I think he is starting to realize that what we are teaching is actually "real" and that God will really help him. 8/28/16 week #60

Dear Fam

Such a good week. So that family that we contacted last week we started teaching them this week. Actually just the husband is learning right now because his wife is busy but its a good start. His name is Veejet. Super down to earth guy who has 3 little kids and trying to make a living for his family. They literally live in a tin tree house over this super polluted river. Its a tough neighborhood but with some really good people. After we taught him the restoration we met him two days later and wanted to share the Plan of Salvation with him but we felt like prayer is what he needed to hear. He had lots of questions about it. At the end of the lesson he started talking and just started smiling. He was like ever since we have met each other that first time you talked to me little amazing things have been happening in my life. Nothing big just little things all the time. I think he is starting to realize that what we are teaching is actually "real" and that God will really help him. SO COOL. 

Also we taught Bong Rit again. The past two weeks he has been super busy because he has been preparing to apply to a special scholarship to get his PHD is France. He prayed way hard and he got it! It was huge for him. Super cool, the bummer is that he is moving to France in Ocotber. We dont want him to get baptized and then just leave to France so we decided it would be best for him to get baptized in France. So we will continue to teach him and give him over to the Elders in France when he moves. 

Vine is doing way good. He is coming to church every week and is becoming friends with the young men. Its way cool. I think he will be ready to get baptized in about 3 weeks. SO PUMPED. 

Sunday morning we went to visit my favorite active member family in the branch. The Ngin family. Super awesome. We were sitting down talking to the mother and her son came down and was messing with his mom. It was way funny. Then she went into another room and pulled out this bamboo stick and was chasing her kid around trying to wack him with the stick. She gave up and sat next to me and said Elder I really don't want to be sealed to a kid like that. Ha it was awesome. Good stuff. 

Also some good news, our branch might become a ward in the future. Its really progressing. Super awesome. 

Hope you guys have a អស្ចារ្យ week. 

Elder Smith

 Super cool dude. His name is Sunday.

My Cambodian brothers

Went to Wat Phnom for P day

The work is going good. Its everything but easy, but you can still find something good. Week #59 8/21/16

I was riding my bike a couple days ago and i saw a guy on the ground dead. He got shot in the face. Never seen anything like that before ever. It was nuts. 

This week was pretty good. It really helps having a native explain things. Elder Try knows a ton and knows the lessons really well. Since he is Khmer he can explain things very easily. Hes been helping a lot. 

Elder Try and I are gettting along way good. His mom is a famous cook and she taught him some really good dishes. I just let him cook and let him buy everything then i just give him money and do the dishes. My new favorite khmer food is Chaa kdau. Straight fire. Spicy but way good. Limes, peanuts, chicken, peppers, lemongrass, morning glory, and tons of khmer spice. Aint nothin better. Thats the first thing you guys should eat if you go to Cambodia. 

So we had a really good lesson with Vine this week. We scheduled him to get baptized on Sept 17 and hes all in so im super exicted. BUT we have to teach him the Word of Wisdom and thats a huge deal breaker for guys in Cambodia. The only way you can have friends is if you drink. Its a big change. But he can do it. 

We got another new investigator this week. His name is Tee. We shared the Restoration and had tons of questions it was awesome. At the end we had him read Moroni's promise and we asked him how he felt reading a promise that comes from God and he just said "I feel way excited now."" It was sick. We plan on meeting him tomorrow. It should be fun. 

We were street contacting a couple days ago in a SUPER poor area. The locals  call it the "Stinky River" Its horrid. Theres so much trash that we couldnt bike through it so we had to walk with our bikes. No one was interested and then i looked to my right and saw this dude holding his baby with his other kid on his lap and his wife next to him playing with the baby. I just stopped and was like this couldnt get any more perfect, we talked to them gave them a Book of Mormom and told them we have a special lesson for their family. We checked on them yesterday but they were busy but he said he has read 8 chapters already. We haven't taught them yet, but im way excited. 

The work is going good. Its everything but easy, but still you can find something good. I read a super good quote and im been thinking about it a lot lately,

"If he would seek the real purpose of life, the individual must live for something higher than self." its by David O Mckay. Sounds a little like Buddha though. I love it. 

I love all you guys. I love this Church. And I love God. 

in khmer culture when we leave a house  you always say in khmer " Please be healthy and happy.  So loved ones please be healthy and happy. There are so many reasons why. 

Gotta love the traffic

The modern way to dry your clothes in cambodia

អែលឌើរ ស្ម៊ីធ

Elder Smith

Diving into Khmer culture! Week #58 8/14/16

Elder Try picking some mango's for us

Massive tree in our area

Well new comp and some new investigator. Transfers were this week and I got my new Companion. Elder T. I had probably 10 missionaries tell me how bad my life was going to be. There are some pretty crazy stories of this dude but with me We got along really well the first day. We''re having a lot of fun together. I lived in the same house with one of his friends who is serving as well in Siam Riap I guess he emailed Elder T and told me i was cool. Elder T said his friend likes me so he likes me too., Little tender mercy comin from Elder T's friend. 

