THE BIG SIX

Fam, 

It was so fun to skype home on mothers day!! So crazy how fast time is flying out here. We had a crazy last couple of weeks with 32 hours of travel time for MLC and transfers. I am staying up in Battambang with a new comp Sister Ngyuen who just got out of training and we are having a blast. 

The good news is that we had 6 baptisms these last two weeks!!!! Sombat, Nita, Ming Houet, Hong, Hon, Hiang. They are all so amazing and were so excited to finally get baptized :) I love the work and these amazing people I have been working with. I also got to help start rebuilding my old comp Sister Dy's house this week which was fun learning how to do that a little bit. 

Funny story of the week: It was a straight downpour and my comp and I were biking really fast trying to make the light and we did a U turn and our bikes just fell out from under us and we just got wrecked and were laying in the middle of the road. It was quite the experience and I had to pick out some rocks out of my skin which wasn't that fun. Always an adventure on our bikes out here. Hopefully I can survive the rainy season comin up.

We had a really powerful lesson with one of our new investigators Rina. She has been super hesitant about coming to church and wasn't sure if she wanted to really learn so we went over there with the intention of dropping her but the spirit was so strong in our lesson and she just kept telling us how much warmth and love she felt and that she wanted to come to church. So sunday rolls around and it is pouring rain outside.. which is bad new because khmer people hate the rain and dont leave their houses when its raining... BUT she came in the rain!!!! So many miracles everyday :) We also had our new investigator Mey make it to church as well so hopefully we can keep our momentum going!

We have 16 more hours of travel this week but worth it because.. ELDER BEDNAR IS COMING TO CAMBODIA THIS WEEK! I can't wait to learn from him. As I have been preparing for him to come I have a few thoughts from the story of the 10 virgins. In Matthew 25:9 it talks about buying oil for yourselves. It is our individual responsibility to keep the lamp of testimony burning and obtain a supply of the oil of conversion. We are responsible for our own conversion and deliberate discipleship.

"The tuition of diligence and learning by faith must be paid to obtain and personally own such knowledge, only in this way can what is known in the mind be transformed into what is felt in the heart. Only in this way can a person move beyond relying upon the spiritual knowledge and experience of others and claim those blessings for himself or herself. Only in this way can we be spiritually prepared for what is coming."

I love this principle and truly know that as we are deliberate about our discipleship and conversion we have no need to fear! 

I love the work!!!!!!

Sister Stratford

Jungle

 ming houet and her kids

 sombat and nita 

CRAZY WEEK IN BATTAMBANG

Hello Family,

We had another crazy week out here in Battambang. To start off my week we went to eat out at an american restaurant and there was a spider on the lettuce in my sandwich. Welcome to cambodia. Then we went and hiked wat banan and went on a bamboo train which was an adventure. We are really trying to get this ministering rolling out here in Cambodia and so we called up our Relief Society president and visited lots of less actives with her this week and we had a few of them come back to church which was a miracle! We are hoping to help her and work with her once a week and try to start out some ministering efforts.

The Siem Riep sisters came up for an exchange this week and so that was fun. I went with another girl straight from america and we had a good time. Her bike broke down but we made it work. We also did one more exchange with the other battambang sisters to help them and see how their area was doing which was a lot of fun as well.

BIG WEEK this week, we have Ming Hout, Hiang , Hon, Hong, Sombat and Nita all lined up to get baptized this saturday! WE ARE SO EXCITED! We hope all goes as planned this week. They are so amazing and so prepared and ready to get baptized. Our other investigators are still progressing and we are trying to finalize some baptismal dates with them this coming week so hopefully we can get them on track. The work is on fire out here and I love every minute!

Spiritual thoughts for the week focused in Hebrews 10: 

32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 

35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

I have been studying a lot about personal revelation and received a lot of cool insights from a talk by Jeffry R. Holland:

"Once there has been genuine illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now... face your doubts. Master your fears. "cast not away therefore your confidence" Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you... After you have gotten the message, after you have paid the price to feel his love and hear the word of the Lord, go forward. " 

"Along with the illuminating revelation that points us toward a righteous purpose or duty, God will also provide the means and power to achieve that purpose. Trust in that eternal truth. If God has told you something is right, if something is indeed true for you, he will provide the way for you to accomplish it... Fighting through darkness and despair and pleading for the light is what opened this dispensation. It is what keeps it going, and it is what will keep you going." (Elder Holland) 

I know that the Lord is always fighting for us and helps us every step of the way even if we don't recognize it. The Lord truly is involved in the details of our lives and He wants to give us revelation but we need to come seeking. We need to keep pushing. When we receive spiritual promptings we need to have the faith to respond and press forward with faith. I have had this happen so many times in my life when I receive spiritual confirmations, lots of temptations come. But when we push through and trust in the promptings we receive we get so many blessings from them! 

