Monday, August 31, 2015

Episode 22 - Monday, Aug 31, 2015

ជំរាបសួរ!,
     My honest apologize if my last e-mail seems to be short ounce again, reason why I cut last post short although I explained my experience of meeting Elder Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles 2 weeks ago, was because I lost my wallet last Tuesday on P-Day... while I was about to exit the Market in the morning, hoping that my dropped wallet is ...still there when I pay a fee for my bike parking. Unfortunately, it seems that as me and Elder Hunt tried our last attempt to find my wallet it seems to be gone for good. It really scarred my heart so much because it had most of my personal stuff in there. Hopefully, I can recover my stuff again... ounce I come back from my mission...,but no worries everyone! I am still alive and been working, and serving as diligently as much I could in Kampong Cham Branch 2. I didn't really let my lost wallet intervene with my time working in this mission. I just have no room in my mind to be completely angry and upset about my loss wallet.

     So anyways! To make a lot of my late post up I'll explain with some details of how'd last week went as I continue to hasten the Lord's in the Province of Kampong Cham in Branch 2 as I started to serve there for my 1st week!: 

     Last Wednesday: We visited the wife of a recent convert to teach a recent convert named បង Nani unfortunately who wasn't there. Then we taught an investigator whose 8 years old named ចរ៉ា (not accurate spelling, pronounced as Cho Ra). On that time we just taught him about the importance of praying,obedience and reading the scriptures. We just explained simply with him and his brother as he joined in the lesson. 😊 After that I am doing what I can along with Elder Hunt to familiarize myself in this area more as we're finding members. Later on we had the Rean English Program. In Rean in this province's pretty small class so not a lot attendees came, however some members attend and new persons came in to learn English as well it's been pretty fun. After, English Class I shared a simple spiritual thought about who God is and that he loves and cares for us everyday in our lives on Earth. Last thing we've done for that day is we met an investigator named រីទ្ធ who speaks fluent English. So... as  I met with him for my first time, we taught him in English.... for me it's pretty strange for me to teach him about the gospel in English, knowing usually I speak to everyone in Khmer. So we taught him about the importance of prayer and reading the Book of Mormon and extending invitation to have him read in Alma Chapter 5 which explains a lot about how gain salvation. Then, extend for him to pray first and then read this particular chapter! 

     Last Thursday: After weekly planning session, we visited a less active named មេតា (not accurately spelled pronounced as Meeta.) We taught with him about the importance of consistent prayer and reading scriptures often. He's been happy to meet with us. Then, throughout this day we took time to search a bit further for more members within the area and then visit a few more investigator that are also children. Their grandparents wants us to teach them and so we did.It's been difficult because the 3 kids aren't focused or have desire to learn and the grandparents.... some reason aren't showing support that they need to learn about the Gospel.... hopefully, things will get better on the way teaching further or we'll need to converse with the grandparents who are members (that were kinda less active) and really need to ask if they can help the kids really practice what they've been taught from past missionaries and in church. After that we visited an active named បង ភាព, she's an active member who has a desire to serve a mission soon, but it's been tough, because as she's been filling out her paper work, odd things has been happening to her as she's been doing so. (Won't go into details.) However, we just shared scriptures we enjoyed in the scriptures for example I love to share D&C 14:7.
     Last Friday: Had District Meeting today, it's been a good meeting! Okay, after the meeting, we have members who live on an island to visit! We've visited two families over there! We visited a family of a Look Poo named កូន, a super nice family, the Look Poo loves to speak some English. We just shared scriptures we enjoyed like as follows in the last other day. Same idea applied to another family we visited! Look Poo's named Para. Very nice Look Poo. Super fun to serve at a island to in this mission I love it! Then for the rest of the day we just search for more CBRs and visited the District President of Kampong Cham to know what can we do to help Branch 2 better as we serve here. 

