Week 25: The One Where They Get Married

Hello beautiful people!! Sorry for the late email this week. Our p-day got pushed back because we had zone conference on Monday, but I hope you all had an amazing week and didn't miss me too much.

I got to go to two weddings this week which was so lit. The first one was Bong Sophal's wedding and that was so fun. He had the biggest smile on his face. I may or may not have sung some karaoke with Lokru Jones... core memory right there. The next day at church Bong Sophal gave a talk and he said his face was so sore from smiling too much. The second wedding I went to was Elder Suy's cousin's wedding. It was close by so we got permission to go. It was a more traditional Khmer wedding in a big white tent in the middle of the street. His family stuffed us with food and then gave us two more bags of food before we left to take home with us. So amazing.

I have been having really bad stomach issues this past week which sucked, but I think I'm ok now. I think I was just eating too much spicy ramen, but I almost had a double-headed dragon moment like my friend Elder Forte. Only few know what I'm talking about... I also gave my first two blessings in Khmer this week to these two young boys that were a little sick. It was about as simple as a blessing can get, but it was still a really cool experience. Elder Suy and I also gave a blessing to this one girl yesterday because she said she has been seeing ghosts and spirits and stuff and she can't sleep. That was a little freaky, but hopefully the blessing helps her!

Also, one of my favorite members, មីង Ly, threw a bib on me during family home evening this week and called me her កូន (child) so she is officially my ម៉ាក់ (mom). She also fixed my pants this week for me which was so clutch. Reminded me of my actual mom :)

This week I have been thinking a lot about how truly amazing it is to be a missionary. Missionaries are just these 18-20 year old kids in some foreign land answering some of the greatest questions in the history of the world. Yesterday during district council I shared this scripture with my district that I flipped open to right before my mission.

Alma 26: 36-37

36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land. 

37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.

These verses really comfort me in knowing that I'm where I'm supposed to be right now. Before I got my mission call I obviously didn't know where I was going for sure, all I knew is that I wanted to come to Cambodia. Even now I sometimes think if this is really where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to be doing. When I read this verse before my mission, and even now, I know that God is aware of me and His children that I will meet on my mission. To all my other missionaries, know that God is aware of you and he put you exactly where you need to be. He has prepared so many people for you on your mission to meet and you will change their lives. I extended a commitment to my district to open up their scriptures to a random page and read until they found a verse that spoke to them. I would like to extend that commitment to all of you as well. Just open the scriptures and see what answers you get. Share that scripture with me, someone else, or just write it down somewhere. God will give you an answer. God is good!

Love,

Elder Mendenhall

📸 All the photos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Bgcnr25uJdQ1sYcY9

A sampling: