We Love Working With the Young Missionaries

Phnom Penh is slowly getting back to its normal crazy traffic.  This morning we went to Steung Mean Chey to meet with some Elder about a project President Christensen assigned us to help with.  We definitely did not have the road to ourselves, but it was not the forty minute drive that often happens in the morning rush hour traffic.  Tomorrow is the Commemoration of the King's Father's Day, which is an official holiday, so it will be interesting to see what the traffic is like then.

The largest industry in Cambodia is garment manufacturing for large brand name companies.  There are more than 700,000 garment workers here.  Each year the companies, unions and government meet to decided on a new minimum wage.  For 2015 it is $128 per month.  The companies wanted no increase at all, but conceded they could accept a 3 3/4% increase.  The unions wanted it to go up to $208 per month.  And the government wanted the other two to come up with a number that was acceptable, which they never did.  The government finally said that the new wage should be $135 and then the Prime Minister stepped in and raised it to $140, there are elections next year.  The average worker is expected to work 45 hours per week, so that is about 190 hours per month, so the new wage is still less than a dollar per hour.

With yesterday being officially declared as a cleaning day, District Meeting was postponed until today.  We attended the meeting for those that serve in the Phnom Penh South Stake for the wards that meet at the Stake Center.  They had a great meeting today talking about what they had learned from General Conference and challenging each other to use it in their missionary work this week.  The words of the living prophets and apostles always carry a great power.

Our picture tonight is a collage of our recent interactions with the young missionaries, it is such a joy to serve with them.