Garrett is Leaving Battambang for the Mission Home

Well the best part of the week was on Saturday when Tevy and Sov were baptized.  I was able to baptize both of them.  They have been progressing well and showing a lot of faith.   It was really cool.   (See picture below)

Well I will give you a history about them because I have not told you that much about them.  I was just riding out of the church, and I just met Sov as soon as I rode my bike out.  Well I just started out with a hello and then got his number...you know the usual thing.  Well, he said that he wanted to learn so I called him a few days later, and we met him.  This was back with Elder Chan.  Well then we just started teaching he and Tevy, and they started to progress really well.  The biggest thing is that they were consistent in reading and then praying about the Book of Mormon.  After he was baptized, Sov said that when he was reading the Book of Mormon and reading about Nephi he felt that he could conquer all of his problems and that his life was really not that bad.  He mentioned that now he just feels like he has so many new friends and that he was so happy that he got baptized.  I have been impressed with them because they were so quick to let go of things and to start keeping commandment.  Their whole story is just really cool because quite honestly I feel like I have contacted a lot of people on my mission, and I have seen a lot of success from it, but never in terms of myself. Sov said that it was strange that we met that day because he usually never really talks to people on the street; it was just the perfect timing that we met that day.  Really cool.

 Wedding taking up half the road

I had a weird experience with a drunken man who heard me say about 2 words and decided that I know really good Khmae and then got a branch and started to write words on my back.  At first he tried to take off my shirt which was weird and then he decided to just write words on my back and told me at least 10 times to not throw away my shirt.  It was really weird.  I have been working out recently as well.  My triceps are getting big.  The power has been out during the day for the past three days and they only turn it on at night so it took us a long time to find an internet place with a generator.

Giant vats they cook food in for the wedding

I had a cool experience with our investigator.  He told me that he used to drive big trucks across the kites, and one day he saw a little girl run out in front of him. He nearly hit her.  He slammed on the brakes and swerved the truck causing him to crash.  Everyone thought he would be dead, but he said he could not kill that girl.  Well, he lived, and he believes that god prepared him to learn with us.

We had some service cleaning hundreds of glass bottles for our Branch mission leader who I love.  He grows mushrooms that get made into medicine, so we cleaned a lot of the bottles.  

 I have a cool story about a less active man who went inactive because he got offended about 3 months or so.  His blow up was a long time coming in that he has a really short temper and that he had been feeling offended with other missionaries and other members for a long time.  Some missionaries rode in his tuk tuk but did not give him enough money. Trying to make the situation right, another missionary and I met him along the road and tried give him more money for the ride, but it did not work. He decided to not come to church.  I felt really bad and did not really tell you guys before because I knew it was not my fault, but at the same time I kind of felt like I could have done something different.  Well, I have gone to the man several times to say that I was sorry and then I would just go to say hi several times.  I tried to be friendly and apologize, but I really could not drop anything.  Well, he came to church last week, which was really awesome!  Unexpected too.  He just showed up, and I got a lot of members to go and talk to him.  It was a really good day!

When the president was here he went teaching with us for the night which was cool and a little scary.  We talked with the crazy family (See the picture above).  She is still doing, well and we taught her about fasting.  Elder Hang, the two members, and the mission president fasted for her and her husband.  Hopefully we can see a miracle with that.

 President called and asked me to be one of his assistants. I received the call on Sunday night at 5:00, and had to leave on a bus at 9:00 AM the next day. (Assistants to the Mission Presidents or Aps help the Mission President run the mission. They help with planning, logistics, trainings, etc.) It was hard to say bye to people.  It was mostly just calling them really quick and telling them that I am leaving, and that I am sorry. I know I will go back up on exchanges and that I will go up when they have district conferences.  

  

Elder Rucker is my companion. He is the other AP. Being the mission home is fun.  I like being the middle of things.  It is satisfying, but I do miss proselytizing every day.  Some people love being AP, some hate it.  I decided I am just going to love it – have fun lean a lot and then be done.  No point in hating it when I can’t change anything.  I will not end my mission in the office though. Apparently president wants AP's in the office for less time now.  I think it could be as short as 3 months and as long as 4 1/2 months.  We will see. Do not worry about my Khmae.  I still read the BoM in Khmea every day. Also, in the office when we have down time, I can talk to the secretary who is Khmae, and we get to go on exchanges and stuff like that.  I think I can learn a lot of words actually.  Do not worry...I want to keep all the skills that I have.  

 Pile of dead rice that is gathered together for the cows

We proselyte in the international branch The International Branch is so fun though.  We have African members!  We get between 45-60 people at church.  We have an Ecuadorian, Sri Lankans, Nigerians, Americans, Filipinos, Khmaes, Chinese, Mynamarians, etc.  Naturally, I am already friends with all the Nigerians.  The first counselor is a HUGE guy from Nigeria.  He is maybe 6’8 and is 250 pounds or so.  His family are members too.  You have to pay attention to what people are saying because everyone has an accent and quite honestly sometimes I do not understand.  It is fun though.   

 Overloaded truck

We taught two Sri Lankan refugees.  They are so awesome.  We had a really spiritual lesson about the restoration and the apostasy.  I find myself teaching in more choppy and broken English.  My grammar is terrible.  They understand though.  Tamil, the Sri Lankan language is so cool.  When they pray it literally just sounds like badoobddooobweebrdoo.  

 One of my favorite members in Battambang

I am just trying to get my mind wrapped around the work that we have to do in the office. We had transfers yesterday and it got kind of hectic, but it was fun.  The hardest part was getting all the kite elders to the bus stops on time and stuff.  When I was in BB I never thought it was that hard, but it is.  Lots of problems, with bikes, this and that, why are they not here yet...just problems.  But it was fun. 

 Some of the Priesthood leaders in Battambang

One cool thing that happened is that we got 6 new missionaries. 3 new sisters and 3 new elders.  We got to pick them up on Thursday morning at the airport.  We waited for them forever.  They were late and took forever to get off the plane.  They are all pretty cool elders and sisters though.  I felt embarrassed because on our way to the mission home after picking them up at the airport we were stopped in a long line of cars and motos waiting at a stop light.  Well, a police officer motioned us over. He caught me...I did not have a seat belt on.  He made a big deal out of it. Quite honestly I did not even know that was a rule here.  I just paid a 2 dollar bribe, and we were off.  I will not make that mistake again.  I do not have my permit yet.  Quite honestly all you have to do is show your American license and you can drive here.  I will hopefully have it by Monday.  Driving here is crazy.  The new missionaries were cool. We had some training where we taught them about culture, tips, etc.  A lot of the work is just preparing for others and doing things to help President Moon.   

Garrett's worn out watch

We had a departing devotional for 4 Vietnamese sisters who were ending their missions yesterday.  They bore their testimonies in Vietnamese.  I did not understand a single word, but I still felt the spirit and felt so happy when they were bearing their testimonies.  I got a Vietnamese name though....they named me "Glory".  They are all going to help their families and their country so much. 

In one of the last district meetings in Battambang, my district leader drew this (See picture above) to represent judgement day. I thought it was really funny.