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