Phum Thmey Kirirom Primary School

Today's service:  10 Senior Missionaries deliver backpacks filled with school supplies, bags of treats, and three large white board to a one room school house with one teacher and 110 students.

Elder and Sister Meinzer, the LDS Charities couple, put together a fun day of Service and Adventure for the senior missionaries in Phnom Penh. We met at the mission home at 7:00 a.m. and headed out to Kirirom National Park. Four senior couples piled into the large mission van, and Elder and Sister Meinzer were in their Toyota Fortuner (a mid size SUV), which was loaded with backpacks and accompanied by their translator.  After about an hour and a half we stopped to meet up with another group who were joining us. This included a man from the Ministry of Land Management and several of his family members, and a man who will evaluate drilling a well for the school. They also want to help this community and their little school.

The farther we drove away from the city the more we felt like we were driving in the mountains back home, but not as tall. It felt like the trips when we used to visit Girl's Camp, except there were so many children from babies three days old through teen agers who welcomed us with open arms and lots of love.

There are 110 students who attend this little one room school house with one teacher. There are 55 who come in morning, then the rest in the afternoon. Because the community is so small they don't get enough funding to make improvements to their school building.

The needs of this school were brought to the attention of the Meinzers, who saw a wonderful opportunity to involve the rest of us Grandmas and Grandpas in providing for some of their needs, and to give us the chance to receive the hugs and love from so many beautiful children. All the children were so excited about their new backpacks, and equally excited to visit with our group of grandmas and grandpas. As we pulled up to the school all the children were lined flanking a path for their visitors to walk through.  After presenting backpacks and goodies all around, we sang "I Am A Child of God" to them, and they sang (or chanted) a song to us.  All the women in our group were each given flower crowns. These creative young people quickly put to use the supplies in their bags as they drew pictures and presented them to us. 

As we wandered through the group of happy children we found one had brought their pet monkey who was sucking on a sucker, then later just was content to suck its thumb. What a rewarding morning.

Another short drive further into the park took us to our lunch spot. During rainy season there are waterfalls and heavy river flows, but today the river was a trickle and the little lake low. We were presented with a large tray of fish and roast chicken, and of course rice for lunch.  After lunch and a little exploring we finally headed back to the city.  We returned to the mission home about 5:30, exhausted and happy for a long day of service and feeling like these old grandpas and grandmas are loved.