What Happens When: the princesses live in a doll house

Hello everyone!

This week was the most interesting. Lots of good happened, and lots of weird happened too! We started out the week by taking "srey sa'at" pictures... traditional khmer princess pictures complete with green screen and lots of make up and jewels. Let's just say there's a reason we are sisters and not models here in cambodia. All the jewelry and flash photos and hairspray... man that was probably the most tiring day of my entire mission. We had fun though, and I have vowed to never do that again!

This week we were out in the far far areas of Prey Svaay and Dombok Khpuah. Pretty good places with amazing people. We taught one of our investigators named Bong Dooc with Sister Spencer (senior couple) and Bong shared some really cool things right when we sat down to start. She's the sister of a recently returned missionary. Bong immediately started crying and told us how grateful yet sad she was for her sister who has been alone in the gospel for so long and that she promised that she would keep the commandments and change her family's life because she knew that it was all true and all right. She then told us that she planned on teaching her husband the lessons and would bring him to church. She really wants this for her family and it was really cool to see the blessings of missionary service in someone else's life.

Then we shared with Bong Dooc's neighbor who is a less-active that we haven't met in a long time since she's been out in the jungle working. She had just gotten back and prayed that we would come, and there we were! We shared about Nephi's faith to build the boat and she shared some really cool parallels from her life that brought the spirit so strong. I love meeting new people especially members because each of them have such unique stories that inspire me!

One of my favorite days was out with Bong Heng and Hiang, two super sweet less-active ladies out in the far area. We were taking our lunch break out under a tree next to some creepy statues at a pagoda by their house and taking pictures. Then this little old car drives by but then stopped, and of course in a wat, you should always be careful it's just kinda weird anyway, but the like 15 people pile out of this car and instantly start taking selfies with us and pictures of us! We were all sweaty from biking forever and when the paparazzi finally noticed that we speak khmer they just started taking videos like they've never seen Americans before! but they're little kids were super cute and took a picture sitting on a giant statue, so I'll attach that later too. Anyway, when we finally got to Heng and Hiang's house they showed us this super long video of their khmer wedding traditions which I have never cared to understand before. Khmer weddings are probably the most annoying thing that happens here in Cambodia because they set up the wedding tent in the middle of the road blocking traffic and play really loud atonal music for like 3 days. But after watching a video about the different traditional ceremonies and stuff I actually understand more about traditions all focused towards families and respect for the parents. Really interesting! This week has been full of culture lessons!

We did service moving dirt into an already finished and nicely tiled house... again another culture lesson. We all questioned the effectiveness of piling dirt onto a super nice floor, but whatever, we just do what they ask.:) It was the house of an investigator whose parents are not members, so we were happy to help and maybe become good friends with them. The girl we're teaching there is planning to be baptized soon! Super excited!

And last but not least, the doll house adventures. All the houses here are colorful if they are made of cement. Ours just happens to be on the main road, right across from the church. BRIGHT YELLOW and there's a huge diamond on the top of it. Like a perfect doll house! One of the members gave the other pair of sisters some live fish... which we had to keep in a barricaded pot of water under the cupboard until Sister song was ready to eat them.... eh.... we named the last one Victor. I didn't know he was even in the pot until I saw it shaking and splashing right next to my foot when I was making breakfast. Ew. I thought something smelled really fishy that morning... talk about scary! Which brings me to my next topic,

I had to give a talk in church yesterday. Probably my last talk ever in Cambodia, which is great. And not so great. but given that I had to speak and they actually gave me a topic, they chose a great one: Fear. At first I was like... ehhhhh.... but then it actually turned out to be really good to study from the Book of Mormon. I still get people asking me if I think it's scary here in Cambodia or if I am afraid of the food or the traffic or weird culture. I just have to laugh because if it was that scary, they would'nt let 19-20 year olds live here all by ourselves right? anyway, I just learned a lot about trusting in the Savior and fearing God.

To sum up what I learned and spoke about: in the words of Elder Bednar: "As we fear God more completely, we love Him more perfectly." I also think that love means trust. Trust means submitting and relying on His will to be the best plan for us. I read this one talk a long time ago by Bednar about a guy having the faith to not be healed. I also read in the past week about the Anti Nephi Lehis who trusted in God so much that they didn't fear at all to stand in front of the Lamanites without weapons. They knew the outcome and they didn't fear because they knew that in the end, they had done all they needed and Jesus's Atonement would provide the rest. In missionary work and in life in general, we must be bold, fearless, and courageous because we believe in the Enabling Power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It's not just to lift us when we're already sick, afflicted, or sinned. But it is to heal us after we've taken a leap of faith or a risk to move forward in the right direction. In studying about faith and fear, learned so much about the Savior this week. He lives to "grant us daily breath" and he lives to recover us even from death! He is AMAZING. Some of my favorite scriptures were Moroni 8:16 and D&C 68:6.

Wow, this email is long. I just had a really great week! I hope you all have a wonderful week as well. I miss you all and love you all!

Love,

Sister Hotdog (the branch pres. asked me to explain why on earth that was my name) I said " WHY NOT?"

I <3 Cambodia.