It has begun Week 1 & 2

 Official start September 5th Home MTC (Schofield Inn)

I just want to say that the past two weeks have been so long, and so amazing to experience. I’ve loved the spiritual changes that have happened in such a short period of time when focus, the spirit, and a great group of missionaries are implemented into my life. 

Learning Khmer has been difficult, but also very rewarding. It’s been cool to be able to recognize sounds during my studies that previously seemed to be squiggles. I’ve noticed a parallel between my own learning and that of my brother cannons. He also is learning about the letters and how to spell words in English. It’s funny to see his mistakes, and the bizarre spellings his 7 year old brain can produce. It may seem bizarre to me but its probably very intuitive to him. I can definitely see myself making very similar mistakes at the same time, feeling like im totally in the right, but also making errors so simple it must be funny. 

We get nice devotionals every week here at the mtc on Tuesday, and last weeks was from elder Gong and his wife. What i really liked that he emphasized in the talk was that the Lord loves effort, and that is all he can ever really require of us. Additionally he said “It’s very natural to feel sometimes a little bit of a gap between who you would like to be, and who you currently now” Taking on difficult tasks, and not giving up is basically the purpose of life. Follow the gospel, endure to the end. Feelings of inadequacy, imperfection and unpreparedness (when combined with humility and willingness to become better) I’ve realized are healthy indicators that we are on the right path. I’ve recently had many of these healthy indicators. “What am i doing?” “These letters all look the same” “am I capable?”

Yes. Hardship forces those under it to become strong, and with that strength come many lessons that can be applied for the rest of life. There are many easier things to do, but im glad that this is the path I set myself on. And so with the path set, I must travel it to completion or break trying.

Speaking of breaking —-

Previous to this week, I thought, “I am a healthy young man, no shot I’ll succumb to a puny Khmer illness”. We recently had some cool stories that make me question my invincibility. Like im not too scared, but also no longer foolish enough to go into this Willy nilly.  With proper precaution, i estimate i can minimize potential damages to myself quite a bit. Below is a quote from the philosopher kayl plahdt. Those who know khmer, please check to see if it actually works because if it did I’m well pleased with myself for sounding that out.

“I am filled with a great fear of god, i pray he doth not strike me down”-(ខិឡ ភ្ឡអត្ត 2022)

   mans house down 

 I didn’t listen well during this story but basically. A man returned from his mission and essentially was very prideful because he could speak good English (taught in an English area) now and got very mad at something a bishop said to him. Started selling sacred garments to the local people. Local leadership in the church told him to stop because this is very bad and sacreligious. He said “how will you stop me” Again they said stop now. He said no way jose, and so a stake president or something “dusted his shoes” towards the man and the next week this mans house burned down. I guess this stopped him, and the man came out of it with a renewed testimony of the gospel. Happy ending :) he’s now a bishop or something else cool like that now.

   Dehydration causes blindness?
My teachers companion while he was out in the field caught a worm and ended up bedridden for a few days. Woke up and couldn’t see at all. Luckily this was pretty temporary, and was a result of the intense dehydration caused by his weakness. Still pretty crazy that he just couldn’t see at all for a couple days. 


   Softball-sized-testicle elder held ransom, and then paralyzed. 

This one speaks for itself a missionary awoke in the night to discover that one of his gonads had swollen up to the size of a softball due to some unidentifiable biological attack on his body. I can personally say that any swelling in that area is quite traumatic no matter the circumstance, but a softball is alarmingly large. Needless to say he was rushed to the hospital, where it seems the doctors take up the hypocricital oath rather than the hippocratic variety. They demanded 20,000 USD in cash before they would start any treatment, which would’ve taken a while for the church to provide. Luckily in this life or death situation, the mission presidents wife managed to get 20k of her own money to the hospital in order to have the doctors fix up her missionary. He was in a bad shape for a while after the surgery, and couldn’t move from the waist down. Pretty much they were trying to find a balance of getting him home to the US for additional treatment, and also keeping him alive for the duration of the flight. 

Anyway happy ending :) he made it home, and then eventually regained some movement in his lower half so now he can walk. Eventual fate of the severely affected organs is unknown.

PHOTO Party

Im sorry I dont know how to send photo properly, any advice is appreciated. Also you might have to just figure out which ones are which.

1) Here is my zoom fit. I wake up, put it on, feast, take it off, sleep.

2)It’s very difficult for people to understand that AK is Alaska not Arkansas, alas this is my photo in the mission home in Cambodia, graciously sent to me by the Davis family (y’all r awesome!) Also now I know elder wesemann and Tirapatna, and they are so fun as well.

3) Here is my whole Cambodian class family. They’re all so rad, but when we arrive next week they will split us up into two districts so thats sad I will miss half of them (because half will stay with me not because I only like half)

4) Sister Buma ?!?!?!?! At the workshop last week. was super cool to see an Alaskan

5) conspiracy theory-like lesson from Locru Chytraus about how to say Dear Heavenly Father

6) me practicing my skills by giving cannon a fresh fade.