Thursday, November 28, 2013

Beautiful Cambodia

These are pictures from some of our recent travels to the provinces, and show the beautiful Cambodian countryside.




For some reason these remind of "tinker wagons" that you read about in stories.  They are loaded up with clay pots and jars from Kampong Chnang, where most of them are made, and then they go thoughout the country selling their wares town to town.



A typical wood home for a farm laborer-- similar to what many of our members in the provinces live in.


This statue makes us laugh every time we pass it.  To us it looks like the noble prince is abandoning his princess and leaving her to fend for herself as he rides off into the sunset!  I think the fable actually is that she is a wicked demon in disguise who is attempting vanquish him as he fends her off.


We stopped at a place that sells handmade crafts outside of kampong Chnang... they were carving as well as sell clay ceramics.







Their daughter was truly adorable

The sun is hot, school is out, what could be more fun that washing down the family cows?

A little nicer country house on high stilts.

These pictures are from a trip we made to a place 1.5 hours from Phnom Penh with the Minister of Cults and Religions (seated next to me) to donate food and supplies to flood victims in that area.  We provided rice and oil and fish sauce to approximately 600 families in that area.  They had quite a lot of families displaced by the flooding in their village because the river washed away roads and houses on the side of the river-- whole sections of the river bank collapsed from the high flood waters and were washed away.  There were several deaths in this village from it.  They make quite a production out of the donating of the assistance-- this happens every time LDSC makes donations.  Weird but how it has to happen here.  The people seemed very appreciative.  We felt bad though-- when we arrived they had already been sitting out in the hot sun next to the food they were receiving, waiting for the government officials and VIP's.  Then they had to sit while all the officials made speeches!  We tried to keep ours short!  Then they had us walk up and down the rows of people shaking their hands while they expressed their appreciation.
















Sister Moon with the Minister's wife below-- she is very nice, as is he.

The Minister with Sister Kohls, our LDSC couple.

Elder Uch returned from his mission in Australia-- we greeted him and his family at the mission home and released him, then drove he and his luggage to the family's small home in a very poor area of the city.  Pretty tough what these missionaries return home to compared to where they have been in more developed countries.


Our 9 new local missionaries right before we sent them off to the MTC in Manila...


Let's see, we have crickets, spiders below, and cockroaches below that.  Anyone hungry?  Yes, these are for eating.



I think I'll eat the flowers instead...  these are handcrafted flowers, made out of flowers... very beautiful

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Random photos and Hanoi Vietnam District Conference

This photo below is while on some member visits at the South District Conference - near trash mountain in Steung Mean Chey

District and Branch presidents in Vietnam - a working session first part of November

Sister Moon in front of the HCMC opera house

Very fun pop-up cards - handmade

East District Conference visits - this good brother is a long time member, his whole family are members.  Doesn't come real often, but shared a strong testimony with us.
The branch president to his right, and also counselor in branch presidency

Sister Ming Thy from Kean Svay

Elder Funk and Elder Chan were the presiding authorities at the East District Conference

Sister Neang Srey Neach from Kien Svay departing from airport on her way to her mission in Singapore-- she went to the Provo MTC first


On November 23, 2013, we, along with Elder & SIster Gong, met with Brother Loc and his fiance in HCMC at our hotel-- they are such a cute couple.  He is a returned missionary in HCMC, and a film producer.



Sister Moon with SIster Van's family in Hanoi.  They are taking the missionary lessons-- Sister Van is so happy about that!  Her mother and youngest sister have accepted an invitation to be baptized!

Elder Thai's mother in Hanoi


As part of district conference in Hanoi we held a special meeting, including HCMC by 2-way video broadcast, where we took necessary actions to create an Interim Representative Board, charter, and so on for a legal entity in Vietnam for the church.  This was an exciting and historic step forward in working together with the Vietnamese government towards recognition of the Church as a national religion there.  The man in the middle of the priesthood leaders is part of the national police organization with responsibility over religions, and a key influencer in the government relationship, who came and joined the meeting with us.
From left to right, others are Rick Page, Pres. Moon, Elder Gong, Pres. Tung, Pres. Thinh, Pres. Thanh


Sister Moon and our beloved returned missionary Sister Pham (Huong)  SHe is the Relief Society President currently in Hanoi.  She is planning to go to Utah and attend school at the University of Utah this January.