Update 55: MLC and the 4th of July!

MLC landed on the 4th of July! MLC is a big meeting we have once every transfer (1 transfer = 6 weeks) for the main leaders in the mission: Zone leaders, English Class Leaders, and Sister Training Leaders. It was a good meeting to discuss mission business and goals. We had a ton of pizza for lunch. Elder Ouk (a small native AP, assistant to the president) was way full and i piggy backed him down from the upstairs balcony we ate on. He was surprised by how smooth I walked down the stairs. Yeah marching band practice with sousaphones!   That evening we had a fun get together grill out for the 4th. We had our house of 6 elders, 2 zone leaders who were in from the provinces for exchanges, President and Sister Christensen, and the Scotts. We borrowed a grill from a small restaurant we buy breakfast from all the time. It was rough to get it going, but once it was going the going was good. We got the hook up on meat and had thick patties of New Zealand beef and homemade cookies for dessert. 

On Wednesday we needed to help south stake center set up for a spiritual thought after English class. Our appointment at the south stake center fell through, so we went back to the mission home to grab Elder Cox’s new name tag to go to him (he's teaching English class there). It’d been raining, and on the way back to the stake center traffic was super bad and it took us an hour to get there. Setting up the projector and we realize we don’t have a speaker. There was no way the car would get us there and back in time because we only had 27 minutes. Biked super hard back to the mission home on Elder Ouk’s small bike and then back on Wayne’s bike.  So strange to bike and dodge through heavy traffic on a bike again after being in a car for 3ish weeks. I was dripping sweat when we got back to the church and everyone was like, “woah! What happened to you?” Made that bike ride in record time. Spiritual thought went great though after that and I got to say hi to my old investigator Om Sin Lee. (Still investigating) 

On Friday we had a really cook start to the day. Got a text from Sister Jackson saying Kena has gained a testimony of the BOM in America and wants to be baptized when she comes back! Kena is the girl from awhile back the walked into the south stake center while I was serving there last transfer and wanted to know more about Mormons. I helped teach her the first lesson and passed her off to the office elders. Then I got transferred to be an office elder and got to teach her once before she went to America for a trip. In America she has been going to church, learning with the elders there, visited the temple grounds, and wants to be baptized when she gets back to Cambodia!   Also had a unique opportunity to go meet with a monk in his pagoda and we talked to each other in English. Way nice guy, asked to take a selfie with us before we left. I've been wanting a photo with a monk, and now I guess I have one and I didn't even have to ask. 

Lots of other things have happened, very busy in the office, but those are some of the highlights. Oh and I'm going to play golf at a driving range with President Christensen and the house today. Did I ever send pictures from the last time we went? 

3 Ne 5:3 Therefore they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and did serve God with all diligence day and night.

- I was reading in the Book of Mormon and this verse really caught my attention. These people changed their lives completely. They went from sin, abominations, and whoredoms, to serving God day and night. Christ has provided the way for us to change and better our lives if we will trust in him. 

3 Ne 5:13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

- This is my purpose. 

I love y'all! 

- Elder Taylor

Letters will be joyously received at: 

Elder Taylor

Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission 

House 2B, st. 222 off Norodom

P.O. Box 165

Phnom Penh Cambodia 

Very nice car we were behind this week. 

We have been lacking restoration lesson pamphlets and we finally got some! 

It's like Christmas! ​​

4th of July Dinner​

Update 54: Finding Miracles

This week has been way busy, but it has been great! We found 3 new investigators, all with amazing stories. One was way in the middle of the city with hard to use directions, but some how we found him!  Another was a referral from another companionship. She left Cambodia during the Khmer Ruge, but felt that she needed to come back to Cambodia for something and is super excited to learn with us. And last one was the easiest one. On Sunday we had a random fellow show up and turns out that he's from China, but he spent the last 6 weeks in Arizona. The last 3 weeks he's been going to our church and learning with the Elders and came to church on Sunday by himself!  

One last cool experience: While we were teaching the lady for the first time, who's name is Blessing -cool right?, we had a call from an unrecognized number, so I hung up. Afterwards I called it back, expecting a random Khmer to be asking about english class, but it was an American who needed some Elders to come help give his wife a priesthood blessing because she had just had surgery. We were actually really close by, so we hurried over. His wife is Khmer and they were here visiting. So we gave the blessing in Khmer. Last update she is doing better. 

Point: God's hand is in our lives, we just have to keep our eyes open and looking for it so we don't overlook those special moments. 

I love y'all! 

- Elder Taylor

Letters will be joyously received at: 

Elder Taylor

Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission 

House 2B, st. 222 off Norodom

P.O. Box 165

Phnom Penh Cambodia 

Update 53: Week of Yeardom

Well. I officially hit my year mark for my mission. I'm "old" now. We had fun and sent out an email to everyone from our group with fun gifs for each of them. Also, we googled holidays for each day this week and had some fun with it. Monday was saunter day. Didn't really do too much with that one. Tuesday was ice cream soda day and we forgot. Wednesday was selfie day and we made use of that with our English class page: https://www.facebook.com/ReanEnglishClass/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE&fref=nf   Thursday was chocolate eclair day and our year mark day; so we stopped by Aeon mall and bought one. DSCF0990 Friday was typewriter day. We added an extension to chrome to make our keyboards sound like typewriters. Saturday was put a pillow on your fridge day, so we did that. ​

​Sunday was catfish day. We can't really buy catfish here, so we printed out "catfish" and hung them up: catfish-4...

 

We went up to north stakes english class this Saturday to meet up with some potential investigators from Laos, but while I was there I got to see some people from when I served there a few months back. This is Tra; my old investigator. Right before I left for transfers our last couple appointments fell through, so I never got to say goodbye to him. He was just baptized a few weeks ago and it was so good to see him. He used to have long hair and I didn't recognize him at first and then he ran over and hugged me and I was so happy to see him. I had been so sad I didn't get to say goodbye to him and now I got to see him again! ​

Similar story with this guy! So his name is Kackuhda (means July). When I first showed up to TukThlaa he was interviewed for baptism and he wasn't ready and got offended with the elders. We kept trying to meet with him, but it didn't seem to be going anywhere. And now he was baptized yesterday! So cool and happymaking to see how much the people I loved so much have progressed since I last saw them. ​

This is a chocolate bar I'd been saving since Christmas for my year mark. Twas quite tasty. ​

We went golfing at a driving range last p-day. Wasn't planned, but our tuktuk was driving too slow to make it out to the mountain we wanted to go to in time, so we were trying to figure out what to do when we drove past a driving range. Just stopped, pulled over, and had a great time. Used this photo as my lock screen​

Taking some videos for the facebook videos​

Best double rainbow I've ever seen in my life​

African fried rice. Way good. Right next to our new Nigerian investigators, Owen, restaurant. 

A cool hallway that leads to an investigators house. This place would make an awesome haunted house. ​

The car we drive. I'm still not street worthy, but we'll get there. Also, we had just washed the car when it got way muddy driving down the road in this photo. Just can't keep the car clean. ​

Spiritual Thought: 

Helaman Chapter 14:

30 And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.

31 He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.

I'm so grateful for the gift that God has given me, has given all of us, for the chance to choose what will make me happiest, and that when I choose to follow Him, He never stops helping me go the distance. 

Keep going everybody! 

- Elder Taylor

Letters will be joyously received at: 

Elder Taylor

Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission 

House 2B, st. 222 off Norodom

P.O. Box 165

Phnom Penh Cambodia 

Update 52: Fathers, Cars, and Investigators

Ok. Office Elder: I teach in English to anyone who doesn't speak Khmer in Phnom Penh and I go to church in the international branch for all the foreigners. There are 2 office elders and we have completely different jobs. I'm Mission Secretary and Ashcroft is Mission Clerk. As secretary I manage incoming and outgoing missionaries, facebook page for the mission and english class, videos and pictures for posting to facebook (learning photoshop and premiere), maps, making name tags for missionaries, a few other small things, and any odd job president comes up with. 

I also drive a stick shift van. First time I've driven a car in a year and I'm learning to drive stick!

We picked up a super cool new investigator named Owen who is from Nigeria and is a chief chef. So many cool people here. 

Last district meeting

Last piano class

new comp

 my new RCs who made awesome dinner and are from Pakistan 

and other stuff​

shout out to my Dad on this Fathers Day for being the best king George monkey I could ask for and a goober hack slice kinda guy! 

Here's a fun video some RM's who are in Cambodia right now made. 

https://www.facebook.com/KromAkeangKoo/videos/111697779438106/ 

love y'all!

- Elder Taylor

Letters will be joyously received at: 

Elder Taylor

Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission 

House 2B, st. 222 off Norodom

P.O. Box 165

Phnom Penh Cambodia 

Update 51: Surprises!!!!

We got transfer callssss...... aaaaaaannnndnddddndnnd..... I'm the new Office elder!! AAhhhhh!!! Also unexpected Elder Cox will stay in Jim-gau-moon with the other two elders as well, so four total. Thought they would recombine the area. 

Also we took an unexpected trip to the zoo here in Cambodia! It was pretty cool. The natives get in for 50cents and we americans have to pay $5. Yay tourism. 

Also had a return missionary visit our ward on Sunday, Elder Childs. Just so happens I acquired his old nametag when he left it in the house I started my mission in after he went home. I keep it as a spare in my bag in case I lose mine on the go. So it made for a great photo and was highly amusing when I pulled it out of my bag. 

Busy day because of the zoo, but just to let you all know, I still love you! Take luck! - Elder Taylor

I darned a sock

pb and j burger

I made mini tie for my Dragonite, thus learning to make ties begins 

trip to the zoo in a tuk tuk 

and more

- Elder Taylor

Update 50: Meetings, Special Days, and Voting

Lots of meetings this week, but it keeps life more organized. 

It was a sisters year mark in country, my second companions birthday (he is in my area), and another sister in my districts birthday today. 

Yesterday was voting day and lots of people were busy. You have to go to your birthplace to vote so everyone ends up going all over the country and the city gets quieter. 

Back parking lot of our church​

Surprise party ​

When you vote you have to give your finger print and your finger gets covered in ink. Very easy to tell who has voted. First person I saw that had this I thought he had smashed his finger super bad, luckily my concern was not needed. ​

We splurged a bit after we biked out to do an exchange (change companions for a day) and realized that we had miscommunication and it didn't start until 7pm, not 7am. ​

One sisters bike wheel disengaged from the gears, so peddling did nothing. The solution, have her companion pull her! ​

One of the sisters recent converts who helped throw the party being very proud. She photobombed most of my pictures I was taking there. ​

Transfer calls are next Sunday. I think it's very up in the air whether or not I stay or switch areas. Right now we have 4 elders in my area. President wants to try splitting areas in east zone so I think he might recombine this area and split a different one in east zone. Or he might leave it open for another transfer to keep the trial going. Either way we lose a lot of elders after next transfer and gain only 1, so it will be closed after one more transfer for sure. (well as sure as i can get) It'll be fun to see how it works out. 

Love y'all! 

Elder Taylor