insane. And off in the distance you can see like a bunch of trees or jungle looking stuff past the rice fields, with some stilted houses in it, and you ride to it and that’s where an investigator or a member lives! That's how our whole area looks! It’s insane! It's a pretty big adjustment going from the most urban area in the mission to the most rural for sure, but I'm loving it! So as you could expect in a village like Kvet Thom, there’s not much to go by in terms of nice housing, haha. We live in this house in the middle of a member's rice mill/pig farm/chicken coops. The house is small, but very clean. That's good, because the last time I went to the Prey Cho house, about 5 months ago for President to do interviews with the missionaries there, it was way gross. Out here in the boonies there’s no water pressure, so we don't have a shower. Or a toilet. In our bathroom we've just got a squatter, a basin that fills with water, and 2 buckets, one to clean yourself with and one to shower with (don't mix them up!) It's a pretty grand life. I've sent pics of this house before, way back when. Remember when I took those pictures with the pigs like 5 months ago? That's my house!

There are the most wonderful members in the Prey Cho group. Puu Dee is our group president, and he and his wife and 3 kids are just about the most Christ-like family you could find anywhere. They are super loving with each other and are always smiling. Puu Dee is actually like the most well-known person in all these farming villages, because he's a traveling doctor, so every always knows who Kruu Puu Dee is when you ask them. It's way cool. All the active members here are way faithful, even though they've all been members for less than 2 years (since that’s how long missionaries have been out there).

Since Prey Cho is such an isolated community, people freak out when we speak Khmae. They literally are in disbelief. It's like that in the city too, but out here it’s even more exaggerated. Haha, their accents out here are hilarious. Kampong Cham's accent is even worse than Phnom Penh's. They all speak like country bumpkins. I love it, hahaha.I love Cambodians so much. Moroni 7 has come to have such a deeper meaning to me now, because on my mission God has truly blessed me with at least a taste of what true love feels like for your fellowmen. I hope I can help this group progress, to continue establishing the kingdom of God in every clime, even in some quiet farming villages in Cambodia.I love my mission.” 

Elder Neuberger

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ps--Botevy drove 90 minutes each way to drop off Sam's Christmas package.  She is an absolute angel I tell you. She had taken it to the mission home for Sam to pick up when he got a new companion last week-- but plans changed and his comp went out to meet him instead so he didn't get the bag.  I was so sad because I didn't think that Sam would have anything for Christmas.  I'm not sure how Botevy found out that Sam did not get it, but this week she emailed me and said she picked the bag up and drove it out to him. I love her!!

A little miracle happened--Dally was baptized! Week #21

Baptismal Font

Well this week we had one super awesome thing and one super lame thing happen. Imma start with the good stuff.

So I had my first baptism this week! It was a little miracle. Dally was supposed to get baptized like a month ago, but then her dad got upset and said no. We kept visiting her and being nice to her and then last Tuesday she said she could get baptized because her dad said yes! It was so awesome. I had the sacred privilege baptizing her.  It was the first time i have ever baptized anyone. It was such a cool experience. I can’t believe the Lord would trust me with the authority to do a saving ordinance for one of his beautiful little girls. Dally is just amazing. She’s just a light.

Our area doesn't have a font, so we and our investigators traveled an hour on a taxi to get to the next city. We got there and filled up the font and it started leaking. We had a limited amount of water so we ran out of water. Ha it was time for the baptism to start and the water went only to my knees, but all in all it worked out. It was so cool. God's church just got one of the sweetest girls on earth. She's amazing and is the only reason her mom is active at all. One of the coolest moments on my mission was hearing her bear her testimony about Jesus Christ and then seeing all the members wait in a line to hug her and congratulate her. That Sunday could not have been any better.


So my main man couldn't resist the booze this week. Ahhh he didnt drink for over a month! That was like the first time hes ever done that in his life. We came to visit him and he was just completely out of it. It was the first time where I had true "sorrow" for one of my investigators. But we visited him a couple days later and he apologized sincerely to us and to God, and helped us teach some more people. So hopefully he can stick it. I love that guy, especially his toothless smile:)

We have an investigator right now who has a little restaurant. Anyways he's been reading a ton and agreed to get baptized IF he receives an answer. So we're super stoked for him. Hes a good guy and has the potential to help lots of people. Cant wait to see how it ends up. We're also teaching these two guys who are translaters for the big sweatshop in our area. They're two smart young dudes who want to find out why Jesus is important. Its been fun teaching them. They have a lot of potential as well.

