Cambodia

Cambodia

Last Christmas

I gave you my heart but the very next day you gave it away.

Hello and Merry Christmas/Happy New Year to everyone! 

I am hoping that you are all so caught up in the holidays that you have no time to read this email. Because I straight up have nothing cool to say. Sorry. I did get some pictures with my new sweet camera tho.

Our investigator. We haven't taught him our church's view on families yet....: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g4j9zirpxo353ph/IMG_0109.JPG?dl=0

I am just having a really good time here. Christmas is fun and the work is going well and my companion is cool and we are doing the Lord's work. Its an exciting time to be in Cambodia!

Our best investigators are Lee and Alex. They are hopefully getting baptized in 2 weeks. Lee just last night told her husband and asked his permission and got the green light so we are all super excited! We also started teaching the family of our recent convert Makara. It is so cool to watch people bring their families together and prepare to be sealed together. I think his family will definitely progress quickly because of the good change they have seen in their son. The gospel is way cool.

I took some videos this week:

Go do something fun for New Years. I'll be in Pursat for exchanges! Beat that!

Love you all. Happy New Year!

Love,
Elder Osborne

Happy Holidays!

It's been a good week at the MTC 

JK!!!! I'm in Cambodia! I just don't have a camera so I'm sad!!!! Sorry!

This week the weather was epically weird. The temperature dropped to like 65 degrees. It felt like the fall time. It was really weird. I don't think I sweat for like 2 days straight. 

Elder Neuberger:                                                                                                           


Elder Brewer:                                                                                                          


Elder Olson:                                                                                               



Elder Khiev:                                                                               
Elder Reeves:                                                                               

 Elder Asay:                                                                                

Sometimes we can be kinda selfish. Sometimes on my mission I get into a rut for a day. Or a couple of days. Or a transfer. Sometimes I get so focused on myself. I think about what I'm not learning here VS what I could be learning at school. I think about what I'm missing at home with my family. I have come to see what a destructive cycle that kind of thinking can be. This week I was in that rut for about an afternoon. It sucked. I was still doing work but it was the worst. 

That evening we taught a lesson to a brand new investigator named Phiap. We were teaching the lesson but I was thinking about riding my fixie through downtown Provo at midnight. Probably one of my top ten favorite things. Well, I didn't really snap back into the lesson until we started talking about Christ, and especially the Atonement of Christ. I was looking at Phiap's eyes and as Elder Asay was teaching about how Christ suffered for our individual sins and pains something clicked. The thought came to me "This mission is not for me. Its for Phiap. Its for Lee and Alex. Forget yourself and go to work."

At that point I forgot all about how I wasn't pulling a sweet skid down the Provo overpass. I didn't care that I had already missed 2 semesters at school. This time is my opportunity to serve and help people receive happiness through the restored gospel. This 2 years isn't for me. I only have about a year left to serve with all my energy all day everyday. I better get going.

Telling this story reminded me of a devotional I heard in the MTC. The speaker told of an experience he had in his high school wood-shop class. He was sanding a wide piece of wood, just a few inches wider than the width of the sander. As he was sanding his teacher noticed that he was sanding the middle of the plank but not getting the full width of the wood. His teacher's advice was an unexpectedly profound and memorable piece of council. The teacher said "if you focus on the edges first, the center will take care of itself." This teacher knew that because of the width of the sander and the wood if the student started with both edges then he wouldn't have to sand the center again.

The speaker at the devotional then related it to a missions and life. He explained how if we serve others and focus on their happiness first then our own happiness would take care of itself.


I am so grateful that this mission is helping me learn to serve others. Sometimes we get into ruts and have hard afternoons but if we focus on others then the center will take care of itself. I know that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the only eternal solution to every problem in this world. It is the only way we can achieve eternal life and live with our family forever in happiness. When we share the gospel we are serving them and helping them to receive that happiness.

Swagged out exchanges:                                      
Stolen from my comps camera. Don't worry, I'm still weird: 

Just chillin: 

Love,
Elder Osborne

Happy Holidays

Its been a good week at the MTC: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Sams%20Mission%20Pics/Week1MTC?preview=DSCN0337.JPG

JK!!!! I'm in Cambodia! I just don't have a camera so I'm sad!!!! Sorry!

This week the weather was epically weird. The temperature dropped to like 65 degrees. It felt like the fall time. It was really weird. I don't think I sweat for like 2 days straight. 


Sometimes we can be kinda selfish. Sometimes on my mission I get into a rut for a day. Or a couple days. Or a transfer. Sometimes I get so focused on myself. I think about what I'm not learning here V.S what I could be learning at school. I think about what I'm missing at home with my family. I have come to see how much of a destructive cycle that kind of thinking can be. This week I was in that rut for about an afternoon. It sucked. I was still doing work but it was the worst. 

That evening we taught a lesson to a brand new investigator named Phiap. We were teaching the lesson but I was thinking about riding my fixie through downtown Provo at midnight. Probably one of my top ten favorite things. Well, I didn't really snap back into the lesson until we started talking about Christ, and especially the Atonement of Christ. I was looking at Phiap's eyes and as Elder Asay was teaching about how Christ suffered for our individual sins and pains something clicked. The thought came to me "This mission is not for me. Its for Phiap. Its for Lee and Alex. Forget yourself and go to work."

