Mystery Guess

On Tuesday night (Feb 2nd) we get a phone call from someone who only speak a little English, but she is excited to come and visit us on Sunday night (Feb 7th) and bring me a B-day gift. She said she is Sophat's sister. As I am talking to her (trying very hard to figure out who she is-Dad had already asked her who she is, but couldn't understand her name before handing me the phone), I mention that we love visiting Br. 9 and feel badly that we have had to visit other Branches for the past 2 Sundays. Then my mystery caller said "I want to live in Br 9. I looking for house in Br 9, but I not find yet." So now I REALLY don't know who I am speaking too. We have visited Sophat's home a couple of times. We know her family (11 extended fam. members living in the home), but now my mystery caller doesn't live with Sophat, so WHO IS SHE?

After 5 days of curiosity Sunday evening finally arrives. I thought it would be wise to bake some oatmeal raisin cookies to share with my "mystery guess". Dad wisely suggested that we make "rice & some stir-fry veggies" for our visitors. We were counting on Sophat coming with the "mystery guess", as Sophat knows where we live. So we busily work together in the kitchen to be ready to receive our company. The ladies arrive and we are so happy to see Sophat (left of me) and our "mystery guess" (far right) whom we recognize but still don't know her name. As I am talking to her, Dad quietly pulls Sophat aside to ask what the other lady's name is. He then said to Channak "I didn't know that you were Sophat's sister." "I am Sophat's good friend" came Channak's reply. Why didn't we remember that the Khmer custom is to call anyone you like sister, aunt, uncle, or brother!

Our dinner was a surprise to them and very much enjoyed. It was a break through for us as we communicated for 1 1/2 hours without a translator! Sophat doesn't speak any English, but Dad kept talking to her in simple Khmer sentences, and she would help him with correct word order. Channak, a return missionary sister, likes to practice her English, so she kept talking to me and I had to listen very carefully to understand her. We had a wonderful evening! I was very humbled that these two special sisters would give me gifts as I have been blessed with so much more temporaly than they. Channak gave me a nice lady's wallet and Sophat gave me a lovely "gramaa" (Cambodian scarf that I am modeling above). I have become very close to Sophat during the past year. I have seen her reach out and help the poorest of the poor members in Br 9, have been with her and the young Elders to visit the less active in the Branch, have tasted her delicious cooking at Branch parties, and have had the privilege of having her in our home to teach us how to make Khmer curry. Sophat keeps our branch alive and well. She has been a member for 9 years and is precious. How blessed we are to have made eternal friends while serving in Cambodia!

Our apartment is made bright by the beautiful, precious grandchildren that bless our life. Reed's gingerbread man and Kayla's trees with colorful fall leaves make the kitchen/sitting room complete. Company are always fascinated by our beautiful little angles!

Don't be fooled by the word "Gourmet" B-day cake. Heidi mailed a Betty Crocker 18.5 oz mix half way around the world at the golden price of $13.85! But oh, did it every taste heavenly! Every bite was fill with LOVE. This was my second birthday in Cambodia. I remember thinking on the 1st one here in Phnom Penh "The year ahead is so hard and far away." It seemed longer than the next Christmas does to a young child on the morning of Dec 26th! And yet a blink of the eyes and the year is past with many treasured memories of people, places, sights & sounds that have been invaluable and greatly educational.

Mekong River Boat Trip 1st half

On Aug 21,'09 Five senior couples took a 3 hour boat trip up to a small island well known for it's silk weaving and back to Phnom Penh. How do you like our rig? Notice the sign "for sale or rent". No, we didn't buy it! The scenery was very fascinating. You will get a whole new idea about "river front property"! Notice the lady bending down in the picture below. She was washing a hand full of green onions off----so glad she wasn't fixing OUR dinner! Be sure to look at the following blog (it was all to be one blog but I had computer problems!) where you will see a real contrast to the type of houses along the river front! Watching the hand weaving of silk was very interesting also. Dad was very intrigued with the old war ship and its guns. The end of the trip shows a couple skyline pictures of Asian buildings including a Wat. I couldn't help but think of James Bond adventure movies with their romantic scenes on the mighty Mekong. Where were the fancy private yacht and the starry night sky? It was a marvelous trip anyway!

Mekong River boat trip

Dad, the Farmer!

