Teflon Brain?

Hello my darling Sister Eliason,

YES, it’s grammy just checking in on our favorite missionary.  How we love reading your letters each week – you will have such a wonderful memory from your writings when your mission is complete…(unlike grammy WHO has been just terrible in keeping up with our doings). You know how in Alma it says “don’t procrastinate the day of your repentance?  WELL, I have failed miserably and procrastinated writing through all these months and now it’s almost time to go home.  So, I’m so proud of you for getting a letter off each week.  I came up with a NEW term to describe “my brain” it is…

TEFLON BRAIN….get it?  NOTHING STICKS – so not sure how much of our mission will be remembered.

We had a wonderful (but long) Sabbath day.  Left home at 10:30 a.m. and got in at 8:00 p.m.  We left early to attend a baptism of a NEW member.  He is a great young man who lives in TaKhmau and asked that PopPop be the one that baptize him.  We were so surprised but PopPop did a wonderful job….and these are some of the sweetest memories of a mission.  His name is Pich (pronounced Pitch) Chham.  He was overcome with the spirit (and wept) and following his baptism when he changed back into his street clothes and came back into the Relief Society room – he leaned over to me and said “Sister….I’m CLEAN…I never thought this day would come.”  We were so happy for him This is the fourth (4^th) time different people have asked that Elder Lok Ta (translated is grandpa) has been blessed to participate in this ever-so-important ordinance which allows each one to walk through the narrow gate and plant their feet on the narrow path back to our Heavenly Father. As you know it is just thrilling and never gets old to attend.

I’ve attached the pictures of those he was blessed to perform. 

Also, we cracked up when you told about running into a garbage can while riding your bike.  I swear you are named for grammy for good reason – that is something I would do (and have done) for sure.  Thought you would get a smile out of the other picture I’ve attached just to let you know that grammy and PopPop (at age 74) rode a bike on our mission.  [see attached].  Gratefully, on that night, I did NOT crash – OR did not get my skirt caught in the chain  – but I was nervous as I haven’t ridden a bike in years and there were NO sidewalks, the road was a DIRT, and it was after dark..  Now that should be written in a journal somewhere right? 

The last picture is of a big even Public Affairs (that’s us) hosted here – there are such CRAZIES on the highway (they all ride motos – a kajillion of them)  Anyway we had a Road Safety Saves Lives Workshop and invited members of the community as well as members of the church. IF people came and completed the course we (the church) awarded them a FREE helmet.  We had 70 sign up but over 150 came WHAT???  Anyway, the picture attached is  PopPop modeling the helmet that they got.  He looks more like an Astronaut right? .

Last but not least in the spirit of Halloween…..picture Which “witch is Which??? Get it? YES they DO celebrate Halloween in Cambodia.

Love you – so proud – keep up the good work – WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Love grammy & PopPop

	Elder Dowd	Sister Dowd
	012 817 138	012 817 439
	biglance1@mail.com	joni1@mail.com
	Public Affairs Asia Area Phnom Penh
	No 2B, St.222 off Norodom Blvd
	Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Pictures:

Still riding bikes, Elder & Sister Dowd riding in the dirt, and in the dark!  Be Careful!

Everyone wants Elder Dowd to baptize them... I wonder why?  Look at that smile!

Another sweet baptism, Elder Dowd asked to Baptize

Another baptism... amazingly sweet people!

After teaching a bike safety course, if you completed it, the Church gives you a helmet!  Elder Dowd looks like he's from Star Wars, a true Jeddi!  

Look... they do celebrate HALLOWEEN here in Cambodia!