Great Investigator, "Special" Meat, & Wound Recovery

I went on an exchange with Elder Vore. Saturday night we biked an hour away to this place called Bah Kuu, and it was very pretty. I'll send some pics. Oh, and there I ate dog...a lot. I didn't know it was dog till afterward. The dog was actually pretty good, not of the missionaries were touching the bowl the dog was in, and I was like to myself, "well, I guess I'll just eat it", and it was good so I ate most of the bowl that nobody else would touch. Afterwards they told me it was "special" meat, that is what they call dog meat. haha

 This is the awesome miracle story of the week. We contacted a man about a month and a half ago and he said we could come back and share a message. When we first started teaching him he said that he could never go to church but we could teach him. He owns a little shop where he fixes bikes and sells food and treats. Whenever we teach him, during the entire lesson we have to stop and and he goes helps customers and then he comes back and we continue. (shows that nobody is too busy to learn) I love this guy. Elder Vore and I taught a killer Plan of Salvation and committed him to baptism. I honestly didn't know what he would say, there was a very very big chance he would say no way! But he said, "yes, I believe what you teach me, and want to do what you say", then said, "what do I need to do". We said, "go to church", and he said, "what time does it start?" And we told him, then we left. I was super happy, but a lot of people have told me that they will go to church and haven't. But yesterday he came!!!!!!!! Miracle. Shows the power of the Holy Ghost, there is no way he would have come without the Holy Ghost. Him coming to church was really a miracle. I always thought he could do it, but I knew it would be hard. So happy about him.  

Bah Kuu, about an hour's bike ride from Ta Khmau.

I am actually supposed to clean it myself every two days, so today at night I will clean it and replace the bandage. But this is a lot smaller than it was at first. and the white stuff is the anti bacterial stuff they put on. (I think)  And yes, it is a little scary, I wasn't  worried at all (I thought the doctors were taking way too many precautions) until about now (ha, ha) everyone is making a big deal. I'll definitely be very careful with it.

New Investigators, Cyst Removal, Hamburgers and Donuts.

Right now we have four progressing investigators, which is great! Before we had about one. So the work is getting better. 

Conference was great! It felt like I have 3 preparation days in a row. All the talks were great. My favorites: both of Elder Uchtdorf's talks and Elder Edward Dube (not just because he has my name hehe). Well, honestly I liked a ton! I can't name them all. But a lot of really good talks.  I really felt the Lord loves for me. He knows my weaknesses. Even though I can still do better and I am striving to get us working harder. I felt the Lord accepts my covenant. I just felt full of hope, that the lord will fulfill his promises to me. 

This week I went to see the doctor a lot. The first time they drained all the puss that was inside the cyst. And they cut it open a little more and drained it more. But it wasn't the classic doctors visit. Usually at the doctor everything is super professional. This one for Cambodia was honestly really good, but sometimes my doctor (a small asian woman who could speak english) would ask the nurse for supplies and the nurse didn't know what the heck the doctor was talking about. What was really nerve racking is when the nurse brought over the cutting equipment and just dumped it on the little table next to me. The nurse looked like he had no idea what he was doing, and the doctor kept having to tell him what he was doing wrong or kept telling him to get things, that he didn't know existed. So to begin the doctor gave me a shot to numb it up, but she was the worst shot giver ever, she stabbed it in and was moving it around in my leg, it hurt so bad! And it really didn't even work because when she started cutting my leg a little it hurt a ton! She saw me flinch so she gave me another shot which hurt like crazy. That one finally worked though because it only hurt about half as much afterwards. But honestly everything went great. I have to go in and the clean the wound and redress it every other day, probably for another week, cause now I just have a big crevasse on my leg. But the good news my stupid big cyst is gone. Tell Sam he'll be happy, he hated that thing. 

Pretty scenery near the home of a member of the brach.

Clean study desk.

Saturday we found this place that is called USA Donuts. They sell hamburgers and donuts. And I had a hamburger and it was like an classic American hamburger it was delicious! And the donut too! It was a taste of home. And on Saturday I got a haircut, like dad and Ethan, but they left the top way too long. But I thought it looked fine, but that night I hated it, so I grabbed a pair of scissors went to the bathroom and cut it. And now it looks great! Obviously not a movie star haircut but it looks good. 

Good Investigator to Church, Companion's Birthday, and a Sore Leg

Yesterday we had one investigator come to church, so we are still kinda struggling with our investigators but the one who came is a new investigator and is very interested. She is a niece to another investigator and listened to our Plan of Salvation lesson, and then she came to church, I was super surprised to see her there, and super happy. 
This week is that I went on an exchange with Elder Stanley. It was in my area so I was pretty much senior comp. We met with a few people, and we found a really old member who has been inactive for over 10 years but his kids might learn. And at the end of the day I was able to do all the tasks that missionaries are supposed to do, meaning my language skills are now good enough where I could be by myself and still do everything I do now. So with the language I feel pretty good. But still working hard so I can speak clearly.

Elder Decker's birthday was this week and we had pizza. It was really good. There some nice restaurants in Cambodia. 

Remember my old cyst on my leg. Well, it is getting bigger and is red and it hurts really bad when I touch it.  I'm going to ask Sister Moon, the mission president's wife, today.  I will probably have to get it removed.

