Courtesy photo Cody Weller: Elder Cody Weller in Cambodia.
Editor's Note
Thanks to his parents, we made contact with Elder Cody Weller, who is serving in the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission. He agreed to answer some questions for us. Elder Weller will return home next summer. He is the son of Gene and Ikuko Weller of Sugar City. This first appeared in the August LDS Life magazine, which is available at the Standard Journal office.
Posted: Tuesday, August 23, 2011
By ELDER CODY WELLER
Rexburg Standard Journal
Idaho, USA
What are some highlights of your mission?
Being able to work with so many amazing people. Being able to go out and meet with the most amazing people, from members to investigators. To see the blessings of the gospel come into their lives as they learn to follow it and believe in Jesus Christ. It's just been an awesome experience.
What have been some challenges?
Strengthening branches. One of the biggest challenges is trying to help the branches become better, and fellowshipping new members and those who are less or inactive. Things like home and visiting teaching, which are well established in America, are very new and difficult concepts. Trying to help the leaders grasp the vision of why these programs are so important and then getting the members to go and do it has been a challenge.
Another is just finding people to teach. There are so many false concepts about Christianity here, so when you tell people you teach about Jesus Christ, there isn't a lot of interest. Another problem is sometimes when you find someone who does believe in Christ, they usually have had an experience with a Christian church. Often Christian churches give food or money to help, so some people expect the same. So it's hard sometimes to get someone to not only listen to the message we share, but then are willing to continue to learn and follow it as well.
How are you doing with the language?
Good. It's a work in progress. There are days where I go out and feel I've spoken the best I've ever done and then other days where it's hard to say even the most simple things. But every day I learn new things and new ways to say things.
What is the culture like?
The major religion is Buddhism. There are so many wats (Buddhist places of worship) around. Things from weddings to funerals are full of Buddhist rituals and traditions. Families are very important to the people of Cambodia.
How do the people live?
Many are very poor. Cambodia really is a third-world country. Many people live day to day. This means they buy food day to day, and some people have a job one day, and the next they don't. Many people rent homes rather than own them. Some homes (mainly in the provinces/country side) are more like wooden sheds.
Are the people friendly to you?
They are very friendly. Sometimes you'll run across someone who doesn't want to have anything to do with you. But most of the time the people are very friendly and welcoming, especially when they meet a foreigner who is trying to learn and speak their language.
How is the missionary work going?
It's going well. Being a missionary in Cambodia is the best experience I've had. Those who investigate the church have a real desire to learn. It's been a great experience to get the recent converts to share the gospel with their friends. A lot of success in finding people to teach has come from that. It's overall just been a great experience.
Is the church growing there?
The church is growing. It's slowly starting to pick up. A main focus right now is building a strong foundation here in Cambodia for the church to build upon. Keeping recent converts active in the church has been a big part of this. I feel that right now Cambodia is just full of potential and that once we have a strong foundation to build upon, the church will just explode.
Tell us about some special missionary experiences that you have had.
One of the best experiences I had was with Ming Sokhaa. Her youngest son had just been baptized. At first she wasn't so interested in learning, but let her son, Long, learn. But the more she sat in on lessons, and the more she listened, the more and more she was convinced that the gospel was true.
We eventually started teaching her. At first it was hard because she could not remember anything we taught. She would get really discouraged. There would be days where she wouldn't read the Book of Mormon. So my companion and I committed her to read every day. As she did this, her whole attitude changed, and she would remember everything we taught her. I was transferred before she was baptized, but she and another one of her sons joined the church and are very active.
Another experience is with Bong Davi. She works in a factory every day and gets very little pay. She was already Christian when my companion and I met her. It was hard to teach her at first, but as we continued to meet with her she was amazing. She was "golden." She came to church, read the scriptures every day. She was a great investigator.
Her desire to learn and then share the gospel was just amazing. There was a point where her old church tried to get her to come back, but she stayed true to the gospel and continued to learn. She's an active member now and is continuing to learn as she is now enrolled in institute classes.
