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

Update 49: Rain, Interviews, Baptisms, and more Rain

This week has been full of activities so here is a hodgepodge assortment of stuffs. 

We had a triple baptism service! Two were investigators of the sisters in my district (area). After the service we had spontaneous service because something overflowed (I think it was the font) and we had to mop/squeegee/sweep the water out of the church. It was a wonderful service and I always love to hear the new members bear their testimonies of how learning has changed their life and the gratitude they have for their savior. I had the privilege of interviewing the two in my area to make sure they were prepared to make this sacred covenant with their savior and it always fills my soul with joy to see the change and joy that learning of Jesus Christ has brought into their life. ​

We got rained on several times this week. ​

One of our members got engaged to a Khmer lady from Texas. ​

Our bikes decked out for rainy season. Additional mudflap protection and ponchos attached via plastic bags. ​

We went to a 3D art world last Monday and had fun taking lots of pictures. Here are some of the better ones.

And one cool story. We were setting up for the engagement and it was raining. We went to take a break and look out over the parking lot (it's like a covered balcony with a railing and mesh net above that). As we're admiring the downpour a car pulls up to the church gate and a girl hops out and starts walking towards the church. As she gets close she stops, looks up, and we wave to her. Then she shouts something like, "Can I ask you some questions about your church?" We waved her to come in downstairs because of course you can! That's my job, answer your questions. The sisters went down to talk to her and came back to get us because she had a guy friend along and they only really spoke English, and two of the sisters are natives and one is American. The guy and girl, Kena and Paul, both have American dads, but Kena has a Vietnamese mom and Paul has a Khmer mom. So turns out Kena watched the musical "The Book of Mormon"(not produced by our church), but it sparked her interest and she really wanted to learn more, so she googled where the closed church was and dragged her friend along so she didn't have to come alone. She's been Christian for a year now and Paul has an interesting back story. His grandparents were missionaries for a Christian organization and his dad was born in the Philippines. Then his dad went to America for highschool and seminary and returned to the mission field in Cambodia where he has remained. His dad was key in helping translate the Bible into Khmer, which I use, and is currently working on the updated translation of the Old Testament. We had a good first lesson in English. Feels so weird to teach in English and not in Khmer. And passed her info along to the office elders, they teach english speakers and go to the international branch and she came to church on Sunday! 

When the Spirit leaves you both dumbfounded. ​

Love y'all! 

Elder Taylor