Holidays and Still no Church Building

So, this week we are still at the same point, as far as having a church building. Right now, we know where we are moving and everything, it is just taking some time for the church to buy it. 

Early in the week this week, we a fun holiday. There was a boat racing festival here, so on Monday we had no classes and we were able to watch some of the boat races. They are really impressive. Each boat has 52 people and they paddle really hard and get going super fast. Also, another thing, while I was there I got interviewed and was on Lao television. So that was interesting. 

English teaching was good and normal. I feel like I am getting better at teaching now. I have worked a lot on planning my classes and they are going a lot better. 

In the middle of the week, I had to teach the deaf kids. It was the first lesson that I was leading. We just teach them written English because we don't know ASL. It was a lot of fun. I taught about different animals. It wasn't too hard, you just have to know the English alphabet in Sign language and just teach them stuff. it is a lot of fun.

Today we went out and visited some members that live outside of the city. We also played basketball. That is a lot of fun.

Well that’s it for this week I got a video of the boat racing and some pictures from teaching the deaf kids.

 --Elder Cheney  (acheney@myldsmail.net)

I don't know if the video will work or not.  Here is a picture just in case.

ฉะนั้น, หากเจ้ามีความปรารถนาจะรับใช้พระผู้เป็นเจ้า เจ้าก็ได้รับเรียกมายังงาน
เอ็ลเดอร์ ชีนีย์

ແລະ ຈົ່ງເບິ່ງ, ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບອກພວກທ່ານເຖິງເລື່ອງເຫລົ່ານີ້ເພື່ອພວກທ່ານຈະຮຽນຮູ້ກ່ຽວກັບປັນຍາ ເພື່ອພວກທ່ານຈະຮຽນຮູ້ວ່າ ເມື່ອພວກທ່ານຮັບໃຊ້ເພື່ອນມະນຸດດ້ວຍກັນ ພວກທ່ານກໍຮັບໃຊ້ພຣະເຈົ້າຂອງພວກທ່ານນັ້ນເອງ

Teacher appreciation, and 1 year

Well, to start off, yesterday was my one year mark of being a missionary. I can easily say it has been the best year of my life. It feels depressing, a little bit, to be at this point because it means I only have a year left. Well, this last year has been a ton of fun, and has been full of growth. 

Well, this week was great. We had a normal schedule of English teaching and I got a lot of gifts from my students because Lao teacher appreciation day just happened. All of my students are really nice. I especially enjoy the ‘zip on’ tie that one of my students gave me. 

Besides that, work here is a little hard without a Church building right now. It is a little too hard for us to go to Thailand to get to church so we haven't gone there yet for church we just call members and read the scriptures.  We still have a lot of investigators doing well. We just don't really have anywhere to baptize them yet. No Church building and there are too many laws that prevent us from doing it in a river or anything. The Church has the building, but it takes a long time for the paperwork to go through Salt Lake and everything so the money hasn't been moved yet. 

Laos is going good it is probably safer than Thailand right now after the death of the Thai king. There are a lot of rumors of rebel groups trying to take over the government in Thailand now. The food here is a lot spicier than in Thailand. It is generally not as tasty as most Thai food, but you can still find some good stuff.

That’s about all for this week.

Well, I included a collection of pictures from the last year

-- Elder Cheney

ฉะนั้น, หากเจ้ามีความปรารถนาจะรับใช้พระผู้เป็นเจ้า เจ้าก็ได้รับเรียกมายังงาน
เอ็ลเดอร์ ชีนีย์

ແລະ ຈົ່ງເບິ່ງ, ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບອກພວກທ່ານເຖິງເລື່ອງເຫລົ່ານີ້ເພື່ອພວກທ່ານຈະຮຽນຮູ້ກ່ຽວກັບປັນຍາ ເພື່ອພວກທ່ານຈະຮຽນຮູ້ວ່າ ເມື່ອພວກທ່ານຮັບໃຊ້ເພື່ອນມະນຸດດ້ວຍກັນ ພວກທ່ານກໍຮັບໃຊ້ພຣະເຈົ້າຂອງພວກທ່ານນັ້ນເອງ
ແອວເດີ ຈີນີ

Zone Conference, Thailand, No Church, and Hand Over's

So, first off, sorry that I did not get much of a weekly email off last week. We were traveling over to Thailand and didn't have much time to email.

