Elder Ed Plothow: Thanksgiving & Stake Conference

So this week was really really great! There are some great things happening in SMC 3rd Ward! But before we get to that I'll tell you about thanksgiving. Well first off please remember that my last Thanksgiving all we had was a ham sandwich and chips so it really didn't remind of Thanksgiving at all. So I haven't had a solid Thanksgiving dinner since I was 2012. So when I was eating all the delicious food that Sister Belcher made it was triggering lots of memories from home, especially the turkey - haven't had turkey since Thanksgiving two years ago. So Thanksgiving was super great! After Thanksgiving dinner we met with a great investigator and taught a wonderful lesson. He is so cool. And every time we meet him I love it. I love being a missionary mode. But overall thanksgiving was delicious! We had turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes, gravy, a yummy yam and apple dish. And all of the missionaries in SMC were there along with the APs. I was the oldest missionary there, including the APs. So that is cool. But overall it was great and fun and delicious!

So because of stake conference the Bishop wanted to postpone the baptism till next week, so our investigator will be baptized next week, and he is still doing great.

Another investigator, on the other hand, is not really progressing and has his head in the clouds, but we are not sure exactly what to do with him.

The guy we taught after Thanksgiving dinner is still awesome, he just can't get baptized till March. :(

Our other trash mountain investigators aren't really progressing, they are still drinking a little and smoking. One of them we taught on Saturday about the importance of baptism and how he had to quit smoking to get baptized, and I forgot my planner and came back to get it and he was smoking...... I can tell he really gets a lot out of our lessons.

The Bishops nephew that is studying at one of the universities, and his hometown is far away. But he is good, we have met him three times and he is reading and praying and he says it makes him feel good. And I think he is good. He has a date for the 28th.

New Inv:

Another couple we found on YOSO day. The wife lives near another Christian church called the Tree of Life Church (wait what?) So the first time we taught her was on Tuesday, and it was a okay first lesson nothing special, but she said that she wanted to go to our church in the afternoon after she finished The Tree of Life Church in the morning. Then on Friday we met her again and we told her that our church was in the morning because of stake conference, and I was expecting her to say well o well wait till next week. But she said that she would go! Because she said that ever since we met her on Tuesday she felt more happy and joyful and she didn't know why. I love when that happens! So she committed to baptism on the 28th, and she came to stake conference.

Another lady we actually contacted a while ago, about four weeks ago, and all she said was I want to go to your church, but it was really hard to meet with her. So 3 weeks ago she tried to go but got lost. :). Then the next week we went with her. (we all biked there) But the last two weeks she couldn't go. But finally yesterday we explained our purpose as missionaries, (because before we would try to teach her but she would always say, just wait till I go to church) but we finally were able to teach them and it was good. The lesson wasn't the best but it was alright. But she said she really wants to join and committed to baptism on the 28th.

So right now we have 13 investigators with baptismal dates, those that I honestly think will make it probably about 8. The others aren't really progressing. But those 8 I feel like are doing really well.

So stake conference was awesome. At 8 all the members that didn't have a ride we supposed to meet at the church for the tuk tuks. And it started at nine. So many of the investigators didn't have rides so I told them to go there. And at 8:00 there wasn't enough tuk tuks and the bishop wasn't there, but we called the bishop and he just said call another one, so we did and it all ended up great and we were only a little bit late.

Stake conference itself was awesome. It was the highest attended meeting that I have ever attended in Cambodia. The chapel and the cultural hall were all filled, 404 people! It was great! All of them here not to get free rice or money but just to listen to the good word of God.