Transfers are this week. My companion is going home in like 4 days--So crazy to think hes not going to be a missionary anymore. So weird, so im leading out the area and my new comp is elder Neuberger.  im super excited, ive heard really good things about him.  He’s been in the office for six months and hes going to go hard so im excited. You know the mission is just way hard, but this mission also has some amazing missionaries. I'm super excited to serve with a lot of them.

All in all the mission life is going swell. Still struggling with the language ha,but it's coming. Gods helping. I hope all of you guys had a good thanksgiving. Cant wait to talk to you guys on Christmas.

Much love,

Elder Smith

Life is good. Everyday something cool happens. It's definately the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but also the most rewarding" week #20

Elder Smith with Sophal and her daughters

Our mission right now has a goal to contact 10 different people every day. So 70 a week. Then the next week we add two more people. So 84 this next week. Last week we just hit contacting hard and got 101. It was sick. We got some pretty promising investigators out of it too. We had a lot of people just laugh at us, but it was super cool to see how the Lord put people in our way just because we were willing to literally talk to every person along the road. We probably got 5 investigators. So 5/100. Lot of rejection, but those 5 people now have the opportunity to have the best joy this world offers. It was super fun.

We were teaching this part member family the other day and I was talking about how if God is our foundation then Satan wont have any power over us, but of course I didn't say that. I wanted to, but i didn't. I said "hey, we need to put our foundation on the glorious chicken." Yes, that's what happened. The word for glorious chicken and firm have one different letter. Its was funny, to say the least.

Our investigators are progressing pretty good right now. Sophal is doing great, but two days ago she was on her modo, carrying a trailer full of watermelons and some car hit her and she fell off and messed up her back and a lot of her watermelons got demolished, buttt she still came to church. Shes awesome. My main man Om June was the best I've ever seen him. We went to his house and he just way excited. He was like " Elders! Lets pray real quick, we got to go." Ha he told us to follow him and for about an hour and a half we ditched our bikes and just walked deeper and deeper in the village. He just would point at people and say "HEY! You wanna join Jesus?" and most people would just laugh, but if anyone would have the slightest interest he would grab their chairs and make them listen to us. It was hilarious. Keep in mind two months ago, this man would get drunk for days at a time and just slept all day. Now hes got a purpose. And on sunday he brought a friend to church. If all goes well and he saves enough money hes going to get baptized on Sunday. Cant wait! We are teaching this man named Poneloke. He has a little restaurant where he sells rice and pork every morning. This guy could be the next group leader. Just a solid guy who's super open minded. The other day he asked me how old I was and when i said 18 he had a little annurism. So now he doest even call me Elder, just baby now. Thats my name. He can read, hes a little educated and hes keeping the commitments we're giving him. This is one of my first investigators who can read so I'm way pumped. Anyways its just been so cool teaching him. He used to believe in the Buddha, but know he's truly starting to believe in God. Its been the coolest thing to watch. I love that guy.

I've been reading D&C a lot lately and I came across this gem, It says, "And after their temptations, and much tribulations, behold, I the Lord, will feel after them, and if they harden not their hearts, and stiffen not their necks against me, they shall be converted, and I will heal them. (112:13)" This scriptures is showing us that every trial, every mishap, every bad thing that has happened to us even when we were being good is an opportunity. A way for us to truly become converted. The more we rely on God when life isn't going all that good, we learn to love him even more. God promises he will feel after us. If we just endure it, we will be so grateful we did. And so will our Father in Heaven:)

Life is good. Every day something cool happens. Its definitely the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but also the most rewarding. Helping people realize that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us is honestly a privledge. Best mission out there. Hope all of you guys have a good thanksgiving, maybe ill eat some rice or something. Ha love you guys

ELDER SMITH

 Fresh sugar cane

 Endless rice fields

 sleeping Buddah

This was the prettiest sunset I've ever seen, all natural.

