Week 27: The Killing Fields

Hello everyone! This week was pretty good. I don't have much to talk about this week because I want to focus on my p-day last week with my district. Last week my district and I had the opportunity to go to the Killing Fields which is where thousands of people were killed during the Khmer Rouge, and it was heartbreaking. I went one time a few years ago with my family when my brother finished his mission, and it was still hard to listen to recordings of people's stories and walk through the whole place. There are stories of women being assaulted, spots where the Khmer Rouge would slit people's throats with sharp tree branches, trees where they would grab children by the legs and beat them to death against the trees, and countless other brutal methods of torture and murder. These evil people had no mercy when they killed these innocent people and I know God will judge them accordingly at the judgement seat. There was so much anger and sadness that overwhelmed me as I was there. As many of you know, my mom and her family lived through the Khmer Rouge and saw many terrible things that people shouldn't have to see or go through in this life. All of it really puts into perspective how little our problems are in this life. It reminded me about how much suffering every single person in this country has gone through and how hard they work to get to where they are now in life, and yet many still have so little, but continue pressing forward in life with a smile on their faces. As I walked through the killing fields this time, I just thought about how even though all of these people were brutally tortured and suffered to their death, they all have the opportunity to be saved through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father's perfect plan. Through the Atonement we can be saved and live a perfect life with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and our families once again. What a blessing it is to know that we can all be saved because of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that all of these people will have a better life in the next and will be able to find rest in the Savior. 

"And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow." Alma 40:12

If you've never heard or seen anything about the Khmer Rouge, I highly suggest searching it up and learning more about it. I feel like it's something that people don't know a lot about, but should. There's a movie on Netflix called "First They Killed My Father" that tells the story of a young girl and her family during the Khmer Rouge. 

God loves you!

Love,

Elder Mendenhall 

📸 All the photos:

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

A sampling: