hey family

Hey you,

So this was a good week. And I'm going to start off with the best news off all....TRANSFER CALLS!!! I will be staying with Sister Mok in Tuk Tlaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A transfer where nothing is changing! I'm so excited! And sister Kacher is staying in the same house too! We are so excited!! 

Something that has been really awesome about these last few weeks with this trio is that I feel like we are a lot more bold, and I LOVE IT! I don't know why that is but maybe it's just the combination. But it's the best!

So you know, sometimes leeches slither around my bathroom. 

We were visiting this less-active ming and after we'd taught her a lesson and were getting to go, she was like "hey do you want some coffee"... haha, uh. We all were probably really awkward. And then her daughter was like "Mom, that's against the rules!" It was pretty funny. We told her we would review the WoW next time. 

We actually work with a lot of less-active members, and I love it. There is this one lady, her name is Om Fran. She is actually in Pochentong branch. Well she just randomly showed up to church, and Sister Kacher had never seen her come. So we went over there, and she is awesome! She has been a member since 1996. She used to come always, and then a while ago she got really really sick and couldn't go to church, and no one went to visit her, including missionaries or members, for 2 years! So she obviously felt kinda not good about that. Well we don't know what made her came back, but she's back. And she is hilarious! We've gone and taught her twice and she is so funny. She remembers a lot, but we didn't know that. We were teaching her and asking her questions, and then she started asking us a lot of questions, but she remembered A LOT. And then after the lesson she was like, "I really remember all of that, I was just mocking you!" Hahahha! So funny. She wasn't really mocking us, but she was just making us teach her probably just because she wanted someone to teach her. It was out of love. So she is super cool. I love her! I love these people! 

Another awesome experience is with our investigator Ming Savvy. She just fell from heaven. She actually really did just walk into church one day wanting to learn. And she's been coming ever since. Well we were teaching her about tithing and fast offerings. And we taught her and it was good, and then she was just like "I get it. Heavenly Father doesn't want my money. He just wants to see my faith." Yes, yes, you are right. She, needless to say, is awesome! Sometimes there are just really neat experiences on your mission.

Here is another neat experience. So my whole mission I've said that I just want to teach in a big mansion house here just once. Just once. Well, the other day a member in Pochentong was like, "Hey I want you to meet someone, I want them to learn and I want to introduce you." Their house was actually in Tuk Tlaa so we just went right on over there. Well, let me tell you where there was. It was a MANSION!!!!!!!!!!!! My jaw was dropped like the whole time. It was crazy. They were so nice and so cool, but not quite ready to learn yet, but we shared a short lesson with them. That was like literally going to a different world for a few minutes. Crazy!

The other day we were teaching another Less-active and her semi-active daughter, and we decided to read a story in 1st Nephi about Faith. Well we were reviewing, "Okay, who is Lehi?" And they were like, "a prophet!" And then we were like okay what else? "A child of God!!" Haha, yep you're right. We just gave up there. It was so funny. These people kill me. 

We went on exchanges this week again. Sister Mok went to Tuulsinkai and Sister Ashcraft came with me and sister Kacher. It was really fun! Kacher and Ashcraft were actually MTC companions, so that was kinda fun!

Something else I'm totally into these days is hypothetical questions. I can't tell you how many things sister Kacher and I have discussed these past weeks. We love hypotheticals. So fun. The one down side is that Cambodians don't really get hypothetical thinking, so Sister Mok doesn't have as fun discussing, but we've been teaching her the ways. There has been much improvement.

Well I guess that's it! I love you all!

Get ready for a ton of pictures!!

Sister Homer

The Trio

Lunch anyone?

The trio on railroad tracks!

A standard house, actually our investigator's house.

Exchange day!  Me, Sister Kacher, Sister Ashcraft.

Isn't this bridge thing nuts! Let me tell you, pushing your bike across it is crazy!

We rode our bikes for over an hour last night to get to this house.  It was CRAZY! And then of course there was the hour ride back.  But it was fun.  And, obviously beautiful when we got there!  And the member was so sweet!

Suasdei

Dear Family,

So, I even have time this week but I just don't have a ton to say. I don't know what it is about the city but, I just don't know what to tell you. We spend all our time biking and teaching.

