16 December '16

During our morning walk we often discuss what we have for the day. Today was unusual compared to our recent calendar schedule because there was nothing on today's schedule. That seemed like a reprieve from our recently over-packed agendas. Nothing on the calendar did not really mean there was nothing to do, it just meant we could focus on some of our "back-burner" projects.

Rain had fallen through the night and it looked like our walk may have to be cancelled. Happily at 5:45 things were wet but the rain had stopped. A big full moon was peeking through the clouds as we headed back home. (The picture doesn't give a true perspective of how big.) Then there was more rain off and on throughout the day, and we heard reports of some flooding in the area of the city we used to live. One reason we are grateful for our current apartment.

There must have been some big event around the Freedom Monument as these barriers are ready to close the street to traffic. At 6:00 a.m. it was a bit surprising to see a large cluster of balloons ready to be sold for the day.

The Tuk-Tuk was actually a mobile Levi's vendor. It is surprising how many such shops we see around town. The Christmas light are in Elder and Sister Thurston's office. Before their mission his Christmas lights display was the one in the neighborhood everyone came to see.

As we left the office this evening we noticed this young man on the back of a moto with his "take-away" dinner of rice.  He was eating his meal on the way. The Moto being the family "car" and he was in the "back seat", he must have been too hungry to wait until he got home.

Service Center Christmas Devotional & Party

When we were released as the Self-Reliance Service Communication Couple earlier this week we figured that things would slow down some, we were wrong. On the day that we were released Chad, the Asia Area Self-Reliance Manager, asked us to still attend the Asia Area Self-Reliance Committee Meeting today. He also asked Sister Oveson to offer the opening prayer and Elder Oveson to prepare a spiritual thought. This is a meeting Chaired by Elder David Evans of the Seventy, so we needed to put in some extra preparation time. That same day Neth (pronounced Night) asked us to give a Christmas "speak" at the Christmas Devotional and Party today.

Sister Oveson started working on the Service Center speak, including a PowerPoint presentation, while Elder Oveson worked on his thought. On Wednesday we found out that they wanted us to give separate talks of five to ten minutes each. We decided to do a combined presentation of about ten minutes instead. We have always enjoyed team teaching versus separate talks. We felt that it went well and hope that it touched some hearts.

Neth figured that we also needed a new picture of the Service Center staff so we all gathered out in the courtyard of the building. That was a perfect opportunity to get our picture for our blog today of the many friends that we work with each day.

After the devotional and a team game it was time for the food. They were told not to go out for the Christmas party this year but to do something smaller at the Service Center. They fired up the bar-b-ques and grilled shrimp, chicken, beef skewers, hotdogs and brats. They also had rice, bread, fruit, salad, etc. Elder Thurston made a full bowl of caramel popcorn bowls to share. It was a fun time to be together.

We feel so blessed to be able to work with and associate with this group of Church employees that are a blessing to the members here in Cambodia.

Electric-City and a Back-up Generator

Cities throughout the world require some source of power to make everything go. That power, or as they call it here "Electric-City" is very important. In spite of how high the electricity rates are there are so many electronic billboards and signs, there are many lighting stores with displays elaborate large chandeliers, and everyone seems to carry smart phones and other digital devices.

With the high demand for electricity there also comes frequent power outages or bumps on the grid. To compensate for the outages all the large newer apartment buildings and businesses have back-up generators.

Over the past several months our posts have shown the progress of construction of the building across from our apartment. Last night about 8:30 or so we could hear some large truck and equipment noises outside. We looked out to see that a large generator had been lifted by a crane from the back of a very large flatbed truck. The work crew manipulated the generator with the help of the crane and a large forklift. The difficulty was moving it into a parking garage with limited clearance considering the size of the unit. The crane would lift enough for men to slide cylinders underneath to help moving it. There came a point where the crane had done all it could, which is when the heavy duty forklift came into the action. After careful nudges, moving the cylinders, and a final nudge, pushing it off the cylinders and far enough into the garage to close the gates, the work was done and one more building will soon be supplied with backup "Electric-City".

This time of year the world takes a moment to reflect upon the "True Light" which needs no backup for those power bumps. Jesus Christ is that True Light and may we help Light The World as we follow Him this Christmas season and throughout the year.

Traffic Signs in Phnom Penh

Over the last twenty-two months we have had to learn a completely different set of rules for driving. We have never seen a real rules for driving in Cambodia" handbook, there are some funny ones about how people really drive. A lot of our drivers education came from Elder & Sister Meinzer just after we arrived here, and we quickly learned he knew what signs meant, but just like the locals he didn't need to follow them. He enjoyed taking us down one way streets the wrong way.

We decided to share some of the signs that we see around the streets of Phnom Penh. The top row of our collage has three different no parking signs. The first one is no parking any time, the next with one I crossed out is no parking on odd days and the last with two II crossed out is no parking on even days. One of the narrow streets that we drive home from the office utilizes the no parking on odd one side and even on the others. It is an attempt to keep traffic flowing on these alleys which can really get tied in knots. The only problem is nobody follows the signs and the police do not enforce the no parking.

On the second row down is a very common sign on the major roads here, no U turn. It is also very common for the major roads to have concrete barriers down the middle to keep traffic from sprawling into the other direction during rush hour. With those barricades in place and a lot of no U turn signs many drivers figure those are for everybody else but not for them. As you can see from the second no U turn sign the only way to prevent this is close off the opening. They do have school crossing signs and Slow Down in English and Khmer.

The bottom sign is on the way to Steung Mean Chey, we know it looks completely normal other than the left turn part where there is absolutely no place to turn left. Needless to say driving here has been a true adventure.

Wise Men Came from the East and Found Christ

The Christmas story includes the narrative that wise men came from the East, and followed the star which led them to the young Christ child. Coupled with that is the saying, "Wise Men Still Seek Him", and one of our favorite scriptures in Jacob 6:12, "O be wise, what can I say more?"

It has been almost 22 months since we left our home in the West and traveled to serve in what is referred to as the Far East in the little country of Cambodia. With about 95% of the population are Buddhist, and Christians make up about 2%. Only about 5% of the Christians in Cambodia are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Even with these small numbers we have blessed to see those who seek to live the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Our friend Sameth told us that about 11 years ago after he had finished his mission he wanted to buy a Christmas tree to help remember Christ during the Christmas season. There were very few people who celebrated Christmas at that time. There were not so many Western stores, and it seemed there were no trees to be found. Then he happened to find a tree for sale in a little book store, and the price was over $100. Wages in Cambodia even now make that a difficult price, yet it was important enough that he pulled together enough to buy that tree. He still uses that tree now. Trees and decorations are much more affordable with small trees starting at about $10, and as we drive throughout the city there are many shops with Christmas trees and decorations.

As we spend Christmas in this little country in the Far East we rejoice to see those who are choosing to seek for Christ. We have watched as they have listened to the message of the Gospel, then taken those principles into their lives and started on a path to follow Christ. As they have continued down the path, faithfully learning and growing in testimony, their light has continued to grow brighter, and more people are finding that light in their lives.

Our Last Sunday For Both Three Hour Blocks

It is hard to believe that today is the last Sunday when we will attend the full three hour block of both Wards that we were assigned to visit almost twenty-two months ago. Next week we have been requested to attend the International Branch's annual Branch Conference, so we will go to the Steung Mean Chey 3rd Ward Sacrament Service and then to the Branch at 10:00 a.m. The following week is Christmas and, just like the rest of the world, there is only Sacrament Meeting. Then the Wards change schedules with the New Year, so Steung Mean Chey 3rd Ward will be from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Chaktomuk Ward is from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. so they overlap.

We have grown to love the wonderful members in both of these Wards and each have their own unique characteristics. The Steung Mean Chey 3rd Ward is in the poorest section of the city and has more families and little children. The Relief Society President and her husband, the Ward Clerk, brought their new little baby to Church for the first time today. We went to their wedding and helped them with arrangements to go to the Hong Kong Temple. It was great to see this little family. The Chaktomuk Ward is made of strong Sisters and Young Adults, with few families. We have shared before that they have two Sunday School classes, Gospel Doctrine which is mainly the older Sisters and Gospel Essentials which is the YSA. We usually go to Gospel Essentials, because that is where we can get translation from the missionaries, and it is a fun class.

Today in the Chaktomuk Ward we got to meet a Sister Missionary, Sister Tao, who had served in Mongolia and was touring with her mom and sister on their way home to Long Beach California. She was born in Cambodia but moved to the U.S. when she was about four. She still has family in Cambodia that they had come to visit. She asked Elder Denkers if he remembered her, they were in the MTC together. We live in a very small world when it comes to the Church. We also saw our new friend Lotus that is from China as she was waiting at the Church for the missionaries to teach her. We hope she gets baptized while we are still here.

Our collage tonight includes a couple of moto loads that we passed on our travels to Steung Mean Chey and decorations at a local Toyota dealership including a Christmas tree made out of the ovals that they use on their logo.

Baptisms, Birthdays, and Saturday Adventures

Saturdays can hardly be called routine. There are similar elements, but each week unfolds with something new. 

The morning started with 21 in attendance at Institute. We highly recommend rising early on Saturday mornings and start the day with gospel discussion.

 

In a blog post on September 25, 2016 we mentioned Augustus who just showed up at Church in Steung Mean Chey 3rd ward, wanting to worship God. He had come to Cambodia from Nigeria in an effort to get a visa to the U.S. to further his education. His questions and desire to learn the gospel were amazing. We gave his contact information to the office elders who serve in the English speaking international branch. Today was his baptism. He testified how the gospel had changed his life. As he arrived at the Church for the baptismal service someone driving by on a moto snatched his phone from his pocket and was gone. He was concerned, but never angry. We assured him that was just stuff, but the blessings he received today no one could take from him. He is pretty amazing!

We also had a request from Elder Burnett's mom to wish him happy birthday if we saw him this weekend. Someone was looking out for that request because as we were just leaving after the baptism we came across Elder Burnett and his companion, Elder Maurer. It turns out next week is Elder Maurer's birthday, so both appreciate the birthday wishes.

This afternoon we went in search of a little shop Sister Thurston had told us about. We never found the shop, but the "Delikat Gelato" was delicious! The mom driving a moto with her baby strapped in a pack is a rare find, but unfortunately there are too many children carrying an infant into traffic, counting on the sympathy of the motorists to give them money.

Light The World - Just Visited The Lonely

Before we came to Cambodia we were able to meet with the previous Perpetual Education Fund couple who had been home for about four months. They left just as Self-Reliance Services was being rolled out here in Asia and Phanna and Sameth were hired as Church Employees. They shared some of the things which they did while they were here and told us a little bit about the people and the country. They did share that they had a favorite restaurant that they went to way too often, Mama's New York Deli on Street 63. It did not take us long to find Mama's or to put it on our favorite list as well.

We have been following the LDS Church Advent calendar about Lighting the World each day this month, today's message was about visiting the lonely. In talking with Mama she is a widow that moved back to Phnom Penh from New York City after her husband past away. Mama is probably in her 80s, based on what she has told us, and she missses her grandchildren that are still in the U.S., so we decided to go there for dinner. She always loves to see us and Sister Oveson always gets big hugs before we leave.

Today was one of those interesting days at the office. We did go in about 7:30, but we only stayed until 9:45 when we went home for a Skype call. We stayed home long enough to eat lunch, but by time we went back Phanna was gone for the day and Sameth took today off. Needless to say our corner of the office was very quiet. We were able to wrap up somethings that we had on our list to do today before we called it a day as well.