Editor's Note
Thanks to his parents, we made contact with Elder Cody Weller, who is serving in the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission. He agreed to answer some questions for us. Elder Weller will return home next summer. He is the son of Gene and Ikuko Weller of Sugar City. This first appeared in the August LDS Life magazine, which is available at the Standard Journal office.
Posted: Tuesday, August 23, 2011
By ELDER CODY WELLER
Rexburg Standard Journal
Idaho, USA
What are some highlights of your mission?
Being able to work with so many amazing people. Being able to go out and meet with the most amazing people, from members to investigators. To see the blessings of the gospel come into their lives as they learn to follow it and believe in Jesus Christ. It's just been an awesome experience.
What have been some challenges?
Strengthening branches. One of the biggest challenges is trying to help the branches become better, and fellowshipping new members and those who are less or inactive. Things like home and visiting teaching, which are well established in America, are very new and difficult concepts. Trying to help the leaders grasp the vision of why these programs are so important and then getting the members to go and do it has been a challenge.
Another is just finding people to teach. There are so many false concepts about Christianity here, so when you tell people you teach about Jesus Christ, there isn't a lot of interest. Another problem is sometimes when you find someone who does believe in Christ, they usually have had an experience with a Christian church. Often Christian churches give food or money to help, so some people expect the same. So it's hard sometimes to get someone to not only listen to the message we share, but then are willing to continue to learn and follow it as well.
How are you doing with the language?
Good. It's a work in progress. There are days where I go out and feel I've spoken the best I've ever done and then other days where it's hard to say even the most simple things. But every day I learn new things and new ways to say things.
What is the culture like?
The major religion is Buddhism. There are so many wats (Buddhist places of worship) around. Things from weddings to funerals are full of Buddhist rituals and traditions. Families are very important to the people of Cambodia.
How do the people live?
Many are very poor. Cambodia really is a third-world country. Many people live day to day. This means they buy food day to day, and some people have a job one day, and the next they don't. Many people rent homes rather than own them. Some homes (mainly in the provinces/country side) are more like wooden sheds.
Are the people friendly to you?
They are very friendly. Sometimes you'll run across someone who doesn't want to have anything to do with you. But most of the time the people are very friendly and welcoming, especially when they meet a foreigner who is trying to learn and speak their language.
How is the missionary work going?
It's going well. Being a missionary in Cambodia is the best experience I've had. Those who investigate the church have a real desire to learn. It's been a great experience to get the recent converts to share the gospel with their friends. A lot of success in finding people to teach has come from that. It's overall just been a great experience.
Is the church growing there?
The church is growing. It's slowly starting to pick up. A main focus right now is building a strong foundation here in Cambodia for the church to build upon. Keeping recent converts active in the church has been a big part of this. I feel that right now Cambodia is just full of potential and that once we have a strong foundation to build upon, the church will just explode.
Tell us about some special missionary experiences that you have had.
One of the best experiences I had was with Ming Sokhaa. Her youngest son had just been baptized. At first she wasn't so interested in learning, but let her son, Long, learn. But the more she sat in on lessons, and the more she listened, the more and more she was convinced that the gospel was true.
We eventually started teaching her. At first it was hard because she could not remember anything we taught. She would get really discouraged. There would be days where she wouldn't read the Book of Mormon. So my companion and I committed her to read every day. As she did this, her whole attitude changed, and she would remember everything we taught her. I was transferred before she was baptized, but she and another one of her sons joined the church and are very active.
Another experience is with Bong Davi. She works in a factory every day and gets very little pay. She was already Christian when my companion and I met her. It was hard to teach her at first, but as we continued to meet with her she was amazing. She was "golden." She came to church, read the scriptures every day. She was a great investigator.
Her desire to learn and then share the gospel was just amazing. There was a point where her old church tried to get her to come back, but she stayed true to the gospel and continued to learn. She's an active member now and is continuing to learn as she is now enrolled in institute classes.
2 comments:
God words has reach the far corner of the earth...
Thank God for allowing cambodian to have a second chance!...God has reach out his children in the far corner of the earth..
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