January 7, 2009

We spent the New Year in Siem Reap over our "long week"...We were quite surprised to receive many "Happy New Year!" greetings from our Cambodian friends. Their New Year begins in April with a three day holiday, so we did not expect there would be much notice taken of the changing calender year. Our favorite was a text message from Mori who works at the LDS Service Center in Phenom Phen who sent us: "Happy New Year! 2009!! I wish you perfect health, Great wealth, Big luck, True love, Huge success, Everlasting and never ending happiness"....How's that for a New Year's greeting?

One of our work-in-progress goals has been to set up a more efficient schedule with our full-time missionaries in KT and SR. We are committed to teaching the Family Guide Book and Family Home Evening to all of our families in both branches, and we are blessed to have their support. We have become adjusted to using a translator- we know to double the time it takes to teach and use simple words and concepts as much as possible. The old adage, "A picture is worth a thousand words" is REALLY true in our situation, so we use visuals as much as we can. One of our best teaching tools has been a simple 4 piece large puzzle of a picture of a father, mother, and infant in their arms...As we teach the importance of the family, they put it together, and when one piece is taken out it leaves such a loss in the picture that it teaches the concept for us.

A brief explanation of this week's photographs: (hopefully this is in the order they are posted!)

*Taken of the baptism of a family in our Siem Reap branch- they are so excited about the gospel!
*During one of our morning walks in KT, I visited with a wonderful grandma who lives by herself in a tiny typical Khmer house. In her front yard is a little ancestral shrine, and to my delight, it is also her kitty's house! (look inside the shrine carefully, because the cat has striped fur and is hard to see)
* While on our last trip to Phenom Phen, we were walking to lunch when we passed by a large gate with this sign posted on it about the owner's dog- it made our day!
* In Siem Reap last week, we went out to a small village to visit a less active member family. After we had parked the car and were walking in, we passed by an older woman (82 years old) who was weaving baskets to take to the market to sell. She was just charming, and we exchanged hugs and laughter.( I also bought the basket sitting to my side for her asking sum of $2.25.)
*The next picture(s?) was taken of the preparations for our KT branch Christmas meal.
*The little white house photo from KT is the only "cottage western style" home we have seen in Cambodia and it sits off the road nestled in a small grouping of trees. Elder Dickerson loves to walk by it and we put off our "mission hats" for a moment and talk about our own little "dog house" we hope to have for ourselves someday.
* The group of men is from the local market in KT- they are playing a favorite Khmer board game which is a mix of chess and checkers. Two might be playing, but the crowd around them are certainty active participants!
* One of my favorite sounds of Cambodia is the wood or bone clacker bells they put on cows and ponies. Before we left our mission, I wanted to somehow get a ride behind one of the little pony carts, and last week I did! This man was hauling charcoal in bags and with my limited Khmer and lots of motions, he cheerfully let me clamber on the back and get a ride down the road- it was so fun!
* The last set of photographs (we hope!) was taken in the courtyard of our local school. They have been working on an expansion for several months, and this particular morning we got to see the children at work digging and hauling dirt to fill. As I have mentioned earlier, they use this woven wicker "scoops" to carry and haul nearly everything- much the same way we would use a wheel barrow.

Pictures really do not capture these moments or experiences as we wish they would, but they are a visual history of our life here in Cambodia. Nearly every day we experience a "new thing", but every day increases our gratitude for blessings we were blind to before. We also share our gratitude for the miracle and wonder of the Lord's work we are privileged to wittiness. We love you all- each and every one!!!!!! Hugs and hugs and hugs!!!!! Love Elder and Sister Dickerson ie. Grandpa and Grandma