Down-right Delightfully Dear Week in Battambamg

Hello! I hope everyone is doing great! This week was busy and weird but also super fun and memorable starting off with Tuesday morning. So I get this call Tuesday morning and its Ming Kian's voice. She just tells me, "Sister help me. Sister help me." So apparently her husband lied to her and she literally has no money so she left her house and she didn't have anyone else to call. So after a long day of trying to figure out what we could do, lots of frustrating calls and trying to understand Khmer people (plus Ming Kian talks way fast and throws in random incorrectly pronounced English words) and lots or prayers she somehow made it to safety. Some people, who I believe were answers to our prayers, let her ride with them to this market in the other Battambang area. So now she is there, living with them and trying to find a job. We call her every day to make sure she is okay. She asked for one thing, "When you see me again bring a Book of Mormon (she can't even read) and pictures of Jesus and you.”  She also wanted us to call on the usual day we meet her so we could teach her. Talk about one of the most inspiring and sweetest people I have ever met. It's been a privilege to have her in my life. 

This week was also way fun too. Bong Tii and Ming Vii insisted that we have lunch together. So we ate lunch with them this past Friday. Super delicious. We were doing companionship study Friday morning and I get a call from Ming Vii, "Sister, where are you. Did you forget?? I am angry!" I was like what the heck we didn't forget. So we rushed over and she just says, "Sorry I lied. I just want you to be here for longer and I want to teach you to make food." So we made food and ate together. Probably two of my sweetest friends here in Battambang.

Then super fun day on Saturday. Sister Ren (she served about a year ago) wanted us to come over and celebrate Vonnate's baptism. So all the elders and sisters headed out to her house and we ate koo laung phnom (cow climb mountain). It’s a big deal food here in Cambodia. Also get this. We got all the food together, loaded it on this tractor wagon thing and then road a tractor to their rice field and ate in the middle of the most beautiful rice field. Such a cool day. And then Vonnate was baptized!! It was such a great day! She is so cute. She told us, "When I got out of the water I felt like God was near me. I felt so warm." She is the sweetest. 

Also this week we met probably the coolest Cambodian ever. Ming Rannee. She is the mother of Kanya who is a member. She said she wants to learn finally. Most of her kids are baptized and she told us, "Hey let’s all just be soksabbay together" and I don't even know why she is the coolest person ever. She is just so spunky and has so much style but also lives in a dirt floored house. She is like the Khmer Julie Andrews. Anyways so she is great and I'm excited for her to learn. 

So it was just a fun, good week this week. I love Battambang. I'm sad that I might leave soon but who knows? 

I also want to share this scripture I read during personal study. I think it’s become one of my favorite scriptures. 

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

The reason I love this is because I know it’s true! I love the last part, "a very present help in trouble". God is with us through it all whether we realize it in the moment or later, much later. He is our present help always. Even the white handbook for missionaries says, "Your Father in Heaven should be your first source of help." I am so grateful that I have a Father that cares what I think, what I have to say and what I cherish. He is my refuge and strength. 

I hope you all have a great week and enjoy July!

Love always,

Sister Mortell



Bong Tii and Ming Vii with our delicious food.



Bong Tii insisted that I hold this guava in the picture.



Cute Sister Lunsford in Dombouk Kpueh

Bong Sa'aem is the cutest!

Vonnate's baptism! Also two of my very sweet friends got baptized too! Bong Sa'aem (Bong Tii's sister-in-law who loves me and I love her to pieces), and Sokia (one of our English class students). Such a happy day!!!!

 

 

This is Srey Kaa. She is one of Bong Tii's nieces. She is 12 years old and she reads the Book of Mormon every day. There wasn't enough room on Bong Tii's moto so we biked with her to and from church. She is adorable!