Oh but let me tell you this. Oh, haha, this was crazy! Okay, so last p-day sister Kacher and I both had some warts that we wanted to get removed, so we went to the doctor. Oh my gosh. Let me tell you. Cambodia is like ahead of the US as far as wart removal procedures. This doctor took electricity and then this other metal tool and held it against my skin. Oh but first I got like a ton of numbing shots. You know how I feel about shots. Anyway, and then my warts like ERRUPTED like a volcano. And then they were just...gone. No blister. Just like some skin that needs to heal over. It was crazy. I wish I could explain. It was so cool and so easy!

Also there is this member here in Tuk Tlaa. She is so funny!!! She is older, and she is crazy! But not actually crazy. But maybe a little. Anyway, her name is Om Sailin. And she like thinks she runs everything. She is all the time telling us how to do our job. She is hysterical. I wish I could explain. But she is also really sweet. Long story short one day she was like adament that she didn't want to go to the temple, so of course we thought that was weird, so we went and talked to her. She basically just told us that she isn't good enough. Of course we told her that she really was. But then her conclusion was that she literally just wants to go to the Terrestrial kingdom, and she's certain she'll be happy there. I told her that she actually really wouldn't be as happy there as she was thinking, she was quite surprised by that. But the lessons ended with basically her being like, It's okay, I've already talked to God about it. And if you knew her, you would know that was like the end. But she is like so sweet and so funny and so crazy! Oh these members, I love them! They seriously make Cambodia awesome. I'm going to have my heart ripped in shreds when I have to leave these members.

The other day I was riding my bike and I saw this car that had a white woman driving it and her son was in the passenger seat, and literally my mind said "Mom? What are you doing here?" I was SO confused because it really looked like Mom. It was the weirdest thing! It took me probably a good ten seconds to like figure out what was going on. Haha, hilarious.

Also, Saturday night I was told that I would be speaking Sunday morning in Sacrament meeting in Pochentong about the Plan of Salvation. So, I did some extra studying and prep Saturday night, and I just got so hyper and excited because of how cool the plan of salvation is. Seriously?? It is so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the plan of salvation!!!

Honestly, that's kind of all I've got. I still love it here! I'm loving being with Sister Kacher and Sister Mok. I have the best luck with companions! Every single companion I've had has been awesome!

I love you all! Don't forget to share the gospel!

Sister Homer

Fambodia!!! Aka, my MTC group. I LOVE THEM ALL!!! Also can you spot the tanline on my arm? It's super bad, haha yes.

This is blueberry Fanta. This has been Sister Hartley's goal her entire mission. You don't know how hard this is to come by. This is monumental, really.

Dear Family

Okay, I'm sorry the past two weeks were kinda short. I'll try to be better this week, but there just might not be much to say. That being said, I will pose a question. Can my mission stay "normal" for even just one transfer? The answer is yes. And that was during my Sister Payne era. Currently it cannot stay normal. So long story short, I'm now in a trio again doing 2 branches. Actually, it has nothing to do with me and is really said. Sister Kacher's companion is Sister Thain, they are the other sisters in our house. Well, Sister Thain's mom passed away this last week, so she went home for the next few weeks for the funeral. :( So sad. So hard. If you could keep her in your prayers, I'm sure that would be great. So yeah, now we are doing two branches with 3 of us. And here is the thing, 2 branches in the city is a lot hard than in KC because our areas are huge and spread out and there are traffic jams!! It's crazy!

Being in a trio though is working out well. We have a lot of fun together and our teaching is really like fluid too. Is that like a way to describe that? I don't remember.

Here is an update, my English skills have going out the door and around the block. But my Khmer skills aren't any better so... I can't communicate.

So dad asked about my investigators and teaching in the city. Um it's different but the same. Most people can read though, so that is cool. What is also cool is that there are some really long time members here! Also there are a lot more returned missionaries. And even returned missionaries who have married each other and have kids!! They make me so excited for the future of Cambodia!!! We have some investigators right now, we kind of just dropped a bunch, but that works out with taking on 2 branches. Regardless, we are busy! Oh, the other branch I'm in now is called Pochentong.

