Cutting the Grass and Shopping for a Cemetery

Our investigator told us this past week that the reason his wife could not come to church is because they need someone to stay home and take care of the cows.  Well, Elder Chan had a great idea to cut grass and give it to them the day before so that they would have no excuse.  Well, Saturday we cut grass.  Not regular grass, but really tall grass that we filled in two 50 kg rice sacks.  It was a lot of grass.  Then we strapped them to our bikes and got it to the church and then afterwards got it up to their house.  (Notice the picture above.) Guess what!  They both came to church! I was really excited about that and the wife seemed really happy at church.  Hopefully, we can get them to progress a little bit faster now.  

 Car Stuck in the mud. We tried to help push it out. 

I spent a lot of time working with Elder and Sister Yates, the senior couple up here.  He really has no one to translate for him now that one of the counselors in the district presidency moved to Phnom Penh.  So I had to do some translating and help him.  They are trying to purchase land to start a cemetery up here.  It is a concern among a lot of the members that when they die they have nowhere for their body to go because the Buddhists just go to the Wat and are cremated.  Well, Elder Yates, the District President, and I got in his car and went to go look at some land for sale.  We saw some amazing views!  We were in the middle of rice fields and driving up close to some hills.  It was really pretty. 

Internet shop with all the kids playing games.

I will start by telling you that today and the past week or so has been a national holiday called Pchun Bun.  Pajum Bun is how it sounds.  Really only 3 days are the important ones.  A lot of people are out of town because most people go to their birthplaces or homelands.  Today was very hard to find an email place.  Everything is closed!  It will be difficult to find a place open for lunch.  Most of the hard core Buddhists go to the Wats and give food to their deceased ancestors.  It seems really quiet here.  

We actually had a good day at church despite the holiday which was not expected.  We will listen to General Conference (the biannual event when the Prophet and Apostles teach and council the church) next week which is something I cannot wait for.  I am super excited.  

The following pictures are of a typical treat for the festival they just had. They take rice, but they do not cook it. They just get the raw rice and wrap it up and put banana or pork or other stuff inside. then the wrap it in banana leaves and boil it. Then they eat it. It tastes pretty good. 

 We have done a lot of work to help a recent convert named Naradipo’s parents have a desire to learn about Jesus Christ.  They came to her baptism. We had a great lesson in which we committed her to fast for her family.  Well, she committed. Right now her parents are still not interested, but her older sister is now learning with us.  According to our Branch Mission leader who is also their brother-in-law, if both of the daughters become members, their parents will see their good examples and decide to learn as well.   

 Manually aerating the ground for a member. 

Crazy story.  So, I contacted a lady and committed her to learn. She is now the sister missionaries’ investigator.  Well, she was eating in her house at 9 PM, and a robber was running from the cops in front of her house. Because he had nowhere to go, he tried to get into her house.  Well, the police and the robber started shooting at each other, and he was killed. It left her door pretty much ruined with bullet holes.  Also, the blood came into her house, which she had to clean up herself.  It was impressive that she that still came to church.  I tried to go to her house to give her a priesthood blessing, but she was away yesterday.  Her house is in a very populated main road area too.  We are always safe though; we are always home by 8 at night.

Viraneath is still doing well.  When I was studying one day, I felt that we really needed to teach him about the Sabbath day even though we were not even finished with lesson 2.  Well, we had a really good lesson with him - full of promised blessings and such.  He committed to talking to his boss.  He is showing a lot of promise as well.   

A scorpion outside of our house.

Landmine Warnings and Baptisms in Battambang

Last P-day we went to Phnom Banon.  It is a 12th century temple at the top of a hill.  The stairs were huge and never ending.  It was really cool though and it was fun to ride out there.  There was a “danger, land mine” sign right off the path.  No worries, I was smart. 

   

Elder Chan, the new missionary I am training, is great.  He is super funny, and I seriously love to be with him.  He has been through a lot in his life.  I mean it.  He was feeling a little homesick, but now he says he is better because he is starting to know the members better.  I really love him and serving with him is great. 