     Last Saturday: We met up with បង Nani as he's home with his family and taught him and his family about eternal marriage at the temple and extend invitation plan to go there someday. To have him and his wife be seal at a temple someday! After that we met up with ចរ៉ា and his brother again taught them the 10 commandments with them. It's fun to teach them they memorize the commandment so easily. (Showed images that relates to the 10 commandments and shared the share scriptures in Mosiah Chapter 12 and 13 where the prophet Abinadi explains the 10 commandments with King Noah and the wicked priests.) After teaching him we had a Baptismal Interview of the Sisters investigator of Branch 1! Then on the way back after Elder Hunt interviews the investigator as rides our bikes from Branch 1's area to the church building it was raining super hard on the way back. I was super drenched along with Elder Hunt then our last appointment we met up with Rith (រីទ្ធ) again to follow up with him. He's been having a hard time taking time to reading the chapter we invited him to read so we taught him about fasting and explain the example of Alma the younger or the High Priest when he fasts and prayed for many days for the truth from Heavenly Father himself. Honestly still found it strange to teach in English to him but he's a really cool guy. We committed him to fast this Thursday, we'll be fasting along with him! (So, that he'll receive an answer from Heavenly Father for himself that The Book of Mormon is another word of God.) 

     Yesterday: So it's kinda back in reality as if I worked and served in Ta Khmao in Branch 2 as I work and serve in Kampong Cham Branch 2 as in church starts from 2PM-5PM! Church's been excellent, I introduced myself and bare a talk about the Doctrine of Christ along with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Me, Elder Hunt, Sister Sheffield and Sister Harris gave a talk in the entire session of church. I felt the spiritual strongly as I attend church with all the members who came to church on the day. During church we had to take care of Primary Class for a bit since the Sisters did so for a bit. It's good to take care of the Primary Class while the parents, investigators, and members are learning about the gospel in other classes in Church. 

      Well, I like to bare my testimony that missionary work is worth doing, it's not easy, but with God all things are possible! I love serving in this mission! I had already faced difficult times when I felt it's necessary to quit, but did I choose to? No. I will still not ever call God a liar as he's called me in this mission. I seen miracles already as I've been serving here in Cambodia serving and inviting all I could to Christ. I testify that Jesus Christ is truly our savior and redeemer and he's atoned for our sins! If we all keep our acceptance that he's our savior and keep God's commandment, we will maintain peace and happiness throughout this life and even after life! God loves us and cares for us! Indeed we're not perfect, but if we all keep applying the atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives each and every we'll be happier. I really mean it! I share these things in the sacred name of our Lord, our savior and living redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen.   

     It's been a fantastic adventure as I serve in this Province of Cambodia in Kampong Cham (serving in Branch 2). Even though, I lost my original wallet. I still just want to keep this up serving here! (I'll just replace my original wallet...*sigh*) Hope my personal stuff is already settled... but I am not too worried about. I am just worried about keeping it up serving here with Elder Hunt! Hope I'll get familiar enough in this area before the end of Elder Hunt's time serving with me here! Stay fantastic everyone I love you all! Stay blessed!😁


    សូមជំរាលា!, 
-អែលឌើរ រស់ (Elder Ros)

    

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.2 Nephi 10:24

(August 23rd, 2015) The moment when I met and shook Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's hand. Close up.😁

So visiting a couple member's homes in the island's fun... this island doesn't seemed to be an island. Hahaha
It's been awesome there! 

Pretty much how's it like traveling on the way to visit a couple of members on an island.


Experiencing the rainy season in my first province assigned to in this mission..... Yep! (Oh yeah on the right of this picture is Elder Hunt! 😊)


Yesterday (Sunday) when me and Elder Hunt had to care for primary kids for a little while... was pretty crazy in there. Played a unique version of Duck, Duck goose. (The Sisters were caring for them for a little while then we jumped in to take over.)


Monday, August 17, 2015

Episode 21 - Monday, Aug 17, 2015

ជំរាបសួរ!,
      I've been doing a lot in my adventures in this mission such as caring for anyone's spiritual needs, talking to many people with in some areas about who me and my companions are and what we teach a lot about, doing phone calls to find available people who wants to meet to learn about the Gospel, and biking all over the place to remain lost into the Lord's work serving all I could with each and every one of my companions. It's been a fun week here's how'd last week went briefly:
     
      So throughout last week, I've been reaching to new investigators with Elder Uhi helping them know where the church building is enable for us to meet up! In Last Tuesday, we did a service project for a single mother who's a member that needs help filling up her home with dirt when it was flooded during this rainy season and Saturday did another service project by helping the 2nd Counselor of the Stake Presidency of the North Stake name Lom Ang who needs helps removing some debris around his land and make it look nicer! 