One of our members

"For my arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord." Week #19

Well to start this off, like an hour ago I just ate some soup with coagulated pig blood. It actually wasn't to shabby. Just squishy like some Jell-o.

Ok so the Cambodian food finally got me. I got sick this week. Like my stomach was flipping out. You know when you work out and then you have a muscle that will like twitch or like flip out, my stomach was doing that. Like it was moving and i thought i had something living inside me and it didnt feel good, like at all. Threw up all morning. Worst stomach ache ever, but luckily it only lasted for like a day so we're all good... hopefully.
Cool thing, I finally memorized the first vision in Khmer. I'll send a pic of it, it took forever. But its in my brain now, so I can use it in some lessons. I'm way stoked.

Our golden investigator right now, Sophal is doing pretty good. She sells watermelons and on monday she sold 150  and was was super happy, and she shared how she knows its because of God. Shes awesome. I'm way excited for her. She's so much happier.
So dally's mom (dally is 11 and shes a little Cambodian angel) is done with the church and apparently is way annoyed with us and thinks we're trying to steel her money. idk why.. The past week she wasnt letting dally get baptized and dally said she would chew her out if she saw her reading the scriptures, Buuut at church she came up to me and grabbed my hand and asked "when can I enter Jesus becuase her mom said its ok". It was like the cutest/humbling thing ever. She's amazing and just has a sweet spirit about her. Such a cool little girl.

So this week I have been carrying the phone and making all the appointments (it has been rough to say the least). And one night we were on this sketchy pot hole infested road and the phone fell out of my pocket. So i stopped and it was pitch black and i had no lights so i tried to find it. There was a black object on ground so i grabbed it. And it didn't feel like a phone, but more like soggy bread. Yes, it was poop. And yes it was fresh and warm.

So we went to that really pretty village that was like 3 miles away the other day and the coolest thing happened. We were riding our biked and saw this white dude out of nowhere. I have never seen a white person is Prae Choo let alone 3 miles into the jungle. Turns out there is an orphange and there were like 12 volunteers. Its the coolest place ever. Just in the middle of rice fields and theres this christian orphanage. Im totally living there for a little and volunteering there. It was called new hope.

So on Sunday we had 24 people show up. Pretty good. Almost double from what we had when we first came here.  And our group leader started the meeting and then said i was giving another talk. Ha so 2 minutes later i was up on the stand. I think it went well, people started zoning out after like 20 seconds ha, oh well. One of our investigators in this 17 year old dude who came to church. He was the last one to take the sacrament and so he just took a huge handful of bread, ha it was hilarious.

It was a good week. Made a lot of mistakes in the language, but learned a lot. In 2 Nephi 28:32 it says "...for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord". Honestly is all on us. We decide if we want to be happy or not. The best way is through our Heavenly Father. He's there for us and always will be. We will love life more, our outlook on this life will be better, and we will just feel better. All good things come from Him. His arm will always be there to embrace us, we just have to walk up to Him. I love you guys!

LOVE ELDER SMITH

the first vision in khmer that I finally memorized

 Fishing with a bamboo stick

 playing volleyball with the locals

 Right after it rains

Mosiah 23:21-22 Week #18

Hey guys,

It was a good week. We had some investigators who told us they want to stop learning but 

the lady who botevy saw came to church and brought her family. Shes so cool, She's 

getting baptized in like 3 or 4 weeks so pumped!... buuut we have 2 investigators who were 

supposed to get baptized next week but they ditched out on church so they have to wait 

now. Its so hard to try to teach why church is important. Lots of people just think its 

pointless. Its tough, but the members who DO think church is good are just so awesome. 

There's this one family which is the only active member family in our area and they 

honestly are the COOOLEST people ever. You all would love the wife, I dont think I've ever

seen her not smiling. It's just night and day seeing people with the gospel and not. 

They're amazing. Im going to remember this family literally forever. So awesome!

