WE GOT WRECKED

Well just about everything that could have fallen through this week did. We got wrecked. It has been the weirdest week. A senior couple - the armstrongs took us to the zoo this week and we got to feed some elephants and monkeys which was fun, Sister Armstrong got slapped by an elephant it was hilarious.

But cool miracle of the week. We were over at Tola's teaching and she just started telling us about all the hard things that are happening in her life. She has been sick this whole week and if she doesn't go to the factory to work, she doesn't have money to eat so she told us she hadn't eaten in 3 days and she didn't know what to do because she was too sick to go to the factory. She didn't have anyone that could give her some money and so her and her cute little 3 year old son are starving. Her son was just crying at her begging her to give him some money and she was just yelling/crying at him that she didn't have any money. He sat on the ground and just started crying and literally out of nowhere 500 riel just appears in between the little boys legs. I was like hey right here look there is money take it. And he looks down, looks back up at me, grabs the money and runs to buy something to eat. Sister Hafen and I were just looking at each other in awe at what just happened. It was SO COOL. Miracle. 

Sad story of the week is Yay Suan. She has been learning with us for a long time now, she finished all the lessons, we filled out her baptismal forms and practiced the interview with her and she has such a strong testimony. Well she didn't come to church this sunday so we went over to her house after church and she said she wanted to stop learning. We had to postpone her baptismal date because she was still taking this plant/medicine thing she sucks on - don't know what to call it in english but its against the word of wisdom so we told her we would have to postpone her baptism for a little while so she could overcome more fully her addiction. She just told us before she was so excited to get baptized and now she just said she doesn't want to get baptized anymore, doesn't want to come to church anymore. She said she would still pray everyday but she just is done. I was so heartbroken - literally the worst thing as a missionary is to see these people from the first time you meet them, see how much they grow and how much their lives start to change and see all these miracles that God provides and then just just deny or stop wanting to progress. Respecting people's agency is so hard sometimes. Hopefully she will come around I am so sad for her.

I really loved in alma 34:31 this week where it talks about how if we will repent and not harden our hearts immediately the plan of redemption will be brought unto us. No matter how long we have been wandering off the path or how far away we have gone, once we decide to change we are helped immediately. I  know that once Yay Suan decides to change Heavenly Father will provide her a way back. I really hope she decides to change soon.

Love Sister Stratford

CUTE LITTLE GRANDMAS

Hello Fam,

This week was another great, sweaty week. Everyone keeps asking me if I am cold because it is the cold season but still have not gone a day on the mission without sweating to death all day. But its the best I love Cambodia. 

This week we found out that Yay Suen and Yay Bon's children are married, don't know why it took so long to figure that out but we are teaching some of their grandchildren and it is so fun. It is the cutest group of families and I always love going to teach them. They always call us "Mister". Yay Bon got baptized yesterday!!!! She was so so excited. After her interview she ran out and gave me a big hug and was just glowing and was just so giddy and happy that she passed her interview so she could get baptized. She is 65 years old and the cutest little grandma ever, her faith is so strong. I want to take her back to America with me. 

We had a way cool experience with Kim Yeng this week. So she is currently going to two churches right now. She has a protestant church and our church. She said she just loves to go to lots of christian churches and worship all day on sunday. I started thinking about her during sacrament meeting and what we could do to help her understand that she needs to choose one. I felt like we should show the restoration video,after we watched it she said "Sisters this video touched my heart so much, I feel exactly like Joseph Smith and I need to choose which church is true and ask Heavenly Father to help me." She said she feels like she has known us for a long time and it was almost like she knew us before she met us. We also had her join Yay Bon's baptism and she said that during the service she just kept thinking "Do I need to get baptized? Is this the right thing to do?" I know that our Father in Heaven is directing her path and will help her to know of the truth. She is so amazing and I hope she commits to following the impressions that she receives. 

