Week 36: Mother, I Love You

This was a really special week for me as we all had the opportunity to think about our moms and celebrate Mother's Day. I definitely thought about my mom a lot this week and how grateful I am to have the opportunity to serve my mission in her hometown.

Earlier this week I was able to find the old house that my mom used to live in when she was a kid. When I realized it was the house and walked up to the front, I got chills and was so grateful to have found it. The guy who lives there now let me walk around inside a little bit. It was super cool just walking around the house and knowing my mom and her family were walking around in that same house many years ago. Afterwards, I talked to the guy some more and he actually said he had learned with the missionaries before and told us we could go back anytime we wanted to!

On Sunday I was feeling a little stressed out during sacrament because I had like 5 different people asking me to do something all at once. It's hard to feel the spirit sometimes during sacrament meeting too because everyone in Cambodia just talks and makes noise during the sacrament, talks, hymns, all of it. But the primary kids sang the song "Mother, I Love You" and even with all the talking and noise, I really felt the Spirit and was able to think about all the amazing things my mom has done for me in my life. I don't know anyone stronger or more loving than her. I couldn't have asked for a better mom.

Elder Holland said, "No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child" and "What mothers do is an essential element of Christ’s work." No matter what, I know that there will never be a love that comes closer to Christ's love for us than the love of our mothers. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us so much that They gave us our mothers in this life to help us learn, grow, and feel of the greatest love in mortality. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Go tell your mom you love her! 

I love you Mom, 

Elder Mendenhall

📸 All the photos:

Current - Battambang

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eH2QQ25DGxRj8cNH9

Phnom Penh

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

A sampling: