One of the cool things about being a senior missionary is the ability to communicate with loved ones everywhere. We video chat with each of our children (and their families) every week. We also occasionally video chat with friends from home and across the globe. A couple of days ago we connected with Bruce and Vivienne Sullivan in Finland to hear about their temple mission in Helsinki. They are 3/4 of the way around the world from us (or 1/4 if you go West), but somehow they didn't seem that far away. For those of you new to the video chat world, Apple FaceTime and Facebook Messenger are the best. Very clear. Skype is OK, but not as good as the other two. All are free and require a good internet connection.

Blankets - $3.75 each

From the Sullivans we learned just how different missions can be (sullivansinfinland.blogspot.com). Finland is a 1st world country with a world-class infrastructure and organization. Uhh, not the same here. If we can make it through the day without scraping a moto, it's a good day. Bruce and Vivienne have a friendly bet as to when the first day of frost will occur (Bruce thought 10/1, Vivienne 10/8). Frost. The only frost in Cambodia is in the freezer. If the temp drops below 70 people worry about an Ice Age (it hasn't been below 70 since we got here - and we're in the cool season). We are adjusting, however. Erin made a comment about the temperature being only 91. What??? Never in 40 years have I heard that comment come from her mouth. And, we bought blankets (go ahead - read it again). The AC is a little too cold, so we bought two blankets (total cost: $8.50). "Why don't you just turn down the AC?" you ask. It sounds good in theory, but the temp settings are glitchy. We've learned that adjusting the AC causes the unit to go on and off all night long - and it's noisy. Blankets are easier.

Mosquito racket

I'm sure there are mosquitoes in Finland, but there are multiple species here. Low riders that bite ankles. Teeny ones that go for elbows, knuckles, palms and wrists. And the normal annoying big ones that buzz ears and leave welts the size of quarters. We bought a mosquito-hunting racket to fight back(the "zap!


" of electrifying an insect is SOOO satisfying). We are told that when the rainy season ends, the mosquitoes mostly go away. I hope so. We may need a blood transfusion by November.



Bruce talked about the amazing dark chocolate that is made in Finland (goes from bean to bar in the same shop). Here, dark chocolate means it fell in the dirt. All chocolate is imported, and it has to be waxy enough to not melt on a shelf. You can find an occasional Tolblerone bar in a store freezer, but we've accepted that good chocolate will just have to wait (zap, zap!).

What Cambodia does REALLY well is grow stuff. Everything is fresh. No pesticides (can't afford them), no preservatives (don't need them) no refrigeration. What you buy at the farmer's market today was picked either yesterday or today. We bought a jicama this morning that was delicious. Cost? 12 cents (total). Year-round coconuts, bananas, carrots, potatoes, green beans, eggplant, roma tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, pineapple and a ton of other stuff we haven't tried yet. Organic marketers would go out of business because EVERYTHING is organic (occasionally a little too organic). Yes, you have to wash everything first - which is a pain. And yes, some edibles are non-edible unless you're a native Khmae. But the mangosteens, rambutans and mangoes (when they're in season) are (zap!) spectacular.

Many have asked how Erin is doing with her arm. Grudgingly good. She still hates that she can't do everything she wants. And she still suffers through having me brush her hair and clip it (I haven't improved and am seeking therapy). She can shave one armpit and hopes to do the other one soon. She claims she can use her regular razor, but I'm buying a weed whacker just in case. She's doing physical therapy and can raise her elbow level with her shoulder (you can see blue exercise stretch band artistically wrapped to the headboard in the picture above).

More later, got to go teach English next door (zap!).

Have you ever heard a song on the radio and said to yourself, "I know that song, but just can't remember the name." That's what Sunday church meetings are like in Cambodia. The structure and schedule are the same, but it's just enough different that it still seems somewhat unfamiliar. People come in their best clothes - which sometimes means matching shorts and tops. Flip flops and bare feet are the norm. NOBODY (except missionaries) wears shoes (this past week a sister wore Winnie-the-pooh fuzzy slippers when she gave a talk - awesome).

In the three sets of congregational meetings we attend, only one has a member who can play a piano. The other two are a capella (in multiple simultaneous keys). And only one keyboard works (nothing is being fixed because we are moving into a new building with brand-new everything in 6 weeks). I will start giving piano lessons in the new building next month (it's ok to laugh). There's a program administered by the LDS church which provides piano instruction and keyboards to members in remote areas. The Harman foundation generously provides keyboards to all, and allows students to keep them if they are diligent and complete all their lessons (THANK YOU HARMAN FOUNDATION!).

Congregation attendance ranges from 20 to 100 - depending on the week. Sadly, attendance drops by nearly half just after the main meeting (Sacrament Meeting). It makes it tough finding both teachers and students. The "parking lot" is a long driveway filled with motos and bicycles (last week we counted 36 motos, 10 bikes and one car - ours). And my favorite so far...we sang "Silent Night" for the Sacrament song. What does NOT change, however, is the spirit that is felt in a meeting when sweet, genuine people share their sincere testimonies. My heart is touched as I listen to members testify of Jesus and His sacrifice for everyone. I'm certain He is listening and telling them, "just hang in there. I'm coming."

Yesterday there was a "youth activity" sponsored by the KC 3rd branch (youth means anyone over 12 and unmarried). We hiked "Phnom Tooc" - which means hill, small. The hike consisted of 201stairs (I counted them) up to a small temple overlooking a beautiful valley. Food for the event was "corn-on-the-cob roasting on an open fire." It's pretty simple. Build a fire, throw corn (still in the husks) on the fire, pull the cobs out (takes about 5 minutes), shuck the burned husks, eat the sometimes scorched corn, throw the cobs on the ground. The Cambodians don't grow sweet corn like farmers do in the US. They grow field corn - the kind US farmers grow for livestock. It's tougher than sweet corn, but still tastes good (after you've been here for a couple of months).

In the evening there was another activity (different congregation) and I was asked to give a short talk and come up with a game. The branch president (local congregational leader) wanted us to demonstrate what "family home evening" looked like. I told them it consisted of three things: 1. learn about Jesus. 2. Have fun. 3. Eat. We did all three and it was a fun night. We taught them how to play, "this is a fork (spoon)." I haven't seen adults laugh so hard since we got here. Erin taught the kids to play "I have a little doggie and it won't bite you." They loved it. The food was cooked sweet pumpkin chunks in a bowl.

We wound up our night teaching English to our next-door neighbor family (and our landlord). We do this every Monday evening on their patio/kitchen/dining room/lounge area. The kids won't let us end the class until we've done a song - so we taught them "I've been working on the railroad," accompanied by dogs and mosquitoes. What an adventure!