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