So something that I am realizing every day here is how much the missionaries play a role 

in the church here. In some areas they are just the life and blood of the church. We have a pretty big responsibility to make sure all the right things happen here. Ha Elder Brewer and I will either give a talk every Sunday or teach the class after sacrament meeting. Its pretty 

funny. Right now we're trying to reactivate our first counselor. He has been 

inactive for a while. We're trying to get him to come to church but he told us that he 

receives all the blessings of the commandments HE follows and right now he doesn't need 

the promises from going to church ha so if anyone has any good comebacks for that one, 

I would love to hear em.

So this week we got some promising investigators and also had some investigators that 

said they were done. One of them has a baptism date too so we're trying to help her, but her 

life is just so busy and she thinks that "God's road is just to hard". So we're going to 

try to help her see how much help she can receive from God just by believing. The other 

guy just straightup said "yeah theres just no way Im joining, my dad is super high up in 

the buddhist community and theres just no possible way" I felt so bad for this dude, the 

only reason he doesnt want to learn is becuase of his dad. Oh well hopefully if we keep 

coming he will read the BOM and realize how good he can feel and learn all the amazing 

stuff thats in the book.

We started teaching this one guy named Ponloek. He has a restraunt and is a super cool 

guy. We were teaching the plan of salvation to him and i was struggling to say this one

word and then he just stopped and said "You know what I cant really understand you that well, 

but I know you're trying really hard, and that makes me want to learn more." ha i was just like wow your like the realest dude ever, thank you so much. I don't know why i just 

thought that was the coolest thing ever for some reason.

So there is this treat that a lot of people sell here and its called bong imes. There way good and one of our members rides her bike all across the town and sells them. We visited her and she started teaching us how to make them. She has this machine made our of lava 

rock and you put this super sweet rice in it and then this milk comes out after you rotate it. Well Elder Brewer did it perfectly and then it was my turn. Ha well i clogged it in 

like 10 seconds and we had to take it all apart and re-do everything ha she was laughing 

pretty hard. I felt bad, but it was way funny. I guess i just cant to anything Cambodian 

without cutting off my finger or just ruining it.

I went on an exchange this week with a cambodian elder name Elder Long. He's a way 

cool guy. Before he got converted he was in a pretty big drug gang. He was the #3 dude 

out of everybody. He told me his conversion story and why he served a mission. Its just so cool to see how drastically this gospel can change someones life for the better. He's just sohappy now and helping so many people. SO SICK. Elder Long interviewed Om June for his 

baptism and I dont think I have laughed so hard on my mission. I shed my first tears from 

laughing. This man isnt the smartest dude in the world, but he could be the funniest. We 

asked him some questions and he would just say the word of wisdom for everything. Ha it 

was hilarious. Elder Long guided him along and he eventually said all the right stuff. We asked him if he wanted to live with his wife in Heaven and he was just like "Yeah sure why

not, lets just go together." ha and when he laughs his whole face just scrunches together 

and his mouth is all the way open with no teeth. Coolest thing ever. 

I was at a members house yesterday and they were eating these fresh clams they just got and they cracked one open and all this blood stuff came out and then they shoved it into 

my mouth ha. It was nasty, tasted like straight blood. Fun experience! 

Life is all good here in the wonderful country of Cambodia. My area is doing ok. Its just 

hard to see so much poverty. I had a 100 dollars in my pocket today and i was going to 

change it so i could by some food. I looked at it and was just like man, this one piece of 

paper right here literally could change your life as i looked at a little 10 year old kid who 

was picking up beer cans to recycle. This country sometimes seems forgotten. Theres just 

so much poverty and the sad part is a lot of the people here can't really do anything about

it. A lot of people just have lost hope and then their kids see it and its just a never ending 

cycle. I want to change it, i just haven't figured it out yet. Its super sad because i will see 

lots of little kids not going to school because they work to help get food for their families.  

We are so blessed, we have absolutely no idea.

If any of you guys are feeling down or dont understand why something has happened you, 

Mosiah 23:21-22 is a great one. Gives us a good perspective. I love you all

ELDER SMITH

The one the only Om Jun

This week was solid. We got a lot done and had a ton of fun doing it. Week #17

Well this week was solid. We got a lot done and had a ton of fun doing it. 

