Battambaaaaaaang!

Sunday November 20, 2016 at 10:55PM

Hello all,

I am not sure where to really start! Hah. The province is truly a beautiful place. I am out of the city and each and everyday is even more an adventure. I can't even express how thankful I am to serve here.

I am serving over two branches and both areas extend all the way to the border of Thailand. The service in the city is very strikingly different from serving in the province! In the city, we bike through much traffic. However, here we bike through miles and miles of green rice fields. We also literally bike through the jungles and forests. It is so beautiful. Right now, the areas are difficult. Battambang is also known to be predominantly  Buddhist and there are many traditions and historical oppression due to the Khmer rouge.  We have to be very difficult in here, because there are still landmines left from the genocide of the killing fields, especially when biking though the forested areas.

The food here is amazing, I am getting used to not eating dairy products. It is just not a thing here in Cambodia. haha. One day, actually, I was teaching an investigator and she had given us this Khmer jello drink. It was so sweet that the ants crawled in the glass, into the drink! I was so busy talking to her that I picked up the glass without looking at it and drink the glass full of live ants. Protein of the day!  It was good. I guess. Yesterday, we got to wheelchair Mak yey to church every Sunday morning! She is this super cute Grandma. She is paralyzed and cannot speak clearly, but it's amazing to see the joy in her eyes as she sees us walking in and getting her ready for church! The people are so kind and this province has my heart.

My new companion, Sister Collins is so sweet! It's different serving in the country sides. I went from having about 12 investigators to 2 here. The areas are hard both physically and emotionally. I have hope and I am sent here for a reason. It's OK. The people here are so kind and humble. I have had many life changing experiences here thus far, in Cambodia. I remember, Sister Collins and I were sitting on the bus on the way to the province. I remember the story she told me about her experience in Battambang. She had a chance to visit this public hospital ran by the government. As she was walking in, there were people laying on these rows of endless beds. Couching and groaning. Some had clothes on, some didn't. She remembered seeing this old lady, on the verge of her death, completely meatless, clotheless, and completely feeble and full of protruding bones. By her side is her daughter, holding her hands. When Sister Collins, looked back a few seconds later, the little girl went out and sat by this door, completely sobbing. The things we see here are so hard. I feel like I am starting to be immunized to it. It's so bad to say, but it's the truth. In some of the lessons, we'd sit in and listen to so many harsh things that have happened to their lives. I wish I can give them everything, but I can't. However, I know for sure that Christ's Atonement is everything and His grace is sufficient. It didn't really hit me until Sister Collins told me that what we are doing is asking people to change their lives. We are asking them to do God's will. These are people who live on a day to day basis, not knowing if they would survive with food tomorrow. What they have today maybe not enough for tomorrow. It is not on a yearly income. The beautiful part is we as missionaries get to see the change in their lives, the unfathomable miracles. I am grateful.

My new comp and President's wife, Sister Christensen before leaving the city.

 

Sister Sok

Monday November 14, 2016 at 12:46AM

TRANSFER!!! From the city to the country sides (the kets)

Monday November 14, 2016 at 12:17AM

Hi oh my hi!!!

I hope you are all doing well. I love you all!  Please forgive me for the late responses for some of your emails. I am sorry, I don't have much time online.

SO I got my transfer call to leave the city and go to a province in Cambodia, called Battambang!!! I can't even express how happy I am right now!!! My hands are shaking! Ahhhh! The province is about 8 hours from the city. I am still in Phnom Penh, but will leave this Friday. I am spending the other half of my training in Battambang with a new companion, Sister Collin. My trainer right now will stay here. I love sister sung! Ahh I love her and I love the people here the areas we are serving. It's so hard to say goodbye! I get to say goodbye to my family and share a message before I leave, which is a great blessing. Another blessing is that my grandfather's grave is at the province very close to Battambang and I really hope I can visit him!!!

As each day passes, my love for the people grows  deeper and deeper. Seeing the miracles and hearing the miracles the people we are teaching have experienced are a blessing in my life.

