Nice Nifty Week in Battambang

Hello Everyone!

So transfers... again! I swear I have moved around so much. I finally made it in one place longer than nine weeks but then after 12 in Kean Svay I moved again! And I moved to the most beautiful, charming, cute, country-ish place ever, BATTAMBANG. So awesome. I have loved every place I've been so far and I know I will love it here too. I said goodbye to all of my dear friends and brothers and sisters in Kean Svay. That hurt a little bit. They are my family. But I'm excited for Battambang. So this is my first time getting out of the main city.

Battambang is an 8 hour bus ride (9 hours for us because our bus broke down haha) from Phnom Penh. It's a pretty big city but also has some beautiful jungly roads we bike through. So beautiful. So charming. It’s very French influenced so super cute but still Cambodian. It is right by a river, there's a park and cute little city and then there’s lots of country. It is beautiful! There are 3 branches. I’m in BB 2.

And the people here are of course so sweet and hilarious. Also I'm living with Sister Kosal again! She is probably the #1 reason why I think I was called to Cambodia. She is my sister and my friend. I learned from her about the love of God. So it’s super fun to live with her, tease her, laugh with her and love her. She's already done my makeup, painted my nails and we continue our ongoing sass battle. It's quite a show. Also Sister Winder, my companion is so awesome. I lived with her in SMC for three weeks. She has such a sweet, kind spirit and such an impressive knowledge of the scriptures. She is a great example to me. 

Well nothing much has happened this week. Oh embarrassing moment: I was eating this numpao (it’s this bread thing with duck eggs and pork inside) anyways I was having a great first bite when all of the sudden I totally biked into Sister Winder. The numpao went flying and I went skidding on the road. But I'm okay. My knee hurt for like a day but now it's just a bruise. Literally all of the times (3) I have biffed it on my bike there has been no one around. It’s just clumsy me. 

I feel super pumped about this transfer. The Khmer language and the scriptures are about to get all studied and loved up by your very own, Sister Mortell. Bring it on. Anyways sorry for my stupid missionary motivation. I just really want to work hard and become a skilled and humble teacher of this gospel. This gospel is all that matters. We are a part of God's plan. Let's make God ours. 

Also Kean Svay was so hot and I was super scared for hot season (March and April) but it’s raining outside right now in Battambang so that’s awesome. 

Have a good week my friends and family, 

Sister Mortell
 

**Maddy wasn't able to send any pictures this week from Battambang, but luckily, some very sweet friends sent her mom pictures from her last area.

 

Merrily Moving to Battambang

Hello Everyone!

It was a happy happy, great week this week! Such a great week, even though Wednesday I spent all my time in the bathroom throwing up. I think I got a little cocky about not getting sick yet. But no worries I'm all healthy now. Anyways, such a great week! Bong On, her daughter, Sokiang and Bong Phat were baptized this past Sunday! I love them all so much. I love my siblings (bong bo'on) in Cambodia. They are my family. I'm constantly amazed at the love you can have for people. If you involve God in your relationships and your lives you can experience love and joy that is beyond anything that can come from people. The love that I have felt for these people is love from God. And the pure love of Christ never faileth! Such a happy day. It's so amazing to see the change in people's lives through living the gospel. Yesterday, this past Sunday was probably one of the happiest days of my mission. Probably the second happiest (first was Christmas). Also yesterday we received our transfer call.... 

I'M GOING TO BATTAMBANG. AH. I knew it was too good to be true. Whenever you start to truly deeply love the members and investigators in your area it’s like BOOM transfer. I'm super sad to leave Kean Svay and Sister Chin. I love this area with all my heart. I remember my first day and first couple weeks I thought, "How in the heck am I supposed to love this area like Ta Khmau?" And here I am so sad to leave. Missions just make you love people like never before and then you just leave. AH dang it. But I am so pumped to go to Battambang! And I'm going to be companions with Sister Winder! I lived with her in Steung Mean Chey for like three weeks. She is super sweet and chill and awesome. I'm super excited. And I'm getting out of the city. I've been in borderline city areas and now I’m going to a khite! Far away and super awesome. I've always wanted to go to Battambang too. Well I'm just super excited. Well don't have much else to say. That was about it this week.

I just got back from playing soccer with a bunch of missionaries and now I’m drinking a coconut and emailing friends and family so it's a good day. Happy almost Khmer New Year and have a good week!

Love always, 

Sister Mortell

Bong On, Sokiang, Bong Phat :) and who knows the story about the towels haha....

 

Sokiang! She proselyted with us all Sunday. She wants to serve a mission when she gets older.
I found my little sister!

 

 

Bong Took :) our other investigator!

 

 

A couple of photos "borrowed" from facebook.

 

Lovely Learning Week in Kean Svay

Hello Everyone!

Another week went by. Things are going by way fast now. Sometimes the days are long but I really can't believe that it's March. It still feels like January. Anyways I hope things are great wherever you are. Things are great in Kean Svay and Chbaa Amphouv. The Kean Svay branch is really progressing. We spend most of our time proselyting there since mostly all of our investigators go to Kean Svay branch. Lots of biking but a good time.

