Jesus The Christ

I don't have a lot to write this week because I already skyped home which was AMAZING!!! I loved seeing everyone and it was so good to talk just like I was home again! I LOVE MY FAMILY. Anyway, things are good here in Battambang like always. The Christmas party was DOPE! I had so much fun. It was a mix of Khmer and American culture and it was a real blast. I love Christmas!!!!!!!!! But more importantly, I love Jesus Christ. He is the light, the life and the joy of the world. He is our Savior, our Redeemer, and our Advocate. He is our second chance. He is our best friend. I invite you all to take a second to reflect on the best gift all of us have ever received. The gift of His perfect Son. I love the Babe of Bethlehem and I am grateful for his eternal sacrifice. That is pretty much all I have for this week. Peace, love, and blessings! Cambodia is my place and these are my people.

EVERYONE HAVE AN AMAZING CHRISTMAS!

Love,

Elder Gochnour

Every day we LIT!

Heyyyyyyyyy Y'ALL!!!!! What is up!?!?! Christmas is in one-week WHATTT! I am so pumped! If anyone is at home, thinking about what to do with Christmas approaching this is what I would invite you to do: Turn on the Taylor Swift Christmas album (specifically Christmas Must be Something More) or any Christmas album for that matter, make yourself some hot chocolate, go sledding, watch a Christmas classic (Polar Express, Home Alone, etc.) and eat some Christmas Treats! Those are things you miss when you are out here grinding :) BUTTTT I wouldn't trade it for the world! I love it out here.

This week was fantastic!! We had another baptism this week for a 19-year-old guy, named Benha (pronounced Benyaa) and it was really a spiritual experience. After his baptism, he talked a little bit about his story of how he entered the church. His friend invited him to come to church and he agreed. The first day Sunday he came he felt so awkward and was so scared to go into the church because he didn't want to feel left out and weird. He said that when he came into the church he felt right, and as he started meeting new people there was something different about them. He felt like he left the outside world and came into a place where everyone is kind and cared about him. The spirit was so strong in the room, and I know that he felt the love of the Savior. It was a really powerful experience, and I am so happy for him. He has already started trying to share the gospel with his friends and his brother! I love him. 

I was also lucky enough to confirm him a member of our church and give him the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I stumbled a little, but I know that Heavenly Father helped guide me to say what was necessary. Anyway other than that just a regular week. We have been struggling to find more investigators, but we are working hard! Lot's of contacting and sweating and all that good stuff! ..........YUP!

We had zone conference on Tuesday and it was so fun to see Elder Bohman, Elder Enloe and spend time with our whole zone. We played Siem Riep in soccer (PSG v.s. Real Madrid) and I went full out Neymar on them! Just kidding hahaha I am terrible at soccer but we managed to pull out the W! I learned a lot from zone conference though and I loved what Sister Christensen said about how every time that the angel appeared to tell of Jesus's birth he started by saying "Fear not." We must not fear! We have the Savior of the world on our side. 

Recently, I have so much gratitude for 1 hour of personal study every day. I have been targeting all my studies on the Savior, as Christmas comes. He means so much more to me and every day He plays a bigger role in my life. After every personal study, I gain more gratitude for the Only Begotten and have a stronger desire to follow him. I am especially grateful for Christ in my life at this time. I know He lives. I know He succors his brothers and sisters. And I know he makes up for everything that is weak, unfair and wrong in this life. I am so grateful for that knowledge especially in this country where people aren't given many opportunities. He truly is the light of the world. 

At this time I urge you consider the story of Jesus Christ and how Joseph and Mary tried to find room in the inn before they went to the manager. Please consider your life as the inn. We are the innkeepers. We decide who gets to stay in our inn. Sometimes social media, sports, school, or other things that are still good, take away all our time from focusing on the Savior. I URGE YOU TO MAKE ROOM IN YOUR INN! Find some time and some space to allow the Son of God to enter into your inn and to dwell in your hear this Christmas season. Serve others. Study the scriptures. Develop Christlike attributes. And remember that he is there for you at any moment, in strength and weakness, in happiness or hardship. And that he loves you!

Anyway, that is all I got for this week. Everyone has the best Christmas and allow Christ to keep your life LIT! Everyone go read Alma 7 or Mosiah 4. They are bomb chapters. Thanks for all the love and support. I love you all!

//Elder Gochnour

P.S. I performed a musical number for zone conference with my comp, and two sisters haha BRUTAL. I am still tone deaf people, but I am learning to laugh at myself one day at a time!

#justmissionarythings

This week was absolutely insane!!!!!!! I have so many things to write haha, and I have no time to write them all so I will just do a few highlights. 