Blessed With More Than Enough

The past two years have been a real learning process. Even in years past when money was scarce, we always had plenty to eat, fresh water to drink, and a warm home to live in.

Cambodia is considered a 3rd world country where poverty is very evident in the faces and lives of the people. Add to that the struggle of a drought that has at times eliminated the crops that would provide food for many families for the year, much of the water supplies reduced to puddles, and the homes may simply be a simple roof to protect from the sun and rain.

In these humble circumstances there is often great needs, including hunger. The Thurstons, the LDS Charities couple, along with two other of the senior couples and several young missionaries participated in a food distribution to about 130 families. Each received 25 kg of rice, noodles, fish sauce, and oil. It was amazing how they were able to load the food and the people on their bicycles or motos to take it home. There is a picture of this food all loaded in a big truck in our blog a couple of days ago. There will be more rice distributions in the near future, both will be about 10 times as big as this one.

This evening Elder and Sister Thurston joined us for dinner. We ventured to make veggie lasagna in our toaster oven, and it turned out very good. We are feeling blessed as we, even here, have enough to eat, clean running water, a safe home to live in, and friends and neighbors to share the good times with.

A Look At Our Missionary Life

Both sets of our parents served as Senior Missionary Couples while our families was growing up. Back then there was no internet and we had to wait for what is now called snail mail. They served in the U.S., one in Nevada and another in Alaska, and drove (and ferried) their family car to their field of service. Each faced their own challenges but made it through all eighteen months that they were called to serve.

Fast forward almost forty years and it is still hard to comprehend the missions that they served. With that in mind, tonight we want to share some of the things that we do on our mission.

We live in a ten story apartment building that is fairly new and comfortable. Since we are in Asia we have to get use to their idea of comfortable. For generations the people of Cambodia have slept on woven mats on the floor, so even their mattresses now are extremely hard. That likewise translates into their sofas and chairs and even their benches at Church, no padding at all.

There are five or six grocery stores in Phnom Penh that cater to Westerners, so we can find a lot of different foods that we like. The main problem is that when you see something that you like you have to buy several because there is a good chance it will not be there next time.

Our normal working day is from about 7:30 a.m. until about 5:00 p.m. and most of that time is spent at the Church Service Center office. We are the support staff for the Cambodian employees that need to take the lead. Our goal is to have them so competent that as we go home they will be fine without us. On Sunday we are assigned to attend the full three hour blocks of two wards, which does not include commute time. Saturdays are also full with teaching Institute and various meeting.

It is easy to say that our mission has been extremely busy and very rewarding. We feel like we have, and still are, making a difference. There are challenges, but the rewards are fantastic.

Our collage tonight includes Elder Oveson's and Phanna's visit to a local banking school. Another picture of someone asleep in a position that cannot be comfortable. And riding on the back of a cart keeping ahold of a pane of glass.

"Take Time to be Holy"

One of the sweet treats we have been enjoying is "Dove Promises" our daughters brought when they came to visit. One message we often read is "Hit snooze ... x5".  We are rarely still asleep for the alarm to sound even once. This morning was one of the rare times we waited to get up until the alarm sounded.

There is a LDS Charities project we were invited to this week which we had to decline. There will be a truckload of rice, fish sauce, and other items delivered and distributed in Kampong Thom on Wednesday or Thursday. We are feeling the deadline creeping closer and still have projects we need to complete, not to say anything of being double booked on Wednesday already. There still may be another rice distribution we can participate in in a couple of weeks.

In a message from our home bishop he shared words of a hymn, "Take Time To Be Holy" by William D. Longstaff.

Take time to be Holy, speak oft with thy Lord.
Abide in Him always and feed on His word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak, Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

 We encourage each of you to take time to speak with the Lord often, read His words, and recognize His blessings in your life. Throughout this Christmas Season remember Christ and all He has done for each of us. This is what makes this "The most wonderful time of the year!"

Our Many Favorite Missionaries

This morning we were on our walk again before the sun was up. As we approached Independence Monument we saw four runners coming that looked like they maybe missionaries. Sure enough it was the Assistants to the President and Office Elders out for their morning jog. It is always great to see friends in the morning.

We are not suppose to have favorites, but at times there are those who you feel a special bond and are closer to than others. That is also true as we work with the young Elders and Sisters, each are wonderful and have been willing to sacrifice as they put their lives on hold for eighteen to twenty-four months. Still there are times that you feel that some need a little more love and attention than others right then.

There was a set of Sisters from Steung Mean Chey that were not able to attend the Thanksgiving gathering because of illness. We have always really enjoyed both of these Sisters anyway. So we asked them if they would like to go to lunch on their Preparation Day. Last week Sister Winder, that had been ill, was still not up to lunch, so we put it off for a week. Sister Clark is one of the kindest and most dedicated missionaries that we have met. Today we went out and picked them up and took them to Brooklyn Pizza and Bistro for lunch. On our way to Steung Mean Chey we passed a Tuk Tuk full of boys headed to or from school.

It feels like our time in the office is a continual whirlwind of things that need to be done. We are so grateful for the opportunity to be busy in so many way. There are still projects that we are working on to help with the hand off of our various assignments. One of those handoffs happens a week from tomorrow, so we have a week to put the final polish on our projects.

As we were leaving the Distribution Center to head home, two more of our favorite Sister Missionaries were there, Sister Schwab and Sister Ormax. With the Christmas Tree as the backdrop they had to be added to our collage tonight.

Even On Sunday

We made it to both of our assigned Wards and stayed for the entire blocks. It seems like more and more that is the exception instead of the norm. 

Previous couples warned us to make sure to take lots of photos the first six months of your mission because everything seems commonplace after that. Our daily photos have happened for almost 22 months now, and we have to admit there are times it is hard to remember to pull out the camera, and other picture material is just gone too fast for the camera shutter even with it on and in our hand. There are still new things to shake our heads at. It can also be difficult to put into words some of those extraordinary things we see, but we try.