The whole Zone of missionaries at Phnom Banon - except the senior couple (elderly missionaries) 

The highlight of the past week was that two of our investigators were baptized.  I will tell you about one of them. After much prayer, fasting, trying to teach by the spirit, etc, Boramy committed to baptism and was baptized on Saturday. She was then confirmed on Sunday.  She told us that initially she was very nervous, even when she went into the font she was scared, but that after she had been baptized, she was very happy and felt so much peace in her heart.  I especially liked hearing her testimony after she was baptized.  She talked about how she is grateful for the gospel and that she knows she will be happy as she follows the commandments.  I am very excited that now she and her husband are both members.  I have told both of them several times that the gospel will help their future family tremendously.  I am very excited for them and I am grateful for the opportunity to teach her.  It taught me a lot about patience.  You cannot force someone to be baptized, but I feel like we definitely followed the spirit in helping her make the right decision. 

I want to tell you the story of the man in the picture of the baptism. Well, when I first got the BB (Battambang),  I went to our Branch Mission (BM) leader’s house to introduce myself and to do some service.  While I was at his house, I met Borei.  I contacted him and committed him to learn with us and attend church.  He is actually a very good friend of our BM leader.  I do not know why our BM leader had never invited him to learn before. Maybe he was nervous or maybe he just did not think it was time.  Well, I was very excited when he came to church the next day, but less than excited when I found out he actually lives in branch 2's area and that he would need to learn with another set of elders.  Well, over the last month or so he really progressed and made it to the waters of baptism.  I interviewed him for baptism, and I was so overjoyed to see him ready to be baptized.  I felt the spirit very strong, and I feel like I was truly needed in this situation to invite Borei to come to Christ.

We had one sad moment when a potential new family that we found met with us and afterwards the mother gave us a note that we read later that told us the her husband was not happy she was learning.  He is still allowing her to learn, but he was not happy about it. He threw their only phone into the pond next to their house.  Smart move.  I had been trying to call her that whole day with no answer.  She actually came to church with her daughter though, so we will see where that goes.  

You probably think we are lame, but we think these pictures are funny. 

Thanksgiving in Taiwan

Thanksgiving was great.  There were a ton of Thanksgiving festivities this year.  Last year my companion and I treated ourselves to a dinner of turkey rice and a McDonald’s apple pie, which we thought was quite clever.  The ward also had a Thanksgiving party that Sunday, so it was festive but not a huge deal.  This year on Wednesday after English they had a Thanksgiving dinner.  Our ward correlator who is from the U.S. on Saturday treated us/investigators/recent converts/ward missionaries to a catered thanksgiving dinner.  He is like an ambassador to Taiwan and lives in a huge apartment where he regularly hosts government parties.  It was super nice.  We went home with leftovers, so Thanksgiving has spanned many days.  On Thursday my companion and I had turkey rice to stick to tradition.  This next Saturday our other ward has this huge Thanksgiving party that we are actually in charge of, so we will be making a ton of Thanksgiving food for it.  Thanksgiving just keeps continuing.  It has been fun.  

We actually had a baptism this week.  She is a really sweet sister named Ma Jiemie.  Sister Busath told me she was a little nervous about her getting baptized because she hadn't been to church a ton, but the baptism was already planned, and she met all of the requirements.   After meeting with her I felt much more confident about it.  She really does have a strong testimony.  I think everything will be fine with the ward too because she is getting to know more people, and the ward leaders hearing about the conversion process inspired more confidence in her.  She is a really sweet, sweet girl.  I love her so much even though I have just met her.  Sister Liang and Sister Jarvis got permission to come down for the baptism, and it was great to see them.  

 So a couple of weeks ago sister Jarvis and I had to come home to finish up some of our studies because we had had to leave earlier than normal because of a lesson.  While there we noticed a huge cockroach in our room.  This is the 2nd huge cockroach we have found in our room.  The last one was in my bed so this one wasn't as bad, but it was still huge - about 3 x 1 inches.  We didn't want to deal with it then so we just figured we would kill it when we got home.   

