This is a home we visited.

This is a Sakaa family we visited. The sister in blue is a member as is her children but the father is not but now at the invitation of Elder Yeates he is taking the lessons from the Elders. We gave a blessing, gave a message and showed pictures of families. We always try to share our message in Khmae. When the Branch President is with us we always encourage the family to have the Branch President leave a blessing on their home and family.

On our way to visit member in the outer part of the Battambang province. The Branch President, President Leop Dy & Pedou need to move the cows off the road so we can pass.

The members did not want us to walk in the water so they sent little boys to give us a ride in a boat to their home.
Members insisted that Sister Yeates and I ride in the boat.
We have been in deeper water.

I went around the back of the home with the Branch President to inspect water damage to a part of the home.

Boat races at water festival in Battambang
Our car started to float and go sideways when crossing this high water at an intersection.

Sister Yeates and Elder Yeates invited the Missionaries to lunch during rainy season.

Baptism

The pregnant lady is Kuen. Her husband is next to her. Sambatt and Ro-ot are
on the far right.

Oo-op Fam

Leo likes to give praying hands

..and also likes to shake hands but only with Lok Daa.

Sisters... Loy & Johnson walking on logs to the walkway Ooup's built.
The logs can be very slippery so that is also why Sister Yeates walks the water way.

Ram is carrying Sister Yeates chair and shoes to the car.
Sister Yeates in her black boots.

Sister Yeates wading in the water.

The walkway the Oo-up's made. They cut large vine branches to cover the walkway.

No one said anything about the dress that Ram was wearing or why he was so tired (of course Sister Yeates and Elder Yeates were curious). Later, Sambaat said (just as we were leaving) that all his other clothes got wet and muddy because all the men, including Rit & Ram, stayed up through out the night to make a walkway through the deepest part of the area leading to the Oo-up home. It was raining most of the night and they hauled dirt or mud on large cloth then dumped it where needed. There were five of them that worked on the walkway until past 1:00 am and the sun went down at 6:00 pm.

Ram was more interested in caring for Sister Yeates' black boots than he cared about being seen in a dress. The family are kind - they call it a robe. Ram always carried the black boot too Sister Yeates' car and then was there wen she took them off. He often would sit during the lesson and fan Elder Yeates with one hand and pick the stickers out of his trousers with the other. He loves Lok Daa & Lok Yayi.

Ram Oo-up coming home from school. He hadn't been to school since before we started to teach the family. They kept him home to work (but there was no work for them). Sister Yeates kept encouraging the family to send him to school.

Life in Battambong

Some of those that greeted us our first night in BattamBong. The District President is in white shirt top left corner.
Sister Un (oo-n) a missionary that lives in our home is at far right.
The Sister Yeates, Elder Yeates, Sister Loy & Sister Un with the Ooup Family.
The Parents are Members and three of the Children. Four Adults are being taught.
Ro-daa Oo-up - who took the previous picture and is a member - age 16.
She cries at some of our visits to the her family during the lesson because she is happy her older brothers are being taught
and when she feels the spirit one can tell she has a tender heart because she cries.
Oo-up Sambaatt in blue we are assessing the situation. The dirt road is muddy and the car slide off the road and hit a tree. It is high centered and would have tipped over and gone into the pond with Sister Yeates and I as well as the Sisters were in the car with us. When the car hit the Tree it made a very loud noise and everyone in the village (phum) came running to see what it was. That was the most excitement they have had all this week. Brother Ooup got in the the pond up to his chest by the front drivers side of the car. One man got by the back door and three by the tree and they all lifted the car back on the road. I was looking at them after and everyone had a build like you can't believe. Make a guy want to go on a steady diet of rice. They all said to us that "Preahvoobadaa (Heavenly Father) planted that tree right they just for Lok tee for these many years so his car would not go into pond."
A few of many children from the phum trying to get a good look of the men in the village lifting Lok day's car out of the pond.
Branch 2 Young womens at Church on Sunday
Out in front of the Ooup home. The little boy in front is Leo. He calls Elder Yeates Lok Tee and is always showing him praying hands and then wants to shake hands. Next to him from left to right is Sambaatt (investigator father to Leo), his wife Root (Ro-ute) (also daughter - member and mother to Leo), Rit (son - investigator 19), Ram 12 (member) who just love Lok Tee and Lok yayi, behind him is Ooup the dad (member), Rodaa (daughter - member), Sister Un and then Kim the Mom (member); Ruin is holding his daughter Narie; next is his wife Khuen (both investigators), Sister Yeates and Sister Loy.
Chin Pary. Pary tutors Elder Yeates and cleans our home and goes to market with Sister Yeates to help her shop. She and her four sisters and at every church meeting for both branches. Pary is multi talented. She speaks English and play the piano and is the fore most piano teacher in the District having many students in both branches. A couple of her best students have lesson that are paid for by a member in the Sien Reap Branch.
The Baptismal font at the Church
Church is starting to let out and some of the members are going home. The complex here is the church building that we rent.

Preparing to Serve In Battambong, Cambodia

looktaa (lok-dah) (grandpa)

lookyiay (lok-jaiy) (grandma)