Dear Elder Slavens

Dear Elder Slavens
Elder Trenton J Slavens
Thailand, Bangkok/Arizona, Gilbert/
Texas Houston East
Elder Dallin J Slavens Cambodia, Phnom Penh
Elder Chancellor J Slavens Idaho, Twin Falls

Sunday, June 26, 2016

The bird is the WORD!

Did you guys hear the news? Korea is accepting people to go do physical labor there now! So if your Korean is good enough, you can test to see if Korea will accept you to go work there! Take this opportunity, people! They pay you 3 times as much as you get now to do the same job, such as lift dirt and fix cars and sell gasoline.
Everyone I talked to this week, including all the members, were all going to test their Korean to see if Korea would accept them to work there. Who DOESN'T want to work in Korea, right?
This week Elder Ros was super sick. Hashtag phlegm is all we have to say to sum up this week.
But I did get the chance to try and print some pictures and then the print shop computer had a virus that deleted all my pictures! Goodbye 3,000 pictures from 7 months of my mission. Lol
That especially sucks because while I was sitting in the house while Elder Ros was sick, I was watching some construction workers. And they were standing on this super tall, sketchy scaffolding to drill some holes and stuff, and their only form of protection from falling was a guy behind them, holding a ledge with one hand and the driller guy's butt with his other hand! It was awesome.
Also in my free time this week I studied "feasts" in the bible dictionary. It's super long and confusing. And it also inspired me to ask you, Bishop Barlow (you know who you are), to set up a stellar linger longer when I come home. Got it?
Also, after 7 and a half months serving in this area, with like a billion different companions coming and going but me always staying, I am finally leaving the city area of Tuek Lakk. And now I go to a little more farmy place called Chbar Ampov. Translates to the sugar cane garden. Sweeeeet...
I will be Elder Cook's last companion. He has been telling me that I will be his last companion for quite some time now. I never believed him.
I wish I had pictures to put this week, but...


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Elder Ros' email


66th Episode/Epistle of អែលឌើរ រស់ - The Living Slave is Free. *Season Finale*







ជាតំន់សូជំរាសួរ!,

       How's it going everybody! It's another well week while I am still recovering from my aftermath from the fever from the Rain, so I did found out that Rainy Season's not until somewhere around August in Cambodia...*sigh...sniffles* Hahaha. Well here's how'd this week went:

    Well unfortunately for a few days I couldn't do much because of the Fever I caught, but I recover quickly. Blessing do work when you allow your faith in the restored priesthood to work! I am grateful for the restoration of the Gospel and the Priesthood just for us to have enduring revelations and blessings from God everyday in these Latter-days! 
      
      I don't really have to much to post except the fact I conquered the "NEW" Language Achievement Program! Which I'll have dinner with the mission president soon! Yay! Concerning Investigators... it's tough to meet them all, but we're doing our best we can to keep contacting and visit those that is necessary for to visit and help!

   The best news I can give that happened last week was me and Elder Slavens had a new investigator throughout last week since last Saturday! He's been commited to a baptismal date for a while and he has a ton of excellent questions and concerns about Christianity he know how's it excellent for us to pray because we can communicate to God and receive blessing from him, he's got potential to develop faith in this church I love this new investigator we had. (Giving a shout out for  the Assistants and the office Elders such as Elders Lauritzen, Asay, Osborne and Lambert!  Because of the new Facebook page it's how he's found as someone that wants to learn how to pray!  This new one anyway is named Bong Chetra very cool guy to. So excited to keep serving him! 

    REAN English Program from Wednesday's excellent despite that I can't talk or teach in REAN English when I am sick, however later on Saturday I recovered and shared a spiritual thought about the Church! It's kind of random when I gave my spiritual thought I was applauded from sharing a spiritual thought about what's behind our REAN English Classroom because I was sick while trying to share it! So it got across and apparently some participants from English Class came which was awesome and was very happy! 

    To summarize this fast, and simple is we're doing our best here, unfortunately this Transfers over because hey guess what! TRANSFER CALL ALERT: I will be a leading Senior Companion in Teuk Laak having a new companion known as Elder Lamborn from Honeyville, UTAH!  Super excited to serve with him soon! I am thankful for the chance to keep serving this mission helping my divine heritage come closer to our true savior who is JESUS CHRIST!

       I testify that miracles can happen when anyone works on what they pray, apply the faith and live because you want true happiness can be felt in our live in the latter-day! I still know that the Church I serve as a FULL-TIME missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, it's been restored and I know that God has a plan for each and every one of us! I am still doing my best to learn the Khmer language there's still a ton to learn to be honest! But I love to learn off of my mission! I'll miss serving with Elder Slavens! I've learned a ton from him! It's been a absolutely phenomenal 2 transfer serving with each other!   

