We arrived in Phnom Penh August 19th after a long 26 hour flight and were greeted by the Mission President and wife and several other senior couples. It was a much appreciated welcome. As we stepped off the plane we were immediately aware that we really are NOT in Kansas, or Colorado, or anyplace familiar to us.
The congestion and traffic on the streets is amazing. Kent describes driving here like floating down a river...you go with the flow...every which way. Lines on the street mean nothing and we will often have cars, bikes, or moto's (motorbikes) coming straight at us, then veer around us to the left or the right. We have called merging "the Khmae Push". You just enter a intersection and push your way in. As you can guess Bonnie is not anxious to drive here soon. However we haven't seen many accidents considering the number of people they can get on a Moto or the things they carry. They often pull carts behind their bikes or moto's with air conditioners, bamboo poles, fruits and veggies, bags of rice, and we even saw three dead pigs on one of them.
The people are warm and humble and the children are beautiful. They live in very humble homes, often with cement floors in the side of a building. Their surroundings are crowded and so much of their living is done on the streets. They work hard at making enough to feed themselves and you do find children begging on the streets. We have visited several families in their homes, sat on the floor, with candles burning , as they shared their testimonies of the Savior and their love for Him. They have so little in the temporal sense but spiritually they are rich.
The country has only been open to the church since 1994 but membership has grown to over 12,000. We had a visit from the Apostle, Elder Todd Christopherson this week and he gave the people a special blessing of prosperity and peace for their country and in their homes. The Khmae people have been through so much and struggled for centuries but they are beginning to see and feel some hope for their future.
We have been living in the mission home until now and will move into an apartment this week. Unfortunately it is not a furnished apt, other than a bed and table and couch, so I will be out on the streets trying to find all the other things we will need. Most of the missionary apts. provide twenty-four hour guards and are gated even though I believe we would be safe. I will be the Family History Director for the country of Cambodia (wait...that means a room which used to have two computers) However, it was broken into and the computers were stolen so we are waiting for new locks before we can do much. Besides this assignment we are in the office and resposible for finances, housing, visa's and travel. We will be giving leadership to three branches and over YM/YW on the District level (Stake).
As you can imagine we have had to hit the floor running and the first eleven days have been filled with the most amazing experiences. It is hard to explain all the emotions and feelings we have had in just these few days. This mission will probably be the hardest thing we will ever do but I know it will be the most fulfilling and worthwhile experience of our lives. The following is the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission statement which I think expresses it all:
Obedience is the Price
Faith is the Power
Love is the Motive
The Spirit is the Key
Christ is the Reason
Joy is the reward
Our love and prayers are with you all . We feel your love and support and it means so much to us.
