Last Transfer and a Crocodile Farm

Well so things are starting to really come full circle for me. Firstly, while in an English Class meeting (organizing our weekly free english classes) we were talking about an upcoming event called showcase night. It's an opportunity for the kids to be able to show what they have learned over the course of 6 weeks, to show talents, and to have fun. It's a finding tool we have to have a fun activity for people to come to the church and participate and have an opportunity to tour our church and meet the missionaries. It sounds great, but that is exactly what doesn't happen. It's always low attendance and only members. I have no idea why, but that's not the point. The point is because this transfer is only 5 weeks (something with the influx of missionaries all the missions get cut one week to go back on schedule or something i don't know) there will not be one this transfer but the next one will be July 3rd. I was like wow, i will not be participating in that. It was so surreal. Secondly, my last transfer calls came in last night. Crazy. I found out that I will have 2 grandchildren. Elder Meyers will be training, and Elder An will be training. I'm so proud of my kids. So it's official, i will be living with 2 kids and a grandchild, oh this will be fun. That, however, means Elder Stanley will be leaving, whom I will miss a bunch.




This week was a pretty fun week. I was able to go on some exchanges. 1 with Elder Meyers and the other with Elder Gooch. However the highlight of this week was the fact we were able to go to some crocodile farms. I have picture i will try to send. So we go to this crocodile farm with hundreds of crocodiles. It was crazy. How it works is you go up these stairs onto this concrete lattice of cages and pools to hold these crocodiles. Sometimes there is railing but most of the time there is not, and these crocodiles are absolutely huge. Falling in was absolutely a real possibility. We were luckily able to go at the same time that they fed the crocodiles. So imagine 50 starving crocodiles smelling dead fish, knowing it's eating time. They all start coming out of the pool. They are literally starting to crawl on top of each other, about 3 crocodile high piles now, preparing to feast. Then all at once they start dumping in the bags of fish. It was the scariest/coolest thing i have seen in a long time. Something you don't get to see very often in a lifetime.

We were also able to help build our recent converts chicken coup some more. What took us 5 hours to do, we did in 2.5 now. And we did twice as much. All because now i know what we are doing and i'm getting better at it. It took us 5 hours to build 1 wall last time and this time in 2.5 we built 2 walls. I feel really accomplished.

It was also nice, since i left my area for a day because of the exchange, to have all the members say how much they missed me and that it wasn't any fun when i was gone and that all the members are going to miss me a whole bunch. I tell them i only have 6 weeks left and they make it seem like i'm leaving tomorrow, but it feels like forever to me :-p.

I love serving here and i'm glad i will be staying with Elder Brittain for my last transfer here. I'm having a lot of fun and i'm got better this last week. I feel my energy and appetite coming back. I know that this is the true church, and this is the work of the Lord.

Love always, Elder Rucker 

Leadership Conference and Plowing rice fields

Hey everybody!

Monday and Tuesday were completely committed to going to the city for the missionary leadership training conference. I was quite honored to be asked to teach there. The main part was actually my own. President also told the AP's to not spend the time coming to battambang this transfer for exchanges because he is not worried about me at all. So i felt very complemented.

So like i said monday and tuesday were mission leadership training. We rode back (we being elder brittain and myself) with Sister Tsuchida (japaneese) and Sister Kacher.

Wednesday was normal. Thursdsay was cool, normal. Friday was the zone conference. Saturday was normal. Saturday was pretty fun though beecause i was able to translate for president moon when he interviewed the district presidency. So that killed most of the day, but it was super interesting. I have had so much experience working with church leadership it's crazy. I feel like i have been a branch president for 2 years. I am super grateful for all the training i have been able to personally have from textbook training to hands on experience to tons of examples of both the good and the bad.

This week i was able to plow a rice field. I drove one of the tractors that they have here. I felt like a real farmer doing it. I dare your dad to find a job for me that is harder than that :-p . That's how real farmers do it, haha i'm just kidding. It was so suprisingly tiring though. You would be plowing and you could feel yourself getting tired, especially while doing it in that super hot sun, but then you stop and sit down and it kicks in really bad and you almost feel sick. it was so tiring. I'm proud to say though that the member said of all the missionaries that have ever helped him, he said i learned the quickest and was the best. so yeah whats up.

We were also able to help people destroy their wooden house and rebuild it, as well as cut some bamboo down a build a chicken coup for one of my recent converts. I tell you what i feel like i could totally dominate survivor. If i was on that game i would either dominate or get voted off super fast because i'm so good. I can cook rice in a pot over coals, fish, build stuff out of bamboo, i would be able to live so easlily with all the stuff i have learned on my mission.

I'm very happy, I'm healthy, I love serving the Lord. Thanks for being so supportive. 

Love always, Elder Rucker