from the Risers

DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS,



SOAK-DEE BE MAI LAO !!!!

HAPPY LAO NEW YEAR!!!! THAT IS NOT HOW YOU SPELL SOAK (OR THE REST OF IT, BUT I’LL SPELL IT PHONETICALLY AND...) WRITE IT THAT WAY BECAUSE EVERYONE GOT SOAK-IN’ WET FOR THREE DAYS. BASICALLY IT WAS A THREE-DAY-NATIONAL-HOLIDAY-WATER-THROWING-EVENT. EVERYONE SEEMED TO LOVE IT. WE WOULD BE WALKING DOWN THE STREET, AND PEOPLE WOULD COME OUT AND POUR WATER ON US. IT WAS HOT ENOUGH THAT IT FELT PRETTY GOOD! YOU WOULD SEE LOTS OF PEOPLE POURING WATER ON THEMSELVES FOR THE SAME REASON.

THIS ALL STARTED ON TUESDAY AND WENT THROUGH THURSDAY, OFFICIALLY, ALTHOUGH THE SHOPS WERE PRETTY MUCH CLOSED FOR 9 OR 10 DAYS. WHEN WE WENT SHOPPING AT MUDDY MARKET ON SATURDAY, IT WAS VERY SLIM PICKINGS. ON WEDNESDAY WE WENT TO THE CHURCH TO PAINT SOME BOARDS. ON THE WAY HOME IN A TUK-TUK WE GOT SOAKED 20 OR 30 TIMES WITH BUCKETS, HOSES, ANYTHING THAT WOULD HOLD WATER. IN THE WATS, THEY WOULD USUALLY SPRINKLE WATER ON YOU WITH LEAVES DIPPED IN WATER, OR POUR WATER ON YOU FROM A SILVER OR GOLD BOWL. WHATEVER WAY, IT WAS A WET THREE DAYS. THERE WERE A LOT OF PARTIES LEADING UP TO THE NEW YEAR, BUT ON FRIDAY IT WAS PRETTY DEAD. I THINK EVERYONE WAS INSIDE WITH A HANG OVER AND/OR SLEEPING.

SATURDAY, WE PAINTED MORE BOARDS, LAMINATED MORE MATERIALS FOR SCHOOLS AND THE SEMINARY PROGRAM (MASTERY SCRIPTURES, THE ARTICLES OF FAITH , AND PICTURES OF THE KIDS THAT ATTEND PRIMARY. ELDER OLDHAM AND I WENT BOWLING WITH BROTHER TAKEI AND HIS SON KEN. KEN IS THE ONLY JAPANESE BOY IN THE BRANCH AND DOESN’T SPEAK LAO. SISTER RISER TEACHES A PRIMARY LESSON TO HIM IN ENGLISH, WHICH HE KNOWS QUITE WELL, BUT THERE’S NOT A LOT OF FELLOWSHIPPING OTHERWISE. SOOO, WE ARE TRYING TO DO THINGS WITH KEN TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE BEARABLE IN LAO.

TODAY WE HAD A BELATED EASTER PROGRAM AND THEN WATCHED THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION OF GENERAL CONFERENCE.

BACK TO MONDAY---- WE DID SOME VISITING OF MEMBERS AND FRIENDS. FIRST OF ALL, WE WENT TO HOSPITAL #105 WHERE WE VISITED A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL’S WIFE WHO HAD BROKEN HER LEG. WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO FIND HER, PRESIDENT KHAMPHEE CAME ACROSS ANOTHER GOVERNMENT SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIAL WHO WAS HIT BY A VAN THEN RAN INTO A BUS (WHILE DRUNK) THE NIGHT BEFORE. HIS ARM FELL UNDER THE WHEEL OF THE BUS AND WAS CRUSHED AND HAD TO BE AMPUTATED. HIS HEAD HIT THE WHEEL AND HE HAS A LOT OF STICHES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS FACE. HE IS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. ANYWAY, HE WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE US AND EVEN SEEMED TO BE IN GOOD SPIRITS. BY THE WAY, HE IS A KEY FIGURE IN WORKING IN THE NAXAYTHONG SCHOOL DISTRICT. I BELIEVE WE WERE AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

AFTER VISITING THESE TWO PEOPLE WE VISITED JAMES POON’S MOTHER AND SISTER. (HE TRANSLATES GENERAL CONFERENCE INTO LAO FOR THE CHURCH IN SALT LAKE) HIS MOTHER IS DOING VERY WELL FOR AN 85 YEAR OLD. I BELIEVE HIS SISTER AND MOTHER WOULD JOIN THE CHURCH IF WE COULD GET SOMEONE TO PICK THEM UP EACH WEEK.

THEN WE WENT TO VISIT A LESS-ACTIVE FAMILY, THE PRATKHAM ORN’S. (THEY ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE POON’S TO GIVE THAT RIDE TO CHURCH IF THEY WOULD) THEN TO ANOTHER FAMILY THAT JOINED THE CHURCH IN DECEMBER. HER PARENTS LIVE IN OREM AND ARE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH. SHE ALSO HAS TWO BROTHERS IN THE CHURCH. THEY ARE DOING VERY WELL. IT WAS VERY ENJOYABLE VISITING THESE PEOPLE. “HOME TEACHING” IS GREAT!

I HOPE YOU ALL TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH GENERAL CONFERENCE. WE ARE GETTING IT BIT BY BIT. THE LAO WORD FOR OPPORTUNITY SOUNDS LIKE -------OH, GOD ------- AT FIRST I DIDN’T LIKE THE SOUND, BUT THEN I THOUGHT ABOUT THE CONNECTION. GOD GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY ------THEN IT IS UP TO US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY. ELDER BALLARD TALKED ABOUT LEARNING FROM THE PAST, “BUT THE CHOICE IS YOURS”. ELDER PEARSON SAID, “PERSONAL RIGHTOUSNESS IS A CHOICE.” WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME LIKE OUR HEAVENLY PARENTS---- THE CHOICE IS OURS, EVERY MINUTE, EVERY DAY.



LOVE, DAD