You know how much Dad loves farming! Well, even half way around the world he wanted to see how rice is planted. Elder & Sis. Whitesides are in charge of LDS Charities. They work with NGO's (non-governmental agencies) in partnership to provide improved agricultural methods, wells, water pumps, rain cathchment systems, wheelchairs, and other worthy projects to help with development in Cambodia. On one of the Whitesides trips to the provinces to check three different projects, they invited us to accompany them. It was a very educational and wonderful day for us. Enjoy the pics.

Changing of the Guard (read from bottom to top)

Next morning the Wineagers said good-bye to many of their close friends. Not an easy thing after 3 years of being with these precious Cambodians! But alas, the 5 couples on the left will carry on with the great work. They started with ice cream from DQ! The only Dairy Queen in the city is at the airport right behind the couples! Couldn't pass that up!

June 30, '09 All the senior couples went to the airport to help Pres. & Sis. Winegar (far left and far right) welcome in our new Mission Pres. Scott Smedley and his wife (center couple). The Smedley's are from Layton, UT only 5 miles away from our old home in Syracuse. Pres. Smedley was actually raised in Syracuse and attended grade school & high school with our dear friend Keith Bourgeous! Pres. Smedley also knows our dear friends Ron & Rochelle Hamblin very well. Small world isn't it!

OPERATION SMILE On Saturday last, March 14th and then again on Monday the 16th Mom and I were invited to work as volunteers for “Operation Smile”. Man, what a special treat. As we neared the entrance to the hospital around 8:00 AM we saw a large waiting room full of mothers holding little children that had major deformities to their mouths and faces. We moved on up to the second floor where the screenings were taking place and quickly Mom was put to work standing on a scales and then holding the little children in her arms so they could be weighed and their vital signs taken. It was easy to calculate the weight of these little children because Mom weighs exactly 100 lbs fully dressed. I was assigned to work with the other four missionaries and coordinate the translation needs. I heard, over and over again how appreciative the staff was for the “Elders” as they were called. And, indeed they did a great work because none of the Doctors or nurses spoke Khmer. At one point I had a minute just to stand against a pillar there in this big room and witness what was going on around me. I was deeply touched as I observed these great doctors, literally from around the world, there at their own expense, working with skilled, surgically gloved hands that wielded tongue depressors and other instruments, examining the serious birth deformities of these children. The mothers had never been in a hospital before and gave fearful glances at the surgeons doing the examinations. They had come in faith that perhaps their little children could be healed and so they spoke comforting words to their babies as they tried to restrain them during the sometimes painful exams. As I stood there and watched the love and compassion being demonstrated by those wonderful surgeons and nurses toward these destitute deformed little children gathered around them, I couldn’t help but think of a similar gathering many years before. The Master Physician, the Savior of all mankind invited the little children to gather around him and then “He did heal them, every one”. This is exactly what I was witnessing right before my eyes. The scripture reads that “He wept”, and so did I (3Nephi 17:9, 21-22). The tears flowed freely but, thankfully no one noticed because sweat was running down my face as well as the faces of all in the room. Again, I said to myself, as I have said so many times before on our mission, “I walk today where Jesus walked and feel His presence near”. There was no air conditioning, there were no sterile chambers—in fact, the nurses had, just that morning, driven rats out of the operating rooms. But there was so much more there in that wing of the hospital that morning than I have seen in the most sterile of environments. There was a spirit of love and compassion that seemed, at that moment, to weld nations and cultures into one perfect union. I reflected on another passage of scripture from the Savior’s life where he said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me” Matthew 25:40). That truth was also being demonstrated right before my eyes. For the few moments that I stood there I received yet another great insight into one of the powerful principle the Savior taught. Let me explain. Here were some of the great surgeons of the world, “rich” in knowledge and skill, bending low, lifting, rescuing, healing, and indeed exalting the poorest of the poor. As a result, these little children would be blessed, lifted and truly “exalted” the rest of their life. Yes, the scriptural phrase, “The poor shall be exalted in that the rich are made low” was demonstrated and clarified to my soul (D&C 104:16). We left the hospital after those two days of volunteer work richly blessed with a much clearer understanding of the Savior’s life and mission. There was an expanded clear vision in our eyes and a heart grown tender in our breast. In just two days we were the recipients of blessings greater than all the riches of the world and experiences like this one are almost a daily occurrence. Is it any wonder that we love our mission? Thank you, our precious children for making this possible. We love you all. Love Dad