More Pictures- South Stake

This is me dressed like a Khmer princess. #blackmail, I know.

It's a tradition to go get Khmer pictures taken when you are towards the end of your mission. So embarrassing, yet kinda fun. I mean, how many people can say they did Srey Saat pictures with a senior Sister and the Mission President's Wife. HAHAH so funny​!

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It was hard saying goodbye to South Stake

This is Sister Benson and I with Kanika. I love her. 

 Sister Benson and I with Kim Hour

Only President's favorites get to have dinner with him :) Dont ask what I'm doing.

Sometimes i am just so tired i can't make it to my bed... and to  be honest. there's not a lot of difference in comfort from the floor and my bed.. ​

Week 57-Whitewash, Siem Reap, and TRAINING AN AMERICAN

I am offically done working in the office with President Christensen. Super sad because I love President but I am excited he is putting me to work these next couple of transfers. 

Guess who is expecting? I'M GOING TO HAVE A KOON (Khmer word for child, JK. Let me explain). I get to train a missionary starting on Thursday when all the new missionaries arrive! I am excited! It will be so fun! On top of training, I am finally going to the jungle (Khmer word "Khet)" and not just any "jungle" but to Siem Reap!  I will be serving in the area that covers ANKOR WAT. For those of you that do not know, Ankor Wat is the Ancient Temple in Cambodia that people from all over the world come and visit. When I came here with my Mom, brother, and friends (shout out to the homies) it was the place that we visited! This area will have its challenges though because they haven't had sisters in that area for a few transfers due to lack of sisters in our mission. I will be whitewashing it (two new missionaries go to a new area together) along with the Elders. Elder Ouk (my friend from before the mission) will be going to the same area with me again. He is also training a new elder from Idaho! It will be a little crazy but I know it will all work out. Let's just say there will be a ton of praying happening these next few transfers.

Elder Ouk's 22nd bday

District picture... i felt awkward taking this picture and i also looking awkward in this picture.. dang it. 

This last week Sister Benson and I went to Battambang which is out of the city in the Jungle! It was gorgeous and so green! We got there and we did two exchanges. I was with Sister Lundsford and Sister Her. They are both great missionaries! With Sister Lundsford we went out in the morning to go do service. I had to use one of the older missionary's bikes and it was an awful bike. The whole time I felt like it was going to fall apart at any moment. After biking for a while we arrived at the investigators house to do yard work she said the ground was too wet to do the work. We were a little disappointed but as we were biking back we find this Om (word for elderly lady) and she was lifting heavy rocks and moving them. We stopped and helped her and she was so happy! The rocks were so heavy too! I have no idea how she would of done it without our help. At the end she gave us so many coconuts (which as really heavy and hard to bike with) and like three bunchs of bananas! Later on that day we were biking out to a memebers house and out of no where my awful bike just fell apart to pieces and broke mid-ride!! haha All the people around us came running over with their tools to try and help, but the bike was pretty done for. I loved how willing everyone was to come over and help though! They also offered to take us back to the church! Such great people. We contacted all of them and got their numbers because they said they wanted to learn more. Maybe God broke my bike so I could contact them. I wouldn't doubt it. It was worth it. 

Saying goodbye has been really hard. I had been in South stake for 9 months. I know everyone. Its been a rough couple of days saying goodbyes. I love them all so much.

Shout out to my role model, my mother. Happy Birthday! I love you so much! 

I'm sure next week I will have some crazy stories to tell... hhaha 

Love You All-

Sister Snooks

Week 56- Baptism!!!!

Hey! I can't believe my little mini me went through the temple this week! So cool! I can't wait to be able to go through the new Meridian Temple with you when I get home Jessie!

This week was good! Our Investigator got baptized! She was glowing with happiness the whole night! At the end of the baptism she had an opportunity to share how she felt and she shared her testimony of Jesus Christ and how she knows that He lives. It was powerful! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have taught her! She is a miracle too! Sister Hall and I (my comp the trasnfer before) got a call from her one day saying she wanted to learn! We thought she was in another area so we were going to give the referal to the other Sisters but we messed up (sigh) and lost her phone number and we were sooo sad because SHE called US and wanted to learn! We prayed and prayed that somehow we would find her again and the next week she called us back! SHE IS A MIRACLE! She ened up being in our area and around two months later was baptized! So cool. 