 I'm really excited for this next Sunday. Bong On, her daughter, Sokian and Bong Phat are getting baptized. Bong On was really nervous she wouldn't be able to be baptized. She "married" (Khmer ceremony) her husband. Then she started learning with us and she decided to move out of her house, take her kids and move in with Ming Vaet (fancy lady picture). Anyways we figured it out and President said it's all good for her to be baptized. And get this! Before, her husband hated that she was learning. I met him once and yes he was a bit scary. He would get mad if she was reading the Book of Mormon so she would wait until he was asleep to read it. He told her she had to choose. So she did and she moved out. BUT. This week he came to church and tomorrow he is meeting the Elders so that's pretty awesome. Bong on has become one of my best friends. She is so sweet and she loves the gospel. She has such great faith and a desire to keep all of God's commandments. She is a great example to me. 

What else? I'm not really sure. It's getting hotter and hotter. There's randomly a bunch of corn being sold on the road now. Sister Pace goes home in a couple weeks. I’m not too happy about that haha. I’m still biking and eating sugar cane juice and living it up. I'm really trying not to stress. I've always had a weakness of stressing and worrying. Am I good enough? What do other people think about me? Am I doing enough? Man, I’m a horrible person and horrible companion and horrible missionary. I'm sure everyone reading this email has felt that way. And sometimes I feel so silly to be stressed out. I'm a missionary! This is probably the happiest calling! Why do I need to stress? I don't! And you don't either. The only thing that matters is God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. Am I good enough? Honestly, no. But with Christ, I am. By ourselves we are nothing, only humans trying to figure out this life. But with our Savior we have potential and light and love and joy. And we can do anything with Him. I'm in the process of understanding this concept and believing it. Believe Christ! Read Elder Bednar’s talk from this past conference. I read it again this morning. So awesome. 

Well that's about it, have a great week!

Love always, 

Sister Mortell

Hand of God moment: Ming Pal (Elder Try's mom, Ally I think you met him in Siem Reap). Anyways I remember the first time I met her she was literally so crazy and hilarious and I felt a little scared. I felt like she hated me haha. And this past Sunday she asked me to be her daughter haha. I love her. 

Bong Phat

One of my favorite members, Ming Vaet. She was on her way to a wedding looking all fancy. Also, I hope you love my white toes :)

Bong On and Sokian. I love them so much.



There was a Cambodian wedding literally right outside our house. We opened the front door and there were all these people eating dinner in fancy Cambodian dresses. Awesome!

The Kean Svay youth showing us their dance.

We had been bowling at AEON mall (It's the big fancy mall in Phnom Penh) and we walked past the movie theaters. I saw an ad for the Beauty and the Beast movie with Emma Watson. Ahh, a little jealous. Oh and I don't know who this is :).

Kind Khmer Week in Kean Svay

So a big ជំរាបសូរ​​ (Cumriabsua, Hello) from Cambodia! I hope everyone is doing well. It was an exciting week for missionary work. Srey Mom and Tiida were baptized! They started learning with the Sisters before, but then Tiida's dad passed away. Sister Chin and I started meeting them again. They started to come back to church and they were super excited to be baptized. Also very terrified. They were so scared of the water. They held my hands super tight but they did it. I'm super excited for them. They try so hard to follow the gospel and the commandments. After the baptism the Branch President had some oreos for them and they told me, "we are fasting.” So sweet. Also coconut oreos are a big thing in Cambodia. So delicious.

Let's see our other investigators... remember Bong Phat? She is still having a hard time. Some days she is great, energized and friendly and some days she looks so gloomy. But I know that she has had the light of the gospel in her. I've seen it. So I really hope that she can overcome this problem. Her mom is convinced that she has a devil inside of her. I don't know what it is but I really hope that she can find light and hope from Jesus Christ. It's been a little tricky situation but I pray and hope that we can help her. 

Bong On and her daughter are doing great. She wants to be baptized so much. She is so excited. It's been hard to meet her recently because she works late and it’s too dark for us to bike home alone. But this week she wants to come home from work early to meet with us so she can be baptized. She's so awesome. She's become one of my best friends. She is so sweet. When we started meeting her she was having a hard time with her husband. He's pretty scary. He told her that she had to choose him or Jesus Christ. She told him, "It's impossible to even put you on the same level as God." So she moved houses, separated from him and now lives with a member. Her one requirement for her new house was it had to be close to the church. So I hope that she can continue on the path and be able to receive baptism. 

What else happened this week? Well we worked on a pig farm and it literally sounded like Jurassic Park. So terrifying and awesome. My job was to blend piles and piles of vegetables into goop. Awesome right? haha. I also went on an exchange with Sister Snooks. She's from Boise and in my MTC group so that was super fun! Two little girls from Idaho biking the roads of Cambodia.

Both of the church buildings in our area are old houses that have been turned into churches and they are both far from our house. We bike so much. It's getting hotter so it is been pretty tiring. We have two sets of elders in our two areas but only one sister companionship so our house is in the middle of the two areas and equally far from everything.

This work is quite something. I'm so thankful that I can be a missionary. I feel blessed to be able to serve my Heavenly Father. And even though I'm not a perfect person or companion or qualified at all, He is still proud of me. And He's proud of you too. And we can't be perfect by ourselves. That's why we have Jesus Christ. So try and be a little better and ask Him for help too. 

Much love to you all! 

Love always, 

Sister Mortell

Sister Snook and Srey Mom and Tiida

Srey Mom and Tiida (also we are starting to do splits on Sundays because we have a lot of investigators in Kean Svay so I was companions with Bong Tiida for like four hours haha).