9/13/99
Dear Family,
Wow it was good to hear from you, sounds like you are all excited about the Dec15th and also the results of the Canada fishing trip. Dad and Jon, thanks for the good written report but now I want pictures. I didn’t hear anything about the food there, that is an important detail, how was it? I am assuming not as good as what’s her name in Alaska, because I haven’t heard anything at this point.
Mom and Dad your travel plans sound great! Bring an “elephant pattern” street tie from Thailand for the 50 Elders who will be here for Christmas. Please tell President White of your travel plans. Please refrain from any time countdowns in letters. That’s all I have to say about that.
I have enclosed what I call my masterpiece, my final Assistant’s message for this month’s Zone Conference. It is going to be held this week and will be my final Zone Conference today as an Assistant to President White. I talked with Elder Hoare today, he said it is great to just sit and listen in a Zone Conference. Just some background on the A.W.A.K.E. acronym. We were trying to think of an acronym which would capture some of the traditions and attitudes we wanted to have in the Mission. That was a month or so ago. The theme for this week’s conference is Alma 7:22-23.
Alma 7:22
22 And now my beloved brethren, I have said these things unto you that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may walk blameless before him, that ye may walk after the holy order of God, after which ye have been received.
Alma 7:23
23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.
At the end of a companionship planning session this past week as Elder Folsom and I kneeled in prayer. I had this idea about AWAKE from verse 22. As soon as the prayer ended I jumped up, grabbed the marker and wrote on our tile wall. A. (AIR) W.(Work) A. (CRA) K. (Kindred Dead) E. (ESP). I can’t force a Mission motto on anyone nor do I think that we necessarily need one but I sure liked my acronym for the message and as a way to put into words how I fell about this mission and the work here.
Elder Folsom was busy most of the day with our other big project. We had the assignment to fix the translation of the document, The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Elder Folsom did most of it as he is the language champion. But I helped. An earlier translation had been done by someone in SLC but it was not quite good enough. Elder Folsom and I fixed it up because it is going to be presented to the King of Cambodia by President Creel L. Kofford and President White when they visit him this Saturday. President White secured the visit through one of his connections we have over here. President Kofford will be in Bangkok already so will swing over for a good will tour. President Kofford will be coming back to Cambodia Nov. 6-7 for District Conference. He is the only one of the Area Presidency we haven’t personally met yet.
I want to share a scripture with you to close. First the background info. We had a run-in with the land lord at one of the houses. It was the very first house I was ever involved in, and we chose to exercise after 6 months the termination option in the contract. Well after doing so to make a long story short they were not expecting it and were upset. I thought we had lost all hope of maintaining a good relationship and the good name of the Church with them after our first visit about the problem. Well I prayed about it for extra help before our next meeting. Alma 33:4
Alma 33:4
4 For he said: Thou art merciful, O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness; yea, thou wast merciful when I prayed concerning those who were mine enemies, and thou didst turn them to me.
Turns out that we cut a deal with them by paying some money, and got things smoothed out. They were happy and so were we. ( Dr. Woolsy from Hong Kong had condemned the house due to bad living conditions, it was a little older but had a great location.) However better than that the landlord asked me where does your church get its money? Well I took this question and ran with it and Elder Seare, a senior missionary, helped me out. Before we knew it the Spirit was there and we were bearing testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon as a Second Witness. I guess I just lack faith as this was a different outcome than what I had expected. A great blessing came as an answer to prayer. We placed a Book of Mormon with them this week. I found Alma 33:4 after and thought it really applied. See also Alma 33:8
Alma 33:8
8 Yea, thou art merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou wilt hear them.
Thanks for all your prayers. Love your Son, Brother Missionary
PS Dr. Woolsy is a former OB/Gyn Doctor from SLC.
Dear Family, 9/20/99
I just got back from down the street. Remember the little Mormon Community we set up on our street here? Well Elder Sorber made a big pot of curry today and invited us down for a little sampling. It was good and fun to have a little get together. It reminded me of the Sunday curry we used to have back when we had maids. Also he made a pot of a Cambodian banana dessert. Good stuff!