Everyday, as a goal I have been asking God for us to experience miracles, not for ourselves, but for us to see in the lives of others. I know that as we are obedient, God has granted us small but heart touching miracles everyday. It is the very Atonement that changes our lives and gives us hope. It is the very substance that turns the natural man towards God. At the start of the mission, I thought a lot about what I lacked, in knowledge of the Gospel, the doctrines, and more of myself. I started to become very frustrated. However, the mission is teaching me more and more about what others lack instead, whether it is a lost child,a shelter to seek refuge, a mother and father for comfort and love, a ride to church, a school to go to but most importantly, a savior, Jesus Christ.  I find so much joy thinking and prayer for the people we visit and teach. Though, it's very difficult for my comp and I to help people experience miracles, it is still our job to prepare them to receive and experience Christ when in times God does allow those opportunities to happen. Experiencing Jesus Christ isn't obtained  from me or Sister Sung, but a very personal gift with the person and Jesus Christ's Atonement. What we as missionaries can do is  help them prepare and understand when they can use the Atonement and help them identify what it means to them personally.

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed to both be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things though Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians  4:11-13

From Grace to Grace

Sunday November 6, 2016 at 10:59PM

Sur Sdey

This week has been another week of both miracles and surprises. Both of the wards we are serving are prosperous with people to teach and people who are less actives. There is always work to be done and ways to improve to cater the needs of the people we are serving. My companion and I are trying to find methods to serve everyone, but the vocal issue is that everyone needs the Gospel and there are two only two sisters in the Teuk Thla and Teuk Laak areas. We are trying to find ways to balance scale of retention and baptisms. So far, we are trusting in the lord and in our ears to receptively listen to what the Lord wants us to teach at the time He would want us to. Two baptisms were held yesterday. Srey Nich and Lisa. Lisa's mother who hasn't attended church for the longest time came to church and her daughter's baptism. None of Srey Nich's immediate family members came, but so many many people came to her baptism!!!  I feel extremely joyful to know that they are on the process of continual conversion unto Christ. Also, it was special because, it my first baptismal event. More and more, I am falling in love with teaching the Gospel and I realized that the more love you have towards the people, sincere love that is, the more you are able to understand their walks of life and the more they feel closer to you, but more importantly, to Jesus Christ.

It's monsoon season right, that means it rains every second. We are either wet from sweats or rain. But the weather is soooo nice. As an AZ girl, I loooove the wet rain.

Cambodia is filled with innocent beauty! also the houses are soo small. Some of the member's houses are of a size of a closet. Some people live in shacks. When we teach, we always sit down on the floor. It's so cool! There are chickens, cows, oxen, fish all around us when we teach haha.

The houses we are teaching in are full of obscure things. So much adventure! We went to visit a less active member and her house is contaminated with rats as big as my chickens back home. Also those rats are feisty! Oh my! She told us to not try to hit it with a log, because it may take the log from us and hit us back. This week my companion gave me duck eggs, which has the baby duck inside it. I also ate pig's ears. My stomach is doing well, though. I am healthy!

On every Tuesday, at the end of the day, my companion and I get to visit the orphanage. The orphanage consists of kids from all over the provinces of Cambodia or Thailand or neighboring countries, kids whose parents have abandoned them or do not have adequate financial stability to take care of the children. Some new born infants are either left in front of other people's houses or in the trash bin, because their mothers do not want them. The good thing about the orphanage is that the children are all in good care, able to receive education, and adequate nutrition. Also, most are members of the church. There is only one mother, though, one mother to raise 40 plus kids. It is crazy. Just like the missionaries, she left her family behind to serve and take care of these children for 2 years.

On every Wednesday and Saturday, we get to teach English class. I got to teach the class last Saturday. Most of our referrals are from the English Class, haha. I love teaching English. It is such a light to see the smiles from many faces of all ages. It's very difficult for them to pronounce the R though and learning the grammar in general! I, myself is having a hard time trying to speak the Khmer language like a native. Whenever, I speak to them they either say "are you kone kat" or "are you kone Thai" which means I am half something or are you Thai, because you obviously don't speak Khmer like a native does. It kinda hurts a little haha, but I am trying to learn how to pronounce words like a native does. OH my hah! Also, the scriptures in Khmer are different from the English ones. First Khmer numbers are different. The way it is written. So one time, I shared a wrong scripture to one of the members. HOW EMBARRASSING! I even told her the preface of the story then she got sooo confused when she read that it was a completely different scripture.

