What Happens When: Sister Hotdog is Dreaming of a White Christmas

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful week and are enjoying the best time of the year! Even in the 90 degree weather, Christmas was still very enjoyable out here in Cambodia. We had a lot of fun together with our missionary family! This week was a week of fun, food, and miracles! sounds pretty good to me! Also, fun fact of the week, every time I introduce myself to people they say my name and just laugh! I had no idea what they were saying for the longest time until we were out with the elders this week and Elder Slavens finally understood what the members were saying about my name, and he was dying of laughter at my expense and I didn't know why. Finally he explained to me that Haddock with a Khmer accent sounds like 'hotdog'..... that explains so much. everytime I say my name they just pretend to eat something and say "ooh chingine!" "ooh yummy!" and I just never could figure it out. They all just think it is hilarious! So, Merry Christmas from Sister Hotdog everybody!

Another fun fact about hot dogs and Cambodia: ice cream sandwiches are literal bread - Hot dog buns with ice cream inside.... and apparently they are delicious. Wow I'm really not in America anymore!

I will be going on an exchange every week because my companion is Sister Training Leader which is so fun! I get to meet so many new people! This week I went with Sister Loftus on tuesday and wednesday and we had some adventures together to say the least. She serves in Teul Kork which is where our new house is. I havent ever experienced this area with the rail road tracks yet, so she told me to prepare myself for some eye opening experiences. well, it was eye opening to say the least! Over at the rail road tracks, the people have literally nothing. They live in crazy wood or tin houses and they are built on top of piles of trash... we walked through this one alley where the floor was just seeping underneath us... I imagine walking on moss to feel about the same. Nasty! But the people we met were very nice and grateful for our visit. I have never seen so many naked babies running wild through garbage and had so many swarms of flies trying to attack me while trying to teach before. There's a first for everything! While we were sitting in our lesson I hear this pattering on the tin roof and by the time I looked out over the roofs, it was no longer just pattering. It was a full on rain storm! the garbage alleys were starting to flood and we were worried about having to ride our bikes in it. we decided it was a little tender mercy because the rain kind of obligated our less active member we were teaching to read scriptures with us while we waited out the storm. haha! the rain stopped long enough for us to get to our next member's house and again it started pouring like crazy! and of course by then it was late, and getting dark and we needed to get home. We braved the storm and in less than 30 seconds I looked like I jumped in a pool! it was the most happy and wet day ever! We got home soaking wet and actually COLD for the first time in weeks. It was so nice! I didn't experience the flooding streets bike riding yet, but I am looking forward to it!

during our exchange to the tracks, the next day sister loftus' bike lock got stuck and we were stranded. everyone was watching us like we were the best thing that has ever come through there and it was so embarrassing we couldn't get it to unlock! We didn't know what to do so we called the elders to find someone to help us and they came with pliers hoping to cut off the lock... all the little boys came to watch and one brought us the rustiest saw i've ever seen. They started sawing and like 20 minutes later, after all the kids in the whole area had come to watch, they finally got the lock off the bike! one of the little girls ( i sent a picture) just wanted to be my best friend after that. She is a crazy busy body and wouldn't let go of me once I said "hello!"

Christmas eve was really strange, especially because it doesn't exist here. We went to meet our new investigators MingLoan and LookpuuKheang. Let me just say they are GOLDEN (so far). they are about 40 and married and live in our area. On saturday after english, MingLoan walked into our church building and said she is in a ''crisis'' and needs to learn about Christ! so we went and met with her and her husband Kheang. And WOW. they just sit and stare at us with big curious eyes and soak up everything we say! She said she found one the restoration pamphlets from her son one day and she read it and knows it's the truth. We invited them to read the Book of Mormon, and she looks at us and says ""so do you have any additional scriptures we can read too after I finish this one?"" what? um yes, how about we just give you all the lessons right now! They are doing so great already! the minute we walked in the door she made sure we knew she was coming to church this week and wanted to know how many songs we sing and where she could buy a hymnbook. This is so strange. And so unrealistic for the usual investigator situation. and it is a serious miracle and answer to prayers! after our last week of no investigators, this week we found 4 more people to teach and had 5 investigators come to church with us! The work is moving along! it just takes effort and trust in the Lord.

Christmas day was lots of fun and super hot. I probably have the worlds best farmers tan now. We went to IBC (our favorite store ever) because they have a christmas aisle so decked out even the ceiling has twinkle lights on it. we got santa hats and presents for our bishoprics and then we headed out to go caroling and deliver presents! we caroled to some members at the tracks with sister loftus and sister soeun and the elders and it was the most fun! One of the Netmings (40+ish year old lady) started crying she loved it so much! It was so nice to visit and sing and spread some christmas spirit. No one along the road really understood what we were doing, but we would yell merry christmas to everyone in sight. and they thought we were the funniest thing ever! We had a missionary party christmas evening and had way too much food and a talent show! I got to play a bunch of piano songs and accompany some singing numbers, it was so good to play Christmas songs again! I got to try a Jack Fruit? I think that's what they're called. They are orange-yellow and I thought they tasted like an onion.. but the more you eat them the more they grow on ya! Christmas was so strange here. It was my first Christmas away from home and in the heat. I didn't really know how to feel about it all because it was so new and exciting! I really loved being able to spend christmas serving others and visiting those who need some Christmas cheer. It definitely was a unique experience, which I will always be grateful for.

The next morning, we got to skype our families!!! it was super fun to talk to them and tell them all about the crazy part of the world I live in right now. They even got to hear me translating for our Khmer sister and I shared the first vision with them in khmer. Apparently there is a video of me speaking khmer on social media now...I'll have to check that out in.. oh... 15 months.

I miss home, I miss you all, but I know there is no place I would rather be! Being able to give something that money can't buy, to anyone who will accept it is the most rewarding and joyful work that can be done. In serving others, I have In the MTC I was told to think of sharing the gospel like giving out $10000 to everyone you see. Some take it and need it and use it and are helped so much. and knowing that the gospel and salvation is not even comparable to $10000 makes me want to share it more and more each day! I love being here in Cambodia, and I love being a missionary! Have a great New Years everyone! Love and miss you all,

Sister Haddock