Week 38: Out to the Kilos

Ok so this week was pretty sweet!

Monday we played soccer and it was like insane. The rules are that we can play as long as it isn't like competitive and stuff. It got intense. I was getting fouled like crazy! I felt like the other team was lumberjacks with how much they were chopping at my legs! Anyways. 

Then we went to Dairy Queen and ate some ice cream and came home. It was good. Then we just planned out how we want the work in our new area to go. 

Tuesday was the Mission Leadership Meeting, which was really really good. I came in a little scared because everyone else had companions and stuff but it was super good! Then we came home and did our weekly planning for the rest of the week and review a little bit of the things I learned in the meeting. Then we went out to give a few lessons which turned into a new investigator and then on the way home some kid like yelled out to me and I said hi. He like ran up and just jumped onto the back of my bike. I was a little surprised and just looked at my companion and said something like, "is this kid serious"? Then the kid asked where we were going and I said home and he asked for a ride until we turned to go home. I said fine. Then he just jumped off when we got to the turn and he ran into an alley. Super weird haha

Wednesday was amazing as well! We went out to kilometer 11 to see a member and he was out getting his hair cut. He lives right by the river so we just went down and sat on some rocks while we waited and this lady said that we could go down and hang out at her floating boat house. We said ok and sat down. I asked about her family and stuff in hopes to share a message with her. We ended up sharing about the Plan of Salvation and she was really interested but said that she couldn't join because her family is Buddhist. Then we went out and found some old investigators from when I served here before. It was super cool, two of them, who were initially mad at me at first for leaving them (haha) and decided that they wanted to start learning again. So we picked up those investigators again, they are so great too! Then we had English class! I was so excited to finally get to be back at my old English class. We had a few minutes before class so I started contacting outside for people to come to class. This one boy name william said he would come and then he actually came to the class! It was cool. I sat at this table with william and a few others. One was a girl in college preparing for medical school. I really tried to make friends with them and make them feel comfortable. Then I was asked to share the spiritual thought and shared about Lehi's vision and then I challenged everyone to write down any question they have about the Gospel and we will answer it. Then William started asking me questions! He had some great questions. At the end of class william and the girl in college gave their phone numbers to the elders and stuff! It was amazing. They have already began teaching them. 

Thursday we had another weekly planning for next week and then went out to the kilos to see another old investigator. He is really nice and has a desire to keep learning and meeting with us. He is about to have another son and is really concerned for his family and their futures. Then we went to meet a member and see how they were doing. We were just walking when I felt a sudden splash of cold water. I turned and some kids were laughing. I was a victim of a malicious water balloon attack... Not too long ago, I was the hooligan throwing the balloons at the older kids. So now I guess the tables have turned. The lesson went well though.  :)

Friday was good. We had my very first zone training which was three hours of me sharing with my whole zone. It was a little stressful but we pulled through and I think we all came out learning at least one thing. Then we ordered some indian food and celebrated a member's birthday. It was really great!

Saturday was a doozy. We scheduled an appointment with a member who recently moved houses so we could know where they live. So he told us just get on this road that goes out to no where and just keep going. We ended up riding a little over 20 kilometers before we arrived at the place he told us to wait. Altogether it was around 25 miles. haha I'm sore. 

Sunday was awesome! Our elders quorum president called in the morning and wanted to visit some less actives before church, which is so cool. He doesn't have a bike though so I gave him a lift on the back of my bike. It was fine until he said he wanted to go to Kilometer 9. Ha so that was fun. Then it was church. First off, I love fast Sunday. Second, it is Easter Sunday! I was asked to play the piano last minute but it went ok. We had a record breaking 60 come to church! More than we've had in over six months. I felt like my heart was going to burst and I had to go up and bear my testimony of gratitude for all the Savior of the World has done for me. I am so blessed to be out here. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve. I know that Christ lives. I know that He took upon him the sins of the world, and that through Him we can be clean and we can live with our families forever. I love you all and hope you can show your gratitude this Easter Season! 

Elder Morris

Week 37: Feels like a prison cell...

So This week was good. 

Tuesday we started our service project for ba hong chu song. The two people in my last post. They are the best! ...and they have a terribly dirty tiny house. So we decided we would clean and repaint it. We got a cool idea that we would redo their little picture collage that they had... and make it into a masterpiece. So we went out and bought some paint and stuff. After district meeting we went over and started cleaning. They were apprehensive at first, but after a little coaxing they let us start cleaning. I was determined to help these people before I transferred. We cleaned... and it took a long time. We started painting just a little, but had to go. So we continued on ...

Wednesday so we could be done before English class. We painted and cleaned more and started on this really cool tree idea that one of the sisters had. We painted a tree and put the pictures on it. It was awesome! 

The hard thing was that the next day, Thursday, I got a call saying that we would be transferring a day early and I that I should start packing my things. I didn't see that one coming and instantly my heart sank like a rock. I didn't think a transfer would be so hard. I am such a baby. We would be switching houses and stuff so I packed up on my things and left all the food in the fridge for the next elder moving in. We also had the elders from Vietnam again over at our house. That was really fun. I met back up with my old MTC companion! I missed him a lot and it was so good to see him. 

We moved all the stuff out and then we moved. The branch three house is nice. It's the biggest in the mission and this time it was super clean. It is really good looking now. The only thing is that the Khmer elders totally swiped our old room and took all the good stuff. We are in a little room on the top floor with a dinky little light. My companion says he feels like he is in a prison cell.

Oh by the way! New companion! Elder Le. He is from america and is super cool! He is part African American, Like a fourth Native American, and Half Vietnamese. He is like fluent already cause he spoke it at home. We get along pretty well so things should be really fun. He listens to like native american music and let me tell ya, that is a treat. 

So the rest of this week we have just be scavenging for food because we are white washing and it is the end of the month. That means no food in the house and no money to buy food. It is ok though, we will survive. We have been going around looking for work to do while the sisters gather their records and stuff for us to use. 

Then on Friday, we got to go pick up elder Hieu, who just finished his mission. We took him to the mission home so he could figure out his things. He is the best. Then, I spent the day with a new missionary because my companion needed to renew his visa. He is in the Vietnamese group and he is from Argentina. He speaks a little Viet already which is a big head start for him. He is way funny and I really like  him. He reminds me of an old friend I have back in Japan named Api. Really fun. 

Then we had a baptism on Sunday which was really great and I now think that I am catching a cold. I took some medicine and hopefully I will back to a 100% in no time. Not a lot of time this week, so apologies. I love you all and hope you have an amazing week. 

Elder Morris

We thought this was just some random picture of a tree... but upon closer inspection...

Week 36: All is well, so don't worry

This week was a roller coaster of stress and stuff! All is well, so don't worry.

Monday we just had a stellar p day. Went bowling again for an elder's birthday. I lost this time which was a bummer. I knew I just hit a stroke of luck last time. Then we had a great lesson with our less active family we are focusing on, they are great. Came to church this Sunday too! Woo hoo. 

Tuesday we had district meeting which was amazing because I forgot to mention that the power went out Monday night which made for the most uncomfortable sleep I have had in years. It was like sleeping in a sauna. So, with little sleep and even less time I planned the lesson for district meeting in the dark. I lit a candle too.

Wednesday was really good! We had a bunch of busy work and stuff to do. We went to about 7 members houses sharing a little bit and also getting information we needed to update because I have a goal to have the best looking CBR and Area books in the Viet Program. So far so good. Then we had English class which was kind of a bust, one person. It was rough, but we have made some great plans to turn things around in a jiffy. 

Thursday was weekly planning! It went well even though we still had no power. By this time we knew that all of our food had gone bad :( So we just ate noodles and bread. After that we had to go and pick up the elders who came in for Visas. My old companion elder Pham! haha they are a blast to have around. Then we had to meet and coordinate with the sisters on some records and things and them show them the house of another member. They last minute asked us if we had time to give a blessing for a really sick less active member. We went out pretty far and gave the blessing. We blessed her that she would have strength enough to come to church and live according to the gospel. 

Friday we went out and began telling everyone that we were going to have district conference this sunday and that they needed to come. So after we did all of that we got a call from the other sisters to give a blessing. It was really nice but something about giving blessings like always drained the life out of me. Anyways! Got a call from our investigator saying that she needed to meet with us. We tried to share a lesson with her but she was really in the mood to talk about her work and stuff. It was a hard lesson but she is still reading and praying. 

Saturday was really good. after studies we went out and met with one of our members and committed them to come to both sessions of district conference and then we contacted a bit and visited some more members and then made our way over to the church for district conference. It was awesome. President Moon came and shared and everyone really enjoyed it. We saw most of our less actives there and they were all so happy! After we had an appointment scheduled with our investigator anh long. It was an amazing lesson and he accepted a baptismal date for the 12th of next month! 

Sunday was a big day! Power was back on, district conference, and transfer calls were coming that night! Well we got to the church after the most stressful time helping three different members figure out a way to get to church and giving them directions to get there. It was wild and we made it just before it started. Sweaty and trying to pull my suit jacket on, they asked me to translate for the conference! It is possibly one of the scariest things ever translating for President Moon!

It went OK though and then after we came home and studied. Ate some food and went out to teach a lesson to our investigator. We shared lesson one and she is starting to find a love for the scriptures. It is amazing to see that change happen in people's lives. Last night, we received transfer calls. I am going to white wash Branch 3. That is the area I started in almost 7 months ago. Also, I am to be Zone Leader over the three branches here in Cambodia. President Moon's words went something like, "Well Elder Morris, looks like you'll be flying this one solo."  I will not have a co zone leader. That is gonna be a super big challenge, but I am ready for it. Thanks so much for everything! I love you all so much and hope you all have an amazing week! 

Elder Morris