What I am realizing in this mission is that the more I am closer to the light, the Light of Christ, the more revelations I am receiving. In my honesty, I was unsure of my own limited knowledge, of how on earth I could teach these people from just being a member of the church for 1 and half years. Almost 2 years now.  Not knowing so much doctrines, but basing my teachings for the first weeks on my testimonies and love for Christ. I felt inadequate, because I would no longer have the help of MTC teachers to teach me all day long. Now is the application. However, I realized that I am learning so much more not from myself, but direct revelations from God. This is crucial for me, because God is teaching me to use the power endowed from Him to me to receive revelations for others. To also know the truth for myself. I have to use what I have as resources to seek those revelations eye to eye and heart to heart.

I was reading Jesus the Christ and have received many revelations. I read about the natural development of Christ. How Christ grew NOT from ''estrangement because of sin to reconciliation through repentance and propitiation, but from GRACE to GRACE". Not from Evil to Good, but Grace to Grace. Christ is so perfect in his mortal state. I learned how firm Jesus was in His Father's purpose. In Luke 2 "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my father's business?" or in John 4, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Even as a child, He knew of his identity. He knew and understood His father's will: Two of the hardest things we as humans struggle with in this Earthly Life. I myself, have a hard time trying to understand God's will and understanding who I am in relation to God. I say that I am a child of God, but everyday reflect on how far I am from his glorified blood. This mission has taught to the opposite, (in a good way) of who I am. The hard part is trying to accept what God shapes you to become, in His will. I am learning. I trust God.

I got a surprise call from the zone leader telling me that my mission president allowed me to come to visit my mother before she leaves to go back to Arizona. The visit was a blessing. I got to see my grandmother who I have not seen ever since a little child. She is very contentious about the mission, but I got to share a message about the church to my cousins. One of my cousins wanted to learn about the church, which was a great blessing to hear! My mother's heart is softening bit by bit. She's more calm about my decision to serve a mission. I can feel it. The last visit with my family was on a good term. I love my family and I am slowly starting to see why I am called here. When I came to visit them, they threw me a surprise party!!! A week earlier from my birthday, because my mother leaves to go back to AZ the next day! Every day is full of surprises, from getting hit by motorcycle to fishing while teaching, to eating pig blood, to biking through a freaking lake of rain water, to meeting your long lost family members, and celebrating your birthday with them, which was something I would never think my mission president would allow! But miracles do happen and every day is an adventure.

Service on Wednesday!

Lisa's and Srey Nich Baptism's!

Duck Egg

My cousin, from Germany!

My grandma!

Sister Sung in the front, me in the back with Ming Chreb and Ming Chantual

Sincerely,
Sister Sok

Life as a Khmer missionary!

Sunday October 30, 2016 at 11:24PM

Hello All!

I am doing well and in great care. I am adjusting to the Khmer lifestyle pretty well! I love it here and I'm learning so much as a missionary Christ.

This week has been another week of tender blessings and miracles. Everyday, like I said, is an adventure. We get lost a lot in trying to find the houses of the people wed teach. The traffic is still crazy in the city so, I am learning to adjust to the crazies of Cambodia. Cambodia is such a beautifully raw place to live in. So organic. So green. I am in Phnom Pehn and serving in two areas, Tuek Tlakk and Tuek Tlaah. The interesting part is I am serving in the exact area my family lives in. I know right, right back where I started! The food here is so delicious. Khmer food embeds lots of veggies and rice and authentic spices. Very very similar to Thai food. However, I do miss the chocolate and dairy. I live with 2 other sister missionaries in our apartment. Also I got hit by a motorcycle. It's almost normal for missionaries here to get into these types of accidents. so I am ooookaaay, I am ok, no blood shed,no bruises! The traffic goes so slow so it's not that impactful.

Last week, I received an email from my mother that she is on her way from AZ to Cambodia to visit my aunt. Whaaaat! So that was a shock for me. A few hours later, as I was riding my bike with my comp. to see our mission President, I saw a white car. Then I as I focused closer, I saw the faces of my Khmer family. My cousins came out and hugged me. I was so shocked. I came inside the house and saw my mother. My mission President, his wife,and my family all sat down and talked. That was really hard, because of certain things back home.... However, what a day man!!! President was like haha Sis. Sok: you got ambushed! He is allowing me to teach my family. There are some hard things I am learning to accept right now, but I trust God. As a missionary of Christ, you are endowed with the power to teach. We don't realize how powerful we are, but the reason why God doesn't show us the power ,is because we might end up abusing our power and become prideful. Instead, God is reflecting my own weaknesses right at me so that I become humble and give all that I am to Him. He allows our weaknesses to become our strengths. The closer you come to Christ, the more flaws you see of yourself. It's up to us to walk pass them or improve them.