One of my favorite investigators is named Seov Ling. She is HILARIOUS! She is 20 years old and she is just like a sassy, hyper girl. And best of all, she doesn't want to b baptized, yet. But I love that because she is really INVESTIGATING the church, which sometimes isn't really a thing. So I really like teaching her because she has a lot of questions. She came to church for three hours though yesterday, which was good!

I also think that if Sister Mok were to base her opinion of Americans on me she would think we were SO weird... oops. Sometimes I flirt with her, because she doesn't know I'm flirting and her reaction is SO funny. I know that's probably looked down on. But I don't really flirt, I just do things that people do when they flirt, like wink and say super cheesy things, like pick-up lines. It's HILARIOUS. So that's weird...I'm becoming really weird here. You would also have to know sister Mok. She is the world's purest and most innocent person. It's so funny.

Something also interesting about Cambodia is that people actually go crazy here. Like the phrase, "you are driving me crazy" actually applies here. I never knew that was really a thing.

Another thing I love about Tuk Tlaa is our new member class, during 2nd hour of church. There is this returned missionary sister here who is just a spitfire and she realizes the importance of learning and good church classes and she is a super good teacher. So I get really excited to take our investigators and recent converts to here class, where as otherwise, sometimes I'm like, not. Super cool!

I guess that is kind of all I have this week. I'm sorry if it's all just kinda normal... The other thing that is new though is that I'm just REALLY happy. I wake up and I like skip out of bed, singing, and excited for the day. That's really cool! I love this work!

Love you all!

Sister Homer

The skyline, but actually if you look down on there ground there are tons of plastic bags filled with trash that people just throw out their windows. :( sad.

Who can spot the grammatical error?

New years eve, Sister Perez and I

They really don't waste space when building houses

Happy New Year!

Hey Family,

I'm so sorry, but this is going to have to be fast today. We are having a zone barbecue today and there just really isn't much time. Do they do barbecues here in Cambodia, you ask? I also am wondering the same thing...

Here is what you should know. Sometimes, often, toilet paper isn't counted as a necessity... they have hoses instead...

I now live right by the airport and see many planes a day. The other day one flew over and I was just thinking about flying on an airplane, and I started getting anxiety about like going home and stuff. I didn't like that. I'm not ready to go home.

Sometimes 3-year-olds here still don't know how to talk...

THE FUNNIEST THING HAPPENED! I went on my first exchange this week with Sister Perez. Well, we were going to visit this lady, and we came down this ramp. Sister Perez was in front of me and I just hear her say "Oh shoot." I look around her and there is a dog. Well, this dog was baring it's teeth, and next thing we know it has a friend, and they are charging us, and they are very much going to attack. Well, our options are limited. Soooo we probably just broke into the first door we could, and slammed it shut behind us. We don't know them. They don't know us. There were a lot of people asleep on the floor... So then we like didn't really say anything because we were just laughing so hard, and then we just walked back out and left. (I don't know where the dogs went, but they left.) We never really even explained ourselves... it was stinking HILARIOUS. We probably should have contacted them but we were a little too shaken up/DYING of laughter... oops.

The youth and the YSA at our branch here are AWESOME! There are a ton of returned missionaries which is super cool!

Right now in Cambodia there are these protests going on. They are kind of a big deal. Has it been in the news at all? It kinda has two parts. (1) the recent election, (2) they want salary increases in the factory. Kinda some scary stuff going on.

Do you know I've had more Companions than I've had transfers? Figure that one out.

We have some super cool investigators right now! They are mostly all pretty new, but I'm excited about them!

I'm sorry this email is mostly just random nonsense, and even less spiritual. I promise I feel the spirit! Mostly Cambodia is just so crazy!!

K I love you all!

Sister Homer

p.s. no time for pics today. Don't really have any good ones anyway.

Hey again!

Dear family,

Skyping with all of you was so nice! Thank you so much for all being there!!! Dad and mom asked a lot of followup questions which I will now answer.

Okay, so I thought leaving KC was going to be the worst thing ever, especially from my previous experience in the city. But, these past few days I have been PLEASANTLY surprised. In fact, I'm loving my new area. The city is SOOO different. It's not scenic whatsoever, but I actually still really like it. The biggest thing is this branch. It's incredible! There are like 10+ return missionaries that COME to church! It's amazing! The branch president is an RM. Do you know what this means???? The leadership is incredible! Also there is like a hint of reverence at church!!! I could talk about this for like 5 more paragraphs, but I'll stop. Basically I'm really excited to be in this branch. Also our Church building is beautiful! Someday I'll take a picture and send it. As of right now we have a handful of Recent Converts we work with, we have quite a few investigators but... they aren't really progressing, we'll see about that. And there are TONS of less-active members to work with, like usual. Our work is different than in KC, cause mostly I just did a ton of Recent Convert stuff, but I'm excited.

