We Are Truly Blessed and Motos, Tuk Tuks & Khmer Weddings

In March we were asked to put together a cash flow analysis for Hong Kong for the Perpetual Education Fund here in Cambodia.  The Cambodia Government limits the amounts that "non-banks" can loan.  We wanted to make sure what we needed to do to stay below those limits and still help the Cambodian members to receive the education that they need.  We are now two months into the projections and so far we have beaten the projected loan pay backs both months.  Yesterday we were way below the projection and the number of participants that paid, but today was incredible.  We have been calling the participants to check on them and encourage them to pay on their loans and we have been praying very hard for divine help.  We would have even had more, but we are waiting for headquarters to give us a payoff figure for one loan that has some incentives that they need to calculate.

When we first got to Cambodia we were so busy trying to understand our calling that we did not get around to studying the language.  Now that things are settling in a little bit we have gone back to trying to study daily, some days are better than others.  We are still focusing on prayer and bearing our testimonies, since we feel that is what we will need the most.

Friday nights over the years have generally been our date nights, so we have tried to continue that here also.  Tonight we decided to go to Sunrise Taco which is just up the street from the Stake Center a little less than a mile.  It took about a half hour to travel that short distance this evening.  Between Motos, Tuk Tuks and a Khmer (Cambodian Wedding), the street was a real mess.  Often for the big Cambodian Weddings they setup huge tents that even take up part of the street.  That narrows the tight two lane road down to two very tight lanes.  They were even making the big trucks turn off that road before they got to the wedding tent.  We read an interesting statement on the U.S. Embassy website today, it said, "Most Cambodians lack driver training, can be extremely negligent, and often drive at excessive speeds. Basic traffic rules are routinely violated, to include driving into oncoming traffic, failure to stop at intersections, failure to turn on lights at night. Lanes may also be obstructed by vehicles that are double or triple parked. As traffic congestion diminishes, speeds dramatically increase, very often with the driver under the influence of alcohol, which contributes significantly to the large number of vehicle accidents and fatalities."  That explains Cambodian driving very well.