MOVE TO KAMPONG SPEU!

 Oct. 25-Nov. 2, 2025

Oct. 24th-27th

BIG MOVE DAY!!  Here goes the domino!!  We are the beginning one, so our promptness is important to be right on schedule.  After us, the Mortensens move into our place.  After them, the sisters move into their place.  Shift, shift, shift!

We were able to move everything in three carloads.  We buckled down and cleaned and cleaned before moving the last load.  (We decided to move it outside and come back the next day).  After we were done, we were hungry, but it was raining so hard.  Our original market plan didn't work, so we went to the little cafe in the borrey for our final meal.  What a surprise to be treated so nicely by Mona, the owner!  Along with three workers, they all surrounded our table to get our order and watch that our every need was met!  Mona talked with us most of the time!  Great place, especially the fresh pineapple juice, which she treated us to.  I think we will frequent this place anytime we are back over that way!

First night at Kampong Speu...well, felt a contrast, for sure!  The honeymoon is over.:)  Searched and found my contact lense case, but nothing else was unpacked. Then we crashed. The bed was very hard, the bedding was not ours and felt uncomfortable, and boxes were everywhere. It was honestly a bit overwhelming.  

The next day brought new light!!  Literally....light through our window and beautiful quiet streets as we opened the curtains.  We spent much time unpacking and switching mattresses and bedding, moving some furniture around, etc.  We received new desks and a couch and chair.  We still needed to address the kitchen and cleaning on this end, but we got the ball rolling!

We drove back to Phnom Penh for our last load and also went by Macro to restock a few things.  Then a long drive back to Kamboul for English class and then finally to home.  It is over over two hours when there it is market time.  Lots of traffic; lots of driving.  

On Monday we spent the day taming the beast!!  We cleaned and organized, especially the kitchen.  We met a few new neighbors across the street at the internet place.  So nice!!  (And they spoke English - whew!)  We by a basic all-a-dollar store for some great little supplies.  Again, the "beautiful eyes" comments from the two employees there!  It happens every day!!  AND we found that there is a Mixue within a 15 minute walking time!  Now we know we are home!!  The four girls there were fascinated with us.  We are expanding our circle of fun influence just by being out. 

Later in the week, Bro. Tay from the church facilities, his assistant, Bro. Mortensen, and the two A.P.'s all came to work out logistics for the set up.  What excitement is in the air!!  Love that Bro. Tay sees the big vision and is definitely a decider and a do-er.  Things are moving fast!   

And here we are, official residents of Kampong Speu!

Sun., Oct. 26th

Stake Conference!  Beautiful group of saints and a very lovely church building (The North Stake Center).  I heard that the stake executive clerk counted 648 people in attendance!!  Unbelievable!!  Pres. and Sis. Hoare were among the speakers.....loved their messages on trusting the Lord.  Sis. Hoare even bore her testimony in Khmei!!

 

Best part of all.......Pheakday and Pohun and Rosaa came!!!!  WOW!!  What an effort!!  Their first time at church and so far away.  They seemed very happy with the experience.  They also got to meet Pres. Jon (Kamboul group leader) and Pres. and Sis. Hoare. 

Afterwards, we drove to their house for a wonderful lunch, including a live chicken, killed and skinned and cooked in front of us!  And, by the way, this included all the innards, too!  I secretly fed some to their dogs, who were very happy recipients!  There was also an egg from inside the chicken that was prepared especially for Jim. :)  We went on a walk to see the little lake by Pheakday's home and his very own rice patty.  Fascinating.  Such a peaceful life!  He is a man of many interests....or side quests, as the missionaries call it!  We also dropped by his mother's home to see the new little grandchild.  Such a wonderful, integrated, supportive family feeling!  An older man there offered the baby to me to take back to America.  I thought he was kidding, of course, but the elders told me he was very serious!  

The baby they wanted me to take back to America!

Sokaneen - the young lady ALSO learning!

 

Oct. 28th

District council.  Love their insights!  Once again, El. Madrid showed to be an insightful, humble, articulate, loving leader.  I believe he is going to be an important leader in his church community as the years go by.  The focus was on commitments and blessings. Summary of topics during this transfer:  revelation, Book of Mormon, following promptings, bringing Christ into every lesson.  I am better because of this return to important focuses.

In the afternoon, we enjoyed a market lunch with Sis. Kaltaler and Sis. Gapasin.  They are so fun!  I just love these sisters!  After hearing Sis. Gapasin's growing-up story in the Philippines, I told her I could be her adopted mom!  They taught me how to order a drink and ask for the bill after our meal. :)  

Then off for another meal at the Elders' place!  They made a wonderful taco dinner - seasoned filling, pico de gayo, guacomole, homemade tortillas, etc.  And they loved the rare-to-get cheese I brought!   I am so impressed with the culinary skills that presented themselves!!  The homemade tortillas were delicious - I could eat them just by themselves!  We will definitely make those again on our own!

Oct. 29

Language class in the morning.  I tried a detailed prayer without any notes, but really messed up!  Had it down earlier.....oh well!  Keep on trying!!  Learned many good phrases and tips.  I need to remember to relax and breathe deeply - this calms by mind and lets go of anxiety.

Sis. Mortensen's senior devotional message was very inspiring - faith over fear.  Beautifully presented.  Those thoughts will linger long.