Over the past few months there have been changes to the center barriers on some of the major roads through the city. The old metal dividers were removed, new pavement surface applied to the road, and new concrete sections put in place. These will soon be painted with yellow and black arrow stripes indicating the direction traffic should flow. (It hasn't stopped people from driving the wrong way down the road.)

Last night as we looked out we saw a sliver of a moon close to a very bright star. It is times like this that we wish for the camera we left home instead of the iPhone for the photo. The other camera just wouldn't fit into our pocket quite so well.

Today was our weekly trip to Steung Mean Chey for Church. There is one particular corner that the children beggar group congregates. Today there was a lineup of about eight children, all between age 8 and 10, and each carrying infants out into the traffic to up the sympathy factor for contributions to their pockets. We are quite confident someone else gets the money.

Preparation Moments, Not Day

We continue to be amazed by the group that comes to the Institute Class that we have the privilege to teach each week. There is a core group of about fourteen and then another twelve to fourteen that make it off and on. Today we had twenty that made it for the class. At times there are part of the core group that have to drop out, mainly because of work or school. Last week one of the male YSA that has been a core strength for the last twenty months let us know that he has a new job and cannot come in the future. But today we had a new recently returned missionary that came for the first time that we hope will become a strong part of that core going forward.

We count Saturday as our Preparation Moment (since it is never a Preparation Day). We still get to talk with most of our family after Institute. This morning as we called, Wendy's oldest two boys were at Becky's, Wendy and Spencer was gone to a Christmas Party, Janeene and her family were in Park City for a stay at a condo, Brenda was dog sitting for Janeene, and Marla was at home. Those Skype and FaceTime calls are so important we try hard to avoid conflicts as much as possible.

After a quick trip to the grocery store and lunch Elder Oveson had to go to the Stake Meetings. It is amazing how many people come up and ask him where Sister Oveson is when he goes into the Stake Center. The Stake President was out of town, but asked the rest of the Presidency to meet to work on the yearend goals and calendar. Some progress was made, but they need to be turned in by the 20th of this month. There was also a Stake Priesthood Executive Meeting to get the High Council involved in the process.

Sister Oveson is always equally busy at home, writing our weekly letter to friends and family, Crock Pot cooking part of the meal for tomorrow, ironing shirts and taking care of things around the apartment. That is the only way that we are able to get everything done with the rest of our schedule. It is great to be busy and to try to make a difference here in this little part of the kingdom.

Seasons and Neighbors

The season changes in Cambodia are not quite the same as back home. There are no brilliant autumn leaves covering the trees, or snow covered mountains and meadows. One thing we have seen in the gradual change in the time the sun rises and sets. Cambodia is close enough to the equator that the variance is fairly small, but our walks recently begin in the dark, and the sun sets just before 6:00.

Christmas season has been helped along by our neighbors, Elder and Sister Thurston. They have decked out their apartment with much more flare than we have done. They knocked on our door last night to invite us to come see their lights. The rest of our apartment building may be dark, but it has become easy to spot the Thurston's apartment from the street. And as a gift they shared a new fruit with us called a wood apple. It is about the size of a small coconut and about as hard. We have yet to crack it open and taste it, but we were warned it might taste about like sawdust.


After spending our day working on our several projects we went out on a few errands. One of those errands was Sister Oveson's final haircut in Cambodia. We couldn't help but notice the extra setting on the back of the moto. Maybe it is their version of a side saddle? We also went past an interesting sign which, when our daughters were here, Marla "translated" for Brenda. Her interpretation was that if they peel away the trash and pollution they can reveal a clean beautiful world.

Our plans for dinner changed when the restaurant we intended to visit was closed for another hour, so we checked with the Thurstons. They were making plans to introduce Elder and Sister Dowd to a restaurant we had been interested in trying, so we tagged along, taking a couple of Tuk Tuks to Mexicana.  It was excellent food and great company.

Advent Calendar - Light the World

As our children grew up the schools and various groups that they were in had fund raisers. Often those fund raiser would focus around the Christmas season and would include an Advent Calendar that would count down the days from December 1st to Christmas. The calendar would have a little flap for each day that they would open to find a chocolate treat.

This year The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has invited the world to join us as we honor Jesus Christ by following His example of sharing light and love. Since a new star first appeared above Bethlehem, Christmas has been a season of light, reminding us that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Together, we can celebrate His birth by making the world a brighter place. All we have to do is follow Him - His life, His example, and His teachings. In doing so, we can help Light the World.

On the LDS Church websites at LDS.Org or Mormon.org is a link to a different kind of advent calendar that counts down the days with short videos, teachings and challenges. We opened the first day of the calendar as we started our day today and accepted the challenge to make a difference. We invite you to likewise help light the world.

We had a very busy day including two scheduled Skype calls with Self-Reliance Service Missionaries, helping Phanna and Sameth with projects, and wide variety of everyday assignments. Our first Skype call was with Sister Roberts in Hong Kong, which is always a joy. After visiting with her she told us a friend wanted to say hello, Lynn Beckstead, one of Elder Oveson's former clients. We spent another half hour on Skype with him. Phanna wanted to work some more on the 2017 calendar, Sister Oveson had started a calendar for him several months ago but now it December so we need to get serious about it. This afternoon we had a Skype call with Sister Ricks in Thailand. Elder Ricks had gone with their daughter and son-in-law to the airport to see them off, they had been visiting since Thanksgiving. We also worked on our Institute lesson and our normal daily projects.

Counting Our Blessings

Getting up before the alarm meant our morning walk was earlier than usual. The sky changed from dark with the early morning glow to full morning light in the 30 minutes it takes us to walk our usual course. Because we were earlier there were more people still sleeping, including the security guard in our building.

