Un Sotheareth is shown here just before his departure to the U.S. to serve a mission in California. He had never flown before, and was excited to begin this adventure. We worry about our Khmer missionaries finding their way through LAX and making the switch from international to domestic flights, but somehow it always works out. We received word that he made it to his destination just fine.
Like others before him, he was required to spiritually prepare himself for his mission, plus earn and sacrifice around $500--a significant sum for youth who seldom make more than $80 a month. Then he served as a companion to missionaries working in Cambodia. This means that he lived with them, kept the same schedule, and carried his share of the workload. By the way, because of the 6-8 months it takes for the U.S. to issue Homeland Security clearances, and the visa and other processes, it can take up to a year from the time outbound missionaries receive their Call To Serve to the time they actually arrive in the states. Most of the outbound missionaries are in the 22-25 age range.

Sister Snyder feels a bit of ownership with each outbound missionary because her job includes filling out their comprehensive applications for U.S. visas and preparing them for the interview process. The online embassy application is not for the faint-hearted. The system is difficult to negotiate, changes constantly and times out frequently. Despite that, she is 4-for-4 with five more in the pipeline.