Yesterday was seriously like the craziest day in the world. We were biking on the road and right as this huge semi-truck was passing us on the rode its tire popped and it was so scary I thought there was an explosion, haha, but it didn't hit us so we are good. 

We saw this guy in a wheelchair and I pushed him back to his house on dirt roads and it was so far away haha. He was mute though (like unable to talk) and he was just making the weirdest noises and yelling so loud, and then he wanted to keep going faster so at the end I was straight up running this man through the dirt roads of Cambodia, but we got him home safe. 

THEN last night we were just chilling out our house. I hear a knock on our door and it is like 8 o'clock (the schedule here is different) so we are supposed to be in our house and not open our door. I was downstairs doing my laundry and I didn't want to open it but then I hear this person yell "Elder!" I ran to the door and open it and one of the investigators who reminds me of a Khmer, Nate Owen, falls into the room and starts seizing up. He was freaking out and I didn't know what the heck to do. I ran him to the bathroom and he starts throwing up. He was SO OUT OF IT. Long story short he crashed on our couch for thirty minutes and we gave him his pills until his friend could come pick him up. He has diabetes and was low on blood sugar and I am pretty sure he almost died. 

On Saturday we had Soteb's (pronounced like so-tape) baptism. It was really fun, awesome, and spiritual experience. There were five baptisms and they had members baptize the investigators, and not one of the people said the baptismal prayer right on their first try. It was awesome haha. The room was jam-packed and I just felt the love, energy, and the true spirit of the Cambodian people. Soteb had the biggest smile on his face and I really felt true genuine happiness. As we biked home, I couldn't help but smile ear to ear. It just felt right, and I just know that this church is true.

Last Monday, we went to some old temple ruins (not Angkor Wat) and it was so dope! I legit felt like I was Legolas in Lord of the Rings when he is roaming the ruins looking for Orks to kill in order to protect Frodo. SO DOPE!

I had a small miracle happen on Wednesday. We had been contacting for three hours, under the hot sun and not one person was interested. My comp was letting me take the lead to work on the language and I was literally talking to everyone and no one cared. After 2:30 hours I didn't know what the heck to do, where to go or who to talk to. I just said heck I am just gonna say a prayer. Simple, and short I got back on my bike. 10 minutes later we find our new investigator Heang and he is a super cool guy. There have been many times on my mission where I have prayed and nothing happened, but Heavenly Father knows me. He knows I needed that one. He knows I needed a little victory to boost my morale. He is a god of love, compassion, and mercy. I am so grateful for his guiding hand that I can see every day on the mission. He knows when we are at our lowest and he will be there, but he also knows when we can go a little further and do a little more. He is still there. If you are struggling with anything, just go a little further and do a little more and I promise you when you look back you will see how he guided your steps. Hindsight is 20-20

Anyway, things are good here. I love this crazy life. I love living where you don't know what might happen next in this unpredictable country. It is fun, it is raw and it brings real happiness. I love you all. READ THE SCRIPTURES. I AM BEGGING YOU! Read Alma chapter 32 or any chapter because they are all SO GOOD! Until next week! 

//Elder Gochnour

BIKE BATTLES

Well, this week was a really fun one! I am just gonna cut right to the chase and inform you of some crazy, but fun stuff that happened. 

So first things first, we had three baptismal interviews this week to be scheduled for next Saturday. They are all homies, BUT it didn't go so smoothly. We are teaching a young kid (I hate writing their names in English and don't have time to do them in Khmer so sorry) and he drank three cups of tea on the day of his interview... C'MON man! He said that they give it to you at school so he just thought it was okay, but he is still good, just has to wait a few weeks! A pretty similar story with the next guy. He is really close to my age and he loves the gospel, but he thought that if he put milk in his coffee it wasn't breaking the word of wisdom so he has to wait too hahaha. He just needs a few weeks though and then he will also be ready. But our third one is ready! He passed his interview and will be baptized next Saturday. YAY! The lord is good. Our work has been slowing down a little bit, and we haven't been able to find many new people, but you just have to keep having faith and pushing on. 

The most interesting thing that happened was 4 BIKE CRASHES HAHA. YUP! And 3 of them involved yours truly, but I am totally fine and none were a big deal. Just funny stories:

1.  So I was just riding on my side of the road, just being a regular guy, and I look down at my bike to see why my gears weren't shifting. After looking down for maybe 3 seconds I just felt a whack on my hand. I looked back and saw the side view mirror of a car in the middle of the road, and the car slowed down. He realized that it was his fault though (because he was passing a car and was on my side of the road) and so he just drove off. A guy on a moto went and grabbed his mirror and chased after him. My hand was bruised but I think I did pretty well in the bike v car battle

2. A guy on a moto and I got mixed up in which way we were going because it is pretty much a free for all getting onto the bridges here. He just bumped into my bike, but while he was riding away he grabbed my butt. Just a casual thing here

3. I was biking super fast to grab onto the back of a truck and right as I grabbed on the brake checked me. I graced the fall so it wasn't bad, just kinda embarrassing haha. I wasn't sure if it was intentional by him or not.