The weather is changing and we noticed the flag at the monument blowing in the Northerly breeze. More often it has been blowing from the South. Rainy season seems to be subsiding and we have seen more clear or partly cloudy skies in recent days.

There is more evidence that Christmas may find it's way to Cambodia, even if it is not on the official holiday list. More shops and show windows have put up the Christmas trees, some even have artificial snow. That is the only snow we will see for Christmas this year.

Our day was spent working through projects to help in turning over those responsibilities we have had. When we arrived there was no instruction manual or anyone to give us a starting point on how to implement Self-Reliance in Cambodia. The former senior couples were PEF Missionaries, and we really had to start over in everything including PEF support. We received training and guidance from couples in the Area office, but we still had some restrictions we had to work through and couldn't do everything from our training. As we prepare to leave there are no replacement missionaries for our position. Phanna and Sameth are doing so well in their positions, most of the bugs have been worked out so that Self-Reliance Services can roll forward and bless so many people.

What we have done as Area Self-Reliance Missionary Communication couple will soon assigned to another couple. That was another area we had to start over and define our role. We are putting together a file that will give a summary of what we have learned from each couple during our Skype visits with them. Reviewing our notes has reminded us what a blessing we have received in serving among the valiant senior missionaries serving in Asia.

Snow In Utah, Sun In Cambodia

As we FaceTimed with our family last weekend they told us that snow was on its way, the first major storm of the season. In email responses to our weekly letter to friends and family we were again told of the pending storms. Because of that we have been watching the weather reports for Salt Lake Valley the last couple of days to see if the forecast was correct. The best evidence of the snow was a beautiful picture of the snow covered temple posted by a friend on Facebook. So that picture became part of our collage today along with the beautiful sunset and green trees here in Phnom Penh.

In an email to one of our daughters we told her that we had looked at the weather app and it said the temperature in South Jordan was 30 degrees and in Phnom Penh it showed only 29 degree. She did not buy in to our story, knowing one was in fahrenheit and the other was celsius. The real high temperature in fahrenheit in Phnom Penh was 88 degrees with a feels like of 94 degrees.

Today was a "normal" Tuesday at our office. We attended the Service Center Devotional that went for about an hour and a half. We worked on the preparation for the lesson for our Institute Class. We helped Phanna and Sameth on Self-Reliance and Perpetual Education Fund issues. We helped several of the Service Center staff with questions about what something really meant that was in English and not Khmer, or how to put something in English. Elder Oveson worked on reviewing Perpetual Education Fund applications from several countries. We also did our daily scripture reading.

The non-normal part is putting together reports for when we go home and we can hand off some of the assignments that we have been given. We want to leave things better than when we came, and to have made a difference by being here. Elder Oveson is still telling people we have three months left, November, December and January. He will have to change to two months in less than two days.

Blessings of Service

After a long busy weekend it was good to be back to our regular Monday schedule. The morning walk included a full array of flags posted around the monument, likely for a dignitary visit from Laos mentioned on the banners posted across from the monument. We made one quick family call then were out the door in plenty of time to be to the office before 8:00 a.m.

Because of holidays there were two weeks we missed our weekly Cambodia Self-Reliance Team meeting. It was good to meet today, which made two weeks in a row. We told Sameth and Phanna they need to keep doing these meetings even after we go home, to which Phanna told Sameth he had to hold the meetings even when Phanna was out of town on visits. Sameth figured it would just be a quiet meeting.

This afternoon we took a walk to the mission office, making note of of the truckload of mangled rebar as it went by. The shoes outside the door of the mission home was a reminder that today was P-day and several young missionaries were inside.

Getting things ready for Christmas means Sister Oveson has a new nativity on display, made by one of our friends, Seyha Cheung. He is selling handcrafted items to earn money for a mission. His English skills are excellent so we would not be surprised to see him serve somewhere outside of Cambodia. Wherever he serves he will be an awesome missionary!

Tonight ended with another glorious sunset, and we continue to be thankful for the beauties of the world and opportunity to serve. We encourage all who are considering a senior mission to make the plans that will give them the opportunity to retire and serve. We are truly blessed to be here!

Phnom Penh South Stake Conference

Six months ago Elder Khanakam of the Seventy was the visiting authority for the Phnom Penh South Stake Conference. After the conference he encouraged them to hold two sessions of the General or Sunday Session of conference. He felt that by doing two sessions that it would  provide more of an opportunity for the members of the Stake to attend Stake Conference. In the past the Stake Conference has been at the Stake Center in Chamkarmorn which is about a twenty to thirty minute drive without bad traffic from Steung Mean Chey. The problem is most of the members in Steung Mean Chey do not have cars and many do not even have motos. The previous two conferences the stake hired a bus to bring members from the Steung Mean Chey Building to the Stake Center.

With two sessions they also partially had to come up with different sets of speakers, the Stake Presidency and Mission President were the same for both. That gave an opportunity for more of the members to participate in the conference. They also had a forty member adult choir that sang in both sessions. We do not know the final count, but at the least they had about fifty of the same members in both session, which should up their attendance numbers.

One of our Institute class members, Khenna Monikeo, played a major role in Stake Conference both days. Last night she translated for one of the speakers and lead the music, today she again translated for one of the speakers and was the very next speaker. We count her as one of our dear Cambodian friends, she was in last night's collage with her mom. Also, Lisa, one of the members that we had a Family Home Evening with last Sunday Evening, was another of the speakers and did a wonderful job.

The center picture in our blog tonight is President Uk Sophal, his wife Bolinda and their children David, Mara and Daniel. The choir had to line up for a picture at Steung Mean Chey so we took advantage of their gathering. The YSA in our picture tonight is Sasha from Canada that attends our Institute class. And finally the couple is Pam & Jerry Bowman that are visiting Cambodia and ended up at the Stake Conference today.

It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas

One of our holiday traditions is to put up the tree just after Thanksgiving. Today seemed like a good day to keep that tradition. After our standard Saturday morning routine of Institute, calls home, and grocery shopping, we pulled down the box with the little Christmas tree we "inherited" from a previous missionary couple and all the trimmings to go with it. It took about 15 minutes to set up and decorate the tree. There was still tinsel garland left over, so we added it to some decorative bell ornaments that were too large for the tree and created a simple wreath for the door. We purchased a hand made paper quilled nativity from one of our friends who is earning money for a mission. He was part of a team that created the Cambodian Paper Quilled Nativity nativities that are now on sale at Deseret Book.

This afternoon Elder Oveson had leadership meeting for Stake Conference. Sister Oveson hired a Tuk Tuk to go to the evening adult meeting.  It is always good to gather with the Saints for these meetings. Having been in Cambodia for 21 months we have gotten to know so many of the members in the Phnom Penh South Stake. The people will be what we miss the most as we complete our mission and return home.

After the meetings we stopped at Mama's New York Deli for dinner. Mama has become a great friend, and she will be missed. She was very sad when we told her that we will be leaving in January. She remembers what our favorite menu items are and adds extra sauces that she knows we enjoy. When talking to her recently we figure she is in her 80's. She survived the Pol Pot genocide, moved to the U.S., raised her family, and was a restauranteur in New York. After her husband passed away she decided to return to Cambodia to live.

Morning Calls - It Was Still Thanksgiving

One thing about being fourteen hours ahead of our family back home in the U.S., when we get up in the morning here it is still the previous day there. That meant we could call part of our family this morning to Skype with them on Thanksgiving Day. We spoke to three out of our five daughters along with two thirds of our grandchildren. And we had the perfect reason to stay home this morning, on the fourth Friday of each month we have Skype calls with a Senior Missionary couple in Taiwan and another in Hong Kong. The first one was at 8:00 a.m. and only lasted for half an hour and the second was at 10:00 a.m. that gave us an hour and a half in between calls.

We continue to be amazed at the wonderful Self-Reliance Service Missionaries that we have the opportunity to serve with. Both of our Skype calls went very well and the couples are doing such a wonderful job in their country. We will miss these opportunities when we are replaced, but we have been blessed to make some wonderful friends via Skype.

A lot of the electronics in the world are manufactured in Asia because of the cheap labor factor. That also means a lot of the after market repair parts are also manufactured in Asia. A few months ago the iPad got dropped and cracked the screen, and shortly after that the speaker started having problems. One of the local Stake Presidents told us about a shop owned by a member to take it to, so we finally got around to getting it fixed. The total repair cost was less than a third of the price that we would have paid in the U.S.

We had a fairly quiet afternoon at our office today. Sameth took the day off to take their baby for her shots, Phanna was out visiting businesses as part of his job and Neth that sits by us was off in other parts of the Service Center. It is nice to have a quiet afternoon, we were able to work on some projects that need to be done in the next couple of weeks.

Tonight's collage is the sunset over a thirty minute period. It is amazing how the colors transform before our eyes. The camera does a fairly good job of capturing the various hues, but nothing can compare to the actual view.

Thanksgiving in Cambodia

There are so many holidays on the calendar in Cambodia, but no Thanksgiving.  Our day started with a walk just after the overnight rain had stopped.  Back home we would have been making preparations for family gathering for a feast and family visit. But in Cambodia, this was just another day.

Today we did something we have never done on Thanksgiving before; take the car to the dealership for an oil change.  We commented on the lack of color in the lineup of cars being serviced. There are far more white cars in Cambodia than any other color, but it was still surprising to see 80% of the cars in the service bay were white.

Today was also a regular day for the young missionaries. They went about their normal schedule teaching and serving. However, there was a special Family Home Evening for this evening with senior couples each hosting a zone. We were assigned the Phnom Penh South Zone. In working with the zone leaders each district was assigned a part. Our assignment was the refreshments and a brief lesson. We found a deal for Pumpkin Pies at a little bakery and restaurant, Jars of Clay, where we also ate a wonderful lunch.

The zone gathered for Family Home Evening at about 4:00, and we really got started about 4:20.  There were 4 short Thanksgiving video messages mixed in with games such as water balloon fight (for which the group went out to the parking lot), a thankful web, charades, human battleship with a large exercise ball, and finally the spiritual lesson about giving thanks by "Thanks Living" every day. Pumpkin pies and fresh fruit were a great hit at the end. It was so good to hear them tell of things they were so grateful for.

At the end of the day we realize there are so many things we are grateful for, such as friends, family, and serving in Cambodia. We are especially thankful for our Savior and a loving Heavenly Father.

Rain again?

As we got up this morning at 5:15 and looked out there were raindrops on the window, but as we put our hand out for the second test we did not feel anything. Still as we watched we could see lighting from cloud to cloud, which looked very foreboding. We decided to do our typical morning preparation and then check for rain again. Again it really looked like it could start raining any time and the streets were damper than before. We decided to see if we could go on at least a short walk, but as we got out of the gate the skies did not look as threatening as before. Our short walk turned into our normal walk and it felt good to take our morning walk, even though it was super humid.

Before our mission we would always kid that our children knew when we were praying because that is when the phone rang the most. This morning we had just begun our personal prayers when  the phone rang with a FaceTime call. It was our six year old grandson calling to let us know that he had got the postcard from Taiwan that our friend Chad mailed for us. Then since he had us on the phone and he was just in the car heading somewhere he wanted to chat. We were told that FaceTime was created so grandmas could go on missions.

We were still to our office before 8:00 and working away when we realized that we had intended to have a video chat with one of our children this morning. Since we do not have privacy at our desks we sent into the Conference Room to make our call, but we forgot to tell the others in our department. By time we came back to our desks they were looking for us, Steve in Taiwan wanted Elder Oveson to give him a call on Skype. They needed to work out some kinks in some PEF applications.

This afternoon we had our bimonthly Team Meeting via the internet. Most of the Managers and Specialists were there but we had one of the SRS Missionary couples whose internet just was not going to work today. They eventual called their country manager on the phone and just listened to the meeting over the phone.

Time marches on and our time left is getting shorter, but we know that there is a lot left for us to do in the next 50+ days. We want to leave with as much done as we can, knowing that with the Lord's help the work will go forward.

A Rainy Day and Young Visitor

We had a rare day today when rains were falling enough that we canceled our morning walk. We heard the rain several times throughout the night, beginning about 1:30, we heard thunder and heavy rain still falling when the alarm sounded at 5:15. We still got up and started our day which gave time for a couple calls to family before heading to the office.

The Tuesday devotional today was the Area Presidency devotional, with Elder David Evans and his wife Mary as the speakers. Because of the rains the internet feed was reduced causing the video to stall frequently. The devotional which should have taken about 45 minutes stretched to about twice the time. Even with that it was worth staying for the entire devotional.

Sameth's work schedule is changing, which also led to his daughter, 7 year old Yuri changing her school schedule. With that change Yuri spent the afternoon at our office. It was such a joy to have her with us. Sister Oveson printed several color pages and worksheets. Too bad we can't get Yuri together with our granddaughter Ariana, who just turned 8. They would have so much fun! We will just miss Yuri's 8th birthday in January by just a week after we return home.

Elder Oveson was kept busy reviewing Perpetual Education Fund applications from several counties and helping Sameth with some critical emails. We know how important education is to the members in these developing nations in Asia.

The photos for today are Sister Oveson and Yuri, the trash collectors use a mat to pick up piles of garbage from the street. The holiday lights are likely because of Water Festival, but we will enjoy them as Christmas lights. And finally, the skies and clouds continue to amaze us. This week of giving thanks, we are truly thankful for the beautiful world around us.

Second Family Home Evening This Week

We have told the young missionaries that if they would like us to go with them on appointments or visits to just let us know. We always enjoy being with them and watching as the gospel moves forward here in Cambodia. Sister Schwab and Sister Ormax (she is Cambodian and her name is pronounce Ow-mah) invited us for the second evening in a row to go with them for a Family Home Evening at a recent converts home. They assigned us again to come up with the activity, and today's topic was gratitude. We are so grateful for the internet and the ideas that we are able to pull off of it. This is an older Sister that was baptized about six months ago and who is raising her two year old grandson. Here neighbor that was baptized a couple of weeks ago also came. this was their very first Family Home Evening ever.

This morning we got to the office before 8:00 in great hopes that they may have fixed the air conditioner over the weekend, but they had not. They did show up and work on it this morning and spent about two hours before they packed up and left with the air still not working. Apparently it is a brand that is hard to get parts for and it is not even a year old (we moved into the office December 1st last year). We did work at the office until lunch, but then we came home to eat lunch and stayed to work where it was nice and cool. With the miracle of the internet we are able to do everything that we needed to from the comforts of our apartment. We received word late this afternoon that the air conditioner is working again, so we will be back to our office tomorrow.

We also worked on our assigned gathering with the missionaries for Thanksgiving. We ordered the pumpkin pies and talked with the helper at the Mission Home about having her buy some good fresh fruit to go with the pies. She is not only going to buy the fruit, but she will have it already for us to just pick up and serve on Thursday.

Missionaries, Members and Making Memories

Sundays following transfers are exciting. It is kind of like anticipating opening a gift to find what treasures are inside. This transfer brought us some pleasant surprises. At Steung Mean Chey the elders "white washed", which means a complete change in those assigned to the area. Our new elders are Elder Scheifer from Mesa Arizona who has been out just a year, and Elder Lackey from Texas who arrived three days ago from the MTC. What added to our surprise was the change for sisters. We keep Sister Winder, and welcome back Sister Clark who served in this same area several months ago. We are excited to work with this amazing group of missionaries.

Our afternoon at the Chaktomuk Ward had some changes as well. Elder Lauritzen has completed his mission and he brought his family to the ward. His release also meant a new Assistant was called as Elder Palmer's companion. We guessed correctly that Elder Denkers would fill that role. His first area was in Steung Mean Chey about 16 months ago. His smile and willing attitude have served him well and will take him far throughout his life. The sisters did not change, so happy to keep Sister Schwab and Sister Ormax.

This evening Sisters Schwab and Ormax invited us to participate in Family Home Evening with a family who are recent converts. Lisa started learning about the church first, then invited her sister who was going through some struggles. Their mother was baptized last week and confirmed today. The three of them were so excited to have us come to their home. They said the Church has made a big difference for all of them. It has been a blessing to know this little family.

As we sat on the floor of this humble home sharing a Family Home Evening message we realize there are reasons they have the young missionaries do so much. Our old bones would not allow us to do this very often, nevertheless we are thankful for the sweet memories.

Our photos include a bakery cart strapped on a moto, construction workers putting up a huge billboard close to our apartment, the Steung Mean Chey missionaries, and Family Home Evening.

First Generation Of Members

As we serve here in Cambodia we are reminded over and over that the members here now are really the first generation of Church. They are the pioneers for this country who are forging the future for generations to come. They face challenges and problems that were faced by the early saints as the Church was restored.

Our Institute lesson today was about temple worship and family history, which are both a trial for them here. The nearest temples right now are either in Hong Kong or the Philippines, which are both a long distance, and the cost of attending is prohibitive. There is a temple announced for Bangkok Thailand but that is still at least four years away, and they dream of a temple here in Cambodia. We remind them that it took the early pioneers of the Church forty years to build the Salt Lake Temple. Family history is difficult for several reasons. The Khmer Rouge destroyed a lot of records, the current government does not allow access to the records that exist, and the general lack of record keeping. The Church has already recorded oral histories of some of members here, but that is only a beginning.