     Now I am ready to lead the area, I know I can do it, I can keep testifying this with GOD all things are possible and if we allow the Holy Ghost to be the true teacher of ours and follow promptings we can reach up to our spiritual potential! I love you all! I got to get going! Just want to let you all know that I love the members in Tuek Laak it's getting better and I would love to keep it that way along with Elder Lamborn next transfer! Here I GO! STAY FANTASTIC AND BLESSED! 
សូជំរាបលា!
🌏💓 -អែលឌើរ រស់  known as Elder Ros the Elder that stills lives on! 😇💊🛡🛃

  "And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts? Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost? Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." - 2 Nephi 32:2-5

Monday, June 20, 2016

For my soul delighteth in the words on Enya

All my notes from last week:

I live with an Elder from Vietnam. I call him Sam. Because he is like Sam from Holes. Anytime I have a problem, he can fix it. I had a zit in my nose, and he said, "I can fix that". He popped it for me. 

I though of Amir Sagafi this week. Shout out to you, home brother. 

All the leaders in the mission (not me cuz I suck) had a meeting and then had a lunch, but they ordered too much pizza so they called Elder Ros and I to the meeting to help eat pizza. 

I thought of a game as I listened to Enya this week. It is called "Ernest Enya". You have to listen an album of Enya's music and guess what the songs are named. Here are some examples her song names: "Evacuee" "Shepherd Moons" "Marble Hills" "Book of Days" It is a really hard game. 

Rumor in Cambodia is that there are 52 states in America. I have also heard 54 and 53. I have never heard 51... I have also never heard anyone guess 50 before, so. 

The Bishop in the Tuek Laak ward that I have been serving in for 7 months now said in sacrament meeting that if a missionary serves in an area for a long time, then that area needs them. I don't know who he was directing that at. 

Cambodians love crocs. 

If someone will make a T-shirt that says "Cambodians love Crocs"and send it to me I will pay for the shirt and the shipping. 

I translated an EFY song called "These are the Days" into Cambodian and then performed it karaoke style for all the missionaries in our zone, and then we all left the church and invited random people who were hanging out around the church to come in because church meetings were about to start and we thought it would be fun just to invite everyone. As we were doing that, it starting pouring rain. All the Cambodian Sisters said it was because I sang and my voice sounds like a dying animal. Cambodians are very blunt. 


Karaoke 


"I have canker sores"
"I can fix that" 


Pizza 4 breakfast 


My money was ripped and then tapped and also covered in blood so no one would take it. So now I am just keeping it for a souvenir.   10,000 riels is $2.50


Sittin on the toilet....
Sittin on the toilet...
Sittin on the toilet... 



We went to a waterfall. This is my Zone. 




​They filmed Twilight in Cambodia 




They also filmed Star Wars in Cambodia





They also filmed Scorpion King in Cambodia. THE ROCK!!!! 



I also filmed a waterfall in Cambodia. 


Hello


Just... HANGING OUT. BWAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Who do you think is going to win? 


Cool Boyz


Lunch with hobos


Sisters walking back to church after my singing caused massive amounts of rain 




Elder Ros

64th Episode of អែលឌើរ រស់ - Monster Progress Record












ជាតំន់សូជំរាបសួរ!,

        Hey everyone for the huge delay of this e-mail this is all summarized and packed down to how much Elder Ros can remember this is what he came across:

     Last Tuesday, as contact around an around a area in Teuk La'ak we found a very old member of the ward who hasn't been to church for a long time,  his name Bong Chan or in literal translation "Monday"! Hahaha Very nice and cool guy, we're working on understanding how's he doing and anything he needs help with! After that, Elder Lambert and Osborne current Office Elders got me and Elder Slavens to access some free Pizza at the Mission which was mainly for the leadership around the mission and then we came across Elder Wong earlier before meeting him in another day on Wednesday for a mission tour!

    Last Wednesday, I had the chance to participate in Elder Wong's presentation in the mission tour about repentance which was fun but kinda crazy hahaha! Later we dashed on to the North Stake Building to get on to the program back on REAN English Program! 

    Last Thursday, majority of the day was spent on filling a ton of information on a Progress Record the entire. Which was super time consuming but it was worth when preparing for Ward Council Meeting our first time in a long time especially for the area! Whoo! 

     Last Friday, we had Zone Training which was fantastic! Learn a whole lot about contacting and how to help other become more familiar with the church! We came across Bong Sophal who's a long time ago return missionary he's okay, still needs help from what's going on in his circumstance we shared a lesson with him concerning JOB from the Old Testament. Anyone can learn a ton from Job if anyone follows his example! For real! 

    Last Saturday, REAN English Program was wonderful as usual, after that we met up with Oun Sakada who's one of our recent converts we reviewed the gospel with him and committed him to study the doctrine of repentance a little more deeper! I love sharing the gospel when it can usually be in about 5 steps! Same idea applies with Puu Kosal who's on of our other investigators who never came to church yet.... he's somewhat a busy guy, but does believe in Christ and how much relevance it has to him, we shared the gospel with him also in this time visiting him, we committed him to learn more about repentance basing on his understanding and the scriptures he given including the Book of Mormon. What also happened in this lesson is both Om Mong and Pu Darin joined in on the lesson which was AWESOME! I love the members in this area so much! On top of that our recent convert Bong Sou helped us taught the 10 commandments to Seha like Sniper bullet shot through a time warp! Man, he nailed the doctrine right at it as what it is to Seha! I love Missionary Work! 

