So pretend this was written and posted LAST sunday! It was written last sunday but I just didn't post it! Sorry!

Today has been a relaxing day with nothing on the agenda but HOT! I think the weather has gotten hotter the more in land we move. We woke up shortly after six, which has become a normal wake up time for us here, and got ready for church. The night before we had called the elders to get directions to the building where church is held. It was nice and easy! After breakfast we got a ride with a "tuk tuk" driver (kind of a cart pulled behind a motorbike) then walked the remaining few blocks. Their language here looks so different then anything I've seen before. Not like asian symbols and not at all like letters! The only way we could tell it was the church was the arrangement of the words on the sign and the fact that there were people sitting outside with shirts and ties and skirts.
What a welcome they gave us! The members would smile and stick their hands together like an asian bow to greet us. I guess that's a kind way to say hello! Those who didn't greet us that way were anxious to shake our hands and practice what little english they knew. Unfortunately Bradyn and I did not know their language like they knew ours. When they would say something, we would quickly open our guide book to guess what they were saying. Oops! But I now know how to say how are you without using the book!
Bradyn and I were reflecting on the day this evening and talking about it all. The missionaries were such an added strength to the teaching and running of the branch here in Siem Reap. It was the last Sunday here for two elders, one was going home, the other was being transferred. It was so neat to see the love those elders had for these people. But who can blame them? I would love to spend more time among them and get to know and serve them! They are such wonderful and accepting people! And humble! That's what I want. I want to serve and love people so much that it breaks my heart to leave them! Bradyn and I have vowed to have an early retirement so that we can spend many years on missions! I'm excited! I just wish we could go now! Unfortunately we haven't been able to get as involved as we had hoped. We have contacted one of the counselors in the mission presidency and he will take us with him for a couple of days and we're going to work in an orphanage for a couple of days, but that's about all we can do. We've learned our lesson and know now what to do for our next trip (sometime down the road). Another thing that we noticed today about church was how simple the gospel really is! The talks, the lessons, everything was taught like youth talks. So simple! Give a principle, give a scripture and apply. There's nothing complicated to it! The church is new here and so the members are learning bit by bit, but the gospel principles don't get more complicated. Understand and have a testimony of the simple things, then more understanding will come. It's a great pattern. The rest of the day we spent time walking around, looking for cheaper hotel but didn't have much luck. We're going to stick it out for one maybe two more nights and go from there.