Week 18 LIFE IN THE MOTHERLAND

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Another fantastic week over here in the motherland! (: It's been really great! But holy moly it's true when they say hot season is starting! I've never been so hot in my life! I'm starting to get really really dark haha, I love it! People know I'm a real Khmer now even if I have American eyes and a long pointy nose, which by the way people over here love for some reason :P But yeah at the beginning of the week I remembered hearing about this book called the Rent Collector about people who live in a trash village in Cambodia so I did some asking around and turns out that's Phum Preak Toal and I talked to one of the ladies from the book, she lives across the street from one of our recent converts actually so I encourage all to read the book and let me know how it sounds! I'll tell you if it is accurate or not haha! But this week has been pretty awesome I'm not going to lie. We just continue and continue working hard trying our best and we see the results. Yesterday at church we had 114 people show up! That is amazing! That is way more than the 60-70ish that showed up when we first got in the area! We also have more people we are teaching and one family in particular I just love so much! I mean I love them all but this neak ming and her two daughters are learning with us and the little girl is adorable and loves to try to teach me Khmer and little games with seeds and stuff! And then Srei Deeb just loves everything about it and the neak ming is so eager and open to learn. They all came to church yesterday and enjoyed all the classes after Sacrament too! I really love their desire to learn and grow! Then Puu Sojeat.. I don't know how to spell Khmer in English I'm sorry in advance but he is really moving along! He showed up to church again with his daughter and we taught his this week about the Word of Wisdom and he gladly accepted the commitment to keep it and try to finally quit drinking and smoking. He knows he needs to and now finally has a motivation. I know he will do it. He has so much faith and shows it more and more everyday. He to be honest has surprised me. I didn't know if his motive was God or English class but he has never even gone to English class so I guess we know where his heart lies. Which reminds me, I read a really awesome scripture I loved this week, in 3 Nephi 13:21 It says, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I really love that. Where does our heart lie? What do we treasure most? Because this life is too precious, too short, and sometimes we get lost in things that just don't matter. I realized that this week, especially as I realized I'm in Cambodia and have nothing. I realize how privileged America is. How awesome and amazing my Mom is. How loving and great my family is, and how much I love all of them so much, I never had any idea until I'm across the world from them. How lucky I am to have my best friends and Mykhala supporting me and just how much they did for me and continue to do for me. And how amazing God is. Our Heavenly Father will literally give us all we need if we just have faith in Him and keep His commandments. It is that simple. And I'm so grateful He has made it so. I grateful for this opportunity to be here. It is hard, it is hot, it is smelly and crazy and loud but so WORTH it. I'm also so lucky to have Elder Cannon as my companion. To be honest we are complete opposites. Like complete. Complete. But I love the guy so much. He is the reason I'm still alive probably because he cooks soooooooooo good and it's tasty and the reason I haven't died of starvation yet. And keeps track of me on the road since I almost get in a moto accident every day hahah :D So all those who care about me back home you owe it to him haha. I know the Lord has blessed me and continues to do so. Everything is for a reason. Who my companion is, the area I'm serving, the people I meet and teach, and just everything. Even the bad things and miserable days. I think those mostly build character but hey, character is good too! (: But it is just such a privilege to be here. I love this work. I love the church. I love the missionary program. I love the scriptures and reading them everyday for at least an hour. I love my Heavenly Father for sending me here during this crucial and the opportunity to be a part of the building up or Zion in Cambodia. My home.
Love always,

Elder Spencer Paul Nhem

things that live in your room in Cambodia...or your chapel :)

I will not fix his grammar anymore I love the way he writes, it means he is thinking more in Khmer.
Have a great week!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!