Structural Demolition and Christmas Parties in Cambodia

 Well, Kaliyan is doing well.  She had a great lesson where she told us all about her father that died before she really got to know him and she feels so much sadness because of that.  She said that even when he was angry he never hit her (they usually hit here).  She literally just cried for like 5 minutes because she said that she missed him so much, and she said that she really wants to go to the temple to be sealed to her dad.  It was a great lesson.  

 People are building a well in Battambang

People are building a well in Battambang

We saw a miracle with Kaliyan’s mom.  Well we are working through the lesson 5 lessons with Kaliyan, and we had a lesson about temples and marriage, etc.  Well, I called Kaliyan and asked her to bring her mom to the lesson as well.  She was there, and we had a great lesson with her about the work that we can do for our loved ones and for our ancestors.  We had a great lesson and shared an example in Preach My Gospel about the story where a man did the work in the temple for his dad and then he had a dream that said he had accepted the work.  We read that and talked to them, and Kaliyan’s mom started to cry a little bit.  I committed her to learn and then she said she said that she wants to but wanted to wait until after Kaliyan’s marriage.  Well, I told her that she needed to start to learn with us now so that she could be happier and just understand a little bit more about Jesus Christ. She promised that she would come and learn with Kaliyan.  She came to the Christmas party and had a great time.  It was a great miracle for her. 

Garrett's MTC Group out in the field

Atith, who is also a recent convert and is Kaliyan’s brother is doing great as well.  We have been working with him a lot about teaching because he was just called as a new Sunday School teacher.  His first week, two weeks ago, was kind of rough.  It pretty much consisted of him just standing close to me, I would whisper what he would do and then he would do it.  Well, we met him and gave him some pointers and things to work on.  Yesterday he was so much better.  He had some direction in his teaching, and he was able to expound on sections and give ideas and things like that which was something that he could not do last week.  He is going to be really strong.  Even if right now he does not really know that much, he is definitely improving. Soon he will know a lot.  That family is going to the temple someday. 

Remember how my eye got really swollen a few weeks ago?  Well something weird happened.  The same kind of thing, but not as bad happened on my forehead/bridge of my nose area.  I woke up after noticing but I saw that it was not that bad.  Then it progressed to feeling some pressure over my eyelids because the swelling had kind of moved.  Well, I straight up looked like an avatar.  The bridge of my nose was big and then my eyes looked a little more squinty than usual. Well, I went to a new Vietnamese doctor.  He spoke Viet to the nurse who talked in Khmae with me.  He just said that whatever bit me still had the poison in my face and it was just kind of moving around.  Well, my face is back to normal.  No worries.  I got some new pills, and he said that it should destroy it all.  That was fun.  

 Garrett's favorite service activity ever: Demolishing a house!

 Garrett's favorite service activity ever: Demolishing a house!

The mission just prepared recent convert kits during Christmas.  Actually we did.  Each bag has 2 highlighters, a pen, a notepad for thoughts and stuff, the Proclamation to the Family, a crochet type wrist band which I was really confused with....apparently it is supposed to be a book mark.  I did not understand why we were giving each RC in Cambodia, whether they are 50 or 12, male or female, a brightly colored wrist band thing.  Apparently it is a book mark.  Then they got one of three books, a hymn book, gospel principles book or True to the Faith book.  Most everyone is really excited about them.  Who doesn’t love free stuff?

 After the service project demolishing the house, Garrett ate fish and grilled pork with a side dish of sliced up mangoes and fish sauce. Garrett found it delicious.

 I am not tooting my own horn in any way, but this past week I have felt so exhausted... like I have done everything I can do.  This scripture really came alive... “Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.”  I have been praying a lot and worrying about church attendance.  We did great from two weeks then last week dropped down, and I just made it a goal to try even harder to get everyone to church...reminders, visits, teaching, calling them.  It was somewhat satisfying to have the feeling that I can’t do anything else.  There is nothing else I can do.  We had a good week this past week.  But I know it is only because of the Lord.

We had a really good Christmas party.  It was district wide so both of the branches were there.  We fell short of 1000 people, but we had about 600.  Tons of people.  It was really fun.  They had the nativity, rice porridge, dancing, etc.  It was really cool.  The only problem is that the next day we took a drop in attendance.  I am not sure why, but we think that it goes back to the Christmas party.  Lots of investigators that came to the party did not come the next day.  Hopefully it will have a better long term effect on the investigators and members too. 

Well this next week we are hoping to get two investigators baptized.  The first is a 23 year old boy, Sov.  And 21 year old Tevy.  They are dating.  They have been learning for a couple months and have really been progressing lately.  They have been having great spiritual experiences.   They are really quick to pick up on following the commandments.  I have been really trying to focus on helping them realize the spirit in their lives and get them ready for baptism.  We have asked them to pray about the Book of Mormon and continue to read it.  Sov had a dream this past week where he says that he saw Jesus Christ who was dressed in all white and Christ told him that this was the right path for him.  This society draws so heavily on their dreams.  I think that Heavenly Father does His part in talking to them through their dreams. Tevy did not have anything out of the ordinary happen when she read the Book of Mormon, but she said that when she reads the Book of Mormon,  she just has a feeling that this book is true.  We had a good lesson where we told them that both of these experiences or feelings are from the spirit.  They are looking good for this Saturday.