The biggest change is just the pace in lifestyle. KC is so laid-back and just like there isn't ever a traffic jam... sometimes you don't even see a car... but here it is so CROWDED! It is actually kind of energizing, and it means that there are always new people you see every day that you've never contacted before!! Imagine that!

Sister Davis' new companion is a Khmer, her name is sister Kong. She was actually SO nervous and just worried about it, but I know that she will love it. She is in the most beautiful area in the mission with the best members ever!

I know I tried to explain my new house, but it didn't really make sense, so I took some pictures and I'll attach them. The cool thing is that I'm in a house with 4 sisters again! It's so social!! It's crazy! Sister Kacher and Thain are the other two in our house, both american. I really like them!

So yeah, my new assignment as Sister Training Leader. This means I'll start going on exchanges with different sisters around the mission. I'm not really sure what it entails besides that. Just leadership stuff... But it will be fun. I'll get to know a lot of the sisters. I think Sister Mok and I are actually just over 3 other companionships though. We are the North Zone STL, and there are 2 for South Zone, and there is 1 for Battambang/Siem Reap. KC just didn't have one...

I did mention I'll be going to the mission home a lot, but that is just because on p-days we can go if we want and hang out with other missionaries and stuff, which is what we are doing today. Though I will also be going once a month for the training meeting as part of being STL. The mission home is kinda far from us, like a 40 minute bike ride. So we probably actually won't be going every week.

I don't really know my new district yet. As far as my branch there is also a companionship of elders assigned, and they are super cool. One of them also served in KC with me for a transfer, so that's fun.

The school system, as far as I understand, school isn't required, you go if you can afford the 5 dollars a month. Most go, but there are some people who can't afford that. I know many kids who are in 5th grade and don't know how to read yet. They can read a little, but like mostly not. The interesting thing is that school is honestly only like 4 hours a day, and then if you can afford it you can learn more, maybe like tutoring, but not everyone does that. Especially in KC not very many people I know do that. They have public and private, but mostly I think it all kinda works this same...

At church I would say it's rare to have a member quote the scriptures, but those who can read usually share a scripture in their talk. Not everyone here is uneducated, but especially in KC, I just came across so many who were. But there are like really really smart people too, and their understanding of the gospel is deep.

Another big change that comes with being in the city is that they just changed the rule that city sisters can now proselyte until 7:00/7:30. So that's only another hour, but let me tell you, it's like made my whole life crazy. It's not required to be out that late, just if we actually have appointments. But we are pretty much out until then. It kinda sabotages our language study/dinner time, but we're figuring it out.

Yesterday we stopped and watch a train go by. It was the 2nd time Sister Mok has ever seen a train. She was really excited. Stop it. She is literally like my favorite person EVER. I love being her companion!!!!! We laugh all the time. I think we should adopt her.

I guess that's kinda all for me today! Life is great! I'll send you a bunch of random pics. :)

I love you all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Sister Homer

My KC zone/district

Santa!

A PANDA COOKIE!

Party hats!

Ming Donny, 1st Branch KC (One of the best people I have ever met)

Srei Label and Mona (KC 2nd branch)

My Vialkhsach kids.  :(  Miss them so much.

Goodbye my beautiful KC!

The ladies of Fambodia!!

More Fambodia ladies!!

Bedroom

Kitchen

Bathroom

My house.  It's REALLY tall and thin.  We live in a VERY nice place.  Pretty much all our neighbors have cars.  And it's like a gated community.  It's so ritzy!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Hey family,

So, this is the last email I'll be sending before Christmas. With Skyping next week we don't have our normal monday p-day next week. So this is it before I see you next week! I'm super excited to skype you all, but kinda not at the same time because I think it might put me in an emotional coma for a week or so. Just a fair warning, this skyping session may not be pretty. You might wonder what's wrong with me, but just probably don't think too much about it.

