June 8, 1998
Dear Family,
Well P-day again, I can’t believe it. I hope the Grad party at Lake Powell is a blast!
I wanted to get out and get some shopping done, but the day got away from us. Sorry Bood, maybe I can get something a little nicer in the next letter. Have a Happy 16th Birthday! Enjoy this one of a kind Ewotech sticker, and most especially the new Driver’s License! Love ya Bood!
Yesterday I stood the whole time in Sacrament meeting as the little meeting was packed. Standing room only! 120 people at church. There is talk of soon splitting the first branch or a bigger building. President told me the other day that I would see a church built in Cambodia before I go home. They are looking for property right now. Until then we will continue to pack them in.
The 14th is District Conference. This happens twice a year and is at the conference room of the Inter Continental Hotel in Phnom Penh. This week we have been passing out invitation to members and especially inactivies. We have been able to contact lots of inactivies and they get excited about going to the big meeting. All branches, the 3 Cambodian and Vietnam branch, in Phnom Penh attend and we wear suits if someone big is going to be there. This meeting we don’t have to but in December someone big is coming.
On the 5th we had a good mission conference on “commitment.” I especially liked the talks given by the AP’s about how much they have grown and how much their mission means to them. Elder Williams from “down under” gave the impromptu talk and used Gideon in Mosiah as an example of commitment. It was a good talk and I too like Gideon. The Spirit is really strong in these meetings and it is great to get recharged, reexcited, recommitted, etc. about the work. Also there was a lunch after.
Today I had food from the country of India for lunch. Flat, shepherd bread ( like a tortilla) and a curry soup called Dal. Good Stuff!
We are teaching lots of people right now, a pretty full schedule. Most of these appointments are in the church so we stay put and they come one right after another.
Caan is 15 and comes from a poor family and doesn’t know how to read. Elder Daniel’s and Ruden are teaching her and a couple other people to read Cambodian for service. She is a friend of 16 year old Chanteoun. Chanteoun is a recently baptized member who has all the girls in her neighborhood interested in the church. There are about 6 of these young girls who are in the process of studying. They walk to church everyday about 2 miles either for church or to study. Sokhoom is another friend we had to separate her and Caan because they would just tell secrets back and forth. Since the separation they both are making progress.
Sophaul is a young man studying who is a member of another Christian church. He really likes the Book of Mormon. However he doesn’t understand why he needs to be baptized again. He is on the 3rd discussion which is the restoration but it is tough for him to accept that his other church does not have the authority.
Somnaang is a friend of Tal’s who is now interested in the church. As we taught him about Joseph Smith and then showed him the picture of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the groove with Joseph, Somnaang just starred at the picture for 5 minutes after we bore testimony. It was so awesome to sit there and watch him just stare and soak up the Joseph Smith story. The silence was powerful.
I really have the goal of trying to get a better relationship with my companion this week. We have been together longer than Elder Hoare and I but still don’t have that relationship. We are different and it takes patience and communication. Good practice for living with someone in the future. It is really hard, okay impossible to truly teach the gospel if you and your companion are not on the same team. This is my area of improvement for the week. I will also try hard to help us get a good plan and stay on top of the schedule, Elder Heywood struggles a bit when it comes to making a plan. I want to be very careful I’m not complaining or talking bad but I am a bit frustrated. Any similar experiences Dad?
Well I had better wrap it up. I’m healthy and have been all week. Thanks for your love and support, and good letters. I’ll try to have a little something for everybody next week. Mom and Dad I love you very much . Thanks for your good examples.
Keep up the good work.
Love your Son, Missionary and Brother