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.

Great Week of Teaching and Touring a Cave and Temple.

Well this week has been pretty great. The relationship with the comp is growing and we are getting along great.  The work in the area is doing super good. We have a lot of investigators, this week we got 10 new investigators! It was awesome. We contacted this guy about 23ish and he said we could come back and teach him a message about Jesus Christ. The next day we came back and brought 7 of his friends! (that was on Wednessday morning) Then on Friday he brought 2 more! I don't think all of them are super interested, but there is at least 4 or 5 sincerely interested and they are all college aged guys, I am super stoked. They couldn't come to church yesterday cause they went to there friends wedding, but a couple came to English class on wednessday and they said they were super sad that they couldn't come to church but said that next week they would go. So I am super stoked for them! We have 13 investigators with a baptismal date (about 5 of em are the group I just talked about) But only one came to church yesterday :(. But that is okay, I am expecting big numbers next week!  

The water is back! I've have been taking showers again. yay! It goes off every once in a while, usually from 8 to 10 in the morning when we are studying, which is no prob, so that is nice. 

Oh, last pday we went to a wat on a small mountain, (more like a hill) but it was super fun!!!! I forgot how much I loved being outdoors in the wild and hiking. I honestly loved it. It was so fun. I was in heaven. And the monkeys, monks, and cool Buddhist things added to the coolness. And I got some pics.  

Oh ya, today I found bike seat and handles that are nice and long that fit my body it is super nice! I feel like the bike actually fits me it is awesome, I have been trying to find a place for a long time but today I found one. yay! 

The missionaries' apartment. They live in the to two floors. This picture was taken from the  church property.

Taxi

Sister missionaries and the senior couple from Edmonton, Canada.

The Elders in the zone.

The church is across the street. This picture was taken from Edward's apartment.

A round-about in the center of Battambang.

Hot in Batambang

Well another week has gone by, and I am happy to announce that things are going well. Really well. I am not going to lie, I was a little worried about this new area and my new assignment. But honestly things are doing great. Like for real. We follow the rules and our area is doing great. I am super happy. I honestly thought that this would be a super hard transfer, but it is turning out to be a great one. The branch is sicknasty. We have a lot of investigators. I am adjusted now to the new house. (even though we don't have water 80% of the time, showing with a bucket really isn't that bad, and it is a fun experience to have.) It is super awesome. Elder Kim is a good missionary. So I am happy. Sad news, our recent convert just went to Thailand from anywhere from 1 to 2 years, :(. But she promised she would come back and continue going to church. but her husband is staying, which is good. But it was cool, the husband was talking last night, and said, "Even though right now I am super busy and I need to go to Phnom Penh a lot, I know that this church is true. Because when we all went to church I could feel harmony in our family." so that is super cool. 

Today we our going to hike a mountain, called Phnom Sopouv. Im excited I think it will be fun. The downside is that we can't see the coolest part, which is at dusk thousands of bats fly out, but that is okay, it will still be fun to hang out with the zone, and climb a mountain, I'll for sure get pictures of that.

It has been a lot hotter in Battambong. A couple days ago, I walked outside of the house and before I finished putting the lock on the door I was sweating :). 

More photos next week.

First Week in Battambang.

Well this week was great. Last few days in Ta Khmau were good, a little sad, a lot of good byes, but I was ready to leave. I was there almost a half a year. Longer than the MTC and KC combined. So I was ready for a new environment and a new look of things. I will miss Elder Brittain though.

So Battambong is great! It is a lot smaller and less city-like than I thought, in fact, not that city-like at all. There are few big buildings, and city or modern things, which is cool. I like that. The branch is great. It is super strong, a lot of awesome families! (Strong families are the best!) and a lot of awesome members. We had 106 in attendance yesterday, and they all said that was a low day, which is great. 

But the area is here is great! A lot of work to do, we had 5 investigators come to church, we are going to baptize a family this Sat. The branch is great! The area is great! In the house there are four elders. The other two are Elder Jensen. He is super super friendly.  He is super nice and I really like him. The other is Elder Kaiuv. He is native, kinda quiet and keeps to himself. He is cool. The church in Battambang is new and big and nice, it is right next to the main part of the city, on the main highway. Close to the round about with a giant guy with a rod. 

Round about in Ta Khmau

With a member in Ta Khmau.

Transferred to Battambang.

No pictures today, but Edward received word that he is being transferred to Battambang which is near the Thailand border. He has had a great experience in Ta Khmau, but could not be more excited for the new challenge. He is being made senior companion and district leader. His new companion is a Cambodian, Elder Kim. Edward reports being "stoked" for the change.  

Many Investigators At Church

Yesterday we had 5 investigators come to church! I think that is the highest I have ever gotten. So that was cool. One of them was a milk lady, ya. So that is pretty cool. But the sad thing is that our golden investigator didn't come to church, we were planning on baptizing him this coming sunday but now we have to postpone it :(, and by this may be my last sunday in TaKhmau. Good news, Bora came again! Three weeks in a row, after 6 months of teaching him I think he will actually get baptized! All of the investigators from English class have stopped learning.  Next week Nisaay is going to get baptized (Tib's little bro) he is a boss, I am excited for that.  This week we got 3 new investigators, and they are all pretty good. One came to church yesterday, and already has strong faith, the other two are very interested, we'll see what happens.  Also last week we were at home for p-day and were both feeling a little lazy and didn't want to go out to go get hair cuts (cause we forgot earlier and really needed them.)  So we just cut each others hair, and it actually turned out well.  Because of service, sickness, and meeting with the president, by thursday morning we only had two lessons, but we pulled out 17 by the end of the week.  Love, Elder Plothow A reunion of the former members of the MTC district at the Christmas mission conference. Riding a lmont on the way to the Christmas mission conference. Looks like all the missionaries ride girls bikes with fake wicker baskets.   Couldn't pass up snapping a picture of this Christmas tree at Luckies. "Could have gone around but it would have taken an extra 20 minutes. Beside, it was fun." Thrashing rice. A funeral tent set up on the side of the road.

Another Good Week in Ta Khmau.

Well another week has gone by here in TaKhmau. This was a very fun week. Things are going great. Things with the comp are awesome! Comp study is always fun gospel discussions about what we studied, super fun. I am excited to go to a new area because I have been in this one longer than the MTC and KC combined. 

Church yesterday was good no complaints, we had three investigators come! Tib's little brother Nisaay, Tib's cousins Piarome, and Bora! I have been teaching Bora since coming to TaKhmau and this is the first week he has come 2 weeks in a row! Whoot whoot. During church a guy fainted, and all the members were going crazy, but it all turned out well. 

Elders Stanley and Choi found this one guy who was interested in why Americans are in Cambodia. And he said we could come visit it him at his house (just for fun, not to learn), he is in our area so on Friday night when a few lessons fell through and we had nothing to do, we went and paid him a visit, he invited us into his house (his house is super big and nice, and cool) during the conversation we told him that sometimes we go to a far area called Kah Koh, (we go there once a week, it is about 12 or 15 kilos away, and has about 20 members there, but Thib, and her family live out there) anyways he said one day he would want to accompany us. (he likes biking for exercise) Then I said, "we are going tomorrow if you would like to come." He agreed and came, he listened in to some of our lessons, and afterwards said he wants to become a member. I am not sure how serious he is, but hey how cool is that? 

Making the most of a moto.

Member missionaries.