Happy Easter ! The seasons change so little here that we find it easy to lose track of holidays, but this Easter finds us filled with a deeper appreciation for the Savior and the reality of the His resurrection. We were taught powerfully by the Spirit this past district meeting in Siem Reap as Elder Stevens led us in a discussion of the Savior and the completion of His mission. I am so grateful for the opportunities the Lord is granting us to increase our gratitude and understanding of the Atonement....
We are happy to report that we again have had an "uneventful" past few weeks! Although uneventful in accidents or illness, our lives have been full of the events of the Spirit. One of those experiences happened last week as we worked with our missionaries in Siem Reap and if I may, I will share it from my perspective. After an appointment had fallen through, there was some quick discussion as where to go next. A sister's name came up with several other options, and feeling that it would be good to go by to see her, I made that suggestion. After Elder Godfrey called her to make sure she was home, he told us she was expecting us. I was a bit puzzled by her comment, but I assumed that I could have had a misunderstanding in the translation. The sister's husband, who is not a member, met us at the main road and directed us back to their very humble home. As we walked in and sat on the floor she began to share with us the health difficulties she has been experiencing, the prayers she had offered for days and the hope she had that someone from the Church would come by to see her. That day, she had again pled with the Lord and asked that the elders would come and administer to her- and she received assurance that that day they would come to her.
You can imagine my feelings... my impression was no more than a thought, and how easy it would have been to set it aside. I was humbled to the bottom of my soul and thanked the Lord for His tender mercies for the impression, and the immediate support from the elders. I was left to ponder how many experiences with the Spirit I have failed to enjoy because gentle are the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. In the daily hectic rush of life we find our lives so full of "noise" that it is so difficult if not impossible to feel those gentle whisperings unless we are seeking to keep our hearts in tune with the Spirit of the Lord.
The first counselor in our KT branch recently moved from a comfortable Khmer home to a woven mat shelter they constructed on property they owned nearby. Their first hand dug well was dry, and they tried again in back of their house where they were able to find water at about 4 feet. In the weeks since they dug this well, the property behind them has been sold out for fill, and the water table disturbed to the point that they now have very little water. Elder Dickerson and the elders from KT provided service in helping Brother Rutee deepen the well.
Consider the heat from the equator sun, rock-hard clay and stone, in a hole circumference of about 2 and a half feet to work in. You can only stab down, scrape what you can onto a woven basket scoop, attach it to a rope and wait till the scoop is emptied from above your head and lowered again. Elder Dickerson and two of the other elders were simply too large to work in the well, so they waited above to dump the fill. After a full day of work, there was still no water. When Elder Dickerson came back from their house, he expressed his awe at the patience of Brother Rutee and his total lack of complaining. After taking a soil sample in to a local water driller, Brother Rutee was told that he would need to dig an additional 6 more feet before he would probably find water.... Every aspect of the lives of the people here in Cambodia gives us an opportunity to feel and express gratitude for unappreciated blessings.
We are so looking forward to General Conference this weekend- for us, April 11 and 12. The Conference DVDs are sent to Cambodia from Hong Kong in English and Khmer. General Conference has taken on a whole new dimension for us as we more fully appreciate the world-wide scope of the Church and the blessing of living prophets- not to mention the absolute joy for me of being able to sing the songs of Zion in English!
We wish you the joys of the Easter season and express our love and gratitude to each of you for your prayers and love, and send ours to you!!
Hugs and love and more hugs and love!
Elder and Sister Dickerson, (Grandpa and Grandma!)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
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