So last week i think i talked about a guy named Vine. Hes 20. We got him to start being friends with the young men and the Young mens president is being super nice to this guy. Vine is getting fellowshipped really well. He's progressing quickly and has been to church for the past two weeks all 3 hours. I'm really excited for him. I think we might just get a baptism in a couple weeks. So pumped. 

Bong Rit is preparing for his PHD presentation this week so we didn't get to meet him so that was a bummer but we talked to him on the phone and he still has the same desires as before which is good:) 

My comp and I have been trying to help the young men and Elder T is way good at it. There is this one kid named Liab and Elder T totally got him to come to church. Elder T just invited him to learn with us and really became his friend I guess sometimes you just need some khmer to khmer love. 

Well since i have a khmer comp now im diving hard in the culture agian. Rice for every meal. Speaking khmer all day and trying to learn some funny phrases they say a lot. One of my favorites is "The old cow eats fresh grass" Thats when a old man has a young wife. Super funny.

Sorry guys i dont have a lot of time to email now. I will try to email faster next week. Im so pumped for you guys moving to THAILAND. Thats insane. You guys are going to have a ton of fun. Dont have to much fun while im gone haha. Brandon i miss you. I want your hair. I miss long hair. you look beatuful. Tyler my main man. Thats aweosme you made it to the temple. Miss that wonderful heavenly place so much. Keep kiling it and having fun. Try to jump off the highest bridge in horseshoe bend. Ashton you look good as ever with that hat. I might have to wear it when I get home.  you da best. I miss your laugh so much. Charlotte....... you got your ears pierced! Thats crazy. I bet you weren't even scared. I would have been. When i get my ears pierced whe i get home you wil have to help me.. ha just kidding. Make sure you catch a monkey in thailand for me so we can have a pet monkey. 

 

Well this area aint easy but we're making the best of it. Loving life and working hard.

love you dudes so much. best family ever

អែលឌើរ ស្ម៊ីធ

Love, Elder Smith

I think he is starting to realize that what we are teaching is actually "real" and that God will really help him. 8/14/16 week #60

Dear Fam

Such a good week. So that family that we contacted last week we started teaching them this week. Actually just the husband is learning right now because his wife is busy but its a good start. His name is Veejet. Super down to earth guy who has 3 little kids and trying to make a living for his family. They literally live in a tin tree house over this super polluted river. Its a tough neighborhood but with some really good people. After we taught him the restoration we met him two days later and wanted to share the Plan of Salvation with him but we felt like prayer is what he needed to hear. He had lots of questions about it. At the end of the lesson he started talking and just started smiling. He was like ever since we have met each other that first time you talked to me little amazing things have been happening in my life. Nothing big just little things all the time. I think he is starting to realize that what we are teaching is actually "real" and that God will really help him. SO COOL. 

Also we taught Bong Rit again. The past two weeks he has been super busy because he has been preparing to apply to a special scholarship to get his PHD is France. He prayed way hard and he got it! It was huge for him. Super cool, the bummer is that he is moving to France in Ocotber. We dont want him to get baptized and then just leave to France so we decided it would be best for him to get baptized in France. So we will continue to teach him and give him over to the Elders in France when he moves. 

Vine is doing way good. He is coming to church every week and is becoming friends with the young men. Its way cool. I think he will be ready to get baptized in about 3 weeks. SO PUMPED. 

Sunday morning we went to visit my favorite active member family in the branch. The Ngin family. Super awesome. We were sitting down talking to the mother and her son came down and was messing with his mom. It was way funny. Then she went into another room and pulled out this bamboo stick and was chasing her kid around trying to wack him with the stick. She gave up and sat next to me and said Elder I really don't want to be sealed to a kid like that. Ha it was awesome. Good stuff. 

Also some good news, our branch might become a ward in the future. Its really progressing. Super awesome. 

Hope you guys have a អស្ចារ្យ week. 

Elder Smith

 Super cool dude. His name is Sunday.

My Cambodian brothers

Went to Wat Phnom for P day

Transfer week! week #57 8/7/16

(

Well transfer calls were last night. Some good news and some bad news, Elder Medley and I will be parting ways. I'm way sad. He's definitely one of my favorite comps. So chill. BUT i got a call and i will be the new zone leader in the city. South Zone is the biggest zone in Cambodia so im a little nervous. I though I was going to train but being a zone leader is going to be tight. BUUUT my new comp is a little difficult. Im not going to lie hes a twin of Elder Chhouk. There are 3 famous super difficult missionaries in the mission  Elder Chhouk and Elder Try are on the top 3.  Its going to be a adventure to say the least. 

