Sunday August 13, 2017 at 9:42PM
Hello,
Life in Cambodia has taught me much, every single day. I get to see new faces and work with different types of people, of different types of life backgrounds, and it is interesting to see how their upbringings have made them the person they are today. Traditions and religious backgrounds have such an influence on a person. It influences their choices in life and each facet on how they want to live their lives.
I got in contact with and taught this woman. She has been raised as a Buddhist for all of her life. Different forms/ branches of religious practices from Buddhist traditions have had such an influence in her perspective of respect and change. If that makes sense. Her past traditions has been instilled in her mind for so long that it becomes really difficult for her to have that change of heart to feel free. She had told us how afraid she is for change and that she is too old to change her life. It is so sad. However, what I have noticed here is that though the older generation of people ( back from the Khmer Rouge era), have a difficult time to change their beliefs, they still want their children to learn about the Gospel so their lives can be better than what their ancestors had gone through. It is quite interesting.
Sunday was so amazing. Cambodia has just dedicated a new stake. We now have 4 stakes in the country!
Also on Sunday, we planned to teach an investigator whose sister had just been baptized. We had planned to meet her at the church, but got a phone call saying that they are trying their best to get ready for the lesson and church but could not get everything ready on time. We offered to come to their house and help them prepare. Oh man, it was the cutest. Just the 2 sisters living together. Makes me think of Mary and Martha. Well anyway, we helped them build a rat trap and cleaned up a bit before we taught the younger sister a lesson. I felt really happy helping them getting ready. It was just really neat.
Also, we recently visited family who used to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some of the children in the family got separated and only one of the children is a member and she had moved away. We tried to find their house, but found out that they have moved to another area. The neighbor directed us to their new house. Turns out, the wife ( who is a member of the church) in the family had recently passed away due to an illness. We were invited in and the father has just walked in (from work). He is so humble. He sat in with us and for the first time in a while, he prayed with us. He even invited his children to pray with us. We met up with his daughter the next day. I remember asking her a question and I remember how her response had touched my heart deeply. All that that young woman wanted was to feel of her mother's love ,again. That was it. That was all of her desire. oh my, I remember how the light of Christ starts to shine out as she prayed with us. She walked away, and by the corner of my eyes, we saw an old woman sitting at the edge of a wooden bed. She had told us how hopeless the family is ever since her mother of the family passed away. I remember the old woman telling us how hopeless they are. Man, we are going to give it our all to help this family. I love that the start of a conversion is absolutely through the brokenness of one's life, from a state of hopelessness to hope again. To ask the Lord : What is it that I can offer to mend the shattered past so I can start a new life?
“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart …, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost"(3 Nephi 9: 19-20).
With much love,
Sister Sok
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