Then off to my first haircut and color! Went to a recommended place by Sis. Webb, Quick Beauty 608 (the street they are on).  Winn, the hairdresser, was fantastic!  He is originally from Vietnam, speaks English (a big plus!), and has been styling hair over 30 years.  The salon was nice - I felt pampered! He was able to get my style right.  Will definitely return!

Killing Fields

We met up with Nak Nak from the church distribution center and went over to The Killing Fields.  It was sobering and heartwrenching to be there.  This was one of the main centers of genocidal murders.....between 2 and 3 million people in Cambodia killed between 1976-1978. (many exact records have been lost)  They persecuted and killed minorities (such as Chinese, Vietnamese, Muslims, Buddhist monks), professionals (such as doctors, lawyers, and teachers), and anyone who seemed even slightly intellectual (such as wearing glasses, from the city, speaking another language, etc.)....along with their families.  At the end, the Khmer Rouge was also murdering thousands of suspected traitors and spies in their own ranks.

The Khmer Rouge wanted to remake the society with communist ideals and felt that any Western influence was corrupt.  Religious beliefs were forbidden, civil rights taken away, and property conviscated.  They force-marched the city people into the countryside to do hopeless agricultural projects, which caused massive starvation and disease, a major humanitarian crisis in and of itself.

The Killing Fields (which they actually now refer to as a Memorial) was just outside of Phnom Penh and was one of hundreds of sites that became mass graveyards.  Bullets were not wasted here - they took place with pick axes, sharp bamboo leaf edges, and knives.  Prisoners were forced to dig their own graves, and often the graves were very shallow because their were so weak. Human bones and clothing remnants can still be seen sticking out of the ground.  After some time, they chose to stop excavating all the dead and keep it as a sacred ground.  There is a tall stupa at the site packed with thousands of skulls, grouped by sex, age, and how they were murdered.  There are mounds of mass graves everywhere.  One was a grave that was strictly headless people.  The hardest to see was the grave where mothers and babies were thrown in.  There is a tree marked where the soldiers would bash the babies against it in front of their mothers, and then kill the mothers.  It is so horrifying.  It is frightening that it happened by their own people, in their own country.

 

Afterwards Nak Nak took us to the orphanage nearby that she ran for 10 years.  It sits right by a large mountain of garbage (literally a mountain), the garbage dump.  The smell is atrocious. Nak Nak rescued over 30 children who lived there and even personally sponsored several of them.  It is a remarkable service from a very charitable heart.  We then returned to her home and met her family and several extended family members.  They are all involved in projects throughout Cambodia that deal with humanitarian aid.  In their service, they are striving to help the next generation become self-reliant.

Oct.30

Another wonderful afternoon/evening with El. Madrid and El. Lttle.  We visited Hing See Pannhaa  (Chesoot's mom).  His dad was gone until the end.  She has been reading the Book of Mormon diligently!!  She is thirsty to learn truth!!  What a true joy to witness her drawing to the truth.   The lesson was on prophets, especially Joseph Smith, and the restoration.  She listens and responds with such faith.  She even wanted to say the opening prayer!  Jim bore a strong testimony of the restoration, and I bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon.  Reading it to feel the Spirit is something I totally believe in.  It is more than a narrative; it is something that literally brings power into our lives.  

Then to Pheakday's area.  Rain was about to burst forth, and people on one lane were madly gathering their rice that had been drying into the large grain bags.  We stopped, and Jim and the elders jumped out to help.  They were very appreciated!  And quite a little gathering happened to watch this unusual sight!   They also hefted the large bags and put them into covered storage.  What a job!  One women came to doctor up a small abrasion Jim got.  It is good to let others serve us, too!

Got to Pheakday's home, and they actually were not there; they were at market selling their meat.  We still gathered with neighbors and had five new teaching friends join (and of course, the large group of wonderful children!).  Amazing to hear JaaNee and DaNae teach others about prayer, share their own experience, and bear testimony of it.  Wow, they are missionaries before their time!    A member family who lives not too far away joined our lesson.  It is so helpful to see others like them bearing witness.

Afterwards, we went to the members' home (about 15 min. away) for a lovely hamburger dinner.  A real rarity to have ground beef!....they made a "Western" meal for us.....hamburger patties, cheese (another rarity), toasted buns, all the fixings....   So very generous! They really went out of their way to make it something we might like!!

Oct. 31-Nov. 1

Happy Halloween!  Happy last day of October!  Without feeling a change in seasons, we are feeling in somewhat of a time warp.  It definitely does not feel like fall at all!  We got to see all the grandchildren's costumes via phone photos.  Ahhh, I do miss them!!!  Admittedly a bit homesick!!

There was a wedding going on right outside of our church home.  It seemed unusually loud.  It started on Wednesday morning and finally ended on Saturday night at 10:30.  Drums, dissonant traditional Khmei music, and loud speaker calling began at 6:30 a.m. and going all day long.  Over a hundred people were lined up at that time to go inside. Super hard to concentrate inside our home.  At night it turned into a regular disco light dancing party with loud modern music and spotlights.  Many guards were posted around the event.  Lots of cars parked in the large field by our home  So glad it is finally over!!  It was tortuous to my karma!

Last rabies shot, shot #5!!  Whew, done!!!  I suppose I'm "safe" now,  I got to know several of the staff quite well.  This was quite a thorough process!