Cambodian Sistaa: Week 10: Can't tell what's redder...my hair or my skin..#ginger

HELLLLLO FROM CAMBOOOOO.

First off, I love it here so much. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. Even the crappy stuff. I'm just learning to love everything because you only get to live in Cambo once, soooooo may as well always be happy!

Leaving the MTC was the best feeling ever. Driving by BYU did kinda stink- but I got over it. Being around "real" people in the airport was fun! Utah people are so nice to the missionaries! Some lady paid for my food. Bless her. Talking to my family topped leaving the MTC though. It was nice to hear everyone's voice and feel normal again.

The flight was long. Like 26 hours long of traveling. It was fun having 20 missionaries going to Cambodia on one plane though! I sat next to this guy who had a dog who wouldn't stop barking... it was annoying. I started talking to him and he asked where I was going and we ended up talking about missionaries and what we do. He then asked if I was with all the attractive boys on this flight. He was referring to the 16 Elders. (This guy was interested in men.) I laughed and said I was going to the same place as these Elders and explained that they are also missionaries and we are going to Cambodia to teach people about Jesus Christ. He then asked if I was a Nun. hahhahah

Meeting President Christensen and his wife was the best! They are the kindest people I've ever met! When I was talking to them I felt like I've known them my whole life! MY COMPANION IS SO COOL. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. Seriously though, she makes everything we do 100xs better. He name is Sister Haddock and she is from Utah. She went to BYU before her mission. She is half Korean and has the cutest Khmer voice I've ever heard. She loves High School Musical and she loves Vampire Diaries. So we get along really well. I live with two other Vietnamese missionaries and basically we have a party house. No joke we have a whole house to ourselves! It is so fun. The house is the same look/style as Botevy's! So it is huge for us. GUESS WHAT ELSE? I'm in the same district with a lot of the missionaries I served with in the MTC WHICH INCLUDES SISTER COOK. So i get to see her a lot!! Bless.

**This is right after we arrived in Cambodia. We were wisked off to do some contacting.

I am serving in an area called Toulsangke! It is in North Phnom Penh! It has the biggest ward and is basically the best area. The first Sunday the Young Womens asked me to sing with them in sacrament so I went up and acted like I could read the words to the song. haha it was pretty funny. The Elders in my ward were laughing at me.

Sadly, I have not seen Elder Smith yet and he isn't my zone leader... But I'm hoping I will run into him when I go to the mission home today!

Jet-lag is hard but having to be back to our home by 7:00pm isn't bad because I am so tired and it's dark. The elder have to be in by that time also. It's not bad at all! Neither is waking up at 5:30! The language.... well all confidence from the MTC is lost... not really.....but I feel like I can't say anything well yet! They talk so fast here and so quiet! It kills me! and the slang they speak, oh my goodness. My companion helps me out a ton. The lessons usually go something like this: she asks the person we are teaching who they want to pray and without doubt they always ask me (which by the way, everyone thinks I'm French) then she teaches and when she looks at me I try to add on or testify hoping that I am understanding the concept she is teaching about. So far I've been kinda right. hahaha. I asked my first investigator to prepare her self for baptism!! The funny part is is she said yes to me and I got all excited and happy and then my companion asked her if she understood what I said and she said no.... then my companion clarified and asked her again. But hey, I technically asked first. #teamwork

Biking here is the scariest thing I've evere done. But don't worry, God protects his missionaries.The first time I was riding a bike we had to go around this HUGE round about and I almost hit like 20 cars/bikes/mopeds (or they almost hit me, I'm not sure who's fault it was). The whole time I was singing "Lead Me Guide Me." I felt like it was an appropriate song for this event.

English class was so fun to teach. I'm really good at it because they only speak English for those 2 hours. It's so nice. Expect, I totally taught them the wrong way to say "Heir" I taught them to say it like "Hare" Until a Khmer turned around and corrected me.... #fail

On my second day we met with a Lady who has no home and has a little cart she sells and lives by. She is amazing. When she saw me for the first time I don't think she let go of my hand or stopped rubbing my skin because she was amazed at my white skin. I think she said "white skin" around 500 times to me. hahah People in Cambodia love me for for my paleness. It is a confident booster for sure. Anyways we taught he about how through Christ, all things are possible and that he gives us strength to do things we didn't think we could. She then explained the problems she is facing with being able to go to church. She can't leave her cart or move her cart cause someone will take her spot. She has no one to watch her stuff for her for free. She doesn't have extra money to get a ride to the church and its a 1.5 hour walk from her house. We then explained that if she has faith, God will provide a way for her to receive more money. After we closed with a prayer a big group of people came to her cart and bought things from her. It was the most she has sold in a long time. God will always provide a way for his children that he loves so much, we just need to have faith that he can do it.

I love being a missionary. I thought MTC was hard. HA! The MTC is a joke compared to this. I am sweaty 24/7, we bike miles and miles every day, I am constantly dirty, I eat so much rice and I don't see any American food, it smells so bad sometimes, and everyone laughs when I try to speak. BUT I have never been so happy before in all my life. In D&C 84:88 it says, "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." I have felt the angles bearing me up just in these last few days.

If you read this whole email, WOW!

Love you All!

Sister Snooks

Here's our kitchen. We were making popcorn on the stove....It kind of got everywhere. hahahaha