Busy Day = Stake Conference, Visitors, and Self-Reliance

Stake Conference weekend is not a day off for us in Cambodia. We started our day by picking up Elder Wisit Khanakham, an Area Seventy from Thailand, and bring him to his assignment to preside at the Phnom Penh South Stake conference. That also meant we arrived early to help make sure everything was set up and ready for the meeting. The added benefit was being there to greet so many members who have become our friends.

This week we said goodbye to a group of missionaries who have completed their missions. Three of these elders attended this conference with their family members who came to pick them after completing their service. It was good to meet these families who were behind such valiant servants.

At this conference we were also able to say goodbye to another friend, Ellen Clark. She and her business partner had a factory creating fishing flies. Unfortunately the Cambodia operation had to close and the remaining inventory and supplies were packed up and sent to their factory in Thailand. We have some wonderful memories with Ellen as she joined us on several Seniors outings, hosted all of us for a Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration, and has truly become our sister. We will have to catch up with her in Logan, Utah when we complete our mission. We wish her all the best for the future.

After conference we brought Elder Khanakham home with us for a lunch, which we prepared Saturday. It consisted of chicken salad sandwiches served on a choice of croissants or sour dough cheese bread (thanks to a very good bakery close by), potato salad, mangos, chips, and juice. We have been so blessed to get to become friends with such a wonderful man. He has invited us to visit his family if make it to Thailand.

We delivered Elder Khanakham to the North Stake Center for afternoon meetings then headed back to the South Stake Center for Self-Reliance meetings. Chad Furness, the Asia Area Self-Reliance Manager is in Cambodia and we were able to meet with him while a My Path was held. There were about ten in attendance, which was not as many as we would have liked. At the conclusion of the devotional we made our way back North to take Elder Khanakham to the airport for his flight home.

After a long Sunday, and another simple meal of grilled cheese sandwiches, we are tired but happy for the blessings from the day,