Letter Sent on July 8, 2013

Dear Family,

 

How are you guys? Things are going pretty swell in Teuk Thla! This past week I got really quite sick with a bad cold and fever and all that fun stuff but I am feeling a lot better now:) It was kinda hard because I was to go and get to know the area with Elder Vore but I was so sick one of the days that I wasn't able to go out.  Right now my health is much better and Elder Khem and me are getting to know the other part of our area better some. Lucky for us we have a recent convert named Saoly and he helps us ALL the time, as soon as he has free time he likes to go around with us all the way until it is time to call it a day and he knows the majority of the people that Elder Edmunds and Elder Vore would meet with so he is a huge help to us! He is always calling us to ask when he we can meet up with him to go out proselyting together:)

So yeah I am with my new companion Elder Khem and he is a great guy. He has been in the country for 2 transfers now and he just came down from Siem Reap.  He is from Weatherford Texas and is full Cambodian.  His parents went to America during the Polpot Regime and he was born and raised in Cambodia his whole life. He is a really kind and gentle guy and is funny and goofy too, we are getting along good!
There was one really cool miracle that happened on Sunday. There is a less active returned missionary named Sanna that the Elders were working with before and we met with him on Saturday night and we talked and got to know him a bit and we talked about the Resurrection because his father had passed away about a year ago, our wonderful member help Saoly invited him to church and he said that on Sunday he would come to church and sure enough he did in his white shirt and everything! It was so good to see him there. What a happy day when a less active comes back cause he has!:)
It is great having the sisters here and we have given them some of our investigators that are girls for them to teach. One of them told the sisters that she wanted to serve a mission and another one of our investigators came to church for the first time because the sisters helped give her a ride on the back of their bikes! Also there was a less active lady who I have never seen come to church who came to church with her children yesterday! Its amazing to see all those that the Lord has prepared for the sisters to teach and how they can connect better with people and help them far better than us Elders can. They are a huge blessing to the branch!

We watched the Work of Salvation Broadcast yesterday and it is amazing how the work of the Lord is hastening and how all of us are called to be a part of it whether we wear a name tag or not. I love the members here in Cambodia and am so grateful for the service and love they show in doing missionary work as well. I hope that you have a fantastic week and continue to find opportunities to serve and share the light!

 

With love,

Elder Garlick

Letter Sent on July 1, 2013

Dear Family,

Hey how are ya?:) This week has been really great and really crazy all at once! It sounds like you have all been experiencing some warm temperatures, pretty similar to Cambodia! The past few days have been really hot here as well, but it's pretty normal to be constantly sweaty by now :)

So, guess what? I have some great news! This past week Elder Fisher and I went to go and meet with that family we are teaching who are actually not a family yet-Vantha and Chanta- remember them? They are a really young couple and are not married yet but were living together so they could not be baptized.  We were kind of at a wall because they said that they could not move to different houses but that they also could not get married at the time because of their school situation and how  if they got married they couldn't finish learning.. But they said that they really wanted to keep the Lord's commandments... nothing was really changing and they were just at this wall and then last week we went to go meet with them and Chanta was home and was like, "Hey Elders this week we are going to get baptized on the 30th?" and we were like, "What??" and then she proceeded to tell us how Vantha was no longer living there but had rented another place across the street! We were so happy.

Soon after Vantha came from work to meet with us and he told us that he really wanted to keep the Lord's commandments and so had rented a different place to live in and that after he had moved there he was like, "Wow...I can be baptized now!" So this was a super cool miracle that we saw this past week and a big step of faith on their part. I really feel that the Lord really touched their hearts and blessed them with the desire and the means to follow His commandments and to be baptized! We actually still have a little more to teach but the plan is for them to be baptized this Sunday the 7th of July! :)  That was a definite highlight of the week and they are both doing wonderful!

Also, transfer calls were last night...and guess who is the new Assistant to the President?... Elder Fisher! I am really excited for him and am going to miss him a lot I am sure. He is one of my favorite companions. He is going to do really good and a lot of people really respect him, myself included! I am pretty stoked though because I really didn't want to leave the area and now I get the privilege of serving here for one more transfer! There are going to be some changes though-they are temporarily splitting the North Zone of Phnom Penh and I am going to be a zone leader over 2 districts and then Elder Lyman will be a zone leader over the other district. So the workload will be a little more because now  I will not be with a co-zoneleader companion but I am still super excited. My new companion will be Elder Khem who is Cambodian but is from America, he has been in the country for almost 2 transfers now  and I am looking forward to serving with him. Also, they are taking the other set of Elders out of Teuk Thla and they are putting a set of sister missonaries in. We will probably just cover the whole branch and share investigators and so now I need to get to know all of Elder Edmunds and Elder Vore's area! So I don't know if any of this makes sense but time keeps moving forward rapidly-it seems like not so long ago that Elder Fisher and I were just assigned to be companions and already we are on to new things!