I also want you to know that it is now coat season here as well. Seriously, they were selling coats, WINTER COATS, at the market the other day. And we saw people actually wearing coats outside, even this morning. People are asking us all the time if we are cold... you must understand, it is not cold here. There is something wrong going on! This might be a horror movie!

Actually, I'm certain this week has been a horror movie. One night I came downstairs after planning and there were, no exaggeration, THOUSANDS, of insects filling our kitchen. Of course the only answer was Raid. I love raid. After I swept up most of them there was like a pile a foot long and at least an inch tall of bugs. I took a picture, but it just doesn't do it justice. I think what happened was that sister Davis left the light on outside when she went to wash her clothes, and then the bugs were attracted to the light, and then they saw the light inside and came through the cracks in the door. But whatever happened, it was seriously like a horror movie. Also, I don't suggest inhaling large amounts of raid...

Also last night we had another Lizard encounter, which was only fitting with our horror movie week. This one was crazy. He thought it would be okay to jump on my bed... false mr. lizard. False. We spent the next good part of an hour trying to deal with him. In the end he somehow disappeared... we still don't know where he is. Needless to say he was tricky. These lizards used to be cute. But now we think they are actually seeking revenge from that first encounter. There have been more and more encounters lately. I'll report more later.

This other really weird thing here is that they like to eat fruit that is not yet ripe, like mangoes for example. Not only is it not yet ripe, it is REALLY REALLY sour. So what they do is they dip it in this salt mixture to level out the sour. Needless to say, it is not delicious! But, what can we do, we choke it down. Well we had this very situation earlier this week, and poor sister Davis. It was maybe her first "force-down-the-food" situation. I think she did okay. I really can't blame her. The weirdest part though is that these people really LOVE it. What is with that?? But good things came out of it. One of the recent converts who was there eating them with us hasn't really been meeting with us decided she really liked us after that, and sat by me all through church yesterday and was like "why haven't you came to my house in the past four days!" Woohoo!

So onto actually important things. Brak Kneesock. This is incredible. We went and visited her maybe Tuesday afternoon. We asked her how she was doing, etc. etc. Well, let me tell you, she is doing so good! She basically like bore her testimony to us about how much she knows this is all true. She found her husband (long story), and that was like a miracle, and her neighbors have been giving her food. And she was like "I literally have NO money, yet I have had food for every meal." Wow! And the best part is that she does attribute this all to God! And then it wasn't 'til after all this that I she wondered if the branch could maybe help her a bit. But she was really afraid to ask because she is so new and she knows it will look like she just joined to get stuff. I assured her it was fine, and we got it all taken care of with the branch president! I'm just so grateful that this all has built her testimony. I wish you all could have heard her testifying! So cool!! One of the greatest moments of my mission so far.

Another AWESOME thing that has been going on lately is with Ming Cat. I've talked about her a bit, but mostly you probably have no idea how heavy she weighs on our minds. She is the one who just knows so much about Buddhism, and has a drinking problem, and maybe also has an interesting mental state...? Unsure. BUT we have seen such progress. Sister Davis and I both agree that we have literally seen light come into her countenance. Before she literally was void of like any light, and we have seen her change. There is definitely SO much more to go, but it's incredible! She has been coming to church and other activities during the week. WOOHOO!!!!! The gospel seriously changes lives!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another fun thing from this week was that our branch president's son is getting married. They did a little ceremony at the church because they are both members (yes!!!), but they are actually getting married somewhere else. Well it was just the darndest thing. It was so SO funny and cute but mostly just REALLY awkward. These people do not do PDA. So funny. Relationships here are just so different from the states. But it was really sweet because they both shared their testimonies. He is a returned missionary, she's isn't... but she was like SO grateful to be marrying in the church and to another member. You could tell that meant the world to her. Because her whole life she probably wondered if that would be an option. (at least since she's been a member she's probably wondered...) But it was so sweet and I'm so happy for them!

Okay I guess that is all this week! I will see you all on your Christmas day next week! Maybe sometime between like 7:00-9:00pm your time. I'm not quite sure but I'll try to get there closer to the 7 o'clock hour for you.

I love you all! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Homer

We went to Hanchey again this week.  SO COOL!!! If any of you ever come here, we are going there.  Elephant

Sister Davis and I

This picture really doesn't do it justice.

