I just wanted to post a new message. We have finished our 3rd mission at the Columbus Ohio Bishop's Storehouse. Mike opened his dental office in August 2011 and has enjoyed seeing new and old patients. It is good to have this opportunity to serve the community again

Last Sunday in Phnom Penh

Well, Mike and I attended our last church services in our branches 3, 6, and 10. It was so hard to say good by to our dear friends. We look forward to the reunion in the Celestial Kingdom where there will be one language. It will be wonderful to be able to communicate face to face without translators. We have loved our young missionaries that we work with, but a sister told me last Sunday, no matter how eloquent you are, it is lost in translation. These people are so very good and want to do what is right. We have seen miracles occur. Today, a sister that we thought only had a few days to live, who had received a blessing 3 weeks ago, came to church today and said she was feeling well. Great faith and blessings and mercy of the Lord are manifest in this country. It has been such a privilege to work among them and to help where we could.
We leave for Hong Kong on Friday November 28th and will attend the temple on Saturday in Hong Kong and church services there on Sunday, Monday we leave Hong Kong and go to Hanoi and a two day trip to Halong Bay. Thursday we leave for Ho Chi Minh City where we are meeting an Elder who has finished his mission and will give us a tour of the city. We will go to church in Ho Chi Minh City and then return on December 8th to Phnom Penh. We will have 2 days in PP where we will have a farewell dinner with the senior couples and then leave PP for the USA on December 11th and arrive in Columbus Ohio December 12th 1:25 AM. Will have traveled for 25 hours. We gain the day we lost in going to our mission. Words cannot express the blessing it has been in our lives to be on this mission. We will never be the same!

It has truly been a blessing to have served this mission. I can't imagine not having served this time in Cambodia. We have had so many opportunities for growth and development. We have learned a great deal of patience and understanding. Our mission president is always saying "baby steps," remember that these people did not grow up where you did. They are 1st generation members of the church and need to develop their own testimony and understanding of the gospel. Many things we take for granted are an entirely new concept for them. I am ready to be home and experience the comforts of my own home and being able to drive my own car. I hope that my grandkids and spooky still will remember us.

love,

Mom and Dad

Shopping in Russian Market, or any market for that matter

It is so interesting trying to find things in the market. When we first came and went to the markets, all I could feel was hot and confused. I had no idea where to find things and how to proceed to shop. Now, I have adapted somewhat to the heat; at least I know to go when it is cloudy or in the morning before the heat of the day. And Elder Morgan is really quite the bargainer. He can bargain with the best of them. It is a balancing act really, to be sure to get the best price and still allow a profit for them. If you say to the sellers, just looking, they let you look, but if you act the least bit interested, you need to watch or they will sell you the store. They automatically start with their highest price because we are white. Then the bargaining begins. Today we baught some little oranges. We stopped to get some, and the price was really high. Then we went on to another shop and our driver said to Elder Morgan, you talk stop. In other words, he wasn't to say anything. We got the oranges at a much better price. It is all really very interesting.

Halloween Party in Phnom Penh

We watched over a single young adult Halloween party. The branch president of one of the branches brought big sacks of old costumes and people rummaged through them and made up costumes to put on after the fireside. It was really fun to watch and see what happened.

Good-by to 4 Dear Young Missionaries

Sister Hatch's & Sister Loar's Parents came to PP and this was at the dinner they held for all the Viet Elders and sisters. By the time we had dinner, Elder Loc had already left for Vietnam.

The Elder on the left and the three sisters finished their mission the end of October. The Elder is from Vietnam and is going to take us on a tour of Ho Chi Minh City when we go there the first of December. The sister in the middle is Vietnamese but lives in Cambodia and is now going to the 3rd Branch. The two American sisters will be missed so much. The two elders on the right are from Vietnam but still here until after we leave.

Pchumben Again

Pchumben is a holiday where people go to their home provinces and go to the wat (temples) and take food for the deceased relatives. It is this 3 day period that the spirits are released from prison and they come to the wats to get food. So all Buddhists take food to their dead. The whole city of PP empties and it is amazing the little space these people require to travel. Here are some pictures of the vans that left and returned to PP. One of our cleaning ladies brought a pork wrapped in rice that we couldn't eat, but gave it to our driver.

Wheel Chair Distribution

We went with the LDS Charities Couple to distribute wheel chairs to a village about 2 hour drive out into the country. We were gathered at a school. There were many children and parents and others of the community there. LDSC works with another NGO in distributing the chairs. There was a lot of talk, before the presentation. We thought we were just along for the ride, but we were brought into the middle of it all. We were even interview and late found out that we were seen on TV. The children and adults that received wheel chairs were very crippled. Some had very deformed feet and hands, others we were told had palsy. I was happy to see so many people being helped, but not really comfortable with all the show involved in the giving.