TRYING SOMETHING NEW

JUST AN AFTERNOON SNACK....CAMBODIAN STYLE

Dad is eating coconut jelly.      What ???

Yes, it is what he wanted.  So it looks like they add gelatin to the coconut juice.  It was cold.  He ate it!  And said he liked it....   Not me.  I thought it looked gross.  Dad made me try it.  Too stiff and jiggley,  it weirded me out.











I will stick to the coconut juice.

Spider Town

So this is Spider Town.  Famous for it's different varieties of spiders, bugs, worms etc. to eat.  Cooked all different ways, different seasonings etc. too.  Dad posted his pictures of this a while ago.  I have a few to share.

So this boy was so cute.  Just spoke Khmer.  He kept asking me to buy his pineapple.  Then he got close  and read my missionary badge.  (I wear my Khmer one)  His eyes lit up and he made a cross with his fingers.  I said Christian?  He said it back and nodded again with his fingers like a cross.  After that he took my hand and just wanted to show me everything there.  He knew the names of everything in English.  We would just go from one thing to the next.  It was pretty fun...like we bonded with such a great thing as Christ in common.  (Really a rare thing to find a Christian ).  I love how that preempted the salesman thing and brought an instant feeling of love...








The market also had beautiful fruits...

The thing is... people really like these things... 

Fun With Great Young Single Adults

Dad and I have been preparing for this YSA Countrywide Conference for a little while.  We are making lanyards for everyone (we are making 650) .  Inside it will have their schedule for the 2 day conference, their name on one side and a card inside that advertises Cambodia's Country Newsroom.
https:www.mormonnewsroom.org.kh




So we are in charge of registration.  Which we have four colored neck straps and we will alternate them as they register so the groups will be even for group events.  We are doing speed dating as a game before dinner on day one.  So we have made a list of questions and had them translated into Khmer, then printed up and cut them.

I bought the coolest cutter to cut everything.  I would like to bring it home, but it is really heavy, so it will stay here.  Anyway it was a lot of cutting with the schedules to put in the lanyards .



 We also have the assignment of doing a dating workshop the second day.  The workshops are a round robin with Temple Marriage, Dating, Self-Reliance, and Patriarchal Blessings. (which will be so wonderful since Cambodia just got their Patriarchs)  So we will present the workshop 4 times.  Well, Dad will be taking pictures, so I will present it 4 times.  However as you know, I don't speak Khmer so I have been worried how this will work.  A translator takes so much time and I think people lose interest.  So I typed my workshop up and made a few copies.  I made posters with the main points on them in English.  I found a Khmer YSA girl to help me present the workshop.  She is Khmer, but speaks English too so she can talk to me.  We have practiced together and I think it will work.  She will basically present what I have prepared, then I will also have another translator to tell me what the comments are from the YSA's.

We also are in charge of moving the groups from one workshop to the next, so I made colored squares by each door, then Dad will move them in-between classes so they go to their same color for the next one.  Oh blah.blah, blah

The Event was a success.  The day was super hot.  And with all those bodies, well, you can imagine.... We were pretty worn out by the time it was over.  Here are a few pictures of mine. Obviously not put in the video Dad made.

I love these Young Adults.  They are so wonderful.  They are just sweet and gracious...Excited to live the gospel.

I think the only girls with short hair here.   They are among our favorite!  The one on your right just finished her mission, and the one on your left is getting ready to go.

Factory Workers

On our way back from a province, we hit the factory area right when they were getting off work and going home.  There were hundreds of these trucks, one right after another.  The workers are mostly females and they are packed in so tight, standing up...I can't imagine.  And after a long days work, and the heat...

There are close to 900,000 who work in the factories.  We have one sister in our branch who is a factory worker.  She has only been a member a few months.  As we had a lesson in Relief Society on fasting, she said she was worried about fasting while working.  They work such long hours.  She needed energy.  So she prayed and knew she could do it.  Great faith...

Cambodian Schools

We were out in the provinces with the Humanitarian Missionaries checking on some schools that needed aid.  We went to four different schools.  The kids had fun with Dad playing some hoops.

 They all loved us and would just giggle and smile.  They loved their pictures to be taken.  Dad would show them on his camera. It was fun to see their reactions.

School lunch 

Sewing class

Dad just being Dad...

The students all wear uniforms.  We see them at every school.  They always look neat and clean.  It was amazingly hot.  No air-conditioning.  No running water.  At the high school there was one bathroom (stall) for 2000 kids.   Still smiles for us.  LDS Charities is putting in toilets with running water for all these schools.  It will be wonderful for them.  As you can imagine.

 The door to the Principal's office.  They call him the director.

Airport Gathering of Senior Missionaries

Classic picture we do at the airport whenever a new Senior Couple comes in.  This was last night.  Cambodia welcomed the Spencers in with about 105 degrees.  Dad and I are always amazed at Senior Couples.  To leave all behind... is so hard...Firm testimonies in our Savior Jesus Christ is the only way this could happen.  We love you family! That our family can be together forever is why we are here.


We went out to eat at a restaurant on the river's edge.  The Titanic.













 Here is each couple serving,  except one
 who is too far away,  
 Elder and Sister Belcher serving
 MLS in Seim Reap.  
                                                                                                                
                                                                                                      Elder and Sister Ovesen                                                                      
                                                                                                        Self Reliance/PEF

Elder and Sister Meinzer   
     Humanitarian

Elder and Sister Hollenzer

Office/Family History   

                                                        

 President and Sister Moon  

                                                                         

Elder and Sister Spencer  MLS

                                                                        

                                                                              

 And Elder and Sister VanBrocklin 

Public Affairs