      Church has been wonderful and phenomenal as usual in Pochentong! The disappointing thing is that none of the investigators we invited to church didn't came last week... me and Elder Uhi really did our best to remind and invite all we met through out this week to come, but unfortunately last Sunday no investigators didn't come... *sigh* however, I still love who we serve here! We'll hopefully take time to explain when worship, and service in the Church and why was it's important to come attend to those we introduce about the importance of this Church! 

       I love visiting and serving all I served in Pochentong, still going to keep up the work a little more longer in Pochentong! For one story I like to share yesterday, I met a really cool less-active member named (Ohm) Sok Sovan who's been through a devastating motto accident, since he's survivor he's been a strong believer in Jesus Christ! Meeting him was so fun, and the Holy Spirit has present and strong as we met him for me and Elder Uhi's first time! (He's been so happy to meet with us on that day and was glad about the invitation we gave to him about an apostle that's coming to Cambodia!)

      So just to let everyone know I am still doing excellent! I received a EMERGENCY Transfer Call! (Don't worry it's not bad, however there are slight changes coming soon in the mission because some missionaries serving here are ending their missions soon! I will be transferring to Kampong Cham Branch 2!! Serving with ... ELDER HUNTThis is will be fun! I am kinda sad that I only served in Pochentong for only about a transfer and half! However, I know that the Lord needs me there soon, however I'll miss who I served in Pochentong! Oh! Get a load of this fantastic announcement! I get to attend a really huge special conference to meet up with another apostle (first apostle I met ever in my life was Elder Quentin L. Cook!) named Elder Jeffrey R. Holland  on August 23rd 2015! Throughout serving my time in this mission I will be meeting up with him this Sunday and will have a huge missionary devotional with him! Hope all of the members of Cambodia are pumped for this! Oh my goodness! THIS IS FANTASTIC! Well, gotta get back lost back in this great cause! Stay fantastic, love you all!, thank you all whose been keeping me in your prayers! Stay blessed! 
    

សូមជំរាបលា!, 
-អែលឌើរ រស់ (Elder Ros)
"And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen." -D&C 15:6

The Banner for Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles!) coming to CAMBODIA soon! This upcoming Sunday! SO EXCITED! 😁
While proselyting and visiting some members around Pochentong in the Railroad, I find it cool to see what trains look like over here.  Well, here's a big one passing by! 

Rat in a Toilet in yesterday....I just close the toilet and flushed it back away as it was stuck trying to get into our apartment. 
It's been a very sacred honor Elder Uhi I'll really miss doing the Lord's work in Pochentong along with you!

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Episode 20 - Monday, Aug 10, 2015

ជំរាបសួរ!,
     I am still hastening the Lord's work as I work in Pochentong along with Elder Uhi. For this post I want to take the time to bare a spiritual mission experience throughout this week ...so here's how'd did this week went:

    What I've done last week with Elder Uhi has been very humbling.... seriously. As I show Elder Uhi around the area doing some contacting, a very less-active member we discovered out of no where found us riding our bikes who wants us to come visit his home as he rode on his motto there and so we did... I never knew who he is as I worked in Pochentong until later on that week. As we met up him he was drunk... as we met with him and talked with him about the church, he wants to meet up again. Came back met him again as he's sober, he conversed with us that he's been a member of the Church 18 years ago! So this guy's named (Look Poo) Ohm Bonnavuth. He's remembered that when he's been converted to be a member of the church and helped past missionaries way back then when the mission was just opening! He's been very less active only because he doesn't know where the closest church is around the area so we helped him throughout the week! As we taught him about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he's remembered what we re-taught him as if that's a fantastic memory back then when he met his first missionaries. 

      So just from us taking time to meet with this Look Poo to help him come back to church, he's been so happy that he's returned back to church and now he's felt that he's a restored member, as he realized the Church has changed so much over here as he's been less active. This moment I experienced reminds me of the Parable of the lost sheep: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/15  

     Throughout this week, I've been helping some investigators learn about the gospel and helping them come closer to Christ along with Elder Uhi.  