So for the next few days I will be with Elder Edmunds and with Elder Vore; Elder Edmunds lives in the same cul-de-sac as Grandpa Busenbark! He ends his mission this week. His family is actually come here to pick him up and they got permission to come to our branch yesterday and then this morning they took us all out to this SUPER nice breakfast buffet at the hotel they are staying at. They are all so nice and it was really fun to get to know them a little. If you get the chance you should go to Elder Edmunds homecoming! I don't know when it is but you could ask Grandpa :) Elder Edmunds is a great friend and one of the best missionaries that I know.

Things are going great here in Teuk Thla and I pray that things continue to go great for you all back home, have a good week!

 

With Love,

Elder Garlick

Letter Sent on June 24, 2013

Dear Familia,

 

How are you? I am superb~and the work is going great here in Teuk Thla!

This past week we saw off Pu Mony and Ming Srey as they went to their home provinces to go and get their whole marriage certificate worked out so that they can be baptized which they desire with all of their hearts. Sadly, they came back empty handed because the people that were to make the certificate were being "crazy" and there were some issues that were brought up-because Pu's former wife had passed away 20 years ago, Ming had a former husband as well, money and stuff-honestly we were confused on exactly the issue was and weren't sure but the branch president had a talk with him in his office yesterday at church and we are going to talk to him about it since he knows a lot more than we do about Khmae marriages and whatnot. They were pretty sad and felt out of hope they said but we encouraged them and talked about the Atonement and how the Lord would provide a way for them and has not fogotten them. They are really such a special family and their faith in Christ is incredible. They have changed so much! I remember Pu Mony had issues with drinking and smoking and would sleep under their house in the mud when he was drunk and I met him a couple of times when he was drunk-but 3 days after we taught the Word of Wisdom he stopped drinking beer and has been sober ever since, and the smoking was more gradual but from what I understand he's stopped that as well. They say that many of their neighbors have really noticed his repentance and the change in him as well and they brought 2 of their neighbor friends to church with them on Sunday! I love them so much and all will work out. With the Lord on our side what need we to fear?

We have gotten some new investigators this past week from contacting, one time when I was riding my bike on the way to the church I was next to this young man and I felt impressed that I ought to talk and contact him so I started talking with him and he was really impressed that I spoke Cambodian and we stopped in front of the church to give him a flyer for English which he had a very strong desire to come to; we have since gotten in contact with him-his name is Renksay and he is studying philosophy and is 21 years old-and started teaching him and he's great! The sisters also gave us a referral that they contacted and when we met her one of the very first things she asked was how to become a member of our church :) Her name is Sophanny, she is 21 and studying accounting, she is very sincere, loved church yesterday, and we see her getting in the water real quick :)

Also one more great experience with our investigators Bong Narack and his wife Vanna-the one that flagged us down as we were biking and told us she'd been praying to meet us. Well for Bong Narack he has been really studying the Book of Mormon diligently and he was so excited to tell us at church about a dream that he had; in his dream he and his wife were dressed in the white robes of the Lord with a hood and how he had his hands raised up in the air but then felt that it wasn't appropriate and then put his arm to the square. Then he saw a war happening and tried to tell his friends but they couldn't see what he was seeing until he told them again and then they could see what he was pointing at. He was so happy and said that he just had been so happy since he had this dream and that he really felt that it was from the Lord and that it was his testimony. I have heard a lot about people here sharing their dreams and they take their dreams very seriously here; the Cambodian people are definitely a dreaming people. Cause for me I do not remember my dreams too well at all!

Elder Fisher and I like to joke around that we are being "too blessed" because we have so many great people to teach that when we are scheduling them all during Weekly Planning it seems a little tight-but miraculously seems to work out. I absolutely am love being a missionary and yesterday was one of the best Sundays of my whole mission.  We just had some great lessons and had an amazing RM father come help us teach Narack and Vanna and it was perhaps the most powerful Plan of Salvation lesson I have ever taught. Sorry this is really long but I just want to share a tad of the many blessings that the Lord is pouring out. The work is hastening and what an exciting time to be a missionary and indeed a member in His church! We have the most precious thing in the whole world, how blessed we are.  Everyone needs this gospel, Christ's Atonement and His Church can solve ALL problems answer ALL questions and make EVERYTHING right. I know He is our Savior and that He lives, it is true! Again how blessed we are to have this pearl of great price! It is the greatest thing that we could possibly share with others. May we not take it for granted and treasure it, live it, love it with all our heart, and share it with others. I love you all dearly, until next week!

