TENDER MERCIES AND MISSION MIRACLES (Dec. 2025)

 "As you make 

the continual strengthening 

of your testimony of Jesus Christ 

your highest priority, 

watch for MIRACLES 

to happen in your life.

-Pres. Russell M Nelson

-There seems to an outpouring of kindness in sharing food to our little district recently: giant jackfruit and fish sauce delivered on modo with family of four; bottles of soy milk from an appreciative neighbor (elders helped her with gathering her rice); coconut jelly dessert; papaya and long-string fruit (what is it?); homegrown rice; etc.  Several were from appreciative English class members.  Such gifts of the heart!  Extended love is definitely a tender mercy.

-A bag of fish was given to us and the elders at Pheakday's home in the morning.  I just happened to be searching for something else in the car and saw the bag on the back seat (third row back).  Yikes!  What a horrible smell that would have been, and it would have left an awful scent residue in our car for weeks.  Blessed, blessed, blessed to find it that day without specifically looking for it!!

-Spontaneously started Primary with one boy, little Botisak Dien.  We were so blessed to having a Children's Book of Mormon in the car, ready to give to him.  Just the right person at just the right moment! 

-Tender mercy to get Jim's credit card recovered from the ATM machine that ate it.  We definitely depend on it!  We were concerned about security issues.  We didn't want to cancel it, and mail simply does not work dependably here to get a new one.  Jim figured it was supplied by the ABA Bank down the street.  It was quite a process, plus doing this in a second language with very minimal English spoken!  We went there 2 days in a row.  The second day it was there (Jim could see it!), but they didn't think it was his signature, paperwork had to be reprocessed because he signed with his pen instead of theirs, and all kinds of id was required. Finally back in our hands.  It is our lifeline!  NakNak nicknamed Jim "my walking ATM!," and the title has humorously stuck!

-Jon called to serve on the High Council!  What an amazing technology miracle that we could zoom in from our little out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere place to the stake president's office and see those wonderful faces that we know and love.  Pres. Peters, Pres. Wikstrom, Pres. Duffin (Dave), Bro. Rick Pingree (high council).  Dan ordaining him; Dave setting him apart.  Such an outpouring of a spiritual witness.  Spencer was there to assist in the setting apart; Emily and Andrew there to support.  Love our family.  Love our extended church family.

-Finally found a place for our missionary Christmas party for the West Zone!!  It is so hard when we are not in the know.  The missionary leaders were not responding to the call for help, mostly because 3 of the 4 were transferring out of the zone, and because there are not a lot of options in our more remote areas.  Big weight lifted!  It's a lot pressure feeling responsible for missionaries' Christmas experience!  Elder Acton came through at the last minute - literally his last day in the area.  He fit in a visit with us to the restaurant, a wonderful Japanese all-you-can-eat buffet, a private room, and within our budget.  It was perfect!  Big tender mercy!

-Our Sacrament Meeting for the Christmas Sunday was a true highlight!  65 were in attendance!  El. Madrid was very inspired to contact Sophon Sam and his wife, Sovan Chan, who days after accepting the invitation, were announced as the new temple president and matron!  Such a big name for our little area!  Such a privilege!

-Missions bring courage of all sorts!  I got up the courage to sing a solo of "Silent Night" in our Christmas Sacrament Meeting.  Yes, me!  I am a choir girl, not a soloist, and although it wasn't perfect, I felt a sense of calm. The process of preparing was a tender mercy, too, because I felt the words in new and deeper ways than ever before.

-Details for our Kampong Speu church Christmas party finally came together - found tablecloths (after much searching), found centerpiece parts including vases, etc.  A lot of our time is used in finding things!  We are learning as we go what resources are here or not, etc.  Tricky business.  While young missionaries find people, we find support items. :)  What would take an hour or two at home takes us several days here!  We just felt very blessed and guided in our efforts!

