First convert baptism in Prey Veng Province

We had the privilege of representing President Moon at the first convert baptism in Prey Veng. The first missionaries were sent there in November. There were a couple of members there is all so meetings have been very small. The Elders do everything from conducting, leading the songs and teaching all lessons. The meetings last for two hours with no Priesthood, Relief Society or youth classes yet.  The family who was baptized were contacted by the Elders when they were looking for another family that had been referred to them. These new members didn't know the other people and said they wanted to learn and would the Elders teach them. Usually they would not teach a family that lives so far away from the church because it is so hard for them to get to church.  But they wanted to learn and were baptized two months later. Very sweet family. The parents were baptized first and hope their children will choose to follow. 

We drove up to the church as the elders were filling the font. We could see that it would be a tight fit for a baptism but it worked out well however. The water was pretty murky but no one seemed to mind it. The rented building that serves as the Church building is a very tall three story building. The meetings are on the top floor and the elders live on the second floor. 

We enjoyed the two hour drive to this new area as we have only been that way once before and it is on mostly good roads. It is necessary to use the ferry to cross the river now but a new bridge is almost finished. The Prey Veng Province has a large population and President Moon was very pleased to open it for missionary work. Most of the people who live there are farmers who grow mostly rice. 

Party at our Apartment

We wanted to have a seasonal get together for some of the young people who help us so much of the time so we picked a date that we thought would work and began inviting friends. We have limited space so we knew we would be crowded but should have guessed how crowded it would get. We told the young men to bring siblings or a friend or best would be bring a date!  Soon there was a group that included one of the Bishops and his daughter, brothers and sisters, a fiancé, a girlfriend and a bunch of nephews with excuses given why parents were not coming due to other commitments. We should know here that if you invite one, the whole family comes. But the more the merrier!  We ordered pizza hoping we would have enough, watermelons, cookies and ice cream. There was plenty.

It turned out to be a lot of fun even though we had technical difficulties and the Christmas movie would only play half way through. Jesse brought games so there was plenty to do. Davuth had some animated stuff on his computer that the younger kids liked. ( So did he, even though he said it was for the children!). It's always fun when Cambodian friends get together. 

Christmas with the Missionaries

All the missionaries in the Cambodia mission except the seniors from Vietnam gathered in Phnom Penh for two days together to celebrate Christmas. Christmas Eve started with a service project to put kits together for all the YM and YW of the Church in the mission area.  The kits included notebooks, pens and pencils, bookmarks, pictures and information to encourage the youth to prepare for the Temple. They received a coupon for a one year subscription to the Liahona. They also got some treats in the bags. The missionaries decorated the notebooks and wrote a letter encouraging them to seek the Temple. Everything was bagged and divided by Branch or Ward for the missionaries to deliver when they returned to their assignments. 

After the service project everyone had lunch together and the there was a missionary talent show. We were pretty amazed by the talent they were willing to share. Some were fun and some very serious but the best part was watching how the missionaries cheered and encouraged each other. Next there were some fun games like "don't eat Santa", and push up contests. Then it was time for a devotional and then dinner together. All the senior sisters helped Sister Moon with food preparation but she still carried a big load. The Moon's youngest three daughters were visiting for Christmas so they helped all day too.  The Sister missionaries who came from out of the city stayed the night at the mission home and the Elders stayed in a guest house near the Stake Center. 

On Christmas morning everyone gathered again for a training session given by the APs and the Moon's and that was followed by a wonderful testimony meeting. I feel like a child when I listen to the missionaries bear their testimonies. They teach me every time. They are wonderful and strong representatives of The Lord. As we listen we understand why Elder Wong called the missionaries here "Green Beret " missionaries. 

Next came lunch and then back home so the missionaries could call their families. They were all told to get back to proselyting that afternoon when calls were finished. The missionaries from the States called home the next morning because of the time difference. 

It was a wonderful two days. 

Christmas

This year we tried to go to as many Christmas devotionals and ward or branch parties as we could to get a good variety of pictures to share. This turned out to be such a wonderful thing to do as the focus was always on Christ for us and not on the usual pressures of Christmas. The first event was a three ward combined party where they did a nativity reenactment and had some talks and then Santa came. The we went to the South Stake Christmas party at the a Steung Mean Chey building. It was so crowded as they had a huge crowd and the program and party were wonderful. The next party was at the Toul Sang Ke Ward that we have attended all the time we have been here. They did some Khmer dancing and watched a Church video that was dubbed into Khmer about the birth of Christ. It took us four months to get the translation department to dub this video but it was worth the effort as it was used in every location as part of their Christmas celebration. 

The North Stake had a devotional that was excellent. The music was beautiful and the messages were totally focused on the birth of the Savior. 

One of our assignments in connection with all the Christmas events was to help the office elders prepare posters that would be used as part of a missionary open house along with each Christmas event. We got the pictures from the Church initiative "He is the Gift" and then we wrote the text for each poster and the elders did the art work and design. We were so pleaded with how they turned out. Some were poster size and some were large standing size posters for the bigger church buildings. We also made pocket size versions for all the missionaries to use to teach from. They were beautiful. 

There were many parties we didn't make it to as they often happened at the same time. Our last party was at the Chamkarmorn Branch that we have also been attending each week. They had a party that went from 2 to 8 pm!  We could only stay for a couple of hours as we had a meeting to go to but what a great time they had. They have had a wonderful Primary president and her energy is contagious so the whole Branch had a great time. Instead of having Santa come, the Branch president, Tay Phirun handed out money to all the kids and then the kids gave candy to the audience. 

This was a very sweet Christmas season even though we missed our family!

Visiting the Jesuits Organization

LDS Charities has a joint project with the Jesuits to buy and donate wheelchairs. LDSC buys 10 wheelchairs a month from them and then they are donated by the Jesuits to those who need them. The chairs made there are a little different from others we have seen. They can be disassembled and put in a bag to send out. They have seven distribution centers around the Tonle Sap Lake where people can come in and make a request. 

At the Phnom Penh center they also having education programs to help disabled people learn a trade so they can become self sufficient. They come live there for a year and then return to their homes all around Cambodia. They learn wheelchair repairs and construction, welding, moto repair, shoe making, sewing, carving and ceramics. They have a gift shop where you can see all the wonderful things they learn to make. Most of the staff there are disabled people along with three Jesuit priests. A wonderful place.