I am so thankful that I am able to serve these amazing people in Cambodia and learn from them each day! I know that the Lord has a plan for each of our lives and as we trust in Him and rely on Him we will have the power to accomplish anything! 

Loves, 

Sister Stratford 

24 HOURS OF STRAIGHT TRAVELING

Hello!!!

We had a crazy week this week and no time to proselyte! On Monday afternoon we headed over to Siem Riep and got to go to the night market and I had my feet eaten by some fish - pretty weird experience.  Then we had zone conference with Elder Muers of the 70 on Tuesday. It was such an amazing conference and I learned a lot about how to better work with members and how to better seek inspiration and revelation through praying with faith and making my prayers more meaningful.

 Then we had one day to proselyte and quickly check up on all our investigators before we took a bus down to Phnom Penh for MLC. We got to the city around 6 and so I have a couple minutes to go visit one of my previous investigators from CKM, which was super cool. We focused a lot on ministering in MLC and about how we can help the mission and our areas minister more and help serve as the Savior did. I hope to be able to get this work moving out in Battambang and help the work grow! I got to see all of my previous companions at MLC, which was super fun! I love them all. Then I went on an exchange in the city with Sister Her, which was really fun and got to catch up with Sister Smith. 

On the way biking home from our exchange to the mission home Sister Eckman got smashed between a car and a tuk tuk - luckily she is okay and didn't get beat up too badly but she definitely isn't used to all the city traffic. But I am really happy to be back in Battambang and back proselyting!

Something I really loved studying this week was in Doctrine and Covenants 42: 61-62" If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things - that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal. Thou shalt ask, and it shall be revealed unto you in mine own due time.." I know that Heavenly Father truly does want to talk to us and give us guidance in this life but it is something that we have to seek for. I always remember mom telling me that we have to pay the price and put in the work and then we are more prepared to receive guidance and revelation. But something important to remember is that we need to wait on the Lord's timing. 

P-push

U- until
S- something

H- happens

It is like taking a huge rock and trying to push it up a hill we just need to keep pushing keep praying, keep seeking until something happens. Psalms 27:14 says" Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." I know that as we are committed for the long haul and continually trust in the Lord we will receive the answers that we seek and the help that we need.

I love you!!!

Sister Stratford

សីុស្ទើរ​​​​​​​ស្រ្តាតហ្វឺត 

HEADIN TO SIEM RIEP

Sadie Stratford	8:02 PM (31 minutes ago)
to me, Josh, Rick, Katie, Abby

Hello Family,

Khmer New Year is finally over and things are picking back up this week. We had a couple rainy days which was SO NICE! I love when it rains, cools down quite a bit. So that was a nice change from this heat. I hope we get more rainy days this next week because its too hot. This week we did some exchanges with the other Sisters serving in Battambang which was fun to work with them for a day. I went with a new girl fresh out of the mtc.

I had a Ming ask me to marry her son this week. She asked me 4 or 5 times and then when I said no she went inside and pulled out a packet full of pictures of him to see if I would be more interested it was pretty funny. We also had interview with President this week and we talked a lot about covenants and how these bind us to God and how important it is to work through covenants. There are so powerful and important!

We had a good week for church attendance 8 of our investigators came which we were pumped about. Ming Hout and her family showed up at 1 because if they waited to come at 3 (which is when church starts) they would have nothing to ride and they still stayed all 3 hours. They are so faithful and prepared. Bong Napah, Kim Ian and Sopoan all came to church with their little kids for the first time. They are slowing growing their desire and we are super hopeful about them too. Sombat and Lisa are the children of a recent convert who are super close to baptism probably within these next few weeks which will be super good for their family. We also picked up a new investigator this week while contacting. Her name is Rina and she seems so prepared to receive the gospel. She has 2 kids and her husband seemed interested too and so hopefully we can start teaching their whole family! The work is really starting to pick up this week.

I was also given a khmer name this week by my english class - Bopa which means flower. We are heading to Siem Riep in a couple hours for zone conference tomorrowwith Elder Meurs! I am getting really excited 

I love this scripture in Doctrine and Covenants section 81:5
"Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."