 Baptism!!

 When you tell everyone to go crazy... and you're the only one going crazy... plus why do these Khmer Skirts always make me look so fat! haha dang it! 

On Friday Sister Benson and I had lunch with a member from another area that we both knew! She was the investigator Sister Haddock and I taught and baptized in my training! Ming Soklem! Sister Benson knew her because Ming Soklem moved areas into SIster Benson's area! She is the best and so happy! When she saw us she was shocked because now we can both speak khmer! It was so fun to be able to talk to her again! She thanked me for helping her be baptized almost ONE YEAR AGO! Can you believe that! I am almost one year old in Cambodia. Anyways, she told us she is heading to the temple in the next few months after her year mark! I am so excited for her! She made us so much food and told us we couldn't leave till we ate it all... ughhh. haha it was so much food. I can't wait for my family to meet her! You guys will love her! ( She is the mother of the bishop in my first area that i told you looks like the asian version of Dad!) She very excited to meet you all! 

This is MIng Soklem!

I dont have much else to share this week! I want to share my testimony on the Book of Mormon though. I know The Book of Mormon to be true and I know that it has power to help us understand doctrinie within our church. I rememeber entering in the the MTC and realizing I didn't know as much as I thought I did about the Gospel in order to teach it. I knew it all to be true but I just didnt know how to teach it simply. I started to read the Book of Mormon like crazy and it helped me understand so much more about the doctrine within our chruch. Prime example is The Fall. Before my mission I had trouble understanding it and I asked my teachers in Church, my professors at BYU, and my bishops and many more to help me understand it better. It wasn't until I turned to the scriptures for help did I start to undertsand it better. There is still more I need to learn about The Fall but I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and how we can all access it and learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. So I encourgae you all to study it. Not just read the Book of Mormon and close the book and not remember a single thing you've read but to actually STUDY it! Have a pen in your had and a piece of paper next to you to take notes and ponder. Every day we have an hour to study and I love it so much! It has helped me become a better teacher for my investigators and a better member of this church. So as a missionary, my purpose is to invite other to come unto Christ SO I invite you to study the scriptures! I can promise you, it will bless your life!

I ran into a family I use to teach! She is married to an American and is in the international branch and I taught her in the beginning and gave her over to the international elders! Her and her daughter will be baptized next month! so cool!

I love my mission! And I love this church! 
Happy Early birthday mom! I love you so much!! I hope you have a great day!!! <3

Week 55- The Lamb of God and Being Afraid of Water

Helloo Family and friends. I didn't manage my time very well this Pday so this email may be a little short. 

First things first. Happy Birthday to my "mini me", Jessie Snooks! Hope it is the best day of your life!! Please sing lots of Taylor Swift for me (Aka our songs: Blank space, Welcome to New York, Bad Blood, and We are Never getting  Back Together) and make a music video like we always did. <3 I love you Jessie so much!!! 

We got new Sisters in the mission this week! They are both from Cambodia and our mission is excited to have them! We need all the Khmer missionaires we can get! They had just came from the MTC where they were able to go through the temple. Sister Benson and I, the AP'S, and President and Sister Christensen picked them up and we stayed at the mission home with them. All they could talk about was the MTC and the temple. It made me and Sister Benson Temple Trunky. I'm so happy they were able to have that experience and now they are out in the field helping baptize their nation!!!

We went on exhcnages this last week with Sister Luke and Sister Mcillece. They are both steller missionaires. I was with Sister Luke and we visited Mac Yay. We started asking her questions about her life and she told us she was married at age 14! That is only two years older than you, Jessie! She said her husband told her grandma that he can either marry her or he will just kidnap her so he could marry her. Crazy, right? She told us all about him and how she was so young. You could tell she loved her husband so much. He passed away a long time ago but she knows she will be able to see him again through God's Plan of Happiness. 

We went and met a recent convert who has been having a hard time understanding the Atonement and how we can all go back to be in God's presence in the Celestial Kingdom by being baptized and continuing to repent and endure to the end. She told us it was not possible for her to make it back to him because she can't help but get mad at her son every day! She told us she just wasn't worthy enough and God wouldn't want her back. Sister Benson shared the story of the Prodical Son to her and it was so powerful . The story is in Luke 15: 11-24 and it reads,

11 ¶ And he said, A certain man had two sons:

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger?