That night we decided to tackle the project and our roommates, Sister Bryce and Sister Walbrecht agreed to help.  Oh I wish we had it on tape.  Imagine 4 grown women completely freaking out as this cockroach runs back and forth.  It kept running under our beds making it super hard to get at it.  Finally we scared it out and Sister Bryce who had some kitchen cleaner (our cockroach killer spray bottle wouldn't spray anything out) starts spraying it continuously but to no avail.  It then runs in between Sister Jarvis's legs as she jumps up and down screaming hysterically.  After this I was like, "sister's we have got to calm down, or our neighbors are going to think that one of us is dying."   

We all tried to calm down and finally caught it in a corner.  I was armed with the dustpan and Sister Bryce with the broom as we successfully smashed it.  These cockroaches are super hard to kill.  One hit doesn't do it; it takes multiple hits.  It was pretty funny.   

I love my new companion Sister Busath.  She is so dedicated and funny.  We have just been loving diving into the work together.  We have been working on ward relations as they were a little in need of help before.  Maybe it is just in my head, but I think things are improving.  We met with both of the Relief Society presidents, and I called both of the Bishops and wrote out really detailed progress records to give them and talked with them both after church.  We just want them to feel confident in our abilities to get things done, and we want to actually get things done at the same time.   

Anti-Smoking Puppet Shows and Hospital Floors

Last week we also participated in a puppet show about smoking.  This is something the stake had asked us to do about a month ago for a blood drive.  Sadly, the zone leaders forgot to tell us about it until the week of and put my roommate Sister Bryce in charge.  It actually turned out ok.  Our puppet show stage consisted of a bed sheet held up by the two tallest elders in our zone while the rest of us stood behind it.  I was "addiction" and attacked the "lung" until it died.  These were actually pretty morbid play. We did not write or have to do voices for the plays.  They were already prerecorded, and we just had to move the puppets’ mouths.   

So Saturday roles around and Sister Jarvis and I are eating lunch with someone after her baptism.  She jokingly said, "Well Sister Gibson, I got baptized so you can go back to America now."  Literally 5 minutes later I get a call from President Bishop telling me that for my last 4 weeks I am being transferred to another area. Sister Jarvis started crying.  The person who just got baptized actually took it quite well.  I am not moving that far away, and she said she will just come visit me.  So yeah, I am in Gaoxiong and Lingya/Shizhong – back to two wards. I am not sure how I am feeling about this.  I was super sad to leave.  I was just so happy and excited where I was and everything was going so well.  I was so excited to finish my mission out strong, and I was so motivated to help some of the really cool people we are working with get baptized.  But I did pray the other day for Heavenly Father to chasten me and to help me learn as much as I can for the rest of my mission.  I guess this is one way of doing that. I am trying to have a good attitude, but I am a little sad.  However, I am also excited to get to work and to have a new challenge.

Sister Jarvis and McKenzie who got their hair done at a salon on a P-day

Sister Jarvis and I went to visit someone at the hospital on Wednesday.  Little did I know that Sister Jarvis is known to get very woozy in hospitals.  We arrive and meet this woman who we have never met before.  All of a sudden Sister Jarvis grabs a chair, which is not that weird, but then she sits on the ground.  I asked her if she was ok, and she said she was.  We started to sing a hymn and all of a sudden she starts to eat a granola bar and lies down completely flat on the floor of the hospital room.  Again, I asked her if she was ok.  She said, yes, just to keep singing.  I finished singing the song after which we quickly prayed and shared a short spiritual thought all while my companion is laying on the ground.  Don’t worry, she didn't actually pass out; she was just on the verge of it.  It was pretty funny after the fact.   

Sister Jarvis and McKenzie at lunch on a P-day

We had some wonderful progression with the Wen family this week.  Sadly, the mom still isn't super interested, but we are trying not to give up on her.  The dad brought his sons to English class.  When he learned that as missionaries we don't receive a salary and pay for our missions out of our own pockets, he was so touched.  He said he really feels how this message is so focused on the family.  The mom just feels like she already knows it all.  She knows a little bit about Christianity and feels like she doesn't needed to study it.  She was excited about her husband having something that he and their sons were studying as a way to have son and father bonding time together.  Plus, it allowed her some time at home to be alone.   

We taught the plan of salvation to them on Friday and tried to help her see how this is about an eternal blessing for the family and that it can unify their family relationships as a whole.  She seemed to understand but then still seemed really skeptical.  We really feel like their whole family can be baptized, so we are not giving up hope on the mom.  