Peak is doing so good and will be getting baptized in a couple weeks she is so cute and I love seeing her family. We had transfers this week and we are now only over Steung Mean Chey 3 - the smallest area in the mission. I am happy I will still get to see my om's but sad to leave some others I love in Steung Mean Chey 1. 

I loved John 13: 14-15 this week "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." On the eve of His Atonement, the Savior washed the feet of one who betrayed him, of another who denied Him, and of still others who fell asleep in His most needed hour. There are so many people around us who are in need of our service. We need to follow the example of the Savior and serve as He served, love as He did and strive to always becoming more and more like Him. He is our perfect example and our Friend. I love Him with all my heart and have been loving working beside Him out here in Cambodia for these beautiful people who need so much help. 

Love Sister Stratford 

I LOVE MY OM'S

We are about to have a ping pong tournament up here in Steung Mean Chey and I am getting hyped, we will see who comes out on top...

This week was a good one as always. I did an exchange with Sister Kong - she is so cute she is a khmer in her training and it was a lot of fun. We are teaching so many om's right now and its the best but also the worst. Om's are ladies in about their 60-70's and none of them can read and they have a hard time remembering things but they are just the cutest. They have great faith and come to church every week. Yay Suen and Yay Bon are both getting ready to get baptized really quickly here. It really is amazing to see their progress from where they started. They literally couldn't remember who God was for the longest time but now as we were reviewing lessons this week they remember everything, expound really well, and give the most beautiful prayers. I am so excited for them and blessed to have been able to get to know them!

Cool story of the week is Kim Yeng. She is a referral from the light the world campaign. So we called her up to see if she could meet and we met her the first time it was pretty normal, she belongs to a protestant church and understands and knows a lot. Very smart. But the coolest part was hearing her conversion story to coming to know Jesus. She has had so many "coincidences" in her life that led her to Christ. When she was younger she was telling us how much she hated Jesus and anyone that worshipped him. She was persecuting the church and it kind of reminded me of alma the younger. Then she had a dream of Christ and she woke up and hated Him even more. Second coincidence - she found the song silent night and it was her favorite song she didnt know what it was saying but listened to it for 3 years before she decided to look up the lyrics. Then she found out it was about Christ and she didn't know what to do. Third coincidence - in her school there was one Christian person who showed her where to church was so she could see what Christ is actually like. Fourth - When she was praying in the church to a cross or something and has her prayer answered immediately because she was planning on killing herself and then her life changed around. Fifth- after our first visit we gave her a restoration pamphlet to read in preparation for our next appointment and it turns out it was the wallpaper on her phone and she was like "Is this another coincidence?"

Long story short all of these seeming "coincidences" were part of God's plan. President Monson said "There is a guiding hand above all things.Often when things happen, it's not by accident. One day, when we look back at the seeming coincidences of our lives, we will realize that perhaps they weren't so coincidental after all." 

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;... and he shall direct thy paths."

I know the Lord is directing her path, He is directing my path and He is directing your path. Just trust and push forward in faith!

Love Sister Stratford

2019??

January 6, 2019

How is it 2019 already? I am pretty sure I asked my companion that about 50 times this week not sure where the time goes.

Good week this week, lots of meetings which was sad because we didn't have a ton of time to proselyte, but fun. We had a Koon Training with all the new missionaries which was fun, we also had zone conference this week and President has asked us to all memorize the Living Christ before Easter. I had an impression during this last general conference to memorize it so I have a little bit of a head start. 

Tola got baptized this week! It was the happiest ever, she was so excited. She is a champ. She walks to church every week probably a good 25 minute walk and she hasn't missed a week since I have met her. Love her. She is probably the weirdest person I have ever met in my life but I have been loving getting to know her and see her change as she has come unto Christ. It really is one of my favorite things to watch these peoples lives turn around once they find Christ. 

The rest of the investigators are doing well and the work is just a blast. I love being a missionary. Sorry I don't have a lot to report on this week. Love you!

