But guess what else???? I'M GOING BACK TO THE PROVINCES!!! I'm headed to Battambang! I want to parade through the street of Phnom Penh with a fanfare. I LOVE the provinces. The city is cool and you can buy lots of stuff (which reminds me to tell you that my bank account is gonna get a break after I went crazy buying stuff in the city. oops.) and the mission home is here and all the missionaries are here too. But everyone knows the provinces are where its at. Especially Battambang. Battambang is everyones favorite because the missionary work there is always on fire. I'm so stoked. My new companion is another American, her name is Sister Cloud. I've met her once before. So I'll meet up with her (shes in Battambang already) and we'll take the 6-hour busride to Battambang together on Friday. I cant wait. I already get to serve in two provinces and my mission is still in its first half. THere are some people in my group who havent even been to a province yet, so im really lucky. Battambang or bust!
PS for those of you who are like Mrs Thomas, its pronounces baattam-bong, not bottom-bang haha.
Anyway, so today is sister kohler's last pday. We're hitting up all the major phsaas today because shes going back to AMERICA on friday!!! How crazy is that?!?! Being someones last companion is so weird because theyre always like "oh the mission flies by!" and youre just sitting there like.........ive still got ten months left. but i still believe her. when that day comes for me at the end of my mission its gonna be so weird. itll go by in the blink of an eye.
I have more great news! I finally found a big book of REAL Khmer food recipes. One of the members in Kampong Thom, her name is Sophol, she put together a big book of her recipes for things like chaa and kaa and curry and a bunch of other foods i havent even told you guys about. So I will OFFICIALLY be able to make you guys genuine, super yummy Khmer food, straight from the source: a real khmer. Ive had two khmer comps and I always meant to learn how to cook from them, but i was always too tired to actually want to cook. So get excited. You're going to be eating a lot of rice when I come home.
Oooooh sidenote: turns out this whole time when I've been trying to say the word "student" in Khmer ive actually been saying the word "horse." Suh vs. seh. My english class horses were probably really offended.
And then also, Sister Kohler and I just found out the word for "squid." Its pronounced "yee-hoo" and neither one of us can say it without cracking up.
SOO last p-day I went to the Royal Palace. Its where the king lives, or im pretty sure where he used to live. its a big tourist attraction. Super cool. I went with sister thain and her companion. Ive got a ton of pictures of that for you. But as per usual, they were totally trying to rip off the foreigners (classic cambodia). First of all, its 25 cents for a Khmer to get into the royal palace. $6.25 for a foreigner. Huzzah. And then on top of that, they were selling cool fabric near the exit and noramlly at the phsaa you can buy one sompuet of fabric for about $7. Sister Thain asked the lady at the royal palace how much they were selling it for and the lady goes "Hoksep dolla." Hoksep means SIXTY. Sister Thain was HILARIOUS. She literally yelled out, "HOKSEP?!?! Well....I'm just gonna 'hoksep' over here" and she just turned around and walked out. That was a week ago and Im still laughing about it.
Oh here;s a major bummer from this week. Sister Kohler and I got our helmets stolen. I'm still bristling over it. They basically dont wear helmets here, so you can bet that im not gonna find an American quality helmet here. My new one doesnt fit my head well, the strap already broke and I just look like a downright fool in it. My old helmet was pink and white and so easy to see! I loved my helmet! It was the weirdest thing when I realized I actually MISSED my helmet. I miss my helmet you guys. I'm losin it. Still...I had that helmet for half of my mission! I'm still way upset about it. Though it was probably my own fault for leaving out on my bike at night on one of cambodias main streets.
Why were we at one of cambodias main streets at night, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. We were watching the priesthood session of general conference!!!! and it was SO GOOOOOD. During the big meeting last week, President Moon said, "I want the sisters to watch the priesthood session of general conference because it applies very well to the power that you sisters have as missionaries." President Moon is awesome, because that session of GC was amazing. Is that what the priesthood session is always like?! Because I've been missing out! You guys should go watch it online like we did if you havent seen it. Super goood. I took like 6 pages of notes.
OH MAN. I almost forgot. A bird totally pooped on me this week. We were riding our bikes and I almost crashed into sister kohler when I realized it. I was NOT pleased. But its okay, because im pretty sure McKenna has been pooped on like 6 times already right?
Well, thats most of the stuff I have from this past week. Can you believe Im going back to the provinces?! Ugh I cant wait. BUT that does mean we're back to the scarce mailing system. Packages and letters may take months to get to me. So keep that in mind.
Some spiritual thoughts: I really liked what Uchtdorf said during the Priesthood session. He made a comparison to our life on earth and Rip Van Winkle. When our time on earth is almsot done, will you be able to look back and say that you used your time wisely? How did you contribute? Don't sleep through your time here on earth; use it effectively!
Also, this one is SOMKHAN MEINTEIN, SO SO SO IMPORTANT. I want you guys to read the Book of Mormon. All the way through. Beginning to end. Take as much time as you need, but take it seriously. Read it, think about it, take notes. You will get out of it what you put into it. Dont think of it as a big challenge. Just do a little bit every day. It'll change everything for you. Theres a reason we have it! In Preach My Gospel, it urges us not to take the Book of Mormon for granted. And we are prmised that as we read, "there will come into [our] hearts the Spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments." Nothing makes me feel better than reading the scriptures. Thats my request for you guys!
Okay mian tae ponnung! This was a really good week! And I'm SO excited for everything that lies ahead! I love you guys so much and miss you a ton!
Love, Sister Davis (Chlobo, Chol, Chololo, Lolo, etc)
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