McKenzie's Zone Conference Dash

We met this new investigator this week who invited us over to teach her at her hair salon.  This hair salon is the funniest thing I have ever seen.  It looks like it is strait out of the 50s.  The workers there all wear matching pink skirt and jacket combinations with dark tights.  It is a salon exclusively for men, so there are all these old Taiwanese men there getting their hair washed and toe nails cut.  Our investigator is the owner and she is dressed differently than her workers in very extravagant, fancy clothing.  We joke that it looks like they are all about to break into song and dance!

On Thursday, we had Zone Conference, which was really great  because it really gets you all pumped up to do the work.  Sister Jarvis and I were walking back with our large Costco bag full of proselytizing materials.  She had one strap on her shoulder, and I had one strap on mine.  Because Sister Jarvis is about 5 inches taller than me the poor girl was carrying most of the weight.  And I even felt like my side was heavy!  We got to the train station with plenty of time, but for some reason the elders who were behind us felt like we were in a huge rush. Not wanting to be too slow and miss the train, we followed them as they ran through the train station.  At one point, I was talking on the phone to an investigator while we were waiting for the train and everyone rushes to get on the train.  I am running and trying to sound totally calm and like nothing is happening while I ask this investigator when she can meet next.  It was pretty funny.  Sometimes it is just so easy to follow what other people are doing even when what they are doing really is not necessary. After all, we had plenty of time.   
  
Coming back from Zone Conference, we were running behind schedule, and I very, very, very irresponsibly left our appointment’s number at home. I literally had no way to get in touch with her to tell her we were going to be late.  Sister Jarvis and I said a prayer that she would either forget or call us.  We had set up the appointment a long time ago and were hoping there would be a good chance that she would forget.  Her appointment was at six, but we got to the church at 6:30.  She pulls up on her scooter.  We asked her if she had been waiting, and she said no she had just gotten there.  We were so grateful!  We initially had another lesson set up for 6:30, but it was cancelled earlier in the day.  We had a member set up for the 6:30 lesson who I had tried to cancel but couldn’t get in touch with.  They perfectly both showed up at the same time, and we had the lesson.  The lesson actually went really badly as our investigator came to return the Book of Mormon because she decided she only needs the Bible that if we didn't take the Book of Mormon she was going to throw it away.  Despite all of that, it was a huge blessing that we hadn't accidentally stood up this already very angry investigator.  It also gave our less active member a chance to share her testimony about Joseph Smith. 

For two move-calls, we have been trying to get in touch with Shen Jiemie's - a less active member.  We finally caught her at home!  She was cleaning and didn't want us to come in right then but said that she could come to the church that night and meet with us.  She said she would have to check her schedule, but if it wasn't going to work she would call and cancel.  We left her with our number and said a special prayer that she wouldn't cancel as it kind of felt like that was what she was intending to do.  It got to 6:30, and she still hadn’t called to cancel.   

She showed up at the church, and as we started the lesson. She told us that she joined the church about 10 years ago when she was a young woman.  She said that for years she thought she should come back but kept putting it off for fear that keeping the commandments would be too hard.  She made a deal with herself that the 3rd time the sisters came by to find her she would come back.  Well, Sister Jarvis and I were time number 3, but after we left, she was getting cold feet and thought she would call to cancel.  She looked and looked and looked for our cell phone number but couldn't find it anywhere.  She even called the church but no one answered.  She took at as a sign that she needed to go to our appointment.  She came, and it went really well. She is really committed to coming back to church.  She joked that an angel grabbed the card we wrote our number on and took it away.  It was a really cool experience because it was clear that we needed to be in that place at that time. 

Riding the Bamboo Train

Last P-day we went to this place called the Bamboo Train.  It is just a typical flat bed that is made out of bamboo and then you roll down the track going fairly fast – sometimes close to 20 mph.  It was all run by what looked like a lawn mower engine.  It was pretty fun and then on our way back as we rode the bamboo train it just started to pour.  It was a pretty crazy experience.  Riding on a bamboo bed on a railroad track in the middle of Cambodia going 15 to 20 mph in the middle of rice fields and forests in the pouring rain – who else can do that?  It was pretty fun.  

