May The Fourth Be With You!

This week we received 13 new investigators, and 2 new families.  We have been working really hard to contact people. And it's been awesome! We have this card with a picture of baptism and on the back it has a date, time and number. When we contact people we show them the card and explain a little about baptism, and ask if we can come back and explain a little more.  If they say yes we get an exact date and time write it down and show up later, and it is working really well. Cambodians are very nice which also helps. 

Creepy hitchhiker.

Storm Damage and Working With Less Active Members

So first off, Cambodia has been approved for two stakes!! North District and South District in Phnom Penh are becoming stakes! First stakes in the country. The end of May will be the official creation of the stakes. So that is very exciting!

The new comp is great. And he is a hard worker and follows the rules, so that is nice. He is a pretty cool guy.

A week before transfer calls my previous companion and another elder in the house said that I could not memorize "The Family, A Proclamation to the World" in Khmer in a week. So I had extra time to study, and I finished it a day early.
So yesterday we had a new branch president called. He is a new member and has been a member for about 14 months. Before he was the first councilor in the elders quorum pres. And for councilors in the bishopric he called the old elders quorum president and the 2nd councilor.  The new branch president is really cool, and I think he will do a great job.

So this week was awesome. We were teaching this one lady who had not been to church for over a year, and this was on Friday when I was proselyting with Elder Taylor for a day before Elder Brewer came. But we were teaching her with the district president, and while we were teaching her the whole Elders quorum presidency came in (now the branch presidency) and she was super happy, and on Sunday came to church!!!!! Yay! Also another inactive family that we have been working with that has not come to church for over at least a year or so, came to church yesterday! And this recent convert less active family that hasn't come for over six months came to church. So for less actives yesterday was AWESOME! I think that is my calling in Battambong, cause I have had more success with less actives in Battambang than any other area. 

Damage after a violent storm.

With Elder Taylor

With Edward's new companion, Elder Brewer

Cambodian New Year and Happy Easter!

Cumriapsua! Krom Kruasa! Well happy Easter everyone! I hope you all had a great day! Yesterday I forgot it was Easter until the branch president told me. But for you it is still Easter so happy Easter! We didn't do anything for Easter, which is fine, sometimes special activities are too distracting and do more harm than good. 

Well, last night was transfer calls. My companion is leaving and is going to my first area, Kampong Cham 2. And I am getting a new comp! His name is Elder Brewer.  He has just finished training, and he is American. So this will be his 3rd transfer in the country. I hear he is really a really hard worker.

This last week Cambodians celebrated their New Year. It is a three day holiday so we could not do missionary work. It is not so fun doing paper work and hanging around in the apartment. But I'm looking forward to working really hard this week!

Last week we got 3 new investigators. We inherited them from other missionaries when they found out that they lived in our area. Two of the investigators will be baptized either a week from Saturday or in two weeks. They are awesome. Two older men who are retired who want to join the church. They have already been to church 4 weeks in a row. They even came to general conference. So that is sweet.

Harvesting peanuts for a service activity. A mango tree in the background. I love mangoes.

This was supposed to be a 7 km ride, but it turned out to be 21 km!

Good Investigators and Helping at a Funeral.

This week was good, but a really sad thing happened. Monday a member of the branch died, so most of Monday and Tuesday we were at the funeral. And afterwards, we helped transport the casket in the back of a truck. I'm sure people were wondering what that American dude was doing keeping a casket from falling out of a truck.

We also did a lot of service this week, so we didn't have as many lessons as I would like but that is okay. We have some good investigators. I believe they can progress towards baptism. Two great investigators came to church yesterday. One of the investigators is so sincere and is doing great. Should be baptized soon.

We had splits with the zone leaders last week and we found a new investigator and taught her the first discussion. Elder Jensen's bike broke down just as it began to pour. It took us an hour to walk home in the pouring rain. Fun!

On the way to a couple of investigators' homes. Oodombong.

New bike with a higher seat and longer handles. Much better for my long legs. New $10 slacks!

Hump Day and a Baptism

Hump Day!
Edward wore this tie entering the MTC in Provo one year ago.  The tie appears to be in good shape, but the pants look like they have biked through a few rain storms.

With a new member of the Church & Elder Kim.

Full-Time Water Now!

There is water for real all day every day! I called the senior couple, and we went to the land owner and finally the landlord installed an extra pump. So now we have water whenever we want it. 

We were talking with the landlord his wife came up to us and said, all of Battambang doesn't have water, then I told her the church has water, and she said only this side of the street. I said the missionaries 3 houses down have water, then she said well only this area next to us, and she said just look and see, and she went over to a pipe on the outside of the house and turned in on and water came gushing out. It was pretty funny.) But that makes life a lot easier, to have water. 

Last monday, we had a lesson fall through and we decided to go to visit a less-active member. We went to the house and the sister said, "Elders I am so glad you are here, I have been trying unsuccessfully to get a hold of you. My son is sick and needs a blessings."  So we gave him a blessing, and then she came to church on Sunday and said ever since the blessing the son started to do better.  It's wonderful to see the work of the Lord!

Phnom Bannan

March! And the Bamboo Railroad.

I can't believe it but it is March! My favorite month of the year. Usually because it is the beginning of Spring, and the cold melts away and the plants start to grow again, etc, etc. But this year because it is my year mark! And my birthday yay! Well anyways, I love March and I am happy it is March. Pretty crazy though, I entered the MTC in March and now it is March again. I honestly can't believe I am at this point. Almost a year mark. Fluent in the language, and a district leader. 

This week, we were super unlucky, and had a lot of things go wrong, and our numbers were significantly lower than last week,   But, we had  3 investigators at church! I think they can all get baptized in March. Even though a lot of things fell through this week we still have 3 investigators who could be baptized this month.

Last night we taught this guy about truly praying to know, and he said he would try, and I when I testified to him I felt the spirit. Times like those are the best ever! Moments like that, honestly make up for all the downs! And I just honestly love being a missionary. 

Spiritual thought of the week: Trials happen no matter what, trials happen. I keep wanting for people to get baptized and all their problems to be swept away.  It does not happen quite like that. But trials do make us better. Even though it is super hard! It helps us. 

Riding the Bamboo Railroad.