October 24 2014 - School humanitarian project with LDSC

On 24 October 2014 we spent a wonderful day with Elder & Sister Kohl's our outgoing LDSC humanitarian services couple, and also Elder & Sister Meinzer-- the incoming LDSC couple for Cambodia, who had just arrived in country, going to a ceremony at a school in Prey Veng province where the church had helped build a well.  Above the ribbon cutting ceremony to inaugurate the well and pump  Below Elder Kohls drinking from the well-- to make sure the villagers know it is safe to drink.

We also distributed some food and other items to the villagers who had gathered for the ceremony.

Traveling from the village to another rural area where we checked on new latrines being built by LDSC

The rice fields are beautiful and getting ready for harvest this time of year.

I think this is Elder Kohls and Elder Meinzer arguing about the finer points of latrine building.  Just kidding.

Then we went to a local school in the hometown of the deputy minister of the Ministry of Cults and Religions-- this was so much fun-- the elementary school children were all lined up so nicely waiting for us to arrive.

The children of Cambodia wait expectantly-- I'm sure bored to tears by the speeches of the government and religious officials.

We distributed backpacks to all the children, with some school supplies in them.  There were pink backpacks and blue backpacks.  I of course figured we should give the pink ones to the girls, but Elder and Sister Kohls assured me they don't care about the color and some of the boys even wanted pink.  Certainly wouldn't have flown in America!

Hoping there is enough left for them... actually we ran out and were feeling really badly that some children had not received one. Then Elder Meinzer found a whole big sack full of them tucked away in the head teacher's office-- hmmm... not sure why that was... but we were glad that we found the rest of them and none of the children had to go without.

The deputy minister and his wife.  She is very kind and we often see her at the ceremonies we attend with them.  They are a wonderful couple-- he is Christian and so helpful and kind to our Church.