I like this pic

There was a pig encounter.

totally candid, totally awesome

just . . . yeah

This doesn't need to go on the blog, but it is certainly the best picture that has ever been taken of me, ever!  (oops)

I must have been a dino in my old life.

Shades

winner

Cricket?

The ladies (left Bowtie, right Savannah)

The crew

THIS is the pile of bugs.  You can't tell but it was HUGE!

Family

Hey everyone,

This week was SIGNIFICANTLY better than last week. Mostly it was just a normal week, which I loved! I love just getting out and teaching. These people are just so funny and this place is so funny!

We got a few new investigators this week. One's name is មីង​​រង (Ming Song), she learned a few years ago but left to a different city. Well now she is back and she is awesome! we've taught her twice and she is so good! She can't read, but what's new. She cut us up the yummiest pineapples to eat before she would even let us start teaching. By the way, the pineapples here are tiny, so cute! Anyway she is so good and she like insisted on coming to church, even though she couldn't make it to the branch she is supposed to go to, so she came to the other one. Haha, okay! Yes! So she did come for 2 hours yesterday, and I hope it was a good experience for her! I think it was!

Yesterday we also had Ming Laundry, Brak Kneesock, Srei Chia, and Homestar  get confirmed, woohoo! I was so so so excited that Brak Kneesock came. We came across her on the side of the road on Friday and talked to her for a long time. Long story short, her husband left (wants to go back but his co-workers won't let him) and hasn't sent her money so she has no food to feed her kids, not to mention she is pregnant and has lost 3 pounds, in the last few days. She was saying she will probably have to sell her bike to be able to feed her kids. I obviously didn't tell her to not do that, but if she did that meant she couldn't come to church. Well, after talking to her for a while we went and bought her some food so her kids don't starve. We offered to come get her and take her to church on sunday. She told us to just wait and see, and then we didn't hear from her. But so yeah she came and I was so so so excited!! This woman is awesome. She bikes herself and her two kids to church, while pregnant and stays three hours. Not to mention she said she had been praying constantly and reading her scriptures because she didn't know what else to do. So good!

Probably the best thing that happened this week though was that we got a new washing machine. We told the senior couple it kinda didn't work (understatement), they came and looked at it and were like, oh well let's just get a new one! Apparently that was no big deal. Let me tell you, if I had only known, I wouldn't have been wearing dirt for the past 5 months! It was like Christmas. It's incredible. We maybe smell like real people now!!! It's wonderful.

Something I always knew, but didn't really think about much until this week is the difference between The Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Let me tell you, there is such a difference. In Utah I think it is really easy for the two to kind of just be the same, but here, they are two very different things. And I actually realized I kind of like that because, you don't really develop a testimony of the Church here, but you can still develop a testimony of the Gospel. Certainly, you CAN develop a testimony of the church here too, but at least for me coming from Utah... you just kind of don't. But it's an incredible thing to see, and realize that the true thing we are converting people to is the gospel, not the church. In places where the church is developed, it's easy to forget that. All that probably didn't make any sense, but to me that was kind of a significant thought this week.

This week was a creature week. Meaning there were creatures everywhere. The best one though was the cockroach. I have honestly had the best luck with not really having to deal with cockroaches. But one morning this week, we came downstairs and there was one laying on it's back. You would think that would mean it would be dead, oh no. They play dead. They fake you out. So after lengthy observation I decided it truly was still alive. I took so much raid to that cockroach, it was borderline excess. And then we also poured soap on it, cause sister Davis heard that kills them. I wish you could have witnessed this battle. I like to think I'm maturing in my ability to handle bugs. Needless to say, we overcame.

Also someone told Sister Davis her feet look like baby pigs. HAHAHHAHAHA this is the same member who wants me to marry her son. Also a dog stole one of sister Davis' shoes. But it was recovered.

Do you know how much I LOVE Pineapple Fanta?

Also, it's official. You can spot a nerd in any culture. <3

I guess that is all for me! I love you all!

Sister Homer

The cheesecake mom sent me that I made this week. :) SO GOOD!!! Thank you mommy!

These are my wonderful members in Vialkhsach!!! (some of them.)

A pile of rice stalks after they take the rice off.