We had District Conference on Saturday and Sunday. A District Conference is a gathering of church members from the local congregations to a single large group. There are three congregations (branches) in Kampong Cham. They are small by US standards, but still there were about 160 people that attended. It was good. The young missionaries put together a choir - which sang two numbers. It was the highlight of the conference for me. There were 30-40 people in the choir and they sang with enthusiasm. They haven't been exposed to four-part harmony yet, but it didn't matter. Harmony came through their spirits. They all look like teenagers, even though most were in their 20's and 30's. A member of the general church leadership attended (Elder Khanakham - from Thailand). He encouraged the Khmae saints in Kampong Cham to show more love in their families (he told the men to tell their wives every day that they loved them), to read the Book of Mormon and to obtain a temple recommend (a "worthiness" certificate required to enter LDS temples). The closest temple to Cambodia is Hong Kong - which is far away and expensive. The LDS church has what is called a "temple patron fund" - which is a subsidized method of getting people to temples in impoverished areas. But even the 5% required can take several years to accumulate. Those of us who live closer to temples (usually within easy driving distance) do not understand the sacrifice the Cambodians must make. As a result, most don't or can't go. The LDS church announced that a temple will be built in Thailand - which will make it much easier, but that is several years away. Elder Khanakham challenged the local leadership to interview all their active members and issue limited use recommends to as many as possible. This process is new to them - and it is our job to help them learn.

On the more mundane side, our furniture delivery (couch, loveseat, new mattress) arrived Saturday morning. Yay! We no longer sleep on a mattress that feels like it's made of stone. The new one is like sleeping on grass. Still firm, but not a slab. Our palace is much closer to becoming a home.