Isaac doing great

This week was awesome.

I learn something new every day and I do my best to apply it. Elder Walker and I have so much fun together, have been working really hard, and made a lot of good food. And I've been obedient. All in all, its been amazing. And I will be out of training in a week. Whoo hoo!

After working myself to death for a whole transfer we're starting to see results. Six new investigators the past two weeks, and the less actives we visit have started to come back to church, slowly but surely. Elder Walker will for sure be leaving Tual Sen Ke, I'm not sure yet if I will be leaving or staying. I will most likely be staying, but you never know. I'm just way stoked to be real missionary.

Our investigators are awesome. A large chunk of them are progressing, and we're just trying to navigate Khmae New Year now. Everyone is back, and we're trying to reschedule baptismal dates, get baptismal interviews, and get people to repent. Super good. It's crazy how one day you struggle to have things to do, and the next you don't have enough time. I love it.

Ming Canna. She was one of the Sister's investigators that we recieved when they left. She is an interview away from baptism and super good. Her neighbor is one of our new investigators (The lady with the baby! She came back!!!!!!) And we need to give her a new baptismal date, but she is so good. Way solid. We taught a lesson last night and it was super awesome. We had five adults, and we were teaching them all at the same time, and it was way hard, and teaching two on one is way better, but they got the message that we missed them at church. It was awesome.

Haven't seen boat guy in a while. Its hard to see him, but we just started teaching one of his neighbors, and so hopefully we will get out to the Kilo 6 more. 

This week will be super sad for Elder Walker and all the members, but it'll be good.

Also, I've been working out a little bit. Lol. I can almost do four pull ups in a row. (3 and 3/4) Five is my goal by the end of next week.

I really love it here.

This was a crazy week.

One of the Tual Sen Ke investigators was five days away from Baptism and he decided he couldn't give up Preah Put. (Buddha) *Sigh* Its ok. 

Cool Chnam (New Year) Is just around the corner. Everyone leaves the city, and we're not really sure what we're going to do...... I think we'll do some group things with the mission? I don't know yet. Its going to be really fun though! The stake is having a huge party in a few days, I"m hoping President will let us go, and hopefully we can bring some investigators!

It rained twice this week! The first time I was safe in my house. I stood on the patio and ate my red curry pulled pork sandwich and watched the rain. It was lovely. The second time we were in the middle of a lesson.... We couldn't hear each other, so we ended up just leaving.... I walked outside for ten seconds and was completely drenched. It was awesome.  We biked home in about four inches of water.... after seven minutes. It was crazy. I'm excited for rainy season. (July)

One of the funniest things is Cambodia is the grandmas. Or "Lookyeys" They love eating rice and IVs. Whenever they get a little cold they put an IV in their arm. I don't even know if it has medicine in it most of the time. Probably just water! Its always entertaining to see three people on a moto, and a little lookyiay on the back holding her little IV that is taller than anything on the road.... They are all very cute.

I fell calf deep into some mud the other night. Cambodia, am I rite?

I went on an exchange with Elder Stringham the other day. He will go home in four weeks to South Jordan. I learned a TON from him! He is super smart, and a really great missionary!

We have an investigator who lives on a boat on the TonleSap. If we don't space the weight out well, the boat will tip. He is a super great investigator though!

I saved up this month and bought peanut butter and nutella this week..... It's almost gone. 

So yummy!

I will send some pictures in a bit!

Love you!

This week was really great! It's pretty crazy how much you learn here every single day. I'm trying my best to learn Khmae and give all the energy I can to that. I learn a lot every single day, and I just try and talk with everyone I can.

We have one investigator who is super close to baptism. He comes to church every Sunday, and he is super great. He is having a hard time letting go of Buddhism, but as soon as he does he's totally ready! I'm super excited for him, he is a great guy! We have a couple other investigators who are super awesome too! They aren't as prepared but we are going to continue to work with them to become ready.

I love it here. It's going to be really hard to be anywhere else after this. The second transfer starts the day after Tomorrow. It's crazy. Time flies. 

I made a lot of food the past couple weeks. Lots of curry. I made curry paste myself the beginning of the week, and made red curry pulled pork. It's ok. It will be better next time. It needs to be spicier. I am currently drying some thai red chile to try again towards the end of next week. I bought a mortar and pestle *two dollars*  Whats up!?? I also just bought a TON of mushrooms for this coming week, I'm going to try and cook with less meat. 

I ate maggots, crickets, frog, dog, big black beetles, brohoque and a lot of other things this week. Elder Orton and I went on an exchange and just kind of went crazy.

I am going to try and find a way to send pictures today. I need to track down an SD card reader. Stay tuned. If not today, I will buy one for next week.  

I promise I have so many good pictures for you! I just don't have time to wait for them to upload and I also have letters for all the kids. I'm so sorry! Things were so crazy today!

I love you so much! I love my family more than anything else in this world. You are my family first and foremost, but it is interesting to watch your family grow as you come to love different people.

It's crazy how much and how fast you change here. 

I did eat some crazy and delicious things this week. I also had really bad diarrhea, (like explosive in bed) hahahahaha or 555555555 (in Thailand)

I am so grateful for how supportive my family is. I can't imagine doing this without you. I love you all so so so darn much! It makes me so happy to remember in twenty one short months I get to hang out with you FOREVER! I love you!

I read the book of Mosiah and the first part of Alma this week, looking for ways to become a better missionary. I love this part of the Book of Mormon. The Almas and the sons of Mosiah and Amulek were such great people. I love you so very much

I've been here for two and a half weeks. Thursday I'll be halfway through my first transfer. So short, and I've already changed so much!!

We have an investigator that lives in a little Vietnamese neighborhood. Most Cambodians don't really like the Vietnamese, so it's basically a little world all on its own. I love it so much there. You walk down this little alley and there are kids racing and playing with makeshift toys, grandmas and grandpas smoking and playing cards, and moms trying to sell the last of their produce for the day. It really isn't much bigger than a medium sized alley way, but the life there is gorgeous.

I watched a Lookpuu pull a rat off a sticky trap and put it straight on the grill this week. I kinda wanted to try it, lol. You know in cartoons when somethings sticky and it has all the strands attached to it?  Yeah. Kinda like that. Yum

There are a lot of naked people here. I won't elaborate. I would be naked too if it weren't against the mission rules.

We did some service this week! We stopped by these dudes and helped them build a house for a little bit! Cambodian houses are the best houses to build. Maybe we can build a fort in the backyard when I get back. (Seth and Eli)

I also helped populate a pond with fish this week. They were super huge! I've been looking for  some good steamed fish, I haven't found any that I trust yet.

This week Elder Walker and I killed a mouse/rat thing and a cockroach the size of a techdeck. Needless to say, I'm doing my best to clean this house. It's probably been a while since it was cleaned.....

This week I ate Water spinach soup, that fertilized chicken egg thing, and a fresh coconut smoothie. It was all very yummy.

Our investigators are awesome! The one dude who was in league with satan or whatever has come to church twice and he says that God helps him not see spirits when he prays! He's such an awesome guy, and an amazing investigator.

We have a lot of investigators right now but it's pretty difficult because they can only meet once or twice a week. It makes it feel super slow, but we're hoping to have two baptisms this transfer and hopefully three or four next. Elder Walker wants five before he leaves Tual Sen Ke, and I think that is pretty attainable.

Yesterday was Stake Conference in Tuol Kork so it was kind of hard to have investigators come to church. We're hoping to have many come next Sunday. 

I'm losing so much weight, oh my goodness. 

3 Nephi 14;16-17

Notable things that happened this week

I got run over by a car. It was just my foot, but that foot has had it rough the past year. Sting Ray, and NOW a car? Jeez. It didn't hurt though. No worries.

We're teaching a dude who was once possessed by demons.

We taught English!

We found a brick factory (factory is a loose term), and helped them move bricks for a while. Super cool to see the clay and how people here make bricks. I recall a documentary about people doing the same thing in africa. really cool.

Our house flooded. It's not even rainy season. Our house just sucks.  

Num Pang Dak Sac is the equivilant of Bahn Mi and it's soo sosososos good.

I made Mama with Chicken feet. It was wonderful.

We went to an investigators home for dinner yesterday. At the end of noodles the mom pulled out a bgag of meat and everyone started eating from it. Being polite I took one..... I had a small brain in my hand. It had a weird cord thing coming out, and it was a brain. Maybe monkey? Pig? I'm not sure. Mom said I should never eat brain, but this is a once in a lifetime oppurtunity...... so without much hesitation I put it in my mouth. Kind of sweet. Kind of weird.

Because it was a date. 

I swear it looked like a brain.

To go across the MeKong we have to take a bridge. Being uphill and lazy, we never bike it. We wait for a nice looking tuk tuk drivier and ask the passenger if we can grab on. The wind in your face and my scarf flapping behind, I often feel like the other nannies grabbing on to street signs when Mary Poppins comes.

We have a friend who is a cat and she doesn't have eyes. I met her when I was walking through the poorest part of our area. There was a cute little girl holding a cute little cat. She turned to Face me and the cat DIDN'T HAVE EYES. It was some crazy Coraline level garbage. Crazy crazy crazy.  

I love it here!~

Isaac

Look at this fun couple going to Cambodia to visit. Maybe they will run into Isaac?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxW6FIVktfE

Ok!  Arrived and doing great.  He said his trainer took him 40 KM the first Saturday to do service.  Please, please pray for his safety on the streets.

Dear Parents and Bishops,

We just want you to know that your missionary has arrived safe and sound! We love this picture taken right after they got off the plane and met their companions. Although they are jet-lagged they bring a wonderful spirit and we are excited to get to know them and begin serving together.  We spent the afternoon interviewing them and we must say they are a very impressive set of Elders and Sisters. They have gone to their new areas with their companions and will return to the mission home next week when they can stay awake and we will spend a day together in training.

Cambodia is a wonderful country and we feel the blessings of our Father in Heaven being poured out on these people as the church continues to grow here. In the next few months as your missionary’s language skills increase and he or she begins to personally know the people in their areas we are confident that their excitement and love for missionary work will only grow.  We already love your missionary, we were overwhelmed with their expressions of faith and excitement today and we promise you that we will love and treat each of them as one of our own.  Thank you  for trusting our Father in Heaven enough to send your child to this part of the world and know of our confidence that God watches over his missionaries and blesses them every day.

May God bless you and your family as you continue this wonderful adventure,

Love,

President and Sister Christensen

This was posted by a gentlemant in the Phillipines that skypes to practice Khmer with the missionaries.  He talked to Isaac and his companions today...It looks like they are actually talking back!  So fun.