At that point I forgot all about how I wasn't pulling a sweet skid down the Provo overpass. I didn't care that I had already missed 2 semesters at school. This time is my opportunity to serve and help people receive happiness through the restored gospel. This 2 years isn't for me. I only have about a year left to serve with all my energy all day everyday. I better get going.

Telling this story reminded me of a devotional I heard in the MTC. The speaker told of an experience he had in his high school wood-shop class. He was sanding a wide piece of wood, just a few inches wider than the width of the sander. As he was sanding his teacher noticed that he was sanding the middle of the plank but not getting the full width of the wood. His teacher's advice was an unexpectedly profound and memorable piece of council. The teacher said "if you would focus on the edges first, the center will take care of itself." This teacher knew that because of the width of the sander and the wood if the student started with both edges then he wouldn't have to sand the center again.

The speaker at the devotional then related it to a mission/life. He explained how if we serve others and focus on their happiness first then our own happiness would take care of itself.

I am so grateful that this mission is helping me learn to serve others. Sometimes we get into ruts and have hard afternoons but if we focus on others then the center will take care of itself. I know that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the only eternal solution to every problem in this world. It is the only way we can achieve eternal life and live with our family forever in happiness. When we share the gospel we are serving them and helping them to receive that happiness.

Stolen from my comps camera. Don't worry, I'm still weird: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2n5fry8egwcz9lz/MVI_0524.MOV?dl=0

Love,
Elder Osborne

#guided

Elder Asay and I are both very new in our area. We don't really know where anyone lives. At all. But we try. This week we were trying to find a less active guy by looking at his records and a map drawn by previous missionaries. Needless to say we got lost for a while. That's usually alright though because it leads us into new areas and new people to contact. As we were riding around we turned down a road and ran into a family that had just come home from work. We talked to them and asked if they knew this less active guy. They didn't but they invited us to come back over in a few days and teach them about the gospel.
We didn't end up finding the our guy that day and had to miss our appointment with him.

A couple of days later we were meeting with the senior couple, the Spencers, talking about our area because they know more about it than we do. We started talking about this same less active guy who is actually the first councilor in the district presidency (yes, this is Cambodia). I called him up right then and convinced him to let us come over and talk to him for a few minutes. Elder Spencer wasn't planning to come with us because he had an important talk to write but felt like he probably should come. 

Elder Spencer knew exactly where his house was so we drove over there to learn that this man was having a really rough time. He had to sell his moto to pay for a bunch of medicine because his whole family was having health problems. Elder Spencer, Elder Asay, and I talked to him and shared some scriptures to lift his spirits including D&C 121. There was a warm loving spirit there especially brought by Elder Spencer's presence. After the lesson we offered to give him a blessing and it turns out that Elder Spencer was the only one with oil. Elder Spencer laid his hands on this man's head and gave a beautiful blessing guided by the Spirit. I took notes and explained to the man (in Khmae) what Elder Spencer had just said.

We left and went back to the church because Elder Asay was assigned to translate for the mission president in an interview with the district president. In that meeting Elder Asay learned more about the councilor's hardships including that he and his wife have both contracted AIDS.

I know that the hand of the Lord is guiding his work. I can feel Him giving me direction in order to bless the lives of His children here in Cambodia. So many things happen in this work that could never happen without Him putting things into place. I am grateful for the Holy Ghost to be my constant companion. I am grateful for other inspired missionaries especially Elder Spencer this week. I am so happy to be here in Cambodia.

Love, Elder Osborne

P.S. My investigator totally stole my camera this week so I swiped a few pics from Elder Hinds because I went on exchange with him this week.

Oiy Boo + Cat:


We went to an alligator farm:




so cute:                                


so tasty:                                                                                       


The Battambang Crew at a random monument: 


Double Headed Dragon

Hello everybody. It was a crazy week. I'll tell you how it went.

Monday 
We had a going away party for some missionaries: 

Then we shredded it up at a roller rink/skate park place:


We made a train with the little Khmae kids: 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/q5a2lai7i942mej/SDC11012.AVI?dl=0

Then Lee and Alex bought Elder Reeves an ice cream cake: 



Then we got on the sketchiest ferris wheel of all time: 


Tuesday
 We took a bus all day to Phnom Penh. 
Its a 7 hour bus ride with old Khmae music blasting the whole way. 
We slept at the mission home with a bunch of other people.

Wednesday
 We had Mission Leadership Council (MLC). From 8am-2pm I was able to sit in a council with all the coolest missionaries in the mission. I was the youngest Elder there and I felt super out of place because all the other missionaries were super good and I have no idea what I'm doing. We talked a lot about repentance and how the reason many converts become less active is because they don't really know how to repent.

Thursday
 We took the bus home:


Friday
We prepped for Zone training. We met our branch president and a couple of other members just to introduce ourselves. We are basically white-washing because I've only been here for 2 weeks.