I got to see Botevy this week! It was super cool seeing her, her daughter YaYa, and meeting Bekah D. We had just finished a lesson and pulled out of the house and this white car just pulled up and people started waving. We got out and started talking. So refreshing to see a familiar face! (Botevy is the lady we stayed with for a month when I was a freshman in high school while helping at her orphanage in Phnom Penh.  We have stayed good friends and she was even able to be there when I opened my call to Cambodia!)

Botevy and the group wanted to come help us teach one of our new investigators so we went over to Sophal. She was a referral from a recent convert. Botevy shared such a cool story. She told a story about how the Lord has blessed her and how she became converted. It was so cool and the spirit was strong.  Towards the end Sophal started to tear up. Two days later we came back and she wants to get baptized along with 3 of her kids!! So sick!!  

We have this other investigator who we contacted a couple weeks ago named Gontia. She's super cool. Her husband isn't really interested though. Annnyways we asked her if she could read and she CAN!! We gave her a BOM and she started reading it. We were way stoked about that becuase for some reason most people don't read when we give them stuff. They're always "busy". A lot of people can't read as well.  But, we had a lesson with her and she wants to get baptized too! So in a month we could get like 5 or more! We're way stoked:)

We were trying to meet this less active the other day and the guy wasn't home. Then we looked to our right and saw this dirt road. It looked beautiful. The sun was shining on the rice fields. The clouds were plump. There was freshly cut crass on the sides and we were off. It just looked like a good dirt road I guess. Apperantly there is one member in that poom and we were going to find him. This little poom probably could be the prettiest place I have ever seen, and I have seeen some pretty cool stuff. It was just so beautiful. Just hard core Cambodian untouched by the outside world. Super cool. We started talking to this lady and then more people started popping up--coming out of no where. We had like 10 people start talking to us. It was way cool.  Oh and I talked to a guy for like 4 minutes straight with no help! But after I said every word i knew it just turned into an awkward stand stiill. I just did a big smile and he just kept looking at me. I of course could say nothing and understood nothing when he spoke. Then he just looked at me and walked away. Ha it was so weird, but i couldn't care less because i talked to him. We got some return appointments there so we will be back. But we couldnt find the member, but hopefully we will next time. 

 The Poon

Last night we had dinner with our group leader Dee. He's probably is the coolest cambo i've met on my mission so far. Just an amazing person. He was a monk for like 30 years and then his brother converted him. He's a doctor, but since he is christian now he's lost 60% of his paitents. He is the only active male in our area. But he continues to just love life and help people. He just has so much faith and so much fun because he's so positive. His testimony is so cool. He talked to us about how blessed he is and how grateful he is for the Gospel. Im probably going to remember this man for the rest of my life. Way cool dude. 

When we teach here most people accept there is a higher power. We explain that he is the father of our spirits. Buddhism talks a lot about spiritual stuff so they like how he's our "father". Most people we teach want to learn- its awesome. If someone isn't interested though they will just igore us and not say anything when we talk to them-- its actaully way funny. They just think if they stop talking we will go away ha. 

We took a car to KC today to get to the internet shop and this lady was sick. She like sneezed and puked and the same time (weirdest sound in the whole entire world by the way) and it got on like 4 people. I was clean-- Totally got my comp though ha! 

Hope all of you guys had a exquisite week. Much love

ELDER SMITH

look good, feel good

One of the members houses

Giving rides to the locals

Here is the video I got from Botevy and Bekah when they went with him to teach Sophal.  To say it made my year is an understatement!  I think I watched the video 300 times that day.  Amazing!

Here is Bekah's letter of her and Botevy's little miracle in finding Sam...

So we ventured out into the sticks today an a mission to find Sam. As an RM I was thinking there was about a 5% chance that we would actually find him. Botevy didn't know where the church in his area was and didn't have his number so we were basically driving to his area hoping to find him! His area was an hour drive from Botevy's house. We got to his area around 11 am and after asking 5 different people along the roadside we finally found the church. Botevy was hoping that someone would be at the chapel because the one in Phnom Penh always has a guard outside of it. This church was very different, a rented building about the size of our garage super overgrown with weeds and a tiny sign with the name of the church. So at this point I'm thinking this is never going to work but praying so hard that for Botevy and YaYa's sake we'd find him! So we drive five minutes beyond the church and all of the sudden Sam and his comp bike off of some dirt side street onto the main road!! We about died (and nearly ran over him)!! Mind you his area is mostly dirt roads with this one main road going through it so the fact that they were even on the main road was a miracle. They were headed to a lesson so we joined, of course! They were teaching a recently divorced woman the first lesson about the restoration and giving her a Book of Mormon. Botevy shared her amazing testimony and Sam and his comp did awesome. His comp and Botevy both said that his Khmer sounds very clear! He seemed happy and healthy and just laughed about all the crazy stuff he has eaten and done since getting here. Both he and his comp were beyond stoked about the bags of food!

