New Missionaries and 2nd zone conference

 At the beginning of October, we have 14 missionaries from US come off quarantine, this group is the biggest group of missionary we get this year, there are 12 Elders (young men) and 2 Sisters!  They all come off quarantine within an hour and we were able to pick them up by making multiple trips with 3 cars, there were so excited to be out and talk to real people face to face!  We have a welcome dinner for them, then orientation the next days; after that  they were spit up and picked up by their new companions; we were able to drive two of them to a city called KAMPONG THOM, this city is about 2 1/2 hours away from the city; while there we drove another two hours to a small village called Sandan, the church has a straw house there; I love how excited new missionaries are!  There were in quarantine for 14 days when they arrived, they have time to reset their sleep pattern and they are excited to be out to do missionary work.  

They looked so happy!

First day out of quarantine

12 Elders and 2 Sisters, we wish we have more sisters!

Two weeks after this new group of missionary came in, we have our second zone conference, last conference I talk with the missionaries regarding the importance of drinking plenty of fluid, this conference, I gave them each a first aid kits with Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl, antibiotic creams, Tums, cough drops and sore throat lozenges, Each missionary also has he/her own thermometer, along with a card telling them what and how to take the medication;  I expect them to tell me what their temperature are instead of just feeling "hot", then I can tell them what to pull medication to take from the kit.  All the missionaries, especially the Khmer one are elated because I am giving them "Meds"!  Since the implementation of first aid kits, the calls about major things have been down 50%.  Although now I get called that said the meds are not helping because they are not feeling better!  One elder was taking 2 Benadryl (25 mg each) every 4 hours during the day and he said he was not feeling better!  After cutting back on Benadryl he is able to function!

We traveled with the President in a separate car after zone conference in Phnom Penh, to Kampong Cham and Siem Reap (this name has a close tie to Thailand).  In Phnom Penh we gathered over 60 missionaries together, it has been a long time since all the zones were together!  We made them cinnamon rolls as a treat.  Then onto Kampong Cham where the Kampong Cham and Kampong Thom missionaries met for zone conference, there is only 12 missionaries serving in KC/KT; Sister Kiem Anderson made brownie for the missionaries in KC.  After KC we traveled to Siem Reap.  It was wonderful following President in driving the Khmer way, it is a little bit faster because Ted just followed him, passing all the cars and commercial trucks we normally would have waited to pass!  We enjoyed some local BBQ food, eating with our fingers (like when we were in India) and sitting inside a hut.  We also run out of gas midway (the indicator light in our SUV malfunctioned) and luckily the car stopped by a family gas station, President Neang came back to help us get the car moving again!

Elders pushing the SUV back so we can get gas!

What is this?   If you guessed frog, you are right!

Sisters Chham, Haymore, sister training Leader and AP Elder Thy, They picked fish and chicken!

APs, Elder Rushton and Elder Thy

Sister Chham and Sister Haymore with their fish and frog.

Chicken thigh, very lean!

Local cuisine, I don't even know what they are, might be some kind of fish

Any guess?  it is turtle meat without the shell!

During zone conference in Siem Reap, President got words that his brother-in-law passed away.  He rushed home to support the family since usual funeral takes place within 24 hours of death.  We finished the conference with the the help of  AP (Assistants to the President), STLs (Sister Training Leaders). then we drove home to Phnom Penh.  We stop by Sister Chham (STLs)'s home in Kompong Thom for a short visit. The family is very poor, they lived in a small tin hut, Sister Chham's mom sew and do alternation for a living.  In the picture, you see the shop in the front and behind the back wall, is the family living quarters.  It was a quick 3 days trips, wonderfully spent with great missionaries!