The progress of this week has taught me many lessons. The investigators has taught me much about how I should teach the lessons, as well. We focused this week on preparing our investigators for their baptisms and meeting up with new investigators who were referred to us and who we contacted.

As for my personal studies, I've learned to read the scriptures differently than the way I am used to. I'd read the Book of Mormon and I'd dig into the characters of the prophets and study their traits. I would record down their characters and compare it to the character of Christ. I would then study and treasure up the ways they teach their people and implement it to how I would teach the people here in Cambodia. I realized that the questions recorded in the Book of Mormon are very similar to the questions people now a day have about God. In our lessons, we'd  teach people to experience Christ by showing them the characters that Jesus Christ live by and integrating their personal experiences of how they, themselves have personally taken upon the name of Christ in their hearts through following His example and experiencing the pains in His Atonement.

This weekend we had a car wash event at the  church. We welcomed so many new people who have either never heard of the church or Jesus Christ. We also met people of different ages and walks of life. My companion and I got to serve in door while some of the other missionaries served outside, washing cars. My companion and I were in charge of talking to people who were new to our church and furthermore, talked with them about family history. We took some of the investigators to the family history room and talked to them about the importance of finding and saving our ancestors. As I was translating what the senior couple said about the importance of family history to the Khmer language, I felt a surge and stroke of revelation about my family. A few night before, I had prayed to God about how I could help my blood family understand of my decision to serve Christ. I wanted to teach them the Gospel, but was not so certain about the way to do so. However, when I was in that room, I felt that I need to start with teaching my family about our family history to spark their interest. The desire to find out about our ancestors is almost universal and I knew it would be perfect since my family has lost some members due to the Pol Pot regime. I felt even more grateful that Heavenly Father has shown me this method of helping my family understand more about the Gospel and why I chose to live a life with Jesus Christ.

With love and much gratitude,

Sis. Sok

Sur Sdey!

Sunday October 23, 2016 at 9:29PM

Hello!

I love Cambodia and I love the people around me! My eyes have been exposed to so many things I have never seen or could even fathom. The people we teach and the adventure we get to go on everyday. My biking skills through traffic is becoming better. Remember that Joke of Mama tomato and baby tomato crossing the street and how the mama tomato looks back and says "Ketchup". Hah, yep that story is no longer in my mind as I am riding my bike with my companion! But anyway, the people we are teaching are precious. We went into one of our investigator's houses and it was flooded. The entire house was like an aquarium. As we walked in, there is a wooden bed by the corner. There were snails and fish in her house. I'm sure one of the snails got in my shoes. So we climbed on the bed and taught her as things were swimming around us. The lady was so hungry. I gave her the yogurt I had in my backpack and the look on her face was priceless.The stories and experiences make me want to cry every time. Some of the Khmer people have little to nothing. They hardly have any food.   Another story, there is a lady, her name is Ming Chreb. She was supposed to be baptized next week, however we got a phone to visit her ASAP. She unfortunately got in an accident. Her left side is basically paralyzed. She lives in this little shack with her son, who is also paralyzed from birth. She can't even work to feed her children. As I was sitting face to face with her, I just so wished I could give her everything. I felt helpless but I remembered promising her power of God. That moment was powerful. The elders gave her a blessing and in the middle of nowhere after that, she said "thank you God, thank you God". That was even more powerful.

The progress of the missionary work here has been growing. We have been delegating our schedules to meet with the less actives, old and new investigators, and members. My companion and I have seen miracles each and everyday. One of the most important things I have learned is that those daily miracles from God are not for me nor my companion, but for the people we teach. Furthermore those miracles are when the Khmer people are experiencing Christ. As a result, my companion and my faith is much strengthened through the miracles God blessed the people we teach!

