"Tell your mom not to worry"

Let's start with the random unfortuante things that have happened to me this week shall we?

- Last night I shocked myself with a mosquito zapper-swatter. You have one intelligent missionary in the family. 

- Also, another lizard fell on me a couple mornings ago. This time it fell on my shoulder as I was walking into my bathroom. Convenient timing, eh? I swear the lizards are out to get me. 

Okay I think that's all I can remember. Now for the real stuff. (This email is going to be short again too. I can't remember the last time I had a decent amount of time for email. SOrry about that).

So Sister Vorn and I have decided to focus our efforts on the Less-active/Inactive members. Cuz we got LOTS. You remember me telling you about the two gigantic binders filled to the brim with less-actives for us to find and brink back from the brink of hell right? (that was a joke. less actives are not on the brink of hell. im not that crazy.) Well we got to visit one inactive member a couple times this week, and she is seriously one of my absolute FAVORITEZ. WITH A Z. She is so stinkin hilarious you would have to meet her to understand. Her name is Om Sokha, and she's probably like 75-ish. She's COMPLETELY off-the-walls insane, with the hair all crazy-like and only one tooth to match her personality. For example, this is a comment she has made to me twice: "You have such a pretty face. You look like an Arab." OR my absolute favorite is when she bursts into song singing random hymns from other churches (we think she was a jehovah's witness before) at the top of her lungs in that delightful cambodian warble. She'll also start cracking up in the middle of her prayers, which normally bugs me when people do that but with her it's just hysterical because nothing she's saying makes any sense anyway. Anywho, the reason I bring her up is because she has a special message for mommy. Out of nowhere she says to me, "You must be rich." and then proceeds to ask me if i miss home and my family. her response was "I bet your mom is really scared that you're in cambodia. Tell your mom not to worry." So that was her briefly sweet moment. It was immediately followed by her calling me an Arab for the 3rd time. I must be tanner than I thought.

Speaking of old women, do you guys remember me talking about Om Kheng? She was a member in Kampong Cham who really liked me for some reason and she calls me her child and she sniff kisses me every time she sees me. WELL, she actually has a house in Phnom Penh and sometimes she'll come to Phnom Penh for the weekend and her branch overlaps mine in our church building! So I got to see her yesterday! As per usual, she greeted me with the sniff-kiss, and she also gave me her phone number. And she wants my family to know that when i end my mission in one year and I bring my family back to cambodia, that I have to call her and she will make us dinner at her house in kampong cham. so you guys are booked over a year in advance. shes a great cook though. no parasites, i promise.

OH I HAVE MORE MOVIE NEWS. remember how i found lord of the rings 2 on dvd here for 60 cents and it was the greatest day of my mission thus far? Well I went to another 2500 store (everything is 2500 rial or 60 cents) and I found monsters university, AND THOR 2. I didnt even see commercials for thor 2 before i left!!!!! and it was totally legit. I have also heard word uttered about a so-called "Disney Pack" where you can get every single disney movie ever made for about $40. Like, 50 movies or something. I'm on the lookout, don't worry.

So here's something else I realized this week: Cambodia is literally just a Christian church free-for-all. Here, you've got your Mormons (obviously), your Jehovah's witnesses, your 7th day adventists, your catholics and all the other weird churches you can think of. (yes, the term "weird churches" also refers to the mormons.) So, yesterday we were supposed to meet with 2 of our investigators and we called them to confirm the appointment, and they were like "Uhhh we don't want to learn with you guys anymore. We're going to the Catholic church today." when Sister Vorn hung up the phone she told me what they said and I was like "Ah! Those freakin Catholics." It was supposed to be my own personal little joke since our family used to be catholic but sister vorn didn't get it obviously. she was like "Why?! are the catholics bad?!" I told her no, that the catholics are just fine, normal christians. and she goes, "But they drink the beer, yes?" and then i had to explain that we're the only ones who don't drink the beer. #mormonlyfe

Okay, here's my last story that I DEFINITELY need to tell you guys: Chanthi is one of our BM helpers, and she's super awesome. She's probably one of our poorest members, but her dad is a counselor in the bishopric and she is a sunday school teacher and she loves helping the missionaries. Plus shes hilarious. ANyway, we went to visit her family one day, and we were talking about something that I honestly cant remember at all. What I do remember is Chanthi saying this: "After my family had been members for a while, I started to get frustrated. I knew I was supposed to receive blessings from being a member of the churhc, but I looked around me and couldnt see any. I saw other members receiving blessings, and getting money and having this and that but my family doesn't have anything. I was mad at God and I couldn't understand why everyone else was getting blessings but I wasn't. And then I realized: I have a happy family. My family has love and happiness, and that is the greatest blessing of all." I was so impressed with her, not only for admitting that fact that she went through a period of time where she was angry with God because I think we all are at times, but also for realizing what true blessings are. Chanthi's family struggles a lot, and they have to work hard on their family relationships. but since their family has become focused on the gospel, their family has become happier, and since ive been in cambodia i have realized the huge importance of a happy family. work hard to develop those relationships and rely on God to help you. Focus on this church, on the gospel, and you will have the happiness that Chanthi has. I promise. Also try to recognize that your blessings may not be the ones you are always looking for. Your blessings might be hidden in other places, but they are most definitely there.There is always something to be grateful for. 

Anyway, thats all i have for today. Read Jacob 3:1-2. Have i already given you that one? maybe. 

ANyway, I love you very much. Im far away, but you're always in my prayers. I love you and miss you sooooooooooo very much.

Love, Sister Davis

One of the members is a Tuk-tuk driver, and he has the byu logo on the back haha. REPRESENT. 

Also: yes. two different days. same outfit. the photos just happened to work out that way, I'm a missionary. Condemn me not.

This is Ming Sovannary. She is a recent convert and she helpes us teach every lesson with one of our investigators. Super awesome! But I dont think she likes me very much haha. Oh well. you know me, never pass up the opportunity to take a picture.