Week 14: Birthday in Cambodia

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes and encouragement! It has been a fantastic birthday week. 

​We are teaching these awesome kids and the oldest boy just got baptized, Sao Poan. (Would have included more pictures but they're on my companions camera) The other kids have started to warm up to me and as we were leaving we somehow got into a photo taking fest. These were some of the better ones. Let one of the boys take some photos. He tried. Way fun; reminds me of my siblings and nephew back at home. Shout out to y'all!​
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​Birthday breakfast! My companion has a big bag of Krustyz pancake mix he bought back in the city. So when he asked me what I wanted him to make me for breakfast I went for that. Way good breakfast of pancakes and eggs. ​



​Then we stopped by a cafe called "Master Pizza" and got dinner that night. Pretty good pizza, actually. 



​Classy photo by some "classy" art in Cambodia.



​Poo (lookpoo means young uncle) Jan is making this for his house and he put our names on it! Way cool and the horses remind me of Aiken. ​



Best pizza in Cambodia. Ate this last Monday as an early birthday celebration.

Questions: 

That afternoon in the rice fields sounds amazing - were there any other things that catch your attention and just surprise you at how beautiful they are? 

What are some moments that just caught you off guard like that?  One or two nights ago we were biking a little ways away from the city, coming home at night. So you could see the stars. First time I've seen them in Cambodia and I just wanted to sit and watch them all night. Instead I craned my neck up as I biked and tried to simultaneously admire then and not run into anything. Thought about taking a picture but knew my camera wouldn't do it justice. 

What new foods have you tasted? Various things. Nothing crazy since the pig blood and rice field crabs. I guess I ate a fish that had just been grilled. Still had the organs but you peeled the meat off of it around the organs. ​

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 Is most of it just like that acquired taste for the noodles?  Yes, as you eat it more, you like it more. 

Tell me a new spiritual insight or a time where you felt the Spirit really strongly this week!   This week I had my first exchange. It was with Elder Lasswell who was in the MTC with me so both of us aren't super great at the language. We also went out to my far area, which means we had to get a van to take us out there and back. I was nervous about being able to get us to where we had to go. We ended up having a very successful day, despite a flat tire on his bike. We found a new investigator, and taught some lessons. At the end of the day it was getting dark and we weren't seeing any vans. Worried that we would get stuck in PrayCho without a way to get back to Kampongjam I said a quick prayer that we would get a van and just a short bit later up comes a van that stops when we flag it down.  Despite having only learned this language for three months two elders were able to go teach the word of God in a foreign country. God truly directs this work and helps those He has called. 

Love you all,

Elder Taylor