Sister Jessalyn Homer: Hello

Family,

Okay, you can't even imagine how much I love emailing every week. I sit here and giggle essentially the whole time because of how happy I am to be talking to/hearing about my family and friends. My companion just turned to me and said, "Wow. you really do love your email time." I LOVE IT!

So let me finish up my life in Stung Mean Chey and then I'll move onto the details of Kampong Cham. One of the highlights of my week this past week was the English Class we taught on Wednesday. Everyone in the whole mission teaches english once a week. Anyway, it was like the last day of the class series and so it was supposed to be a review. The elders who usually teach didn't really have anything planned. So because I spent all that time observing foreign language classes and learning about methods, I was all for giving it a shot. So I just jumped up there and we started reviewing body parts, of course by playing head shoulders knees and toes. I also had them play simon says a little bit later. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!! I was laughing, and mostly everyone was laughing with/at me! that is just what I wanted. So essentially it was the funnest thing ever and I LOVE teaching English as a Second Language.

Also, i think I told you about the random girl who came to English class 2 weeks ago and how I sat by her and she wants to learn about the gospel. She came again and I helped her a lot and had her work with some members. She still really wants to learn. She is a different branch so I wrote down all her info and gave it to the new elder that just got to that area. But she is so cute and when I told her that I was leaving, she was so sad! I was so flattered she likes me so much! I'll send a picture with her.

I want you to know that I have never been so proud to be an American nor loved my country so much. 4th of july was obviously really low-key. But I did start the morning off with a load of pancakes, and I dressed for the occasion. See pictures.

So remember Ming Ranier who just got baptized. We visited her this week and she has read in the book of mormon all the way until Helaman Chapter 13. That honestly doesn't happen. That is not a thing. she is so gold!!! And she understand like everything! Wow! I'm like a proud parent! I love her!

Now to Kampong Cham. Wow, I love it here! It is about 3 hours outside of Phnom Penh, and the busride was BEAUTIFUL! I want you to know that Stung Mean Chey was really not very pretty at all, and so I was SHOCKED at how beautiful Cambodia actually is. It gets better, my whole area is gorgeous. See the picture taken from my kitchen window.

My companion is also awesome! Her name is Sister Window and she is from Sandy, Utah. she is just really chill and so I think we will get along great! Her language is actually really good! I think we'll definitely have some funny experiences together, but it will be great! We'll both get so good at the language. It's also hilarious because the women here really do know how to talk a lot. They go on and on and on, so I have really learned to make just the right noises in just the right places so they think I know exactly what they are saying. Haha... yeah. I do try really hard to understand, and I usually catch the gist. It is also funny because Sister Window does about the exact same thing. Haha! Love it! Oh and false alarm last week. I am definitely still being trained. Which really all that kinda means is we take an extra hour of study in the morning as a companionship. It's nice though because then we can practice running through lessons together and stuff.

On Saturday I did my first service project here in Cambodia. We harvested lemongrass. Turns out lemongrass grows in mucky, muddy, leech infested water! It honestly was so fun! And crazy hard work in the heat! I loved it! I guess we'll be doing a lot of service here. That's how it is in the Khaits. I'm excited about that! Oh and don't worry, I didn't have any leech issues. But other people did. haha crazy!

Also, there are actually heated showers in Cambodia. I didn't know that was a thing here! my room has one! I never thought I would even want one, but this morning I actually used semi-heat. It was incredible!

Dad asked about my living conditions. How can I say this... These are not the most desirable of houses. BUT here in Cambodia, they are so nice! So i'm happy. I'll send you a picture of one of the toilets in our house...Haha. Also Sister Window and I live with the other two sisters here. They are Sister Smock and Sister Eekoo. They are both Khmer, from Stung mean chey!! They cook pretty much every meal, so I eat really good food! These people know how to take a pile of grass and make it into a meal worth $50. I'm not kidding, it is so good. Sometimes the meat is hard to work with because they eat every part of every animal, bones not separated. But i'm working on it.

Dad also asked about how the language is coming. It is not bad! I have to keep in perspective that I have been here for 1 month and a half. And honestly, I think I'm actually doing really well. I'm getting better and better at listening. The people here kinda have a funny accent, but mostly they actually speak a little clearer. I love learning this language!

I'm not quite sure how the work is here yet, i'll update you on that next week. The weather is hot. Surprise. But cooling down a bit! It rains almost every night.

Wow long letter! That's about all I have! I love you all! This week was so fabulous!

Love,

Sister Homer

(editor's note: she sent about a billion pictures this week, so instead of trying to fit them in the blog, here they all are!)