April 8, 2005
It is April. What happened to March?

Elder Thong father's death
This month one of our native Elders, Elder Thong's father died of AIDs. (AIDs is a big killer here in Cambodia of both men and women, leaving many children without parents.) He learned he had AIDs six months ago and is now dead. He was about 50 years old. The family was so poor they could not afford the medicine to slow it down. So like many others in this country he wasted away. We learned of his near death condition and since we knew and loved the family, we went to see them. Most of the immediate family are members. It was a sad scene, with the man lying on the floor where it was cool with a sheet over him and his older daughter trying to feed him broth. His mother was preparing a Buddhist offering and several other family members were there with his children and wife. Lim gave a great pray and we hugged his wife. She wanted her son to stay on his mission. Elder Thong was given permission to come to the city and he visited his father and gave him a blessing that night. Elder Thong thinks his father knew he was there. The next morning the father died. We visited the family again and picked up the Elder to take him back to his area in the late afternoon. They have celebrations the day a person dies or next day, seven days later and 1 year later in the Buddhist culture. So we were there to eat with family and friends a very good fish and rice soup with bread and pop. There was a Buddhist cremation the next day. They must cremate the body because of quick decay in the heat.

Visited in Kampong Cham to Audit and talk mid March
We are still auditing the books for the various branches until next month. So in March we went back to Kampong Cham to audit the three units there. I also spoke with Pres Lim (our driver) at two of the branches on the subject of studying the words of the living prophets. One of the distinguishing things about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the belief in modern day revelation. God still speaks to man. Revelation is still available at a personal and group level. So we talked about the revelation in the Bible, Book of Mormon and modern scriptures and semi-annual talks from the living Apostles and Prophets. Life is much easier when you listen and follow them. There is peace and joy in a troubled world in following the prophets.

Easter in Cambodia
Easter Pageant in Khmer was the other big event. Sister Taylor and I helped produce a small pageant for the people of Cambodia. One of a Sister's here (Sister Gunderson) wrote the script using scriptures and hymns available in country. She had a cast of 12 and a children and youth choir. Sister Taylor and I did the technical work with digital pictures and projection using three computers and projectors to share original art scenes reflective of Christ's life and the men who wrote of him-Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Nephi and Joseph Smith. The projections were a challenge because we had to turn pictures and projectors to get vertical pictures into the arches on the pulpit back wall. We also provided some soft desktop lighting of the 12 cast members. The 45 minutes production reviewed briefly the last hours of Christ's life and His visit to the Nephites in America and to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey. It concluded very powerfully with cast and congregation singing I Know That My Redeemer Lives. It was a powerful spiritual experience for the over 600 that saw the two shows. The cast really got into their parts and the spirit was over powering. Many in the audience were crying as the show ended and quietly left. (Cambodian people do not usually cry so we know they were touched in their hearts.) We were so thrilled to see the branches sharing thoughts about Christ and the resurrection on Easter. We did not have Easter in the Church last year so maybe a step forward in understanding of the "way" Christ set up for our return to live with God.

It was cool for several days in March and on 5 April we got our first good rain (two inches) since December 2004. The people in the countryside really needed the rain to sustain life. We have had a bad drought the past several years and people are starving. The farmers are eating their seed rice and the rice crops have been very poor in many areas of the country because of lack of water. At one point in this country they had a wonderful irrigation system but it has all been destroyed. You see canals and big pumping stations but the system has been destroyed.

We are off to Vietnam, both North and South, this weekend for a week of touring. We plan to visit the cities and country side in Hanoi. We will also visit the members in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). There is a great little book on the Saints in Saigon during the war called When Faith Endures. The Church is not yet recognized in Vietnam so they cannot meet together and do not partake of the Sacrament. We hope it will happen within the next six months. Then the many friends that want to join the Church can. The opening of Vietnam will be very interesting and will be a lot of work. I wish it could have happened during our mission. We have a number of members here ready to go on missions to their homeland. I trust that will be the case in America also.

Take care,

Elder and Sister Taylor