The Lord will prepare the People

HEY FAMILY! It's that time of the week again. This week went by really fast. I don't even know why but it did. It doesn't feel like December here at all. It has gotten kind of cool here though. Mornings are almost borderline cold. The funny part is it's only like the low 70's probably but I want to go get a sweatshirt because it's cold. It just made me think of how tough it's going to be when I go back to college and go through a Utah winter again. For Christmas we get to go to the Branch 5 conference building and watch the conference Christmas special thing. On Christmas we open up our Christmas present packages. Anyone who doesn't get one the Smedley's put something together so everybody has something to open up. Besides that everything is all normal in Cambodia. It hasn't been raining really the rain is basically done, it looks like. Sometimes tons of lcouds come in but doesn't end up raining at all.

Here they take "ice cream sandwich" a little too seriously, haha.

This past week has been really good. I've learned so much I feel like this past week. I'm finally starting to be able to understand what they are saying and it is making it so much easier and so much more fun. Every now and then you have a lookpuu come up to you and start talking to you. Usualy when they have a little bit too much to drink. By a little bit I mean tons. And they get super talkative. For some reason this past week it happened twice. The first one we talked to was super funny. We were talking to him and then all of a sudden under his breath he asked what did we do to get such white skin. The second one asked us if we were French or Japanese. Elder Jorgensen told him we were Japanese, and lookpuu is like what? No way?! I don't believe you! So funny sometimes. But it's fun now to at least be able to understand what they are saying to me. It also makes me feel more connected to my investigators and what not. Now I feel I can teach more according to his needs.

This last week we met a Lookyiay. A grandma basically and her husband. We met them because they were the parents of these possibly investigators we have sent us to their house so we could teach them there since we were super busy but they never showed up beacuse they have a whole bunch of people at their restaurant. But we talked to them and basically were talking about how the lookyiay is curious as to why there are so many churches. So we are planning to meet with them today. It's just crazy how the Lord wil always be guiding you to people. Being in the country really shows me how the people have th be prepared by the Lord, they have to be ready. You can say whatever you want, you can have the room full of the spirit, where the spirit is just so strong, but if they don't have an open heart, if they aren't ready, it won't change them at all. And when you see them let that spirit in and start to change, they almost become all new people. Something I learned this week as I was geting down on myself as to why we weren't getting any investigators. Another funny story I just thought of. Teaching a new possible investigator Pheak. We taught him about God and how to pray. He's about 18 years old. We explained prayer and he understood it pretty well. We asked him if he'd pray and before he even said yes he bowed his head and started praying. Haha it was so funny, he just went for it.

So thanks again for all the emails and all the love, it makes weeks so much more fun when you open the mailbox to a dearelder, your email inbox is full, or show up at the mission home a see a package with your name on it. Glad to hear you are all having fun too.

So what's going to go on for me this week. Friday we are doing a little Christmas party, with a talent show, white elephant gift exchange, a slideshow, and on Saturday is zone conference, and all the missionaries from everywhere are coming down for it. Going to be so fun. We will also watch the general conference Christmas program thing too.

This last week was super good. We have a new family, don’t know how they are going to do so far or where their motives are but they still want to learn with us so can’t really ask for much more than that. They have 3 kids but 2 of them are mute. They say they can understand but can’t talk, but I think it’s something mental for sure. Either way they are super cute and awesome kids. They are quiet and just sit there and listen. When we show up it’s a non-stop waving fest too. Also, miing puo and chandii both came to church! Only 2 weeks until Chandii's baptism. He's super awesome. This last week he told 2 stories. 1, how he originally started learning with us so he could learn some English, but know he wants to learn the gospel. Like before he would read when he had time. But now he makes time to read because it’s so important. He hasn't turned on the TV in weeks because he uses that time to read the book of Mormon. Then for yesterday when we were teaching enduring to the end, he just went off on how we have to keep doing what we need to do, like go to church read and pray, or we will go away from God and to stay close and have the Holy Ghost we need to follow the commandments. That’s what he is the most excited about, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Every time he tells us it’s like he can feel it on the outside of him, but once he gets baptized it will be in him to help him learn faster and follow the commandments.



That is me, Elder Nico, and chandii. So now you can put a picture to his face. This last week he came to church so he is still on track to be baptized on the 1st. Miing puo did not go so she will have to be postponed. But today we teach Sabbath day holy in lesson 4 so hopefully she will get back on track, keep them in your prayers.

Another cool thing that happened was yesterday we were stopping place after place to find this water bottle, and the 3rd place we almost didn't stop but we thought what the heck why not. 1st, they had the water bottle, 2nd an older man who lives there is just like "hey... I want to join your church, can I join your church?". We told him he can but needs to learn some before he can be a member. He told us "ok well I’m not that free because I work a lot and I’m only here sometimes, but my wife is here all the time, she never goes anywhere, so teach her". It was super funny. It’s really cool when God blesses you and helps you find the right people.

Well that’s about it for this week. I love you all so much, keep up the good work. I know that this church is true and it this is the work of the Lord. It's the most important responsibility we all have as members, missionary work. It’s why we were born in these days.

Love always, Elder Rucker