We had eighteen wonderful participants in our class today that need to be the future of the Church right here in Cambodia. Even with that having been said, they have a difficult road ahead of them, not unlike the early pioneers of the Church. There is the constant issue of establishing a gospel centered family. In our class today we had twelve sisters and six brethren. Unfortunately there are more worthy sisters than worthy priesthood holders in Cambodia. There have been times in the past that we have had about equal numbers of males versus females, but the dear sisters just seem to be more faithful.

It is good for us to see in some small ways the struggles that the first generation of members go through, but to also try to help them prepare for the future. We hope to make a difference in some small ways that will help smooth out the bumps that they must and will face.  

Planning the Next Holiday: Thanksgiving

Cambodia may not have any holidays on the calendar for next week, but that won't stop us from celebrating Thanksgiving.  The senior couples were each assigned a zone to hosts for a Family Home Evening, we will be with the South Zone. We met with Elder Rom and Elder Ros, the South Zone leaders, this afternoon to plan for the event. Past years there have been bigger celebrations. Last year all the missionaries serving in the Phnom Penh areas converged on Tonle Bassac II Restaurant, but this year such events were ruled out. It is time to take things back to basics instead of trying to create holiday gatherings like back home in the US.

Such activities work better when they are planned with a coordinated effort. We are hosting, but it truly is a zone event. As we met with the zone leaders we suggested some agenda ideas and welcomed their input. The next step will be assignments by the zone leaders to each of the districts, who will in turn develop plans. Each district will be asked to prepare an activity, a skit, or a musical number. There will not be a meal but there will be Thanksgiving desserts.  We will give more details on Thursday as we report how Thanksgiving unfolds.

The air conditioning is still not working in our corner of the office so things have been pretty warm. Our desk are directly under a fan, so we were doing better than Phanna and Sameth. Even with the windows open they were warm enough to melt. Sameth moved to Sister Oveson's desk yesterday when we left early to attend meeting on the internet. Today when the technicians came and went and the air was still not working Sameth said he may need us to leave early again so he could be by the fan. We also joked that our team should just trade offices with the Facilities Management team and enjoy their cold air until it was fixed.

Today's pictures are more random things we see while driving around the city. It is good to see the little moto passengers wearing helmets. The load of green is either feed for the cattle or greens for the market, we are never sure. The way it is bundled it is likely for the market. This is not the first time we have seen a moto being hauled in a Tuk Tuk. The roadside band are a blind group singing for traffic in hopes of contributions. We figure it is a step up from begging. The bottom right photo may be difficult to tell but the cargo is plucked chickens headed to the market.

Arrival Of The New Missionaries

As some missionaries get to close to going home they begin to slack off and just coast into the finish of their mission. We are wondering if some at the Service Center are wondering if that is what we are doing or not. This morning we did not show up at the Service Center until after 10:00 a.m. and we left to head home at 3:30 p.m.. Of course there were legitimate reasons when we came in late and why we left early and they all focused around Skype, phone calls and a video conference.

We use Google Hangout with one of children every Thursday morning before heading to the office, but this morning we ended up also FaceTiming another one of children. On top of that our contact at Church Headquarters asked us to give him a call. Apparently our Self-Reliance Area, along with one other, is doing so well with the Senior Couples they are going to take more of a hands off approach with us. We can call them if we need, but they will not be contacting us or being part of our monthly Area Video Training Meeting. We also had a Skype call with one of the Self-Reliance Missionaries in Hong Kong.

When we got to the office the air conditioner was still not working and they said that it would not be fixed until this afternoon. This afternoon they came and said the repair company was so busy that they would not make it there until tomorrow. It was a good thing that we were going home because we were very warm.

This afternoon we had the Asia Area Self-Reliance Committee Meeting, that is held in Hong Kong, which we join via a video link. We have enjoyed being part of this committee and watching the chairman, one of the Area Presidency, direct the work. The current chairman is Elder David Evans and he is very soft spoken, but also has a keen understanding of the ways of the kingdom. This was likely our last time attending this meeting.

On the way home from our office we stopped at the Mission Office to get a picture of the Manila Temple for our Institute Class. We timed it right and got to meet the seven new Elders that just arrived today. They are from a variety of places, and one is from England. We wish that we could understand Khmer better to see if he speaks with a British accent.

Khmer "Holiday Shopping"

Today was the third day of Water Festival holiday. The office was closed but there was still work to do. The rest of the world doesn't stop working just because Cambodia has a holiday, so there were still internet meetings to attend, an institute lesson to prepare, and errands to run. With our experience yesterday at the office when the air conditioner didn't work in our area of the building it made for an easy decision to stay home for our meetings and other activities.

This morning we gathered through the internet with all the Self-Reliance missionaries throughout Asia. We discussed the importance of remembering the little things like focusing on prayers and scripture study. There was a great discussion about how these simple things have made a difference, and suggestions on how to do better. It is always such a blessing to learn from these amazing missionaries who have become our friends.

This afternoon we had the Asia Area Operations Meeting, which is the Perpetual Education Fund team. The SRS Missionaries were invited to this meeting as well. There were several who had difficulty logging in. We represented the Cambodia Self-Reliance team as Phanna and Sameth were still out for the holiday.

When the meetings were completed we headed out for errands. Sister Oveson's blow dryer sparked and almost exploded, so we were on a quest to find a new one. With only two months left we didn't want to spend much money, but still wanted a good one. We felt we did pretty well paying $15 for one that seems pretty sturdy. One more thing for someone to inherit when we leave in January. Our market finds also included new tops for Sister Oveson and fabric and gifts to take home. In just one hour we made a pretty good dent in our Central Market shopping list.