So, the work has been interesting in Laos recently. Mainly because we had to move out of our church at the end of last month. So for the last little while we have had no church. The problems that arise with that are that the church building was the only place in Laos where we had permission to worship. So without the church we cannot teach anyone or have any sort of meetings. Last Sunday we went to church in Udorn (in Thailand) and had Zone Conference the next day but for the next few weeks we are not sure what we are going to be doing. Next Sunday we are probably going over to Nonkhai (also in Thailand) so one of our investigators can get baptized. So we are in a really awkward spot.  We probably won’t be able to move in to the new church building for another few weeks. 

Going to Thailand last week was a lot of fun. We were there Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. It was really great. Sunday was really good, I enjoyed having meetings in Thai instead of Lao. We also met a cool deaf guy in Thailand and taught him a little bit. It was cool.  Lao and Thai Sign language are basically the same, so we gave him a Book of Mormon and stuff and it was super cool.

Zone conference was really good. The Lao Elders did a special musical number. We came home on Monday night after Zone Conference.

On Wednesday, we had what is called a Hand Over. We are here in Lao with the Church's Charity, DIC (Deseret International Charities) and DIC does a lot of charity work for schools and other places. So with this one, DIC made some restrooms for a school that previously did not have any. So at the Hand Over there was an assembly type of thing then we got to play with all the kids and launch bottle rockets afterwards. It was a lot of fun. 

Also, this week we got a new Elder in Laos. Elder Bouwmeester came on Wednesday as well. He is companions with Elder Smith-Driggs. It is super nice to have full companionship's once again.

Well, that is all for this week. Today we are going to be visiting some members up north.

-- Elder Cheney

ฉะนั้น, หากเจ้ามีความปรารถนาจะรับใช้พระผู้เป็นเจ้า เจ้าก็ได้รับเรียกมายังงาน
เอ็ลเดอร์ ชีนีย์

ແລະ ຈົ່ງເບິ່ງ, ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບອກພວກທ່ານເຖິງເລື່ອງເຫລົ່ານີ້ເພື່ອພວກທ່ານຈະຮຽນຮູ້ກ່ຽວກັບປັນຍາ ເພື່ອພວກທ່ານຈະຮຽນຮູ້ວ່າ ເມື່ອພວກທ່ານຮັບໃຊ້ເພື່ອນມະນຸດດ້ວຍກັນ ພວກທ່ານກໍຮັບໃຊ້ພຣະເຈົ້າຂອງພວກທ່ານນັ້ນເອງ
ແອວເດີ ຈີນີ

Getting Comfortable in Laos

Our Zone Conference got moved to Monday so we haven't had that yet. English Classes are going great I am really starting to like all of my classes and have found a good balance in speaking Lao and English in my classes. We teach about 2 classes a day one in the morning and one in the afternoon. We have about 20 students in each class. It is really weird that I am coming up on my year mark I don't really know what to think. 

Our General Conference gets delayed to next week, but I am so excited. It is just as good as Christmas when you are a missionary.

There are probably 400 members of the church here, but that is divided into two branches with about 100 or so coming to each. The Church isn't recognized here yet so they can't really expand at all. We are in the process of purchasing a new church building so that will go a long way to getting the church recognized and opening other branches throughout the country.

In answer to your question about having to play the piano in Sacrament Meeting, I had to play for a few Sacrament Meetings in Thailand. I haven't had to play yet here in Laos, but Elder Magill is our current pianist and he is going home in a month, so I will be the full time pianist when he goes home.

That’s about all for this week.

--Elder Cheney 

ฉะนั้น, หากเจ้ามีความปรารถนาจะรับใช้พระผู้เป็นเจ้า เจ้าก็ได้รับเรียกมายังงาน
เอ็ลเดอร์ ชีนีย์

ແລະ ຈົ່ງເບິ່ງ, ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບອກພວກທ່ານເຖິງເລື່ອງເຫລົ່ານີ້ເພື່ອພວກທ່ານຈະຮຽນຮູ້ກ່ຽວກັບປັນຍາ ເພື່ອພວກທ່ານຈະຮຽນຮູ້ວ່າ ເມື່ອພວກທ່ານຮັບໃຊ້ເພື່ອນມະນຸດດ້ວຍກັນ ພວກທ່ານກໍຮັບໃຊ້ພຣະເຈົ້າຂອງພວກທ່ານນັ້ນເອງ
ແອວເດີ ຈີນີ