We wandered into a home goods store the other day. Like a place that sells kitchen supplies and tables/chairs and general home improvement stuff? Anyway, we were talking to someone inside and I got distracted by the non-stick frying pans. They were glorious, and so expensive. 1st world prices in Cambodia are killer. Elder Duffy saw the funny side of it and remarked, "You know you're an adult when you walk into a store, skip the candy and go straight to the frying pans." We didn't buy any of them but I went on a companion exchange in another house where they had one and it was so amazing. I just dump buckets of oil into all of my dishes and it sticks less. Super healthy too I'm sure.
I remember people making remarks about gas station bathrooms back in the day. You know, nobody wants to make a roadside stop because it's just bound to be dirty and smelly or just generally gross right? Well I went to the bathroom at a relatively nice establishment the other day and the state of the bathroom made me think about that. The floor was covered in mud and was just dirty. There was a dead mouse stinking in the corner with ants all over it, and the toilet seat wasn't attached to the actual toilet. I just think it's funny how quickly you get used to things like that. I wonder if I will go back to the states and take for granted all the things like that. One thing immediately comes to mind: hot showers. While I was in Baku I didn't have a hot shower, just a bucket. Trying to stay thankful is hard sometimes. Much easier just to take what you get.
Living with Vietnamese speaking Elders is fun. I want to learn some simple things just for the times I run into people who speak Viet better than Khmer. Word of the week: chica. I thought it was funny because it sounds a lot like the Spanish word. It's the word they use for sister missionary.
We had a really cool lesson the other day about obedience in which we used the following comparison that I heard years ago and I've totally forgotten who first made the comparison. 'There were once three men who applied for a truck driving position. They were the only three that advanced to the interview portion of the application process. During the interview the point was brought up that the driver would be required to drive over mountains and through very difficult terrain. The first man bragged "I'm so good at driving that I can drive on sheer cliffs with my wheels just 2 inches from the edge and never fall off." During the second man's interview, he told the interviewer "I'm such a precise driver that I can drive where the wheels on my car will be half on the road and half dangling in the air and I still won't fall off." During the third man's interview he told the interviewer that when he drove near dangerous cliffs he stayed as far away as possible from the edge. So who gets the job?
The third man does of course! Why? Well, while his peers talked about how close they could get to the edge of this cliff without falling off, he tried to stay as far away from potentially dangerous places as possible. This can relate to us in our lives as we strive to keep our Heavenly Father's commandments. We can choose to follow the commandments as exactly as possible so we avoid potentially dangerous areas or we can skate the line. In skating the line we endanger our lives, whether literally or spiritually. For example, imagine there is a married man in an office with a pretty secretary who likes to flirt. Though he may not be committing adultery in flirting with her, he's skating the line. He's in a dangerous place. When the temptation comes, he's more likely to fall because of how close to the edge he is. It's much safer for us when we stay far away from the edge and out of danger. There is safety in keeping the commandments of the Lord. Love y'all! Elder Vore
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