4. Elder Herrera was crossing the road and this moto came out of nowhere and just smashed him haha. The dude was HAULING! Everyone was okay though. After we went to a members house and I had a cut on my arm so everyone thought that I got in the crash and were like giving me band-aids and stuff and I was like I AM NOT HURT! Funny times.

That pretty much describes my week! Mine and Elder Obray's comps went to the city again, so another three days with a newbie like me! it is all good though. We figured everything out and worked hard. We even taught District Meeting and English Class by ourselves!

That's all for me. Have a happy and healthy week everyone! 

A quick spiritual message before I finish: DO THE LIGHT THE WORLD CHALLENGE. It can work miracles. I have already seen the power that service has had in working miracles this week. If you are having a bad day or are frustrated with someone then serve them. It will make your day 1,000,000 times better. 

3rd Nephi 18:24:

 24 Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed.

Hold up your light to the world. Be the light in others lives. Lead by action and example. Focus on light!!! The light of Christ. Light overcomes all darkness. Every single one of you can be a light in someone else's life. I love you all. Thanks for all the support. Happy and healthy out here in Cambodia!

P.S. Yay that Lucy is home! She is the best and I am so happy for all of you

P.P.S. We had maggots in our house this week and huge spiders. GROSS!

P.P.P.S. GO BLUE DEVILS and JAZZ

P.P.P.P.S. I know that pictures are the most interesting parts of emails, but mine doesn't work in this crazy country so I am sorry! Maybe sometime later

Love,

//Elder Gochnour

The Dream Team

Elder McDougal out there in France gave me some really good advice in a recent email. He said something along the lines of "We are out here wearing the same jersey (or plaque) and playing for the same team." 
That could not be more true! In the NBA this year there are a few big super teams as they call them. The Cavs, Celtics, Warriors, Rockets, Thunder, Jazz (HAHAHA JK) and a couple more. But the SUPEREST team of all is the Lord's team baby! We always know who will win the game (the game of life): whoever is on the Lord's team. It isn't easy to be on the team and sometimes it takes a lot of sacrifice, faith, and diligence. But at the end of the day, I promise you that you won't regret it if you take your seat on the bus of the Dream Team headed straight toward the promise land. The only tryouts and off-season acquisitions being made are reading your scriptures, keeping the commandments, being a disciple of Christ, accepting the Lord's will, and all that good stuff! I feel blessed to be able to be a part of this glorious team!

Some bad news to start the email. The baptism this week was a no go because he said he wanted to wait until the New Year in order to start his year (and his eternal salvation) on a good note. I guess I can't blame the guy, and at least it is something that is important to him! Anyway, the work is progressing out here in the city of Battambang! Not a whole lot of news and missionary work-wise, a pretty normal week! We have a lot of investigators getting close to baptism and we just need to make sure we tie off all the loose ends! I am excited for what we have in store for us!

Logistically, this week was a little strange:

• We had Zone Conference in Siem Riep and celebrated Thanksgiving down there. Siem Riep is such a cool city! We went to the night market and they had such cool art and jerseys and everything in between. I learned a lot about how to be a better missionary and it was a really fun time to see some old buddies: Elder Bohman and Elder Enloe. I loved it!

• Wednesday night we were back in Battambang and my comp couldn't proselyte because he was too sick. I just chilled and studied for four hours, but I actually learned a ton so it was a good time. 

• Thursday/Friday: Elder Peck and I went on an exchange. We have both been here for 5 and a half weeks, but surprisingly it went pretty smooth! I know that the Lord was helping us out and loosening our tongues. We taught a lesson about the Book of Mormon and while we were teaching I felt deeply that it is true. 

Nothing too crazy to write about here. Funny little things happen that would have shocked me, but now it just feels like regular life out here. People still laugh when I talk and read, and I still don't know what is going on most the time, but the most important thing I learned is to quit worrying about it and do my best. Hopefully my email next week is a little bit more interesting! Go read Moroni Chapter 7! It is boss!!! And I hope the Blue Devils keep balling out and bring home the ship in memory of me! Thank you for all your love, support, and prayers

//Elder Gochnour