Happy 65th B-day!

As we are walking home from our office on Wednesday evening our cell phone rings. It is Sameth, our ERC office manager calling to wish Dad a happpy birthday. Then he asks Dad where we live. Dad inquires, "Why?" "Well I might want to come and see you sometime."was Sameth's reply. We knew that Sameth works at the ERC office until 8pm. We didn't think he would come after work because he has a wife and darling little girl waiting for him at home, but just in case, we'd better not be in our pj's! Sure enough at 8:15pm there was a knock on our door and to our surprise not only was Sameth there, but half of our ERC staff (the other half were still in night school but sent their birthday wishes as well)! L to R: Vannak & his wife Boroth, Sameth, Lumang, Kompheack

Here is the cake they brought and below is gift they gave Dad. Each of them had written a personal message to Dad on the Cambodian flag and signed it. We truly enjoyed their company and had such fun sharing the cake with them.

After our special friends said goodbye and we closed the door, we were overcome by their act of love and kindness. All five of these students have served a full time mission and are valiant in living the gospel. They are all going to school on PEF loans. Four of the 5 are married, Sameth has an 15 mo old little girl, and Lumang has a 2mo old baby boy. Only Paul could envision the homes they live in. They are always so happy & optomistic one would never guess their lack of what we consider basic necessities of life! Our hearts were touched as we felt the truthfulness of the story of the "widow's mite" from the new testiment! We have learned so much about life and the hope and joy that the gospel brings to people!

Dad made me PROMISE that I wouldn't tell anybody when his birthday was, which promise I kept. Next day at work, however, Elder & Sis. Liggett stopped by the CES classroom with a surprise birthday cake for Dad! Two cake is a great way to start on the road to Medicare (OLD)!

Khmer New Year-a 3 Day Celebration (or longer!)

So Wednesday morning I woke up at 3:20am and took this picture from our apartment window showing all the lights decorating the street & houses for Khmer New Year. It is a 3 day event and everyone leaves Phnom Penh and goes to the Province where they were born (home-land) to celebrate with extended family. The only ones left in the city are those who were born in Phnom Penh, and they stay in their homes celebrating, so the streets are virtually empty! As I was getting ready to leave our apartment, I heard loud cymbols clanging. Dad didn't have his shoes and socks on yet, so I hurried down 2 flights of stairs with the camera only to miss the scene. The cymbols and drum kept beating as the small band of 7 people went in and out of various homes. Dad quickly finished dressing and we left, walking quickly down the street until we passed the "music"? Standing on the corner he got these shots!

The drummer's drum is in the cart.

The second man who's costume looks like a "baby" is representing the "New Year",

and, ah yes, "Father Time"! Does this remind you of "ring out the old, ring in the new"?

As we pass other homes, we can't help but notice the beautifully decorated table with food, flowers, and incense that have been placed in front of the house.

We asked this young mother & daughter if we could possibly take a picture of their table.

The 1st day of Khmer New Year is called Moha Sang Kran and is the "inauguration of new angels" who come to take care of the world for a one year period. People clean & decorate the house and prepare fruits & drinks to welcome the arrival of new angles at every single home.

(You can see by the background that this mother is a "Tailor". Most of the Cambodian's have their business right in front of their home on the sidewalk.)

Half a block away we come to the corner of Monivong, a major street in Phnom Penh. Yes, this family is ready also and it is only 7:30AM.

The 2nd day, called Wanabot, is a day of offering gifts to the parents, grandparents, & elders!

Our Monk friend, David, told us that the 3rd day is called Leung Sakk, "which means the year starts to be counted up from this day". To complete the New Year festival, people will go to the pagoda at noon to perform the ceremony called "Pithi Srang Preah" or giving a special bath to the Buddha statues.

Be careful if you are out walking on this day, because everyone has fun throwing water and powder on each other, especially the unsuspecting passers-by! No wonder President Smedley told all our young Elders there would be a "Sports Day" from 8am to 4pm at the North District Center on Friday with American Pizza. :)

2nd Easter in Cambodia!

I remember Easter last year in Cambodia and the great disappointment I felt at the end of the day because no one in either of the Branches that we attended that day had said one word about the Atonement & Resurrection. I promised myself that I would not let that happen this year. I wanted so much for the Primary children to know about this glorious event! So today I went prepared to share the Easter Story in Primary, complete with pictures and an art activity (the tomb, round rock, and Savior) that could be colored, cut out and then they could place the Savior in the tomb, roll the rock in front of the tomb, remove the Savior from the back of the tomb and then "roll" the rock away and see the empty tomb! I asked a young man who has submitted his mission papers and is waiting for his call, to come to Primary with me and translate as I told the story. (I had hoped that I would be able to be fluent in Khmer by this time, but speaking it only one or two days a week doesn't cut it!) There were 12 children in Primary ranging in age from 4 to 12. One little girl, just 5 or 6 years old gave me a big hug at the end of Primary. They are so precious and I felt so humbled & grateful that I could share the life of the Savior and His great gift of the atonement with them today.

There was an 18 year old young lady in class who had come to assist the teacher today. She asked the young man to ask me to tell them how we celebrate Easter in America. I told about our early morning nature walk on Easter Sunday and how exciting it is to see signs of life when everything looks brown and "dead". Then I told her about coloring hard boiled eggs on Saturday, putting them in the children's Easter baskets, adding lots of candy to each basket (one for each of our 9 children) and then having our Father hide them outside (hanging them on a tree branch for the younger children, and digging a hole in the ground, placing the basket in and covering it with a large rock to make it harder for the older children) for the exciting hunt! Those were great years! It is so fun to see the traditions carrying on with our sweet little grandchildren!