Sister Stratford

MERRY JULY

December 30, 2018

I LOVE CAMBODIA!

This week was the best. We had a Christmas Eve lunch at the mission home, went to Kirirom with the zone on Christmas and it just still is July out here so it didn't feel like Christmas at all. Way fun though. 

Jetra and E and Peak all accepted baptismal dates this week!! So we have 7 baptismal dates and they are all progressing towards their dates. Tola is getting baptized this week, and then Yay Suen, Yay Bon, Ming Theary are just the cutest and will get baptized soon here!!! The work here in SMC is just exploding and we are so so busy trying to keep up with everyone. We have got a waiting list going for some investigators we don't have time to meet. Everyone just wants to meet at 6:30 pm so its a little tricky but we love being busy - not a bad problem to have.

We have been struggling to make time to meet our recent converts often but this week I felt inspired to make time for Sok Him and Srei Noic. After we finished teaching Sok Him she came up to me and said she was feeling so sad because she hasn't been able to go to church for 2 weeks because her kid was sick and she had been praying that we would come and visit her and how she got her prayer answered, we walked in the door right after she finished praying. Also Srei Noic has not been coming to church for a few months now so we went there to teach her. We walked up to start teaching her and she just started crying and said "Sisters I have been praying that you would come visit me this is a miracle, God answered my prayer."

The cool part of these stories is this week I have been praying really hard every morning to be able to be the answer to someone's prayer each day. Not only were we able to be the answer to their prayers but also in the process I found answers to my prayers. God is so good! Reminded me of a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 98:2 "Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament - the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted." I know that God hears and answers our prayers!

Love Sister Stratford

SISTER HAFEN

December 23, 2018

These last few weeks have been way fun!  We had transfers and found out our goons (new trainees) weren't coming for a week because of visa problems so Sister Eckman and I were companions again over all of Steung MeanChey for a week and it was way fun.

Sister Hafen is my goon, she is from American Fork, she is 5 foot 8 inches and she plays tennis. It's weird having a taller companion I haven't felt short for a really long time. I already love her so much we get along great and I am way excited for these next two transfers together. She got off the plane and as we rode back to the mission home I told her I was sending her off with a native khmer who is in her 2nd transfer and also in her training for the day while I went to MLC, and then dropped her off. She did so good I am so impressed with her language skills and faith. 

We had a Christmas party in CKM with everyone from Phnom Penh and we sang in the choir and it was way fun and then in sacrament meeting on sunday bishop told us 10 minutes before the meeting that we were doing the special musical number. So Sister Hafen and I did a duet. I hope we didn't break everyone's ear drums because I just cannot sing but it was way fun. I love Cambodia- just never know what bishop is going to ask us to do each sunday whether that is teaching primary, sunday school, relief society, playing the piano, speaking in sacrament or doing the special musical number. Keeps us on our toes :)

Yay Suen accepted a baptismal date this week and she was so excited! We also went to go and teach Jetra and E and taught about the importance of church because that is the only committment they haven't been keeping and we were considering dropping them this week if they didn't come, BUT THEY CAME!!! It was so happy. Sunday is their busiest day at work but the made the sacrifice to come and both said how strong they felt the spirit when they walked in the doors. 

Yay Bon was telling us about how hard her life is and how her husband is really sick and so he can't work so she goes out and works everyday so she can pay for his health care and for her grandkids to go to school and eat. She was saying how if she doesn't go out to work they don't have enough money to put food on the table and how she just lost all hope. But she said "Sisters ever since I have started coming to your church I have just felt more strength and so much hope. I know that this church is true and that God helps us."

I was just overcome with so much gratitude for my Savior and how much we have to be hopeful about because of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for the knowledge that we have that there is a God who is our loving Heavenly Father who cares about us and knows us by name and for this privilege to share His gospel with the beautiful Cambodian people. 

Love, 

Sister Stratford 

PHONE CALL - NO LETTER ONLY PICTURES