An Amazing Awesome Week in Battambang

So it was a great week in Battambang! 

So you know the awesome Lookpuu Yuit and Yuan? The family we taught last week? They are relatives of bong Tii. Well anyways they are really great. I’m trying really hard to teach them and love them according to their needs. I just feel a super sweet connection with them. We taught them about the restoration and we brought the restoration video to watch the first vision. We also invited bong Tii to come and help us teach. We just had a great lesson. It’s such a privilege to testify of the restored gospel and of the Book of Mormon. It's true! Sorry everyone, its true! It's just that good! We came back later in the week with some reading glasses for the Lookpuu and we read in the Book of Mormon together. It has just been a special experience. I feel like I’m not rushing to teach them. I want to help them understand and to feel the Spirit. I've also gained a purer testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful to have a scripture that not only teaches me how to be good and to follow Christ but the Book of Mormon has the fullness of the gospel. It is the way we can receive peace now and joy in the life to come. We can receive answers to lifelong questions of the soul by a little faith, reading and sincere prayer. 

Anyways the Lookpuu came to the church! I was sitting by Bong Tii and her niece. Her niece (six years old) pulled on my arm saying, "Lookpuu Yuit came! Lookpuu Yuit came!” Sacrament meeting randomly started like 25 minutes late so he got there just in time for Bong Tii to be confirmed and to partake of the Sacrament. 

Miracle (maybe sweetest moment of my mission): So let me just tell you about Bong Tii. She was a referral from the elders. They had taught her a couple times and then they referred her over to us. We taught her the lessons and have helped her prepare to be baptized. She is one of the most humble followers of Christ I've seen. She is funny. She is humble and she is caring. Her heart is gold. She doesn't take crap but she doesn't give it out. Anyways she is just a solid, loving person. I remember maybe the second lesson we had with her she asked me, "so can I pray to have a baby?” She hasn't been able to have any kids and she desperately wants to have a baby. So ever since, she has prayed, in every lesson, for a daughter. And ever since I have prayed, every night, for her to have a baby. And this past Saturday she was baptized! It was a great baptism. She was nervous and excited. And that night I remember praying very sincerely, "please give Bong Tii a baby. She can raise her children in the gospel." Also the elders that night told me they were fasting for her to have a baby. Anyways so then tomorrow comes, Sunday and she was confirmed. She was confirmed by Sister Chin's (my former companion) dad actually! He is from a different branch and doesn't know Bong Tii but he came because he's part of the branch presidency. Anyways he gave her a beautiful blessing and then said, "You will be a good mother in this church" then he hesitated a bit and then he said it again, "You will be a good mother." After he said "Amen" I erupted in a huge smile. I saw the elders and we exchanged smiles for a good 5 minutes. We couldn't believe what just happened. It was one of those moments like "what the heck!!!! It’s true!!!" That was something I’ll hold very dear to my heart. I couldn't sing the sacrament hymn because I was smiling too much. Also I started to tear up and bong Tii slapped me on the arm and laughed at me. A simple Lookpuu, who has faith and exercises his priesthood power just answered many prayers. I think she will be a great mother one day too. That was one of the sweetest moments of my mission. 

Well there's not really much else this week. Assing and Thib (Ming Chon's granddaughters) are the cutest things ever. Ming Chon said, "Before they were scared of sisters but now they love learning. You are so funny and they love the gospel.” They are my little sisters!

I hope everyone has a good week. If you haven't asked God in a while, ask Him if the Book of Mormon is true or not. He will answer. He knows our names and our joys and sorrows. Stay bonded to Him through the rough and He will make you pure. 

Much love, 

Sister Mortell

My year mark! Thought a selfie was appropriate.



Bong Tii's baptism

My little sisters, Asing and Thib and Ming Chon :)



Beautiful sunset on the way to Battambang

On the Bamboo train!

Zippy Zion-like Week in Battambang

This week was super awesome. One of the better weeks of my mission. So I’ll just give you the rundown of Battambang Branch 2. Bong Tii is literally so awesome. She is faithful and just really chill. She has a great desire to follow God and she's going to be baptized this Saturday. Then we have Ming Kiang who is also great, a little different but she has a great heart. Craziness happened this week. So Ming Kiang lives way far out and we bike and bike in the heat. Usually we bike out to her house once a week. But last week she said she wanted to be baptized and then go to Thailand so she wanted to get baptized sooner. So we biked out to her house 3 times this week. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. It was exhausting. And we soon figured out that she is actually not married to her husband. His wife died last Decemeber and then he married Ming Kiang. So they are not married which causes a problem for her baptism. They are so poor they can't afford to buy a marriage certificate. So then she told us that she would leave with this group that was going to Thailand this Sunday. She wanted to go to Thailand, work (pick mangoes), come back, learn again, get married with the mango money and then be baptized. So on Friday we saw her again, said goodbyes and it was a really tender experience and lo and behold on Sunday we see her walk into church. So she's apparently not going to Thailand haha. She's become one of my good friends. So that's the Ming Kiang story. Our other investigators, Assing and Thib (Ming Chon's granddaughters) are literally the cutest people ever and I want them to be my little sisters. 

But let me just tell you about yesterday! So yesterday we met with Bong Tii's brother, Lookpuu Huen and niece, Srey Hoan. Srey Hoan sat in on a lesson with Bong Tii and now she wants to learn. So Sunday night we biked out to her house and I maybe had the coolest lesson and most joyful night I have ever had. We came to their house and Bong Tii was there and like 9 of Bong Tii's relatives, nieces and nephews were gathered around. They all want to learn. And so we taught them about God. We just briefly explained what we do. We are missionaries. We teach about Jesus Christ. We teach the restored gospel of our Savior because we know that only through this gospel we can change. We can repent and receive relief from guilt and joy from pain. I asked them, "What is hard about this life?" the Lookpuu quickly answered, "Having enough food for my family, sickness, work..." and as we were surrounded by 12 of my Khmer brothers and sisters, Sister Lunsford had the privilege to testify of our Savior. And then we simply taught about prayer and our Heavenly Father. The Spirit was with us, I could feel it. Prayer is so special to me. We literally have Heavenly Father's ears and heart ready to listen to us at all times. It is by a prayer that we have this gospel today and it is by prayer that we can know for ourselves that we are His beloved sons and daughters and it is my prayer that we can know of truth. So I will pray for them. I hope they can feel of the joy that only the Savior can bring and love that only Heavenly Father can give. 
I am so happy to represent my Savior and my Father. 

Love always,  

Sister Mortell

ស៊ីស្ទើរ ម៉ូរធែល

Ming Kiang

Ming Kiang and Sister Lunsford

 

Yadda Yadda Week in Battambang

Hello Everyone!

Battambang is great! And I’m going to be staying here for another transfer in Battambang! So this week was super super fun and exciting! This past Tuesday we had an English class party at this super fun park in Battambang. We had efy music and David Archuleta, pamphlets, candy, balloons, flyers. It was super fun and I think a success. The next day on Wednesday was also way fun. We did service for these members. Not moving dirt, but rocks! We moved this big pile of rocks and made it into a path for their house. And it poured. It poured. It was the hardest rain I've ever seen. And it felt so good. This mission is the closest swimming non-swimming mission there is. 

So this week was great for Battambang. We have an investigator Bong Tii. She is super awesome and loves learning with the sisters. Hopefully she will be baptized in the next couple weeks. She told us, "My neighbors make fun of me for learning about Jesus, but I don't care. I believe it." So awesome!!  We also have Ming Kiang. She lives kind of far away but we bike out to see her. I think she's really lonely. She’s a little hard on the outside but this week we got to know her a little more and found that she has a really sweet heart. She confided in us and just cried and cried. She wants to be baptized. She wants to follow Him. We had a crazy but spiritual, really good lesson with her. It’s such a privilege to testify of Christ. I really loved what my companion Sister Lunsford told her (Shout out to her, she was totally inspired by the Spirit) Ming Kiang was telling us that everyone just treats her badly, she's been alone most of her life, she's been people's servants and maids and no one shows any love to her. She said, "I just want to help everyone but I can't ,"and then Sister Lunsford said, "Maybe you can't do it, but Christ can." And that is something that I've remembered ever since. Maybe we can't do it with our own hands but Christ will put us on His shoulders and carry us home. (Shout out to President Uchtdorf). And Ming Kiang thanked us. The little bit of love we have shown to her is about the only love she's ever received. What a privilege. 