     I witnessed so many miracles as I serve in this mission it's not even funny. Serving a mission is not a easy task at but with God all things are possible! I've been stressed, depressed, and exhausted at sometimes as I serve here in Cambodia, However, as I exert all I got by doing my best I know that the Lord will do the rest. It's been an adventure serving here so far. Me and Elder Uhi's investigators we're still helping them come closer Christ. I just want to let each of you reading this know that I am still doing well. I testify that God loves us, he cares for us and that if we keep putting our faith in God, Jesus Christ and in His atonement. We'll continue to maintain happiness in this life. I thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the scriptures enable for us to keep receiving answers from our prayers! Sorry that this post seems super short. However, I've been working hard keeping it up and teaching anyone I could with Elder Uhi with care, and love. Be posting better next week hopefully lets see how next week goes! Gotta Blast Stay fantastic! God bless you all!
    

សូមជំរាបលា!
-អែលឌើរ រស់ (Elder Ros)
"For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith."  - 2 Nephi 27:23


"Believe in Miracles, Hope Is Never Lost" — Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Photo's a week old. However, this was my first time ever seeing so many Water Buffalos in person! Haha!



Episode 19 - Monday, Aug. 3, 2015

ជំរាបសួរ!,
     
    "រស់...មិនស្លាប់ !" (LIVE...NOT DEAD) Hope everyone's doing fantastic while serving the Lord in this mission! Before I begin I just want to wish my older Sister Teeda "Vicky" Ros HAPPY BIRTHDAY from the 29th of July! Love you! 😊  Last weeks a pretty tricky week but it's been fun and sometimes complicated so... here's how'd last week went! (Had to cut this kinda short but I am sure the following is self explained. Hehehe!):

So throughout this week since Tuesday to Thursday: I've been taking to teach an investigator named Nong, attended a home dedication with other missionaries on Tuesday, District Meeting's excellent, visited a ឱម (Om) with the Tuek Thla Elders for the first time, fun guy to teach he say "Bah-Byyyyye" in a funny way I love it! Hahaha! Did some service project by destroying a ... building of some sort. Then, visited an orphanage to explained about Obedience, Fasting, and Fast offering. (So many investigators over here/ Children willing to learn! It's amazing!) Wednesday I took time to visit a member family in Tuek Thla with them then all of a sudden, rain pours down all over there and it's been flooding over here it's pretty insane over there in rainy season. Hahaha! Then later on I went with the Tuek Thla Elders to do a big occasion for the Rean English Program. There's been talents performing on front of the English Class students and some attendees earned graduation certificates as they came to English Class very frequently. (or every Wednesday Nights. 20 times in a Row.) Plus, we took time to watch The Restoration movie in Khmer! 

During Thursday I did the same idea as Tuesday except when I arrived to go teach at the orphanage the amount of children who want to learns is SO MANY! Wow! So fun! Taught them about praying often, tithing and continuing have faith in God in all that we do in this life! Later on, I did splits with Future/ Prospective missionary បុរាណ to teach តារា (of my area) about further commandments he must follow before becoming baptized! 

Friday to Sunday!: Picking up Elder Uhi! Then wishing President Christensen a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I've taking been taking whole lot of time to help Elder Uhi familiarize Pochentong as much as I can and explain who we will be serving over here! Church's been great! I've seen members bear wonderful testimonies of this church it's been wonderful fast and testimony meeting! On this day me and Elder Uhi had taught Pheakdey and Srei Mom throughout this day! Love consistently teaching and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ! 

Well, basically I am still doing fine in Pochentong, might be a little hectic, and tough week as I am ounce again a "leading" companion. Like I kinda was in Ta Khmao. However, hey I am still going to give it ALL though! Gotta blast stay fantastic and phenomenal! Still choosing to exert all I can serving here in this mission! 


“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them”- Ether 12:27

I want to bare another testimony that if we continue to stay faithful and trust God at all we do, we are more like to consistently have peace and happiness in this life! In the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

សូមជំរាបលា!
-អែលឌើរ រស់ (Elder Ros)
Me and the District before the complete transfer!

I loved serving with the Tuek Thla Elders! (Elder Long and Elder Elieson) (I get to take time to preach the Gospel at an orphanage... such a very sacred privilege to serve a bit in Tuek Thla from last week!)

Happy Birthday President Christensen! ☺👑 (Last Friday!)

There he is.... Elder Uhi!