-We were inspired on a game to play to make our Christmas stockings come together for the little children at church.  It was a nativity "Simon Says" activity, and when they crossed the finish line (which they all did eventually!), they received a cute stocking that they took around to each missionary for a little stocking stuffer treat and a little toy at the end.  Children's delight is what makes Christmas!

-The Service Center Christmas Party went all out in making it special invited the senior missionaries, as well as their staff.  The most special of all was kneeling in prayer together for the united faith of all in the Thai border conflict war effort.  It was recorded, one time said in English and one time in Khmer - and will bew sent to the government to show the church's concern and efforts.  It was very, very touching.

-One of the most meaningful service experiences of my life was on Christmas Day with the West Zone as we visited the Rescue Orphanage in Kamboul.  About a hundred young children were there with a special singing and dancing program for us (over two hundred actually live there).  Afterwards, we divided in small groups with storybooks to read to them and then leave as gifts.  The children were soooo precious, filled with so much love.  It was tender to look into their eyes and wonder what each story was and what their future will be be.  But for that one moment in time, they and we were genuinely happy together.

-Jim's phone suddenly just died - black screen, blank.  No idea what the problem was. We took it into the only authorized Apple dealer in Phnom Penh to see if it could be serviced.  They couldn't figure it out, but said they could replace some parts for about $450.  Didn't seem like the right approach.  Jim took it by a couple of local phone places.  No luck.  He was finally going to take it to a local recommended place that would take it all apart, but the night before, the phone just suddenly started working!  Just like that, the screen lit up, and nothing has appeared wrong!  We sure depend on our phones!  A big miracle!

-Funny tender mercy, but we are getting more used to wedding music outside of our apartment.  We live right next to it the community gathering center.  Many weddings have happened, and they love to play LOUD Khmer music starting at 6:30 in the morning (or earlier!), and many ending at 10:30 or 11:00 at night.  It is crazy!  The deep bass actually vibrates our doors!  At first I couldn't sleep and found it unstilling to my sense of peace, but now I am able to basically tune it out.  One wedding a couple of weeks ago even had some music I was enjoying!  

-We were invited to have dinner at the Den's home.  What a lovely gift of self!  I realized that was probably the first time they had ever been able to have missionaries to their home because of the distance to get there.  It's humbling to see the living circumstances, and yet they are so content and happy.  They have a pig-raising operation, chicken eggs being incubated, geese and dogs, etc. Outdoor cooking facilities with dishes and stoves everywhere.  I have rarely met a person as faith-filled as Navy (Sis. Den).  (See separate write up about her).  She is a Kampong Speu pioneer! They were SO thrilled to have us there!  And I felt truly honored!!  These moments make my heart full of gratitude.

-What a special birthday in Cambodia!  First, the mission flooded me with very nice text messages all day long.  I didn't realize how much that would actually mean!  It was so sweet!  And the highlight of the day - the wonderful 4 Kampong Speu elders brought over very personalized gifts for me.  Ohhhh!  What a wonderful extension of love!!  A very lovely fruit basket with a gromma (Khmer scarf) and tasty unique treats, a mini laser-cut snowglobe, and.....a real gift of self....a precious drawing of Jim and me as missionaries by El. Phal. This was unbelievable!  Ohhh, I feel such a special love for these elders (El. Madrid, El. Draper, El. Weiss, and El. Phal).  They really do have a tender spot in my heart!  

-A big, loving tender mercy from home!  I have been missing everyone!  Annie, Emily, and Kyla got together to carry on some of the traditions I would do, making hot fudge sauce and homemade eggnog.  Mary decorated gingerbread houses.  This made me feel tender that they wanted to do that!  Annie said that she goes over to our home, but it's not the same - it's ME she misses!!  Ahhhh, it's nice to feel loved!  AND, one of the highlights of the whole Christmas season was receiving a video made by all of the children and grandchildren saying "Merry Christmas" in Khmer!!  What an extraordinary effort!!  t was SOOO special to me!!!  OHHH, how much I love my family!!!