Everyday, my conversion is being more rooted because of the people we teach. They have such strong testimonies of Christ. The experiences and history they've had with Jesus Christ is a direct manifestation of God's miracles in their lives. In the very beginning of my mission, I followed more of my own path of teaching and let only, serving the mission how I wanted it. As each day passes, I am realizing that the hardest thing I've had to do in my life is to give up my will and give it all to God.  God is showing me to depend more and more on Him, most importantly, His will. It's not my mission or my investigators or my baptisms, but rather it's God's mission and they are HIS CHILDREN!

I am learning more and more about the Atonement of Jesus Christ from the people we are teaching. One of our investigators who is of a protestant background asked us about the Atonement and the word: "donwai tuan" -the Atonement in Khmer. Donwai is to offer and tuan translates as ënough in Khmer. She had asked us how much enough is enough, what is enough? I thought it was really interesting.  She asked if Christ saved us all, then what is the purpose of following his footpaths. The way she worded it was so simple but a challenge for me to translate my testimonies in Khmer. So I thought about my conversion and how the Atonement applies to my progressing conversion. I know that I am saved through his Atonement, but the purpose is to apply it to this life on earth. The goal is to become closer to Christ and in the reach of BEING ONE with GOD. BEING LIKE GOD. It is the progressing state of understanding, experiencing, and sensing his pain and Him knowing all of ours that convert us. It is so much more than just being saved, but more of feeling  the prints in His hands in order to become closer and closer to him. I believe that this is a vital fuel to true conversion.

I am also learning to trust God much more. The trials that are given are the very substance and testament of my conversion. I am here to serve Him for a reason and I trust that miracles will continue to happen. I trust that the situations back home will be ok and God will take care of it.

The flood in Cambodia and my companion, Sister Sung riding her bike!

Pics

Sunday October 16, 2016 at 11:40PM

Hello

Sunday October 16, 2016 at 10:30PM

Hi!

This week has been a theme of miracles. Small, yet eye-opening miracles.  My companion and I are absolutely seeing the progress in the Tuk Tlaa and Tuk Laot Area. We have been visiting the less active members and have been in contact with the referrals that we received. One of my challenges is trying to get to know  both of our areas in order to effectively find our members' or referral's houses. I am learning quite a bit on not just teaching the lessons, but teaching the investigators eye to eye and heart to heart. Moreover, I've learned to teach with much love. The love that Christ has for them and I am trying my best to transcend that very love for the people we have been teaching. Christ has taught me what love truly means and I know that the power of his very Atonement can pierce each of the Khmer people's heart with the love and light of Christ.

I know that God grants us miracles each and everyday as we strive our best to do His work in conjunction with being obedient. Most of the times, I am not quite sure how those miracles happen, but they do. Most importantly, I've learned that for most of the time here on my mission, the word miracle is not directed to me nor for my own good. However, I am seeing the miracles in the lives of others. One day, my companion and I were showing one of the investigators a tour of the church. We walked passed a member who told us that there was a man sitting on a chair and he had some questions for the missionaries. We walked up to him and started a conversion. His eyes were shot red and his body looked so feeble.  He told us the reason why he is here and why he is completely hopeless. This man had tried to commit suicide at least 3 times. He had problems with his families and his life was falling a part. He told us that he's lost and that this building maybe his last refuge. He had known nothing about God and Jesus Christ, but his nephew had told him about the church.  He told us that 10 years ago, he rejected the message of the missionaries, but now that his life is in a deep abyss, he is in need of God's miracle. As we were talking to him, our bishop and two elders just so happened to come by. I was amazed how God perfectly prepared this man to meet Him again, to understand that there is a God who loves this man no matter what. The next day was Sabbath day. I had the opportunity to bear my testimonies and introduce myself as a missionary to the ward. When the service ended, my companion and I saw this man again. He thanked God for showing him the way. He told us that his wife and his children had returned back to him. I feel humbled, humbled that my companion and I took part in God's miracle.

In another miracle, there is a less active member we tried to visit. Her name is ming Paul. However, she would never be home when we do visit her. My companion and I diligently tried again the next day. Little did we know that on that day, she really needed our help. She is sick and hasn't been to church for 2 months. She told us that she felt really loved when we visited her. I know that the spirit was there.