From Botevy...

Dear Ally,

We were help Sam teaching the gospel together to a new member. Sam speech Khmer very clearly easy to understand. He was so surprised to see all of us. We were asked a few people then we saw him ride the bicycle with his partner for teaching the new member, we just see him about 5 minutes and he said good bye to us so I asked him where do want to go. He said we have an appointment with new member for teach the gospel. But, I said ...can we help you for teach the gospel to a new member ? His partner said  Yes, that is nice please drive the car follow us. I said Ok. 

We were share testimony to the woman. I have shared about experiences why I believed in Jesus Christ ? After listen, she cries and said yes, I will learn gospel with Elder. 

Sam, speak Khmer very good. I am so happy to see him. I told him I will go to see your mom in 10 days. He said wow!..and said please kiss my mom for me. I said, yes. 

Please see pictures we took together. Love, Botevy

 

Nothing crazy this week, but we got "half transferred" Week #16

Well well compared to every other week here in Cambodia this week was actually not that crazy. It was kinda nice not going to lie. No near death experiences this week, but we did kill two rats 1 mouse and a frog in our house so that was exciting.

Moving Day

Elder Brewer and I were in two areas: KC and Prae Choo. We got a call and got half transferred. We would only be in Prae Choo for about 2-3 days per week, but now we're there all day err day. Its one of the prettiest areas, but man this area is struggling. We have about 67 members baptized and confirmed but only 12 people showed up to church. This place has very few educated people. Every single person is poor and not a whole lot of people can read. This area was only set as its own area like a year ago, its just a baby. Elder Brewer and I have to hold it and care for it because it poops its pants and throws up on itself a couple times a day. Let me tell you why...

In this place pretty much everybody knows everybody. There's a whole lot of gossip in this place, and the people here are just really really gullible. The other day we were teaching a recent convert and she said this other recent convert and her husband were going around telling people that the church is corrupt, that we take peoples money, and the group leader gets 500 bucks a month. Also there's a ton of other wierd rumors about our church like we can't cry at our parents funerals and stuff. So we had to go around and talk to people they talked to and tell them it wasn't true. It's kinda difficult when you have members proselyting against the church. 

Buuuttt I do have some good news. We were teaching this recent convert named Borrae (shes super awesome, shes like 16 only member and literally does everything on her own) she told us she had some referrals. We taught them about God and how to pray and so we got 11 new investigators this week. We're super siked! We're also teaching this lady named kuntthia. Shes progressing super fast and read like three pages from the Book of Mormon which was a first for me to have an investigator that we found that actually read. 

I think it was thursday we came into our house and it was dark, i walked into the kitchen and i felt like two things crawling on my foot. I did like one of those girl screams you hear in a movie when a lady sees a mouse and i just kicked my foot and turned on the lights. There were a couple mice running a round and Elder Brewer grabbed a stick and i grabbed a broom. We totally killed one it was so awesome. The day before that we went in our house and it just smelled horrid. Our house usually smells bad since its 6 inches away from a bunch of pigs, but this was different. I said it smelled like dead rat and we looked into a bucket half full of water and there were two dead rats floating. I think we have like a Ratatouiie problem in our house or something.   

We dont have a shower or a toilet here in Prae Choo, just a squatter but its fun out here. We're just all alone. All we have is the Lord. I've been thinking a lot about this quote and I think it explains exactly what we need to do here "Pray like everything depends on the Lord, and work like everything depends on you." We have a ton do do here and I'm pumped. Love and miss you guys. Suu Suu (fight on)

ELDER SMITH

our kill

One of the mice that made me scream like a little girl

Just a little bike ride through the countryside to an appointment