2/28/98
Hello, How are all of you? Today is P-day again.
I hope you have been studying up on your Cambodian. We have the required 5 endowment sessions and so this morning we did washings and anointings. Next week we will do baptisms and then one more session the following week to send us on our way. I can’t believe how fast things are going. This week has just flown bye
Tonight is the big event. Culture night! I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.
As today was P-day, we have really got some good projects done. Temple from 6:30-8:00, Breakfast, Laundry, service, lunch, nap, trip to book store, basketball, ½ hour of B. of Mormon reading, ½ hour of gospel study, and now letter writing. Culture night from 6:00-9:30p.m.
At the bookstore, I had my discussions punched and bought binders to put them in. Also bought pictures for the homemade flip chart. Word is that the Khmae like pictures. I also cleaned up my room and tried to get some of my stuff better organized so it isn’t crazy trying to get out of here.
I made a list today, composed of both goals and things to accomplish before March 17th , 4:00 p.m. I got some good things done today.
If you could put the MTC to music, the music in the background has picked up the pace as the travel plans are received and your getting closer to leave. There is so much to learn. This week we have started welfare meetings. These are talks that last about 1 ½ hours and teach us about how to help people become self-reliant, sanitary, a loving family, and how to help them keep things in order as best as possible so that they can learn about the gospel. They are great meetings and the 3 of us going to Cambodia really pay attention. One of the biggest things they stress is to do things that will help in the long term and not the short term.
“As people come to know who they really are, children of Heavenly Father, their lives begin to change”. “Christ changes men, and changed men can change the world.”
Also we talk about health problems and how to prepare hydrating solution in case of dehydration 3 or 4 more welfare classes this week.
Last Sunday a great lesson about charity. It was really neat. Charity is something that I thought I knew about and I realized I really didn’t have a clue. The ‘BYU Education week teacher’ again gave a great lesson. Probably the biggest thing I learned was this: Many times we do things like, service to others, with the wrong motives. I know I have done this a lot in my life, do good because somebody is watching or because one of my friends is doing it too. When we do good we must do it because we want to and we love the person and hopefully nobody is watching us. Let us not do things because we love men more than God. It is pretty crazy to do things for the wrong reasons. Take a mission for example. I recognize that to truly serve a mission and truly serve Heavenly Father you must do it because you love the gospel, you love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, And you want to share with others. I’m working on coming to this point.
Great talk from General Authority Lance B. Workman, Tuesday night. He talked , Dad about something you and I talked about as we talked about missions. The great Pres. Kimball talk about putting everything on the alter and giving your all to the Lord. I’m working on it.
3/1/98
Culture night was the best! The food was great. We first had soup. The soup had tomatoes, mushrooms, and other things. As meat it had shrimp and squid. There were squid heads and then the body part of the squid was stuffed with clear rice and vegetables mixed. It was great and I ate every bit. Next was sticky rice with Ginger Chicken Stir Fry. The Ginger was quite strong, I can’t describe it as spicy—more like a strong flavor. I had two whole plates—I took care of it, and I ate with chopsticks for most of the time. For dessert we had some Cambodian candy that was good. It looked like a little lifesaver, but I’m not sure what flavor it was. The teachers wore traditional dress and the room was decorated.
The best was the video, it dealt with the struggle of Cambodians preserving their culture after escaping to America. I liked listening to the people on the video talk in Khmae. The video was somewhat depressing as it talked about the Khmae people, their past struggles, and now trying to get to America. The second video shown was made by the missionaries on the East Coast which showed the success and change brought to the Khmae as a result of the gospel. One of these people shown on the video was our teacher Bro. Proeun. He was converted to the church at 18 in Rhode Island.
The goal of Culture night is to help us as missionaries have a greater love for the people. I love them already, I had tears in my eyes as we watched these two videos and then closed for the night singing “ As I Have Loved You” . I had the same feelings again, very strong, as I did when I received my call and the days following. I am needed in Cambodia!
The MTC is awesome! Yea the learning the language is important and helpful. But more important the MTC has helped me to realize how much I have been blessed. The greatest lesson I am learning here is how to be obedient and that if I am obedient the Lord blesses me and I come to know him better. Already this experience of a mission has changed me forever. It is one thing to know about the gospel. The difference comes when you live ( completely, as best you can) the gospel.
This past week or so all of us in my district hit the wall. We each had challenges. Some were physically sick or just tired. I was struggling with remembering times I had been dishonest or disobedient. It was extremely tough. I was just worried about all these things and had doubt about how could I do this and do that and then tell people how important it is to obey. I had trouble concentrating on my studies. I prayed hard and I went and talked with President Jex. It was very similar to the feelings felt the night before I left Mom and Dad. President Jex and I had a good talk on Sunday and Tuesday. He gave me the same council as President Wilkinson. Since Tuesday I have had a great week! The refiners fire has increased a few degrees in temperature with each passing week here at the MTC. All of us had struggles this past week or so. I say us because I have great friends up here my district is great!
I hope you can see how important it is to be obedient. Sooner or later all of us have to answer to ourselves and Heavenly Father what we have been doing with our time. If your obedient you never have to worry about anything. If not, you have to go through it and face the consequence.
As I work hard and keep the mission rules here at the MTC, I am greatly blessed. I’m happy, I accomplish tons in a day, I get a great nights sleep and get up at 5:45 a.m. with a smile to go again.
Just try it for a while. Try to keep all the commandments, and to everything Mom or Dad or someone ask you to do, and then see how your day goes. It doesn’t mean your day was easy but how do you feel.
John 7:17: Try it you’ll like it.
We had some great talks in Mission Conference this morning about obedience and other qualities that will help a missionary.
Thanks so much for the great letters, and packages this week. It is such a good surprise to hear from all of you and receive cookies, etc. Thanks
Well I had better wrap it up. Thanks again for all your great support. I miss you all and when I here great quotes or messages about families I think about us. Keep up the good work.
Choose the way correct --CTR
Love -Elder J. Clinton Rogers
PS : Mom, I practice my piano every morning and will probably play for branch priesthood meeting on Mar. 8th .