      Sunday at Church was great! Showed the Progress Record along with Elder Slaven and the Bishop was devastated of how much information I put for those we served since last week during Ward Council before Church!!  #DEDICATION!

Well everyone stay blessed out there I am still alive out here in the mission! Will be posting another one of these post soon! God bless you all! Thanks for keeping me in your prayers!      
សូជំរាបលា!,
🌏💓 -អែលឌើរ រស់  known as Elder Ros the Elder that stills lives on! 😇💊🛡🛃

Monday, June 6, 2016

I have been in the same area for 7 months now

Last week I told you guys about the Elder from New Zealand who moved into the same house as me, right? 

Well now I don't know if I can trust him. He is 6 foot 4, and he is very full of muscle. And every time I ask him if he speaks my language, he just smiles at me and gives me Vegemite sandwiches! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! So much Vegemite!!!! 

But it is ok, because a Krispy Kreme and Cold Stone have both officially opened in Cambodia. I feel so #basic  

This week Elder Ros and I started talking to one guy, and he asked us if we were the people from the Facebook post. And Cambodians in America have seen the post, just ask Elder Gardley. So yah, we are like the most famous people in Cambodia right now. 
As a result of my new found fame as an English class teacher, i would like to share some of my experiences. 

One dude keeps calling us asking if he can live in our church, which he thinks is a full time English school. 

And one of them members gave me her English class homework to correct. These are some of the sentences she wrote, see if you can help me decipher them: 
"Consideration, as well as more usually understood features such as, soil, climate, and food supply."
"We are cultural awareness and tolerance"

Yup. That's it. 










Elder Ros

ជាតំន់សូជំរាបសួ!,

       Sup everybody! Just want to shoot a post to show that me and Elder Slavens are still doing fantastic over here doing whatever God has us to offer here throughout last week and this week on this transfer! 

         This week was pretty straight forward, last Tuesday, we're still checking on Bong Seha to know how's he been and still going strong and consistent on pray and studying the Book of Mormon! Just taught about the Gospel of Christ with him! I love preaching the Gospel that can be explained in 5 steps! Later on we met with Bong Poleou a member that's from Kampong Thom but studies/ works in Phnom Penh particularly in our area! He's doing okay, but does take more faith building to do so me and Elder Slavens gave suggestions to him on how anyone can study the scriptures to understand better and what methods work for us! 

       Last Wednesday, was straight forward as well, we've been contacting for a while throughout the day then we had the REAN English Program as we taught this session of Class we as in ... me and other missionaries including Elder Slavens were devastated that not many people showed up jam packing our REAN English Program already, which was a shocker but then we realized it was International Childrens Day so.... Happy Childrens day everyone....YEAH! (Hope that didn't kill the viral-ness or interest on many of my heritage in Cambodia's interested to try out or show up to REAN English Class/ Program!

      Last Thursday, after organizing those we serve in this area including Weekly Planning, we contacted some more people about the Gospel even the FREE classes we offer in the Church! Lastly after that, we just visit Poo Broh. Sharing how's Christ arrival in the Ancient Americas so important as revealed in the Book of Mormon! Was a quick lesson because Poo Broh has to go work! Very fun family to visit and help! 

     On Friday, as continue to keep proselyting we manage to meet up with a return missionary known as Bong Sophal Mang, super nice guy as we had to chance to meet him! We just shared scriptures that are our favorite and committed him to find at least 1 verse or scripture that's his favorite before we meet again! The we proselyted REAN English ounce more but at the Asia- Euro University we're me and Elder Slaven went viral, few people has said that they saw us on Facebook which was fun to be constant on inviting many to learn English! 

      Saturday, wasn't as more impressive as Wednesday when we had REAN English Class, but I would love to share the fact that an Om that lived in America for a year has told me that I am GOOD when I volunteered to become a missionary to serve our own people in Cambodia inviting many to learn about this Church! I was truly touched! And felt very happy there's someone in this mission that gets what I am mainly here to do! 

      So I did came across along with Elder Slavens that as we contacts its the right time for us to start giving away the Book of Mormon for those that are ready! So last we actually had the chance to give away 2 Books of Mormon for those who want to find out more about this Church and the message we share everyday!


 Church was fantastic yesterday and our investigator's love this month fast and testimony meeting. Yeah! There's a lot to do in mission and there so little time I gotta blast! Love you! Stay fantastic and blessed! I won't give up at all in this mission and I know that me and Elder Slavens got this for with God... ounce again I'll type this again ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE....In the sacred name of Jesus Christ. AMEN! 
សូជំរាបលា!
🌏💓 -អែលឌើរ រស់  known as Elder Ros the Elder that stills lives on! 😇💊🛡🛃
"It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance."- D&C 131:6

And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ. And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men.Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.   

And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me. And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.

  Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."
                                                                              
- Moroni 10:18-20,23,30,32