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

When Sister Benson shared this story to the recent convert she explained how we are all like the Prodical Son. We feel as if we are not worthy of our Father's love anymore. But as soon as Heavnely Father sees us he will run to us and hug us and be so happy we are there. Heavenly Father's will love us no matter what. As long as we try to come back to him by enduring to the end, we will be able to receive celestial glory. When Sister Benson shared this story if finally clicked with the convert and she started to believe and have hope that she could go back to God's presence. It was such a tender and spiritual moment as we were able to help her understands God's love for her. 

We have been super busy this last week with all our new investigators! We have been teaching lesson one like crazy this week! It is so fun! This Saturday one of our investigators is being baptized which we are super excited about! AND, her sister just started learning with us!  We are being so blessed right now in finding new prepared people to teach! 

Funny quotes from this week.... "Christ was afraid of water, but he still was baptized so he can be a good example for us!".... We have no idea where our investigator got this from... When she said it, I couldn't make eye contact with Sister Benson because I was afraid I would start laughing. Okay. Quote #2..... "So when Christ was born, he was born as a lamb and that is why they call Him The Lamb of God right?" That was the first time we've been asked that one! haha I couldn't help but laugh. It just slipped out.

Thank you for everything! Don't forget to read and pray everyday!!! Love you guys! 

Us rolling out of the Church parking lot! "Let the rain fall down"-Hillary Duff​

Week 54- សួស្តី

Every week its pretty cool to see how much God is blessing my family while I'm gone. I was promised that God would watch over and bless them because of my service and every week I am blown away by how much God really does watch over them! You all seem so happy. I love it. 

 Happy one year mark to us!! June 22

This last week Sister Benson and I were SO blessed. We found so many new investigators we barley have a enough time to meet with all of them! We also should be having a baptism in a couple weeks! We are so happy because our area is being blessed! In my last two areas I have been in them for three transfers and I love it because I get to see the area progress over time! For example, I have been able to see a lot of contacts that I have had with past companions end up getting baptized! SO COOL. This really is God's work and all his glory because without him all us missionaries would be soooo lost. 

Speaking of lost...This is how we moved all our stuff... and somehow our rice cooker got lost in the move.... hmmmmm I wonder why.... hahha

 Our "moving van" & crew

 Our view/ area

I did an exchange last week with two Vietnamese Sisters! My BYU roommate, Sister Graviet would be proud because I learned how to contact in Vietnamese!! Though, it's a little rough and I'm probably saying all of it wrong......but I went on an exchange with a Sister from Vietnam! She knows a ton of English and I am obsessed with her!! She is the most dedicated missionaries I have ever seen and is not afriad of anything! We were biking on the street and she is contacting everyone she can see! By the end of the exchange that evening I was exhausted! I asked her how she was so fearless in everything she does and she told me that she knows God trusts her and as long as she just tries, God will be proud of her!  She is amazing. We ended up going and seeing Mac Yay and she also knows Vietnamese. We taught a lesson about Joseph Smith and I spoke Khmer to her and SIster Trinh spoke Vietnamese to her and then Sister Trinh and I would talk to each other in English. HOW COOL IS THAT? I am so grateful for the privilege to learn a language on my mission. During that lesson I was just blown away that we were able to have a discussion about Joseph Smith in three languages all testifying that he is a prophet of God and Restored the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints upon the earth again.  

One of our investigators is having a really hard time right now. Her parents are trying to force her to get an arranged marriage. Its pretty common here. I cannot imagine. She just broke down to us about how she doesn't love this man and if she doesn't accept the proposal she will be going against her parents wishes. There is nothing in my life even close to that I could relate to her with. The only thing I could promise her that could help her is Jesus Christ and His Atonement. For me to assure her of this means that I really need to believe in it myself, and I do. There are so many different trials everyone goes through. It can feel like there is no one in the world who understands our circumstance perfectly but I can promise everyone that Jesus Christ is fully aware of how you feel because he has been there. I know this to be true. There are so many times in my mission where memebers or investigators have shared their trials and I have been able to offer comfort and strength by teaching them about the Atonement. It is pretty amazing. 

I love this gospel and I love my mission. Thank you for all the support! HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! Have fun in MCcall!