In another miracle, my companion and I had visited a member who just had a child.  She was so happy to see us missionaries.  Meeting her was a miracle, because she had strengthened our faith in Christ. She told us the various witnesses and experiences she had about Jesus Christ. How the deliverance of her child was a miracle. This was one of the lessons where I really learned to listen. Where the lesson became the utmost focus on the investigators. Some of the best lessons are when the Khmer people bear their testimonies of Christ one after another and we as missionaries would sit and listen.

Each and everyday, one rain drop at a time, I am learning more about the Khmer people. I am learning how God has prepared us all to meet him again through the different experiences and testimonies that were bore and hearts that were touched. Some met God through a traumatic experience, some through hopeless situations, and some through the love that others had instilled in their hearts because of Christ's Atonement.

I believe that true conversion is what makes us all tick. That's why are here to represent Christ and serve Him. I believe that conversion isn't an event but rather in this life, a gradual progression to each holier state that's ascending closer to God. I know that the work I am doing is of God. I love God and my family with all of my heart . I know that I can help others feel the love God has for each of them. I bear my testimonies in the name of my Savior, Jesus the Christ, Amen.

The mission is life changing. I have the opportunity to visit the orphanage on every Tuesday. I love the children. Also, I get to teach English class!

With love,
Sister Sok

A Pacific Ocean Away!

Sunday October 9, 2016 at 9:49PM

Dear Friends and Families,

Wow, I have no idea where to start! Cambodia Cambodia Cambodia (also called Campuchea).
I am so grateful to return to the land of my forefathers and to serve the people in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Though, I was born in the country, serving a mission is quite a life changing and new experience for me. I came to the U.S with my mother when I was 10 years old and has been immunized to the American culture. When I lived in Cambodia, everything was a given to me. My aunt worked for the government and I lived with her for most of my childhood. My life as a young child was enclosed in a naive and affluent environment, meaning I lived in a gated mansion and have never really experienced the poverty life of Cambodia. My bubble has been popped even just a few days here in the country. I was distraught at the poverty, yet have seen how humble the people here are. My eyes have been opened to new sights I never thought I would see. I am learning more about the Khmer people each and everyday.

My companion is a native Khmer. She is so kind and one of the most selfless person I've met. Her name is Sister Song! I know Sister Sok and Sister Song. What a match! I am currently serving in Phnom Pehn, my 12 weeks training will take place in the city.

There are things I am trying to adjust to and my companion has been helping me with that. Cambodia is a wild, yet majestic place. A land of lush green and humble citizens. To be honest I am not sure how much more my American lifestyle bubble can be popped. I am experiencing things that are way out of my comfort zone. I've learned to adapt to strange things. There are ants everywhere, so it's almost normal to just eat them if they do get in your food. Rice is our daily bread and water. We have rice soup, normal rice, fried rice, rice with veggies, rice with double veggies, rice with eggs, rice for breakfast, rice for snacks, rice for lunch, rice for dinner, and rice for dessert (haha not exactly) but you get the idea. The bike rides and the heavy backpack behind my back, the flood, the rains, the thunders+ lightnings, and the dey hou (dust) from the crazy traffic. I remember on our first day, we had to ride our bikes to church. I had lost sight of my companion. Then I saw that she was on the other side of the streets. I had no idea how I could even possibly cross it with jammed pack lawless traffic. But Brothers and Sisters, I don't know how I haven't gotten hit by a car yet, but I know that God does protect his children. There have been times where I got really close to being hit by at least 5 cars per day. But somehow I never got a scratch! Cambodia rains a lot, so bike through flooded areas of at least 3 feet deep. (don't worry I write separate emails to my parents..shhh)  Oh man! The traffic is like a can of sardines, except the fish is alive and they are all moving in different directions. They are motorcycles packed with five people, barely hanging onto the seats and buses with more people it can even handle, so they just grab onto anything to get a ride to places. I went to the market (phsa) today, it's a street market. The whole place is flooded. It was funny, because I wasn't quite sure what's in my shoes, but I felt it wiggling!

It's amazing what love can do. The pure and whole-hearted love for God and His people. The Cambodian people are receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of the recipients are poor, yet the most humble of all. There is this lady, she drove all the way from one of the countrysides to the city, Phnom Penh for church (to watch General Conference) in Khmer language. She has such a strong spirit. She had told me how God in her life is sooo real. She suffered with the aftermaths of her surgery. Her health and family was deteriorating. However, she explained how living her life in accordance to God has lifted all of the burdens off her bearings. How trusting in the Lord and praying to God has healed her physical and emotional pain, with patience that is. My companion has taught her every lesson and she is now ready to be baptized when she gets back to Kampong Cham province. We are all so excited for her. It's been such an eye-opening experience to teach the Khmer people. It's so different. Just the way they receive the light of Christ and His Words. I will tell you more in the next letter!

My companion and I had a discussion last night about the purpose of a missionary. Lately, I have been inclined to focus on the baptisms of the investigators. This reminded me of Elder Bednar's talk entitled "The Character of Christ". The talk focuses on the natural fall of man, our innate tendencies to turn inward and how Christ would turn the opposite. It's not about my work or how good of a missionary I present myself to others. It's His work, God's strength to leverage me through this journey. My job really is to Love God and the Khmer people. With love, great things will foster. I am a convert to the church 1 year and half a go. I have prayed to God. I know that my knowledge is very limited, but I know that through the very Atonement of Jesus Christ, my weakness becomes His strengths. I am giving my all for this mission, to serve my native Khmer. I have much to learn, but who's to say I can't grow. I am willing to sacrifice all that I am for the living water and to be the instrument of God in pouring the sacred water on the lives of others. All that I have I will give, because I am God's child. I love God and I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I strive to be obedient and serve Christ with my utmost ability and God's strength.

I want to help the Khmer people to understand their identity. As Peter testifies of the living Christ, He says "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." -Mathew 16:16. I absolutely treasure the words in this verse. I love words so much! The Khmer people need to understand that they are God's children. Knowing one's identity is crucial in Heavenly Father's plan, because the Khmer people will come to know that they do matter in God's eyes while in the midst of tribulations in this world.

Your support has motivated me even more to ignite my purpose, why am I here. I can't thank you enough.

With much gratitude and love,

Sister Sok

A Man on the Bench

Friday September 30, 2016 at 10:37AM

Dear friends and families,

Thank you so much for the support. I wish I could do more to thank you
all. May God bless you! I will keep you in my prayers. I thank God
everyday for your support and provision for this mission.

I've been praying and asking God for ways to teach investigators of
the church to come to know of God. I've been searching for others
examples and inspirations, but felt that something is missing. Later
on in the week, I started to realize that I can study people's ways of
teaching, however I also realized that it becomes very personal when
we study our own stories. It becomes very close to heart as I study my
conversion story and how I can apply what I know to help others know
of God. The things I experienced in my conversion.

Roughly 2 years ago, I was in my freshman year of college. I was
sitting at a table outside the school's cafe. Then I got a phone call.
As soon as I hung up the phone, I felt helpless, feeble, and afraid. I
didn't know what to do, but I  remembered how a friend of mine had
told me to pray to God. I went in a corner and didn't know how to
approach God but closed my eyes and allowed God to direct my life at
that moment. I asked God to help me, because I knew that my own
ability and power would never be enough. And if he would, I'd give my
life to him. God saved me that moment. Through the grace of God, I was
saved.  I am humbled to know that I can have this privilege to serve
God, to let other people know that they can be saved as well. A
couple of weeks later, a friend of mine had asked me to watch a video of
a talk from one of the apostles of the LDS church. I felt inspired and
wanted to learn more about this man, Jesus Christ. I contacted the LDS
missionaries. I didn't understand of what they taught. It
seemed...crazy to believe it all in a short period of time. But I
wanted them to come back because it felt good to learn about Christ. I
just had this good feeling.  From that day, my faith in Jesus Christ
began to grow. I feel humble how God had prepared me to meet Him and
to come to know of His Son. I feel humble that God allowed me to face
that trial of my life, so I that I was left to surrender myself to
Him. I feel humble that I became converted unto Christ through that
experience and before even knowing much about the life of Jesus
Christ. I am a convert to the church and I'm soooo blessed to have
your help. I still don't know much of the scriptures and some
doctrines of the church. I can speak Khmer, but I am still not very
familiar with the Gospel language. I have along way to grow in knowing
how to teach people in Khmer language about the Gospel. Ha A loooong
way to grow. I am prideful at times. I look inward when in my selfish
states, rather than to look outward to help others.  But I know that
through The Atonement of Jesus Christ, I have the potential to learn
and grow. I know that True conversion can change other people's lives
because when looking at my reflection, I've have seen how Jesus has
changed my life.

