For the record....I think I spend more time thinking about a witty subject line than I spend actually writing the email. As I write this, I'm still currently in the process of thinking about it.

So. The Thai string bean (that's sister Fife) is still my companion. Womp.

JUST KIDDING SHE'S THE BEST. Its gonna be a mad fun transfer. Mostly because we're both equally bad at Khmer and equally scatter-brained. It makes for some good times. Here's a prime example from the past couple days: Sis Fife and I are leaving the house about to go out a proselyte/teach/save some souls, etc. So we're praying right before we leave the house, and I had to scratch my nose, so when I did I guess I made some rustling noises and that distracted Sis Fife in the middle of her prayer so she opened her eyes to see what I was doing (while continuing to pray in Khmer) and also at the same time was throwing out her arms to crack her elbows. I opened my eyes slightly because i was rubbing my face and what I saw was Sis Fife just staring at me wide-eyed while speaking Khmer and throwing her arms around like she was dancing. It was a weird image so I like feel back because i was so surprised an weirded out, and then her first reaction is to say "What are you doing?!?!"

What am I doing??? What are you doing?! It was just such a confusing and awkward moment and it all happened in a matter of like 3 seconds. We were on the floor laughing so hard and had to start our prayer over again.

She is also equally awkward when she plays volleyball. Last Pday all the missionaries in BB went to the church to play volleyball together. Did I mention that volleyball is HUGE in cambodia? (something tells me its just because they're awful at soccer). So we were all playing together, and I'm not joking she was hilarious. A truly awkward string bean (her own self-inflicted title). But to be fair, we were all a pretty awkward bunch. Elder Ang was the only Khmer that was playing, and he was jumping all over the court barefoot like a Khmer Tarzan, Sis Peterson is the only one taking the game seriously because she actually likes volleyball and even though shes a tiny japanese girl she hits like a Tongan, Elder Plothow is the guy that keeps yelling "I GOT IT I GOT IT I GOT IT!!!!!!", jumps right in front of you, and then lets it go and assumes the person behind him is gonna hit it (PS that person was ALWAYS me), and then Elder Brewer, who im pretty sure isnt into sports that involve hand eye coordination was like "this makes my arms huuuuurt, so im just gonna punch the ball." I havent laughed that hard about a game since my glory days playing kickball at the MTC.

Another awkward Sis Fife moment: we were teaching a recent convert in first branch, Om Lon. Shes seriously the sweetest and goes to the phsaa every time we come just to buy the sisters fruit. and she always has the best fruit. I always tell people that the best mango ive eaten in my entire life, MY WHOLE LIFE, was at Om Lon's house. Anyway, last week, she bought us bananas. And sister fife ate ten. TEN BANANAS. can't you go into shock for too much potassium or something like that? Her mouth was full the entire lesson and Om Lon thought it was the funniest thing ever. She was also pretty happy because they love it when you eat all of their food. But now I fear we're gonna go back next week and she will have bought us three times as many bananas.

*Om Lon told me I'm prettier than before. Why? Because now that its the rainy season, its less sunny and according to her, I'm back to being pale. Hooray.

OKAY: cool member lesson we had this week. Sis Fife and I went to visit an old grandma in our branch, named Lookyiay (or just "Yiay") Nat. She is seriously one of my favorite members. She lives a million miles away in no mans land in one of those tiny shacks surrounded by red dirt andf palm trees. She has no teeth, is missing an eye, walks with a cane, and always wears a towel or a beanie on her head. ALWAYS. She cracks me up. Shes just one of those hilarious old people. Aaaaand her tongue is too big for her mouth so shes impossible to understand. But we made it through okay. Mostly she just talked about the many different ways you can cook a fish head. Anyway, shes recently gotten into family history because they JUST BARELY translated the "My Family" book into Khmer ( a church produced book that helps people organize named for family history). So we've been helping her fill that out and for weeks she kept on saying to me "So how do these names get to the temple? When I finish the book, who do I give it to to make sure the names go to the temple?" And I finally asked her "Lookyiay, have you ever considered bringing the names yourself? Do you want to go to the temple?" And she was like "Oh of course I want to go, but my husband is dead. Who do I go with?" And Sister fife and I were like.....you go alone. You can go yourself. And she almost fell off her stool. "WHAT?!?! I thought I needed a husband to go to the temple! I want to go right now!" And we were like ohhhh my gosh no no no you can totally go on your own! and you can do the temple work on your husbands behalf, that is WHY we go to the temple! She was so cute!!!! She kept grabbing our hands and shaking them and throwing her arms up in the air and saying "Fast! Fast! I want to go right now!!!" She was soooooooo happy. And when we explained about doing the work for her husband and for her children who have also died and we talked about how she can live with her family forever she was like "Yes!!1 We'll be together forever! Thats what i want!" 

I couldnt BELIEVE she didnt know all that. Sometimes I forget that the church is stil really new here and a lot of members dont fully understand some of the concepts. But I was so incredibly happy that I got to see her face light up when she found out she could go to the temple and be with her husband and children again. She was so happy, and so cute, and just kept on hugging us and I was smiling so big i was basically laughing. The temple brings great happiness and great blessings for everyone!

okay, so now that im done with that story.

weekly monk siting: Monk. dressed in the orange robes (obviously). probably in his early twenties. We passed him while we were biking through the wat, and caught him listening to rock music on his phone. Just when you think you understand the life of a monk....

ALSO BIG NEWS: my favorite investigator, Seila, the girl who cant come to church. She came yesterday! She just asked to leave school early and her teacher let her go! I dont think shes gonna be able to do that every week, but I was so happy that she came because it showed she still has that strong desire to come! One day, maybe she'll rearrange her schedule or put her schooling on hold so that she can come to church. She wants to join the church so badly it kills me. During our last lesson I almost cried because I could feel her strong desire and it hurt that she wants to be baptized so badly but she just cant come to church. its a rough one.

OKay so thats all ive got for today. but just a sidenote, I had an interview with President Moon this morning and he committed me to read Alma chapter 37 in my personal study (specifically verses 33-37). So I thought Id give you guys the same commitment! Keep reading the Book of Mormon! I love it more and more every day. I love you guys so much!

Love, Sister Davis

 ​Om Neang! she is in third branch so when we split the branches i had to say goodbye to her. super sad. she is sooo sweet. and yes. i was wet. we completely soaked her floor.

 ​And this is LookYiay Nat!!! the day we taught her about the temple. I was like, i gotta get a picture of this moment

​So this is on the way to Om Neang's house. Did I tell you guys about that? Her road is that sticky, quicksand type mud that you cant even walk on, let alone ride your bike on because it just sticks more and more until you cant move. So when it rains we have to take off our shoes and walk barefoot to her house. She lives on top of a swamp too so thats cool.

​^Om Nean's house. you cant really see the swamp underneath though. her house is literally on stilts above a couple feet of swamp water. You can see it through the floor. its kinda cool

 ​English class activity night! We did a pioneer theme. (can ya guess? im wearing an apron). turns out, to the members in Cambodia, Pioneer Day is HUUUGEEE. like bigger than any other holiday. which is funny. because i didnt even know what  pioneer day was until i went to utah.

 ​Sister ky and I taking our Zone photo very seriously. (I like lollipops).

​my little thai string bean being as awkward as humanly possible.