Hey

Family,

Sooooo this week. Hmm, it was good. We worked like crazy! With two branches and a lot of recent converts we can't afford to not work hard. So we are always just going going going, which I prefer. If we even stop to rest for a second my conscience kicks in and I just can't stand it! But so yeah it was a good, busy week, but fairly normal!

Really normal houses here

Something new that I have been working a lot on in my free time (HAHA - free time...) is finding and figuring out who all the members are in our branch. The mission got us a list of all the members in the branch, and let me tell you. It is CRAZY! People aren't there who should be and people are there who shouldn't be, not to mention people go by different names than their own. There aren't records of some people being baptized and people are grouped with the wrong people. It is MADNESS. But I seriously love figuring it out and organizing it all. We have our CBR books where we as missionaries also keep track of all our members as well. We have a page where we put their picture and draw a map to their house and list their confirmation dates, etc. I love organizing and doing all these things. I'll probably go home and do more of that today. haha, i'm a freak! But seriously, by the time I leave this place, I want it to be very clear for the next missionaries who is who, etc.

This is what a cashew looks like????

Sister Kuoch and I are getting along really well! At first our teaching was not very smooth, as she has never had an american who doesn't speak the language. But now we are getting better! We get along so well and I seriously love her so much! She is also super super hilarious and weird, just like the homer family! Oh and when she is hyper she slaps and hits me! haha, what the! But it's in like a playful sort of way, not abusive. I think it's endearing.

I haven't heard much from Sister Payne, but I hear she is in 2 branches as well working in a trio. We had a sister leave because she is sick, so they turned them into a trio working in 2 branches. 

They had a bunch of statues of fruit!  haha, I don't know why.

Sister Kuoch and I

Dad asked some good questions, questions I ask myself all the time: Since so few people read, how do they gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon?  Are there enough literate members that in church classes scriptures can be read and quoted? Honestly, It's just hard. And i don't really have answers. Those who can't read, just don't really gain a testimony of the BoM, which is SO essential in conversion. It worries me! There are people at church who know how to read, but let's just say teaching skills are also not way up there - probably a reflection of their school systems. It's really hard and we've had teacher training meetings but, lets just say things don't progress as quickly here. I just pray that Heavenly Father is making up the difference for those who can't read. These people do have a lot of faith. I just don't know, it's hard.

Dad also asked: What percentage of the members were already Christian?  How is it different teaching Christians and non-Christians? I would say very few are already Christian, pretty much everyone is "buddhist" but not really that "active", if that's the word. It's interesting because people just don't really have a belief system at all. Mostly I just think they don't think about it. They kinda don't think about a lot of things here... it's interesting.

pretty view

I forget that I am in a third-world country. It all is just normal to me now, but then occasionally I see things and I'm like, "oh wait, that is not okay." This was interesting, the other day I rode past the local park and they were cutting the grass. Literally, cutting the grass by hand! That is how they mow the lawn! That's crazy!

I told you last week I would tell you about Sister Kuoch's dad. Well I was talking to her and she told me that he comes from a very wealthy family, and so during the Khmer Rouge EVERY SINGLE ONE of his family and extended family were put to death. But he was young (like 10-12 years old) and they were able to hide him. Um, are you serious? I know that these things happened, but no one really talks about them. and then when she told me it was kind of just like oh yeah, that's just what happened. I'm now thinking that SO many people I know have similar stories, but they just don't really talk about it. It happened and now it is over. that is so interesting to me.

why am I climbing a pineapple?
I don't know.  I think I'm losing it!

Also, haha oh boy, I told you I would tell you about the dating culture. It is CRAZY! I think I've told you some stuff before, but I don't remember what. Basically, like if you are traditional and a girl you just kind of observe and look for boys you think would be loyal, and then you don't really talk to them. But when a boy sees you and he likes you he will call you like every night just to see how your day was, and to like check up on you. And then sometimes in public you still won't even talk to each other. And then eventually his parents will go to your parents and say they want to be engaged and then you can spend time with each other and get to know each other. Um AWKWARD!!!! Also it is really sad because often the girl is like forced into marriage, and it's not that often than both the husband and wife love each other - which I've definitely observed. Oh my gosh it's all just crazy different!!! Haha crazy!

Guess what I figured out this week. You can sing the words from "joseph smith's first prayer" to the tune of "come thou fount" what??? That's crazy! And it works! It's so cool! Try it!

I guess that is all from me this week. Last week we went to this super cool/pretty wat. We couldn't spend a ton of time there because it was far away, but I will send you pictures!! It was so cool!

I love you all!

Sister Homer

super pretty building!

I made this by myself last night! It totally was just like a Khmer made it. Muahhaha