At times, my companion and I think about how God had prepared others
to meet him before we even teach them. We realized that no matter what
we say and teach, the conversion isn't real until they experience it.
I realized how experience is life changing. There is a quote by Maya
Angelou that says something a long the line of " people may forget
what you said, they may forget what you did, but they will never
forget how you made them feel. People must  experience Jesus Christ
and even the smallest pieces of His Atonement, the price He paid for
an eternal gain, so that we can experience true conversion. That's how
we hope to teach, for them to experience it themselves.


I am learning a lot haha so much about my own disabilities and
weaknesses here.  My own pride and such. I used to think: Man, I'm
setting a side so much of my life. It was all about me and my
sacrifices. Like giirrrrl, get ova yo self!!! While here at the MTC,
It hit me that many people sacrificed for me, my families, my ward,
and Christ sacrificed for me so that it can become possible for me to
go on this mission to share the fullness of the Gospel. I am realizing
that what I truly need is to give up my own strengths and completely
rely on the Lord's strength. An internal sacrifice. God is teaching my
companion and I a lot on what we don't realize about ourselves.
Brothers and sisters, I know that there are things in this world that
we don't understand and are still unanswered.…even until our deaths,
but know that there is a great God and He has a plan for each of you.


I will depart this Tuesday and will arrive on Thursday. Haha, Cambodia
is a Pacific Ocean away! man time flies by...like umm a fly  :/. But I
am leaving the training center with many great memories and learning
experiences that I'll neatly roll in my suitcase for the rest of my
life!

I get to see God's miracles everyday. So three of my classmates (
sisters) sat down on a bench by this man. He isn't a member of the
church but was invited to be at the MTC . So the three sisters started
a conversion with this man. They taught him about the general concept
of God, Jesus Christ, and the LDS church. The man wanted to know more
about how God can help him in his life. So the Sisters consistently
set up a time for them to meet with him. They told me about this man
and I asked if I could join in the lessons. So the 3 sisters,my
companion, and I set aside some personal time to meet and to teach
him. This man's name is Marco and is in his 50s. He came from Peru and
is pursuing degree at BYU. Man, almost every lesson, I felt like he's
the missionary. He teaches us so much about his life experiences. He
read the Book of Mormon in Spanish and even taught us about how God's
spirit taught him! I remembered a lesson we had with him that was
really powerful. We were just tearing up throughout the entire time.
Now Marcos had polio which made his life physically challenging.
Marcos is crippled from the waist down. Almost all of his life, he
struggled with self worth. He talked about true identity. He said that
he may not be the best looking man,but his wife loves him deeply. He
compared himself to how he is like a spec of gold powdered with dust.
His testimonies have opened my eyes to how this man is truly converted
unto the Lord, Jesus Christ. I testified to him that to be worthy is
never to be perfect. As we teach him, he realizes that his physical
flaws are his beauty. He told us that he'd rather have his wife tell
him that he is unattractive, but she loves him anyway than to say he
is handsome and she loves him. "Tell me I'm ugly but you love me
nevertheless." Because of God's love, Marco's life has changed. He is
starting to see how God sees him. It made me humbled because one of my
purposes was to help others see God the way God sees them, that Marco
is His child and Marco is loved. That God loves us all.


We invited Marco to be baptized this weekend. Before we even finished,
He surprised us that he would get baptized on the 15th of oct. We were
filled with joy because we knew that This man is an example of true
conversion.

We were all a bit sad because we could not make it to his Baptism. But
he promised us that he would write us every Monday and send us his
baptism pics. The spirit of God taught him. The  3 sisters, my
companion, and I just happened to be fellow travelers on his path to
his Conversion.

Well my time is up. Farewell, America!!!!
Thank you all so much.

With much Love and gratitude,
Sister Sok


This is Heidi from Germany. She is one of the investigators we taught.

Pictures: I hope these work!!!!

Friday September 30, 2016 at 10:28AM

Elders going to Cambodia. The sister is going to state side Cambodian speaking.