Week 16: Christmas in Cambodia
Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and had a good time spending time with family and friends. This week has been pretty good. On Thursday everyone in the mission came down to the city for a Christmas lunch and it was so good. I got to see everyone from my MTC group which was super fun and I loved being able to catch up with all of them and see how they're all doing. They're all killing it right now and I can't wait to see how much more we will all grow in the next few months. We didn't get a full day off sadly, but it was nice to get a little break and to see everyone.
Three of our friends are getting baptized next week and I am so excited for them! I have really been able to see how powerful the gospel is and how much Jesus Christ loves all of us through other people. Our friend Sophal has been so awesome as he has progressed and come unto Christ every day. When we were going over the baptismal interview questions with him, I got emotional when I was sharing my testimony with him because it has been so amazing to see how much he has given up to follow Christ because he knows the truth of the Church. His story is amazing and he has truly repented of his past. In just one month I have seen this man give up smoking, vaping, drinking tea, etc. And he gave it all up so easily in order to become more Christ-like and be baptized. Our other friend Panha had his baptismal interview yesterday and when he finished he had the biggest smile on his face and was tearing up. I gave him a big hug and he said, "I don't know why I'm so emotional, but I'm just so happy."
It's so amazing how powerful the love of Jesus Christ is and what it can do for people. Jesus Christ is the greatest gift we have and will ever receive in this life. His love for us is impossible to comprehend. This Christmas was a little hard for me because it didn't feel much like Christmas at all without my family and all the decorations. Even though my Christmas was a little different this year, I was able to see the true spirit of Christmas through Jesus Christ and His love for every single one of us. Everything good in our lives comes from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. James 1:17 says, " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." The greatest gifts we receive in our lives are from Them. And the greatest gift we have ever been given is Jesus Christ Himself. He is the light of the world and He will never turn away from us. President Uchtodorf said, "I believe the Savior Jesus Christ would want you to see, feel, and know that He is your strength. That with His help, there are no limits to what you can accomplish. That your potential is limitless. He would want you to see yourself the way He sees you. And that is very different from the way the world sees you." He is our strength. The world may look at us differently, but Jesus Christ sees each of us as a child of God. No matter who we are or what we've done, His love for us is infinite and He will walk by our side every step of the way. As we celebrate Christmas, remember why we celebrate. Because of Him. He loves you and I love you all so much. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!
Love,
Elder Mendenhall
📸 All the photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Bgcnr25uJdQ1sYcY9
A sampling:
