Journal Entries--- July 1998
A few Saturdays ago, Elder Heywood and I had a great visit with Beang. He is the Elder’s Quorum leader. He told us about some of the Spiritual Experiences that he has had.
He had a dream one night about his sister. She was in a forest near, the family home in upper Cambodia. She was crying and needed help. It was dark around her. Beang said he wanted to help her. He woke up crying and was determined to help her. The sister had passed away a few years earlier. Beang is going to get her full name and dates and turn them in for temple work. He said that when he woke up from his dream he promised to help her by getting the Temple work information. He has to wait until he can take a few days off and make the trip.
One Saturday a few weeks ago when it was really raining hard, full Cambodian cloud burst type environment, Beang was at the Church to unplug the drains and keep the Church from flooding. He said that usually on my day off I want to take off and go somewhere but on that day I felt I should stay.
Also as he was making the decision whether or not to be baptized he had a dream where he was chased up a tree by a fighting water buffalo. The master to the buffalo also was there and began to come up the tree after Beang with a knife. Beang was hanging up there in the tree, kicking at the Buffalo Master. Beang was stabbed once and then he saw the two Elders who had been teaching him and a couple of missionaries come to help him. After this dream he realized that the Elders and the Church were there to help him.
The other dream he didn’t describe as well but I remember that it was about Beang and his Dad. They were climbing together up a mountain. On the top of this mountain was a tree with white fruit that they ate. The fruit was very good but he said that he didn’t know what kind it was. ( Kind of sounds like the Tree of Life to me. Maybe it’s the same fruit Nephi was talking about)
I was really impressed for two reasons. 1) I almost understood everything he said and I could see these pictures in my head from his descriptions in a foreign language. ( I think that this was also a gift of the spirit) 2) I was impressed with how the Spirit has been working on Beang. To hear about each of these experiences had how they related to the gospel. I had also heard that Cambodians have many dreams. ( In the MTC)
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A good day of teaching, two discussions and two specials. Met with Seeatua and taught a first discussion. I felt a little rusty not having taught the 1st in awhile. We also finished the 4th with Somnaang as he prepared for baptism.
Found Yarny Roath after missing him last week. We have put together a plan to meet with him two more times on Saturday. One to finish the 6th and the other for an interview , and to baptize him this Sunday.
Caan also continues to prepare for baptism. It has been difficult to teach her as she is shy and doesn’t know how to read. I think the hardest part is the rough circumstances Caan, Chanteoun, Sokhoom, and the other members of the Chpam Pou Girls Club have to put up with. Right now Caan and Chanteoun are upset and worried. Sokhoom’s parents don’t allow her to come to church anymore, and Sokhoom says she will commit sucide if her parents hit her again. Hard to know what to do, and hard for Caan to concentrate. We asked if it would help if we went and talked with Sokhoom’s parents? Caan says that they want Vanah the Sunday School teacher to go. Keep them in your prayers.
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Elder Fernandez had a meeting today with his Zone Leader responsibilities as I went into the area on a split. I went with Elder Toleman who speaks Vietnamese.
I went to visit Ming Sok tee Vii for an active visit and also taught most of the 4th discussion to Sopawn. It was lots of good language practice. Vee was there to help me as a fellowshipper with Sopawn. Also I had prayed that I would be able to find Tal ( Dale-this is his self appointed English name.) and he could come along. A Great visit with Sok tee Vii as she was home, we had another male with us, Tal, and could enter the house. We shared Helaman 14, what Samuel said on the wall, and talked about one of her friends that wants to study.
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Daily this town is getting ready for the Election. We frequently see or better put hear cars and trucks with their blaring megaphones and campaign signs. There are lots of signs everywhere. I saw a poster in the office ( white house) the other day with the campaign slogans and picture of all 39 Campaigning Candidates.
We made a plan tonight to help the Chpam Pov Girls Club after Caan finished the 6th discussion. The plan is Elder Olsen and Sister Olsen and Elder Fernandez and probably Elder Lloyd ( I will be on a split because of the Baptismal interview.) will go to Chpam Pov and meet and talk with the parents of Sokhoom. Hopefully help Sokhoom have permission to come to church but also help that family have a better feeling or love for each other. Next talk to Chanteoun;s Parents to see if they approve of using fast offerings to buy birth control pills for Chanteoun. Chanteoun is really sick once a month with her period, hopefully the pills will help her. I want over to go over to Chpam Pov with them but will be with the language master Elder Madden.
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Today I ended up on splits with Elder Williams from the MTC as Elder Fernandez, zone leader, headed north for an interview. We taught the 6th discussion to Somnaang, who will be baptized tomorrow. It has been awesome to teach Somnaang. Each time we commit him to one of the commandments he asks us back if we will agree to follow it too.
Had a good talk with Elder Heywood today about the changes and especially about the progress of people in the area. Felt like I haven’t seen him for a few months.
As we came over the bridge, Elder Williams and I this morning going to Chpam Pov, we ran into the “Cambodian People’s Party” wagon tram. The same huge number of trucks with people packed inside. One of the trucks was stalled on the bridge, so as we came down the backside we had to go right through the parade route and quickly turn off the main road. Kind of scary to see all those people.
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Busy Sunday. Somnaang was baptized today by Vee. I am sitting in the kitchen eating ice cream after a good 1 hour weekly planning session. Good Night