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.
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