the lastest from Loas

June 28, 2009


Dear Ones,

Another week! The end of another month! It’s hard to believe how fast time is flying by….

This week has been a busy one. In brief: We checked several times on visa progress; still nothing finalized because, after all, our visas don’t expire until Tuesday! We made the final payment to AAR for the wheelchair portion of the project with the National Rehabilitation Center. While we were there, we also visited COPE. It was the first time Elder and Sister Fountaine had been there; it’s always such a touching experience--still, even for us. We met with Dr. Ornella, the neonatalogist in country with WHO. She made us dizzy with statistics, strategies, programs, and problems with mother and child health in Laos. Dr. Ornella is intelligent, impressive, and influential in coordinating much of what goes on in the Ministry of Health in her field. It was enjoyable to experience her passion for her work. We met briefly with the director of the English Language Resource Center, Mr. Khamphan, where the Fountaine’s will be teaching. He seems like a kind, easy-going man, and readily agreed to have classes begin there on July 13--already 30 have signed up to take English classes. We finalized our 1st term program with a very nice graduation ceremony on Friday, followed by lunch at Chanthanom’s family resort. We love these students--many will not return to study with us again--it’s possible we may never see them again--we told them they will always be in our hearts, and they will! Our next term will also begin July 13. Mixed with the above were registering Elder and Sister Fountaine at the U.S. Embassy, trying to get their internet service up and running, a 4th of July picnic meeting, haircuts, a visit to the National Museum, and getting all the Church records updated and prepared for the 3rd quarter. The most frustrating event of the week for Elder Riser was the Church financial report on his own for the first time--took about a day and a half!!! The most satisfying event was completing the preparation of President Khamphee’s family history for temple ordinances. Today there were four visitors from the United States in our Branch meetings, all fluent in Lao; they are here on business. One boy, who was baptized on June 14th, became our only deacon. The second boy will, hopefully, be ordained next week. That’s it--our week in Laos.



Lessons learned and relearned:

People matter. Relationships are important. We are all related--children of the same perfect and perfectly loving Father.
Losing your cool only adds heat to the situation. It doesn’t help anything. Most things can be worked out or worked through given enough time and/or effort.
Love is the most effective element of change. Love is a choice. We choose to give love--we choose to feel love given to us--in direct proportion to our personal purity.
C.S. Lewis said, “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” (If this is true, every day is a new day, a fresh start in faith and relying on God for all of us.)
Computers are aggravating and amazing. How did we ever live without them?
It is essential to be firm and fixed and focused so we will not be distracted from what is most important.
We are blessed beyond measure. Dozens of things every day remind us of this--but we just received two Liahonas after not getting a new one for 2 months. We relearned what a blessing it is to have the inspiration and “lift” we receive from them and look forward to reading every word. One Liahona is the Conference edition, talks from April General Conference. We are so blessed to have revelation and guidance for our day, for our lives, for our unique situations and challenges in life to read and reread over and over again.
Thank you for your love and support through prayers and letters and the way you are living your lives. We love you!



Dad and Mom

Grandpa and Grandma

Elder and Sister Riser