New Assignment/Calling for Elder Oveson

Three weeks ago, on October 19th, Elder Randy Funk of the Asia Area Presidency came to Phnom Penh to meet with Elder Oveson, giving him an assignment to serve as the Executive Secretary for the Phnom Penh South Stake Presidency, along with his other Self Reliance and PEF responsibilities. Today he was sustained to that calling in the wards of the stake.

Cambodia has only had stakes for about a year and a half, and the leaders are still trying to understand what that means. Before they were districts, functioning under the direction of the mission president. Not only have they not had stakes in the past, they have not seen how stakes and wards function. They are trying to learn for themselves what a Stake President does. Bishops are just as new, and have not seen the examples of generations of leaders to follow.

This new assignment has added a variety of additional meetings for Elder Oveson. His responsibility is to help train, along with Elder Funk and Elder Khanakham the Area Seventy, President Uk Sophal how to be a Stake President. Seeing President Uk's expression changing from being overwhelmed and unsure of what he should be doing to more of a calm assurance was worth it.

Elder Oveson meets with President Uk every Thursday for them to go through the Church Handbook and to give instruction. He creates an agenda according to the needs and their discussions. On Saturday they meet together again before Presidency Meeting, going over the agenda and getting ready for the other meetings.  They have also been working on the calendar for 2016, and preparations for Stake Conference later this month. It is good to see the light of hope in the eyes of this young leader. 

We hope our service will make a difference not just for this Stake President, but for others who will serve as leaders of the church here in Cambodia!