Also something cool happened this past Sunday. So, no teacher showed up for Sunday school Gospel Principles class or Relief Society so I taught both of them. In Relief Society the President was sick so she didn't come and there were no teachers. Everyone was at a loss. I just sat there hoping they'd find a solution but also knowing that I would probably have to teach haha. So I ended up teaching. So I just straight up asked them, "What do you want to learn about? What’s hard in your life? What do you need help with?” and they answered, “I don't have any money," "I don't have a job," "I’m sick," "I want my children to go to school and be happy," so then I thought for a second and President Nelson popped into my head. Fall conference, he said, "And our purpose is to have Joy? What?" So then we talked about joy and what brings us joy. They answered quickly, "The gospel", "God", "Family.” So then we concluded that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings us true joy. So then I read Alma 7: 11-13. I asked them what Christ has suffered for us from those verses. And it was everything they answered the first question. Christ has literally suffered everything unfair, bad, and worse and heartbreaking because He loves us. He's already suffered for us. So what do we need to do? Ming Cam Raun answered, "Repent." So with a group of about 20 Cambodian neakmings and bongs we found the answer to joy. Repentance. Mosiah 3:19. So awesome. Okay I’m out of time but I’m definitely pumped about the gospel and the scriptures.

Love always, 

Sister Mortell

ស៊ីស្ទើរ ម៉ូរធែល

We had a wedding this week in Battambang. Here we are with some of the youth in Battambang. Guess what? I played the piano for the wedding, musical number and when the bride walked down the aisle. haha

At the wedding with Sister Lunsford, Sister Kosal, Sister Chhel and Sister Peng (she lived in the house in Steung Mean Chey)

Sister Kosal! She did my make-up for the last time. She's going home and I will miss her!

 

These last two pictures were posted on Facebook. Thank you!

X-tra X-citing Week in Battambang

Well it was a great week. I’m sitting here though forgetting everything that happened. We started this week in Phnom Penh. We have become very well acquainted with the bus crew from Phnom Penh to Battambang haha. But we went to Phnom Penh for this leadership meeting. It was super awesome. Our mission really has amazing missionaries that I am so privileged so serve with. Also President and Sister Christensen are truly some of the most amazing people I've ever met. I know I'm biased but this mission truly is a very special mission. I am so happy I can be here in Cambodia. These people are special. This place is special. Yes it’s crazy and frustrating and stressful and sometimes it’s just like, "Ah why can't my mission be like “The District" haha but I love this place and the people here and the special work God is doing here. 

On Sunday Elder Nelson from “Two Bothers Two” came to visit. I didn't talk to him because he left after testimony meeting but that was kind of cool. He’s famous in our mission. Every single missionary has probably watched it before they serve. It’s pretty accurate too. 

So anyways this week we bused back to Battambang and started up again. This week was kind of hard proselyting because Sunday was the big election day (they happen every 5 years, so it’s a pretty big thing). So a lot of people had to travel back to their hometowns to vote (including all of the Khmer missionaries). Battambang was crazy. For the past 2 weeks we've had a rally right by our house with music blasting all around. Also on Friday we literally got stuck inside this wat (Buddhist temple) because on every side of the exits there was a huge rally parade thing going on. So we made friends with these little girl and actually we're going to teach her family tomorrow. So that’s cool. So it was a weird week but a good one too. 

This week we had three new investigators. They were referrals from our branch missionary leader who is so awesome. He literally is a missionary. It’s such a blessing to actually have a branch missionary leader that is not less active haha. Anyways their names are Ming Sokom, Bong Touc and Bong Kon. They have great potential. All three of them can't read (most of our investigators can't read actually) but they already have great faith. The Khmer people are very faithful and accepting. 

Anyways not much this week but the work is great. This gospel is life changing. Literally life changing. I love the scripture Mosiah 3:19. It’s been a theme scripture throughout my mission. The fact that through Christ's atonement we can become pure and holy. Our hands can be made clean and our hearts pure. 

. . . and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child,

I also love studying this verse with the last verses of D&C 50 

40 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.

41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;

42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost. 

Through Christ we can become saints and children. We can actually change. Our thoughts, actions and behaviors can truly change. I love that the name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There's even Saints in the name of our church because we believe we can become who Heavenly Father needs and wants us to be through His Son's Atonement.

Anyways have a great week!

Much love to you all! Have a happy June!

Love always,  

Sister Mortell
ស៊ីស្ទើរ ម៉ូរធែល

My companions! (Current and former companions)

I love Asian squatting now.