TENDER MERCIES AND MISSION MIRACLES (February 2026)
- We received homegrown bananas from our next-door neighbor who teaches a Chinese school there. He is so very kind! I turned around and made some banana cake for him. He was delighted! Treated us like we had given him the best gift ever!! Sweet friendship formed.
-I have been copying and laminating Primary songs. I found beautiful online pictures to download from Etsy and then enlarged the Khmer words from the church site. I worked and worked to get the wording on the right pages (pretty hard without knowing the language!). Makes all the difference in Primary!
-We are very loved by Primary in both branches. It's such a nice way to share our talents in our own special way!! We have found a needed niche. In Kampong Speu, we make it all happen; in Kamboul, we give support to good leaders. We are treated with such honor and respect.
-Sokaneen showed up for church out of the clear blue! WOW!! She was part of the Pheakday group who was just thirsting to learn. Ohhh, I just love her!! That was a tender mercy to see her again!
-We were asked to help with an airport pick up of missionaries coming back from the Thailand visa run. We had varied messages of time for arrival - could have been a mess! But we arrived within 1 minute of their exit from the airport! And the drive in the late evening could not have been smoother. Big blessing.
-Prompted to visit Pheakday and bring banana cake. Just us. No young missionaries. No language help! It was a big blessing they were all there and we had a chance to just say hi and give hugs. Our biggest blessing was seeing Hing See Phnaa (the lady with the reading glasses). She gave an earnest hug and said, "You are my friend" in English.
-We enjoyed wonderful involvement in the Village group, thanks to Elder Draper and Elder Francis for being willing to include us. It is a tender mercy to feel so loved!! And an even bigger tender mercy to feel guided on what to say. Really felt inspired. We felt like it was one of our best mission days! (Round 2 just as good! Hopefully more to come!) This included visits to Bong Lee and Bong Vanny - (such genuine loving hug); and Vanaak, Pheab, SeeNaa, and Munan (and bundles of children!).
-On round 2, we got to meet Srey Doit (a delightful sister!). The tender mercy was the gathering of so many children. We were like Pied Pipers as more and more kept coming and following down the road. We were so touched as they gathered around on the large covered outdoor platform and quietly listened to the message of the restoration. It was really something to think about them hearing that important truth for the very first time.
-Jim's foot has had a continuous cramp for a couple of days, but it stopped viritually right as we started our lessons. He was willing to go forward and was blessed because of that!
-We met Michael and Pouv Heffner randomly in Lucky's two or three months ago. A fun friendship has developed! He is American; she is Khmer. We had them for over for dinner (first time here). Love this American connection! They are very involved in their own Christian religion, but it has been good to simply enjoy the friendship. I believe our life intersection was meant to be.
-A tender mercy at home - Jon was in a minor accident on the freeway, but it could have been quite serious. A car spun out of control and hit him. It was right after he dropped off Emily and the children to get their van from the repair shop. Car repairs are a continual round of attention! So grateful the family was not with him at that moment and that he was not hurt.
-So glad we were available to assist El. Weiss in his doctor's appointments for his cyst. He wanted to serve with his full heart and all his effort in his last month of his mission. This required a lot of trips into downtown Phnom Penh. We have been here to support him.
-Just feel so blessed for safety and protection as we drive. Never to be taken for granted. We have done a lot of driving recently, and I feel watched over. It is always an adventure on those roads!
-Ditchya's son, Sang Hac, was baptized! And then the next week was given the priesthood by his father, who was just baptized last month. Ditchya's father also attended the ordination. What a miraculous experience to see the 3 generations gathered together here, and the 2 generations sharing in the special moments of the priesthood together.
-Srey Neat from the shack was baptized! We have really felt a connection! Such a wonderful, loving bond!
-Jim and I made a surprise visit to Lon, Heup, and Elita and gave them some banana chocolate chip cookies. They live quite far away, so they really were surprised. We didn't know it, but Heup had had a moto accident just a few days earlier in which her knee and leg were quite injured. Jim was able to give her a blessing. Perfect timing. They were so grateful!
-Another "watchful care" blessing at home with Annie and Logan's family. A tall book case in Pippa's bedroom fell over as Letti climbed on it. No one hurt. Pippa could easily have been there on the floor as well.
-It was my turn again for the mission Senior devotional. Last time I was able to share the "enabling power of the atonement" and my little card I use during the sacrament each week. This time it was on "names" and what epitaph would you like to be remembered for. I felt guided in the message and calmness in the delivery.
-Jim and I often comment that we feel very blessed with the right message at the right moment when we are participating in lessons. We feel like ideas are given to us in the moment of sharing. This is a good reminder to be constantly filling our minds with the gospel truths and to always be prayerful during the lessons, trying our best to focus on the flow of the message and on people's needs.
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