But im just going to love this man. Hes going to feel way wierd becuase of the amount of love that im going to bestow upon him. His life is going to be amazing. im taking this as a challenge. 

So we met Rith this week and he told us he completly stopped coffee and tea! Hes done he said and he just wants to get baptized! It was a sick lesson. If all goes well he should get baptized in 3 or 4 weeks. I'm way pumped for him, 

Church was awesome today. We had 4 investigators and we picked up two new investigators that are way good. we had over a hundred people come in our branch! Elder Medley and I had two goals this transfer- we wanted to get 20 lessons twice and over a 100 people at church twice and we did it. It was awesome. When i first got here it wasn't that good at all. So its been fun seeing the area grow in numbers:) The work is coming along. I'm really starting to love this area. The members are awesome and we got some really good investigators. 

Cant believe you guys are moving to Thailand! it looks like the Lords hand is in it all the way. Im so pumped for you guys. That's going to be one way cool adventure--I'm all in.  I'm way jealous, but Cambodia is way cooler so whatever . Love you dudes. Thanks for the prayers! 

Cambodians are really good artists

teaching English!

This week was a thousand times better than last week 7/31/16 Week #56

Hey guys! This week was a thousand times better than last week.

So our area is a branch but we go to the church building where all of the wards are. And for the past two week our branch has had the most people show up for church than all of the wards in the South Stake area. Elder Medley and I are doing a ton of less active work and strengthening the members. Its a ton of fun. This area used to be way tough, crazy what some hard work can do. Its doing way good now.

So Sophiap and Teeda showed up to church again. I'm really excited for them. We can only meet them once a week because he is so busy with work, but they have some really good faith. We might see a couple baptisms in a month or two. Ive gotten really close to this couple. They are way awesome. Can't wait to see what happens.

For Bong Rith we have a plan to help him stop drinking coffee and tea. He committed to completely stop in two weeks, so we will see what happens. Hes down to a cup a day instead of 3 or 4. We had a really good lesson about the Sabbath day and what Gods wants us to do in this life. Hes comin a long. Its not easy.

Funniest thing happened the other day-- Elder Medley and I were coming out of our house to unlock our gate and this insane lady who sells vegetables and meat outside of our house was just waiting outside our gate. So we talked to her as we were opening the gate to take our bikes out and she asked if she could come in. Before we could say anything she ran into our front yard and yelled "Oh my gosh" and started to rip all of the leaves off this tree. My comp and I just looked at each other not knowing what to do. I guess the leaves on this tree are way delicious and expensive, i had no idea. She told us thank you and had a handful of leaves and then ran out and started selling them outside or house. Ha it was awesome. I guess you make a soup called Slamajoo with it. I'm going to ask her to make it for me.

Well looks like Idaho is still as beautiful as ever. Miss you guys.

Elder Smith

 

 

 "the difficulty in life itself is a blessing. For it initiates a desire within us to turn to the Lord.""

A very weird but great week! 7/24/16 Week #55

Well this week... There have been better HA

Well on Tuesday night i woke up at like 2 in the morning with this insane sharp pain in my stomach and 5 minutes later i was downstairs having everything inside my body leave with great force. It was terrible. I tried to go back to my room, cause thats the only room in the house that has any sort of AC but as soon as i would walk upstairs i would have to go back to the bathroom and throw up. It was way hot so i just took my shirt off and laid on the tile in my bathroom trying to smack the ants that were crawling on me and feeling sorry for myself and trying to cool off. One of the worst nights of my life not going to lie ha. Got like no sleep at all. But after like 5 hours of just dying it quickly went away. I have no idea what I ate, but this body did not like it. 

Buuut Bong Rit came to church yesterday and he brought a friend. It was awesome. He really enjoyed it and is progressing slowly but surely. It was really cool to explain everything we do. He was really interested. Hes such a cool guy. 

On Friday elder medley and I were late to a meeting so we went down this bridge and were hauling on our bikes. Im talking like Gear 3 and gear 8 status. I was going way fast, and then this dude totally cut me off way bad and there i went. Sliding on the road. I pretty much had to just ditch my bike and jump off it. nothing i could do. I tried to land on my shoulder and back and it worked really well. My hand and elbow have some good road rash but i was wearing my helmet so i was safe. That new backpack totally saved me, didnt get anything on my back ahah. There was like a group of like 80 people that came over to me. The guy just drove away way fast and didn't do anything. The bike is ok, just a couple scrapes. So this week was weird but it was also way good. 

I found some really good qutoes that i have been studying a lot lately

"Righteousness is simply a humble understanding of how unrighteous one is, coupled with a deep commitment to be better."

"The difficulty of life itself is a blessing. For it initiates a desire within us to come to the Lord."

"Circumstances that invite us toward Christ are blessings to us spiritually even if they are challenges to us physically."

Love you guys! 

This is where we do all of our shopping. This lady hooks me up way good.