Saturday
 We taught a 3 hour zone training meeting. 
All the missionaries from Siem Reap and Pursat came to listen to Elder Asay and I train them. 


We taught about contacting and repentance. 
Contacting is essential for success in an area. If you want more people to teach, talk to more people. Contacting is also a way to show your faith. If you are working hard and talking to as many people as you can then Heavenly Father will see that and he will bless you in other ways.Repentance is the second step in the Gospel of Christ. We have to teach our investigators to repent before they receive baptism. In order to do that though, we ourselves have to learn how to repent. We committed our zone to think of one thing they can repent of and make a plan to change.

 Even though Asay and I are both new I think it went pretty well.


Sunday
 Apparently I ate a bad burger on Saturday. So we stayed home all day. Sucks.

That is my missionary week. Hope you like it. 
Merry Christmas: 

Love,
Elder Osborne

Will-it-blend?

I got a blender.  Buy super cheap fruit at the market, add tons of sugar, blend, profit.



We had a beautiful Thanksgiving lunch made by our awesome senior couple here in Battambang: 


This is Yiay Nak. She has one eye and no teeth and she is the cutest old lady in the whole world.

We got 50 contacts in one day so we celebrated: 


We crashed a wedding: 


We met some new friends who like to fish and drink: 

Chill:
 

Lee and Alex went to Thailand this Sunday. Boooooo. But we taught them about the Sabbath anyway so we are hoping they start to put the Lord first on His holy day. This is Alex:
 

I'm super excited for Christmas this year. I have learned so much about the Savior in the last year. This Christmas will be different. I know that Heavenly Father sent His Son to save us. Without Him we could not make it back to Heaven again. I am so thankful for the sacrifice of both the Father and the Son.
christmas.mormon.org
President called me last night and told me my new companion is Elder Asay and we will be Zone Leaders together for Battambang and Siem Reap. I'm super stoked for this new adventure/challenge!

I Love Battambang

This is literally the coolest town in the whole world. It's a super swanky little place with a huge riverside park area and little coffee shops. Most of the city is in my area and then we also go out into the rice fields all the way to Thailand. Probably the coolest area in any mission ever.
I took a ton of pictures. A ton. Because it's such a cool area. And because I found a selfie stick in my new house. Sorry.

  Wat?
   

Our church (view from the other elders' house)  


Our house:


Ridin':


English:                                                


New Burger:


Swaggy old guy we teach. He has a real potty mouth: 


Love bridge at a random amusement park with a random guy 


We contact every biker we see: 


Peace:


We have a couple of cool investigators. Lee and Alex. Lee is a business woman who speaks English and Khmae and drives a Prius on most days and a Lexus on others. Alex is her 15 year old cousin who grew up in Dallas, TX. He doesn't speak any Khmae. They come to all the activities at the church and they are scheduled to get baptized on the 12th of Dec. We reviewed the baptismal interview questions with them this week and they are super prepared and ready to go! I'm super stoked for them. I'll get a pic next week.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8:
"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."
As eternal beings living in a mortal and time restricted world, we sometimes lose hope as trials seem to bombard us unceasingly. Whether it be a long transfer in a slow area or a chronic illness or a cold winter in Liberty Jail. All trials will be only a small moment in the perspective of eternity. We can take comfort in this and the fact that we can turn to the Lord in our afflictions and receive peace.

"My son, peace be unto thy soul."
My little brother Joe asked me what is the biggest thing I have learned on my mission so far. I told him I learned that it is impossible. Being on this mission and doing the Lord's work is impossible without the Lord's help. I learned that I cannot do it without Him. I would have quit a hundred times by now if I hadn't prayed and received comfort, guidance, and even miracles from the Lord. A mission isn't easy, our trials aren't easy. They are hard, sometimes impossible. But I know that through Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ we can receive peace and strength to make it through.
Our afflictions will be but a small moment. If we endure them well with the help of the Lord we will be exalted on high.
I love Cambodia and my mission and Battambang and everything.


BOUNCE



President called me on Saturday and told me I was getting transferred to Battambang! It's Monday and I'm emailing from the mission home because my bus leaves at noon.


Last P-day we took a trip to the only pine forest in Cambodia. It was weird.




So Asian: 



Pan-o-sam-a: 





Elder Olson and I had a lovely reunion lunch:




Dog for dinner. Its a little overcooked but it'll do:



My crew: 



I already miss Elder Khiev: 



Cambodian drum-line: 



This is an intersection next to the independence monument. Every week we print out two hundred flyers for English class and then I walk out in the middle of that chaos and spin around basically throwing out flyers. I haven't died yet. 



Dominoes pizza in Cambodia:


It's hard to describe a mission. I can't explain it. It's just so different from anything else in this world. I learn new things everyday. I learn how to deal with problems, how to love different kinds of people, how to do things when I don't want to, how to like doing new things. It's all just part of the mission. I'm so grateful to be out here. I'm grateful to get a new area and try out even more new things. I know the mission is true.

love,
elder osborne
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