 

Elder Garlick

 

PS. Here is your Khmae lesson of the week; Perhaps you wonder why does everyone in Cambodia have the name of Pu or Ming or Bong? If I was in your shoes, I would be wondering that too, but wonder no more because I will tell you the reason :) Ba-oon means younger brother or sister, Bong means older brother or sister, Pu means uncle, ming means aunt, om means older uncle and aunt, ta means grandpa, and yay means grandma. So yeah pretty much we call everyone brother, sister, aunt, uncle, etc and then their name. We're all one big happy family!

Pics; I really wanted to send some pictures but the internet is being to slow or something...

Letter Sent on June 17, 2013

Dear Family,

 

Welp, the rainy season is definitely here in full force; It's a love hate relationship.  I love biking when it's raining and it is just pouring buckets on you, so fun!, but the not so fun part is when you are soaking wet and walking around in soggy socks for the rest of the day:) But its so great and it mixes things up a little bit cause sometimes it can be a little chilly! What an exciting time to be a missionary!

This past week was really good-there were something that were frustrating but a lot of really great things that are continue to happen here in Clear Water!

We have this family that we are teaching and they are actually not a family quite yet, Vantha and Chantha,
They are living together and they are not married. They are a young couple and they are super great investigators and love learning about the gospel. We taught about the Law of Chastity and how they either need to live separately or be married in order to be baptized. They are kinda at a wall on what to do because they say they can't live in a separate place and that they can't get married or else the organization that they are learning through won't let them learn there if they are married. We encouraged them to pray about what they need to do and we promised them blessings that they will receive by keeping this law.
We are going to keep working with them.
We were able to visit with our BM leader and he shows some great potential to come back to church he said that he for sure will be there this week. But that yesterday he had a field trip for his school. Having an active Branch Mission Leader will be a real nice perk!:)
We have another investigator that started to learn with us who has learned about Christ before who a member referral and a good friend and neighbor of a member. Things are continuing to grow and are just going wonderful. We have a lot of investigators and we should hopefully be getting them in the water real soon!

Welp, I need to get going but know that I love you and pray for you. Have a terrific week!

Love,
Elder Garlick

Letter Sent on June 10, 2013

Dear Family,

This week was just dandy! I hope that yours was the same and from the sounds of it all is well back home.

This past week I had the opportunity to go on an exchange with a new missionary named Elder Garrow and it was a real treat! I loved his humility and just his great and willing attitude.  I really liked getting to know him better and it turns out he is from Palmyra just like Joseph Smith.  We had a good time and he said that he learned some new stuff that he wanted to apply to his own area.  I just remember how much I learned from Elder Oleson back in the Battambang days and I really know what a difference a good leader can make.  I really want to try and follow his fantastic example and pass it on.  It really just feels so good trying to help others out.

I have noticed that during my mission the times that I am the happiest are the times that I am thinking of others and not myself. Also, that the hardest times or the times that I am the most unhappy are when I am thinking of myself and not others. Really, service and turning out to others as Christ would is the greatest source of happiness.  Really happiness is a choice and it is all about our attitude and what we focus on.  I believe that Christ was the happiest person to have ever lived on the earth and I am sure that was because He never thought of Himself but always turned outwards and thought of others.

I have been studying charity and really want to be more charitable and become more like Christ.  I love 1 Corinthians 13, "Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemingly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth." 

I am so grateful to have a mission, 2 full years, to focus purely on loving and serving others and sharing the gospel.  What a privilege it is. I can feel my testimony growing deeper and deeper.  I know that Christ lives and that this work is true.  I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet and that is continually being confirmed to me.

I know that we can all be happy if we choose to be and I really hope that we can all try and pray for opportunities to turn out and love and serve others during the week.  I remember Elder Ballard encouraged us to pray for a meaningful way to serve each morning and then go and do it!

I love you very much and I hope that you have a happy week and find ways to serve others and show forth the charity and love you always give to me. Thanks and again, I sure do love you:)