Staying in Ta Khmau

We got three new investigators this week, so that is great. I am not sure how interested they really are, but we will find out. Right now we only have 2 firm, solid investigators. One is a 50ish year old man, the rest of his family are members, who are kind of inactive and he has started to learn. He is super awesome, but it is hard to get him to church. The other is an 11 year old girl in a family who are already members. If the family are members the kid can get baptized at 8 without learning with the missionaries. But if they wait until later, then they have to be taught my the full-time missionaries. One investigator who is really interested, but isn't sure she wants to give up Buddhism. I like teaching her. I really feel she will get baptized, she is truly interested and willing to learn, and asked a lot of questions. And I really feel like she will pray and get a testimony, but who knows. But when we taught her the restoration, I had a, "I love being a missionary" moment. It was an awesome lesson. Really being a missionary is awesome. 

Along the banks of the Mekong River.

No changes, Fish eyes, and Fishing.

So transfer calls were yesterday and.... everything is the same; no changes.  

This week was good. We started teaching a former investigator and she is really interested. And we had 100 people at church yesterday which is great! So the branch is doing well. It feels like I just got to Ta Khmau but, it has already been six weeks. Nuts. Crazy. 

Cool things that happened. Last week the mission president came and had breakfast and studies with the district, they brought pancakes and yummy eggs :). It was fun. I ate fish for the first time since forever last week. It wasn't terrible. I ate a fish eyeball, that was nasty, the texture was all slimy, the taste was fine, but I almost gagged cause I was thinking about it too much. Elder Decker was sick last Saturday so I took a nap, first nap in the country! And sunday I cooked, some fried noodles. It was scrumptious.  Your son is learning how to make food. (And more that just pb&j.) :)

Yay for Christine and Lyndon, that is soo awesome, love the name. Very excited for their new baby. General conference is coming up soon so that will be fun, but we watch it about 4 or 3 weeks after it comes out.  

Life is good. I wake up, stretch. Eat, study, go preach, come back eat, go out preach some more, come home. Plan, write in my journal and repeat. It is great, it finally feels natural, not like this is a weird lifestyle, no it just feels like life. O ya baby. 

Well love you all so much, it was great to hear from you! Love you sooo much! 

One of our investigator grows bananas. yum!

Rainy season at the Mekong River in Ta Khmau.

From a porch of an investigators. Awsome tie!

On Tuk Tuk. 

Caught no fish, perhaps Edward is a better fisher of men.

Baptism, Political Protests, Missionary Transportation, & Soccer

Yesterday we had a baptism, Moy Li. It was a good ceremoney I was asked to give a talk 5 min before it happened, so I gave a short talk about the Holy Ghost and Baptism. It went well, it was short but I felt the spirit.  

So, there is a riot in Phnom Penh today, It is supposed to be a peaceful protest, but it is big, and you never know what might break out. And we are not allowed to go into the city today, we can only stay in TaKhmau, which I am happy about, usually P days we are always in a rush to do things and it isn't relaxing at all. But today will be relaxing, so I am happy about that. 

In Cambodia there are a lot of less actives. They all received a testimony and were baptised but the less actives are not truly converted. That used to worry me a lot. But I was reading in Alma 32 about the seed of faith, and I thought, the seed of the gospel is always good and perfect. And if it is planted and nourished with care it will grow and produce blessings. But so many people plant the seed and are baptised but just stop nourishing it, until it is dead. This is no fault to the pureness and goodness of the seed or gospel, but the fault is just the lack of nourishment. 

Things with me are going well. And they will just continue getting better. Love you all so much. The gospel it true. The Holy Ghost truly is the comforter! I have felt it. This is the church of the living Jesus Christ! I know it! Love you all so much.

Moy Li and Elder Decker

Missionary Transportation. 

Friends from church.

Teaching Less-Active Members

"Overall we are doing good. The work is slower here than KC. We only have two investigators. One of them will probably be baptized next week. So that is exciting. Most of the work we are doing is teaching Recent Converts and Less Actives. So the work is slow but good."

"On Saturday we went to a place called Kah Koo, (Cow island) and we were biking, then suddenly it was just a wall of hard rain just hit us. It was nuts! It didn't start off small then get bigger like normal. It just started so hard, I got soaked in 5 seconds, no joke."

"Well I want to bare my testimony on a couple things: 

First off, God answers prayers! There has been so many times when I am going through a rough patch and I just pray as hard as I can and I feel so much better. He hears and answers prayers. 

Second, the Book of Mormon is so awesome! Every morning I receive so much strength from it. It really is just the best ever. 

Well, things are great! Love you all so much! Have an awesome birthday Hannah! 

Love, Edward"  

Along a bike path near Ta Khmau

The view out of the apartment window. Edward studies next to this window. He claims it's the best view in the mission.

A member makes cool Cambodian ties, I have bought a few. I have defininitely adjusted to the humidy, maybe too much, I always feel so cold during studies cause of the A/C. But don't worry I still love A/C. It is only really bad when we are teaching and there is no fan or A/C. That is when sweat just drips down my face (really no joke) but the heat isn't too terrible.

With Elder Sin, a great chef. Edward was sad to see him be transferred out of the apartment.