I now am training Elder Chan.  He is actually from Sen Sok; I knew him while I was down there.  He is an incredible example of faith and strength.  Let’s just say that he has gone through a lot.  I am really impressed with his ability to teach.  He teaches really well, and he is a hard worker.  It is really fun to be with him, and I think we are going to get along great.  I am happy to be back with Khmae companions.  I liked being with an American for a month and a half, but I feel just fine and happy with my Khmae brothers.   

I had some fun experiences teaching him some things that seem basic to us.  He was not aware that you cannot wash black pants with white shirts.  I taught him how to start a washing machine.  Ironing might be next week.  He does not like our shower head so he has been showering Khmae style, which just involves scooping water onto your body with a bowl.
  

Driving the Bamboo Train

We saw a miracle with Malis. She told my companion that she talked to her parents and that they pretty much just told her that she can do whatever she wants as long as it makes her happy. After hearing that I started to do a little bit of celebrating, and then the next sentence I heard was that she wanted to wait to the middle of next month to be baptized. As missionaries, we want people to be baptized as they are hitting the peak of their conversion.  Often they wait too long, and they just lose that desire.  Malis has learned everything and she obviously is not perfect in her faith, but she believes and prays, and she knows that Heavenly Father has answered her prayers.

Well, I really did not know what to teach her, and I did not know what to do.  She has everything she needs.  Her husband is a good member, she has friends at church, she felt the spirit, she believes it is true, etc.  Well, we decided we were going to meet her last night and talk about eternal marriage and the temple.  We taught it and talked about how awesome the temple and eternal marriage can be, but that you must be a member and be baptized to go.  Well, at the end of the lesson she committed to being baptized next Saturday.  She is ready.  She said she will be baptized.  I do not know if the lesson on the temple helped her decision, but I feel like that might have just pushed her over the top.  So, that was a really cool part of the week.

Dog Meat

I ate dog this last week.  It was actually very bony and fatty.  Next time I will try to get only meat.  It was pretty tasty though.  They serve it with the inside of the bananas trees.  

Driving the Bamboo Train

I am really loving reading the Bible lately.  The New Testament is just awesome.  

Luke 12:4-5

 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

That is just a great verse.  Do not fear man, just fear God who can kill you and then send you to hell.

Book of Mormon Arches and Spilled Soup in Taiwan

This is a picture of our zone at an activity we had where we all shared stories of how the Book of Mormon has blessed us and the lives of our investigators.  I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  It truly contains the words of prophets who act as the Lord's mouthpiece.  I am always so touched by the unfailing diligence and faithfulness of the writers of the Book of Mormon even when everyone else around them was not choosing the right.  We can and should follow God no matter what those around us are doing.  As God is the anchor of our lives, we too can be stand strong in a world of turmoil.  I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God because I have read it, and I have prayed to know.  I have had the Spirit confirm time and time again that this book is true.  I invite you all to read the Book of Mormon every day and to invite those around you to read it.  It truly does have incredible power. 

    
We did a lot of contacting this week up by the college in our area.  It was fun to be up there.  One day we had gotten lunch and were eating it at a 7-11 up by the college.  Taiwan is the king of takeout, everything is takeout and they have all these great ways of packaging takeout.  Sister Jarvis had gotten her soup takeout but wasn’t' quite familiar with the packaging and ended up spilling it all of the counter while I was talking to this girl next to us.  The girl was interested and was willing to meet again.  It was just funny because Sister Jarvis was frantically trying to clean up this soup as it flows all over the counter while also trying to not call attention to herself so that the girl will just focus on the gospel message I was sharing.  It was a funny moment.   
  
It has been a little bit hard to leave our old area and our old investigators, especially our recent convert Shu-feng,  but we are trying to maintain a positive attitude.  On Wednesday at English class we told Shu-feng about the change.  She seemed kind of upset at first, but she and I sat down with Sister Bryce (one of the new sisters).  It was just a wonderful lesson, and she was fine with it.  We shared some scriptures and cried mostly out of just a joy of having seen her go through this process and her acknowledging what a blessing the gospel has been in her life since baptism.  It was just a special moment in which your heart is full of more love than you thought it could hold.