Love,
Elder Garlick

Letter Sent on June 3, 2013

Dear Family

How are things back home? Is summer there in full swing? Looks like Vegas was a blast, Kudos and Congratulations to Ben and Lea! Things are going really great here in Teuk Thla!
This past week was super; we had a great visit with the family of Pu Mony and Ming Srey with the Branch President and it was a great visit indeed. Pu Mony has been working on figuring everything out with their homeland about the marriage certificate and they are actually are...on their way right now to go get it! Yay!!
We were thinking it might be quite a while until they would be able to go and
We had a great visit with them and the Branch President was so good and talked to them a lot about going to the temple and how that is their ultimate goal.  All of us were so happy about their being so close to baptism! The Branch President made everything just really clear for them and cleared things up for us Elders and it was just a very happy meeting and there was a lot of trust established and they should be good to go this month to get baptized.
Things are going so great here and it seems like the new investigators just keep coming-we had 3 member referrals come to church yesterday and they are potential investigators in our area.  2 of them came from an active member named Ming Tevy. We had met with her and her husband, Pu Chan, a while back and talked about missionary work and what they could do to do missionary work.  The Pu was like, "Elders, no one wants to learn around here. None of our neighbors like our church, and they are all Buddhist, there is no one who wants to learn....." He was saying stuff like that but we asked them to just pray for missionary opportunities and gave them a pamphlet to give with our number on it.  On Saturday Pu Chan told us that there were a couple of their neighbors coming to church the next day and he said that he had been praying for missionary opportunities. The next day 2 of their neighbors came and they are women that recently moved INTO their neighborhood. Really cool experience seeing how things changed as they prayed for missionary opportunities. Shows that the Lord will lead His children where they need to go if we ask for those opportunities to share the gospel and prepare ourselves to do so.
Things are just dandy here in Teuk Thla and the work goes on.  I can see and feel the hastening of the Lord's work and it is a great honor to be a part of it!
I love you, have a terrific week!

Sincerely,
Elder Garlick

Letter Sent on May 27, 2013

Dear Family, 

 

Hey hey! This week was fantastic for me, How was your week?? Sorry to hear that you aren't feeling so great Brynn Bear, and Mom.  Get well soon! I pray for you and hope that all is going well.

This week we saw miracles and the work here in the promised land of Teuk Thla continues to go forward.

This past week Elder Clayton from the Presidency of the Seventy came to Cambodia along with Elder Wilson who is a member of the Seventy.  They came and met with all of us missionaries and we had a great meeting for an hour and a half and Elder Clayton just opened it up for a questions and answer session and it was amazing hearing the general authorities and President and Sister Moon all come up and share their testimonies with us and answer our questions.  There were only a few questions asked but they gave some very thorough counsel and teachings for each one.  One thing that was asked was something about life after the mission(I honestly couldn't really hear the question) but afterwards Elder Clayton talked a lot about conversion and how we need to become so converted to the gospel that it is "a part of our DNA", about how we need to seek to become so truly converted that no matter what happens, no matter what is said, that we will be here to stay and that we will stay true to the Lord. They also talked a lot about preparing for stakes here(we are so close!) and about recognizing the voice of the Lord, the promptings of the Spirit.  I learned a lot and I was really strengthened in my testimony that I am supposed to be hear and to boldly share my testimony with the wonderful people in Cambodia.

On Friday, we had an appointment that we were going to and it fell through because our male investigator wasn't there and so it was just our investigator Chanta who is a girl... and so we weren't able to teach and so we left and started biking down the street and we were just going down the street kinda just minding our own business looking for people we could contact and then this lady looks at us with a kinda surprised look and flags us down  saying, "Elder!"

She told us that she was an inactive member and asked if we could meet with her-Yes- She welcomed us to her house and we met her husband! We sat down on the floor and got talking with them and got to know them better. They have 2 children(a 4 year old and a 7 year old) the lady's name is Vanna and the husband, Narack.  As we got talking Vanna told us that she learned with the Elders before and that she was 20 days away from being baptized when she got caught up with work and went far away where there was no church.  She had felt that she had grown far from the Lord and that she had been caught up in the world and that she wanted to learn with the Elders again!

10 days before this she had seen us biking down the street and had followed us down the street on her moto wondering if she should have us pull over to talk to her; but, she was in a hurry to go to work and ended up choosing to not talk with us and turned around to go to work. Afterwards, she prayed that she would be able to meet with us again.

Her prayer was answered and we have started teaching them both.  We were talking afterwards and Elder Fisher and I had received a couple of very small promptings that morning that had kinda helped lead us to that situation.  I know that they are very much prepared by the Lord and that he led us to meet them and answered Vanna's prayer.  What are the odds that we would have our other lesson fall through and be biking down that street right at the time that Vanna was walking to go and buy something to eat and "just happen" to cross paths? This was a tender mercy from the Lord, that has further strengthened my testimony that He hears and answers prayers and that He is preparing His children to accept His gospel. I know that He led us to this family and I am so grateful for how very much apart of each of our individual lives He is.

Things are going fantastic and we have been blessed with many investigators whom we are teaching right now. Hope all is going great back at home and know that all is going well here in the Kingdom of Cambodia! It is great to hear about the blessings and tender mercies that you experience everyday too.

Welp, I had best be getting on, I love you! Keep on keeping on!

Love,
Elder Garlick

 

Pics; Lighting!:) 

Pu Broh a guard at the church and Mr. Toad!

 

Elder Fisher:)