Hello to all of you! Sounds like everyone is good and busy with school. Thanks Dad for the good report on the trip. Maybe we could meet Dr. Woolely in Hong Kong. I’m pretty sure his name is Woolely. He has been here twice. The first time he came and looked at Health Care facilities like the hospitals and drug stores. He then gave his approval to Pres. White. Recently he viewed all missionary housing and then went to Siam Reap to evaluate the medical stuff there.
The Family Proclamation took us about 1 and ½ to 2 days. We did not translate it cold. We took the Salt Lake Translation and helped it then we had local members proofread it. It was still quite a project and Elder Folsom is mainly responsible. But it is a big event for us too.
By the way the visit to the King was a success! President Kofford flew in and he and President and Sister White went to the Palace Sept 18th. They were meet graciously by his majesty and the Queen of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk. They were met by a big Royal group and the King and Queen rushed out to greet them. And surprisingly enough, both King and Queen can hold there own quite well and need no English Translator. They visited for almost an hour in a state room, and exchanged gifts, President White and Sister White received a 3 piece silver vase dish thing in a Royal Blue Official Royal Seal box.
The box is cooler than the vase . We gave the King the Family Proclamation, Bronze Wagon Sculpture, Book of Mormon and an inf. book on the church.
The King reassured our representatives that the Church would always be welcome. Sister White said that at first it was very formal and hard to know what to talk about, but she said later the Spirit came in and the tightness and uneasiness was gone. They describe the King and Queen as very sweet. I watched President White study the Family Proclamation a little this week. I’m sure he quoted a bit. President Koffard talked with the King about his health and also explained about the Priesthood. Then asked the King if he would like a Priesthood blessing. The King replied, “I honor your God . . . .” but then declined. President White and Sister White received pictures from the King’s photo people today they were fun to look at. President Koffard, President White, and Sister White with the King and Queen. President White is very curious and wants to know why we were not allowed to come and why were they so gracious? Another interesting thing was the King and Queen were familiar with the history of the church. Also the King didn’t read the Proclamation right then and there.
Other news of the week was two great Zone Conferences. Elder Folsom and I taught our lesson about personally preparing to accomplish our duty as per Alma 7: 22-23
Alma 7:22
22 And now my beloved brethren, I have said these things unto you that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may walk blameless before him, that ye may walk after the holy order of God, after which ye have been received.
Alma 7:23
23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.
We talked about 3 area’s of Personal Preparation 1) Weekly District Meeting ( skill train) 2) Splits with Zone leaders 3) 30 minutes of Book of Mormon study each day.
We are planning for October. We are sending troops to Ta Khmane today met with the Land Lord for the house of the Ta Khmae . Today we met with the Land Lord for the house of the Ta Kamane 2 companionships. That will go into effect come October as the new Elders get here. Plans include a smaller proselyting area for the Assistants now that expansion is less hectic and splitting of two area that are big in size and investigators. We passed a rule this week that no more English will be taught by Elders at the Church. We are working on getting all survive out in the communicating focusing on family people not sponsoring youth club. The calls are supervising daily seminary classes which help provide for the social and spiritual welfare of all our youth .
The youth hear are a chosen generation and are the strongest part of the church here. Reports are that seminary in Cambodia has the best results in the Asia Area. When I say chosen generation I mean you can see how righteous they are, you can see the light in their eyes, and they will marry and have church families and will be the foundation upon which the Lord will build stakes and a temple here in Cambodia.
I have been teaching and helping to train the teachers in both Primary and the Deacon’s Quorum. I can’t wait until October when I will be out on the front lines again. I have learned so much and put so much effort into this Assistant stuff. I love it, but feel like all this physical stuff is not like teaching not bringing souls unto Christ and long to be out in the middle of an area, any area will do. Put me with someone who wants to work and lets go work. I’m good at handling all these physical details and my memory is amazing sometimes, i.e. I can tell you all house numbers, companionships, area, phone numbers, etc. BUT I want to be more spiritual and want not to be so caught up in the physical. Sometimes it is hard to slow down the mind to ponder and pray. Yet I am happy and love to be surrounded and engulfed in Missionary Work. Remember Mosiah 3:17.
Mosiah 3:17
17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
Love your Son, Brother, Missionary,
Elder Rogers