We all have people in our sphere of influence who we can bless and who need us to strengthen them. I feel like so often we miss out on the people opportunities given to us. But I know as we pray to have eyes to see and ears to hear, we can help Heavenly Father in reaching out to His other children who's hands hang down.

Love you!!!!

Sister Stratford
សីុស្ទើរ​​​​​​​ស្រ្តាតហ្វឺត

KHMER NEW YEAR

Hellooo

This week was crazy with Khmer New year. Lots of crazy parties and drunk people everywhere. This week we went to wat ek phnom which was cool, I will send pictures. Because of the Khmer New Year president had all of the sisters come home and be in by 6:30 because it is not safe to be out with all the parties and crazy people out. WE got sprayed with a lot of water and flour this week from the New Year. They closed the road to our house off because of the party down the street it was wild.

Ming Hout and her 3 children Hing Hong and Hon all committed to a baptismal date this week! We just finished the first lesson with them and are getting really excited. They have so much faith and are so prepared to hear the gospel. They live out in the jungle and its so fun biking over to their place. My tire popped this week during the new year and there hasn't been any places to fix it because nobody is open for the New year and so I am hoping I can get it fixed today or tomorrow. I have been borrowing a little japenese bike that is sketchy to ride so its been an adventure these past couple days. Literally everyone is so busy with celebrating the new year we did a lot of contacting but we found quite a few potentials we are hopeful for.

We only had 20 people at church on sunday so the missionaries were the whole program and I spoke which was fun. I am hoping to meet more of the members next week after the new year is over.

I loved Romans 8:37-39 this week 

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I also loved John 15:7" If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

Have a good week!!

សីុស្ទើរ​​​​​​​ស្រ្តាតហ្វឺត 

Comments from personal letters - 

The bus had air conditioning which was a miracle it wasn't too bad. We just threw our luggage under the bus and headed out. My new companion is good, she is from wyoming  I am just super depended on for the language and teaching and really everything coming up with what to teach. I will ask her to testify and share parts of the lesson but she gets scared so hopefully we can get her more confident so she can teach more instead of just me. The other sisters are good, we have a new girl from pennsylvania who apparently roomed with morgan keller and got my emails before she came and then a khmer sister and we all get along. 

The sad thing is I haven't really met the branch because we had general conference and then it is khmer new year and so only 20 people were at church but we have been visiting a few of the members so i am excited to get to know them better. The english class here is SO SMALL. We only had 11 students last week on wednesday and nobody showed up for saturday becasue of khmer new year. So its a lot smaller than getting an average of 90 a week in the city. Our area here is huge!!! We have a lot of jungle and the middle of nowhere which takes 45- and hour to bike there but its beautiful. Our house is on the edge of the "city"part which really isnt a city. WE live right across from the church. It is a lot safer riding out here its crazy how you dont have to avoid getting hit all the time because there isnt much traffic its great.

We have mostly the same things to eat here. The american store out here is actually bigger than in the city so we just eat lots of mangos and we can still buy milk so no problems. I have been doing a lot of the cooking here me and the khmer sister will cook together for everyone because these other two dont know how to cook so we eat khmer food every day pretty good lots of rice. WE HAVE GOTTEN SO MANY FREE MANGOS this week. When we visit members they just cut up mangos for us and send us home with more too its great and everything out here is so cheap I bought 3 kilos of mangos this morning for myself this week should be tasty. 

Sister Training leader is fun it is like a zone leader for elders. So we are over the other set of sisters in Battambang and the sisters in Siem Riep. They come to our area for a day and we do an exchange with them and then we get to go to leadership trainings once a month. In the mission there are 4 companionships that are sister training leaders. 3 of the companionships for the zones and then there is one more that are like the ap's to president who are in the city. Right now we are only over 4 sisters, we hardly have any sisters out here in the khites. The language is coming a lot better mostly because I do almost all the teaching and listening. My comp is struggling with the language right now so I have to be the one trying to understand and teach which has been really fun. BATTAMBANG IS SO BEAUTIFUL I love it out here, no traffic and lots of beautiful jungles we get to go through. I am not sure how many members we had but this last sunday only 20 people showed up. We live in a little 3 story house that is super hot and humid. There is just a little showerhead on the wall of the bathroom pretty small but the air conditioning isnt very good in this house so we all sleep with fans blowing on us. But we still have clean water so its okay. From the moment you turn off the shower you just sweat until you shower again its crazy. I love you!