Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission: 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!