Merry Christmas

Sunday December 18, 2016 at 10:41PM

Hello all,

Things are well here. I love you all and Merry Christmas.

Being in Battambang has taught me many experiences.

I am learning a lot and blessed and humbled to be in Cambodia. Below are 4 experiences I wrote down in my journal.

Three Women

She is such a strong woman. We met her accidentally while trying to visit with a recent convert. The recent convert was not there that day and at the corner of my eyes, I saw this lady sitting on the dirt with her little infant. She had told us her Husband had left her and her babies alone. She was not financially stable to take care of her kids and had to give away 2 of her children, and left with one to take care of. She said she felt so alone, and has lost hope to live. She said whenever she closed her eyes, things became certainly silent. I didn't know why, but I felt an urgent need from God to tell her that through Christ, you can start a new life. We asked her if she wanted to learn. We came back to visit her every week. One day, we visited her and she was the happiest she had ever been. She said" Sisters, God changed my life". I do believe that miracles happen. She said " I've learned to not give up my life and be independent in my life". I had prayed for help and now I have a new Job and I am starting a new life.  It was such a tender mercy.

One day, we had this impression to visit this young woman named Savy. We biked to her house, but it happened to be locked. We didn't know what to do. We prayed in our hearts that we will be able to see her. We waited for a while but decided to leave, and as soon as we got back on bikes, she opened her house. She invited us in. I felt so blessed to know that God really needed us to visit her that day. We taught her a lesson, but at the very end. We felt that she was holding something back. All of the certain, she bursted out crying. She said" Sisters, His Atonement wanted me to share something with you: My mother is in that room behind you. She is on her last breath. We had given up on all of the hospitals in Cambodia. She is dying."   Such a powerful surge of God's spirit that pierced my heart. We felt humbled that God allowed us to meet her that day. She said " I know God has not forgotten me, I will not forget Him".

Yesterday at church, we were so surprised to see a lady we visited at the hospital. She has been sick for months. We believe she has HIV. But the miracle is: she woke up in the morning and asked her husband to walk her to church. The hospital is about 10 miles from the church. She is one of the most inspirational women I've met.

Sundays before church

Everyday Sunday, we'd have to wheel a grandma to church. She is the sweetest. She is paralyzed from the waist down. The roads on the way from her house to church are difficult to maneuver through. One time, we took her back to her house. At a far distance, her grandchildren were welcoming her. She got so excited that she choked while eating a fruit. We didn't know what to do! None of us remembered to do CPR on a grandma. The miracle is she calmed down and stopped choking. It was such a blessing.

I am sorry that the letters are choppy. I do not have much time. However, the mission is teaching so much, so much of what God would want me to experience. Through my mission, I realized how important time is. I had questioned myself: if God is all knowing, the chosen, the elect, what's the point of us to come here. Can't he just snap His fingers and have it all happened in a minute. Why can't he snap his fingers and have us experience everything in a blink of an eye? We as humans are in naturally fallen frames. We need time to experience. If I had the choice to allow God to grant me experiences in my mission in a blink of an eye without going through years of them, would I? I believe that I would still choose to go on a mission and spend that 1 year and 1/5 anyway. I know that a disciple of Christ is not an easy calling. In luke 9" And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, lord, I will follow thee withersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of  the air have nests;but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head". It's not an easy road to follow Him, but do it anyway because it will be worth it. Christ will meet us where we are (John 8) and lift us up . I believe in Miracles. I believe in Christ. I am a witness of Christ and I know that we are all his children!

Love,
Sister Sok

P-day-waterfall place and bat caves.

Sister Luke the one standing on the tree and me lower down.

HEY

Sunday December 11, 2016 at 7:45PM

I bike everyday and my health is super good. My weight is pretty much the same even if I bike everyday, but I eat a lot to give me strength to teach. I love Battambang. It is much safer here than the city. I love num banchoke. I love Khmer food. I miss chocolates, though! Mondays are our day of getting ready, we do laundry, buy groceries, write emails, and teach people, and we get to sight see. Today, after teaching, we are going to Phnom Sompov and we are going to the bat caves. I'm really excited! We will be back at 7 and we will ride a car there. Phnom Sompov is still in battambang. So it's not far and we are going in a group of missionaries.

One of the most amazing things I get to see in my service is that I get to see the change in people's heart. Their life has changed for the better. One of the things a girl we taught told us was that , her life has become better, her purpose in life has become more clearer because of God. She had more courage and love for those she hate and God has given her many  miracles such finding jobs and goals in life. Her life before knowing Jesus Christ was dark and no hope. Now her life has changed. I am grateful to serve people and to help them understand that there is light in our lives. I am grateful for the work here and I have learned so much on being humble and kind to others.

Love,

Sister Sok

Keep up your "good works"

Monday December 5, 2016 at 1:46AM

I am humbly thankful for the opportunity to serve in Cambodia. This week's lessons have taught me on why I am called here. The people I'm teaching are so wonderful in many ways. I've realized how important it is to understand their hearts when it comes to trying to teach them a meaningful and trusting lesson. Some of the people we teach have a very similar heart and walks of life such as mine. Many of the people have families who are not members of the church. Not only that they are not members, but some are also against the church. In their perspective (non members), it's either you choose your family or God. However, the lessons become very meaning when we teach with hope, with eternity in mind. What I find difficult is helping the people we teach have an eternity perspective and of eternity with our families. I, even myself have a difficult time with thinking in terms of an eternal perspective. However, I am called here for a reason and one of them is to understand their hearts. Even if it's not completely, I understand what it feels like to be the pioneer. I understand what it's like to stand up for yourself even if it means you may be alone with Christ, I understand what it feels like to be persecuted by the ones you love, I understand what it feels like when your family and your mother cut you off and do not want to do anything with you for months. I feel for them and I love them, nevertheless.

One of the topics, I was studying was "Righteous Judgment" from General Conference. I glanced at the subtitles of the talk and one of them was entitled, "Sacrifice". I thought to myself: what does sacrifice have anything to do with righteous judgment? I learned how sacrifice is a conversion to a holier state. It is a healing power that allows us to get closer to God in transforming ourselves to a holy state. I truly believe that our offerings of ourselves and turning towards God will help us understand more of our sacrifices, but more importantly, The Atonement of Jesus Christ. To judge righteously, you must understand the suffering others. This is when mercy stand hand by hand with justice, this when the Atonement becomes a sacred converting power in our lives.

Love,
Sister Sok

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