Elder Sam Christensen

Sam sent us the following email, video clip, & photos on Sunday, May 3, 2015. Our questions are in italics:

From: Samuel Christensen <samuel.christensen@myldsmail.net>

Subject: The King is Coming!

Date: May 3, 2015 11:16:45 PM MDT

Hey guys,

Um, first of all Pacquiao and Mayweather happened and I missed it? That's a nightmare! This fight is legendary! I actually heard about it a few months ago but wasn't sure if it was actually happening. I can't believe it did. I'll have to watch it when I get back. That poor Pacquiao. I was hoping that little Filipino underdog could pull out a victory.

The king of Cambodia is coming to Battambang for the annual national "Royal Ploughing Day" holiday. They've done it in Phnom Penh for the past forever and this is the first time here. They've been preparing the field for the king and tending to the ceremonial rice field and putting up pictures of the king all over the place. He'll get here on Thursday, which is perfect because I'll just get to catch him before I leave to go back to the city on FRIDAY for transfers. I'm transferring back down to Phnom Penh into South Zone in Toul Tom Pong ward. I get to have an American companion and be zone leaders with him. I'm super excited to be in a good situation and get to do good stuff. My father, Elder Yorgason, is going to come out for one transfer and take my spot in my branch with my companion and he'll finish his mission out here. I was pretty dang close to punching my companion in the face last night.. closest I've ever been to hitting a human, but that can wait for later.

You guys ever try My Boy? It's all the rage here and I finally got it and it's great. I toast bread, put My Boy on top and then put cinnamon on top of that and it's delicious. You should try it.

I did get the Easter package when we went down to the city last week. I have been plowing through that thing (pun intended).

I never liked mangoes in America, but we're entering mango season here, and these ripe mangoes are soo delicious. It kind of reminds me of peach season in that I feel like I really need to make the most of it. They're really good and they're everywhere.

There's a lot of people that I'll really miss in Battambang. I made a list of "people I like in Battambang" and I had like 45 different families/people. Then I starred the really good ones. We'll have to come back and visit here for sure.

Do the people in Cambodia plant little vegetable gardens for their home use? I know they plant lots of rice, but I was wondering if they do small-scale home gardens as well. Most people don't plant vegetable gardens. Generally if they have a garden they only plant one big one with one thing so that they can sell it at the store.

In that photo you sent last week of some men sitting in a circle, eating, was there a bat on one of the serving dishes? I'm pretty sure that was a fish those guys were eating. It was just a classic photo because they were all toasting and drinking their beer and they offered us to drink and we're like naww, we don't drink that. Why? Because we want good health. I had a word of wisdom pamphlet in my backpack so I gave it to the guy and he read it aloud to all the people. Irony.

That's crazy about that Baltimore stuff. Like we've gone back to the Sixties. Crap.

Ok, that's all I've got. Thanks for all your emails and everything. You guys are great! Have a good sports-watching time. It's baseball season and the NBA playoffs: a good time to be alive.

Peace and Love

Sam's email: samuel.christensen@myldsmail.net

Video link to "Leaving Battambang":https://www.dropbox.com/s/juyppwreqw9y4ex/Leaving%20Battambang%20.mov?dl=0

There's a truck hauling the front of another truck it its bed. The cars here make it feel like the island of misfit toys. Everything's just kind of thrown together randomly.