This is my father, Bill Williams. He passed away this week at the age of 84. He and my mother divorced when I was an infant and she didn't tell me anything about him until I was 21. I called him and said, "I think you're my father." He replied, "I know you're my son." That began a 40-year relationship that included his wonderful wife and five extraordinary siblings. Their Montana ranch home was filled with food, fun and music, and we visited as often as we could. He was a good man, personable and generous, with a tremendous work ethic and desire to see the right thing done in the right way. He was also a man with more than his share of stubbornness and less than his share of patience. It’s been a little scary to see how much alike we are. I will miss him.

Elder and Sister Liggett, ready for departure after their 18-month mission. From Rexburg, Idaho, they accomplished some wonderful things while serving here--family history, missionary and nursing support to name three among many. As part of their family history work, they not only helped many members prepare family names on new.familysearch.org but also ensured that district consultants were selected and trained so the work could continue after their departure. Of special note was the October 2010 rollout of Khmer language capability on new.familysearch. This meant that Khmer members could read temple file slips in their native language with romanized versions of their names also appearing. The Liggett's accompanied a group of Khmer saints to the Hong Kong Temple in March 2011 and were privileged to witness this first-ever event.

Here is the group of well-wishers for the Liggett's. It is indicative of their love for them that they came to the airport despite the late hour. This photo was taken at 9:30 pm.

Mike's Burger House is a Phnom Penh icon. Mike lived in California for 20 years and worked for In & Out Burgers so his burgers closely resemble those found in the states. Very personable, he and his wife (both pictured) enjoy serving missionaries young and old(er). The Liggett's chose Mike's as the place for their farewell meal, and it was a grand time.

The "Senior Sceptor" is given to the senior missionary with the most time in Cambodia. In this case it was presented by Elder Liggett to two because Elder Peterson, the handsome guy on the left, will be finishing his mission in three weeks and he was reluctant to assume the weighty responsibilities associated with the lofty position for such a short period. He did, however, caution the younger guy on the right that he wanted to pre-approve any contemplated decisions. Now if we could just find that job description. . .

Best friends forever--(l to r) Sisters My, Khan and Nguyen from the Phnom Penh 3rd (Viet speaking) Branch. Sister Khan will return this week from the Manila Missionary Training Center. She is assigned to a Khmer-speaking mission. Sister Nguyen will depart this week for the first-ever Manila session for missionaries serving a Vietnamese-speaking mission. Sister My is younger and is preparing for a mission.

This charming lady was pleased to have her photo taken. It appeared that she was part of a family that lived and worked at the Tamao Zoo--located about 30 km southeast of Phnom Penh.

The Central (Viet) District consisting of Branches 3, 6 and 10 recently commemorated Mormon Pioneer Days by hosting an afternoon of special talks and entertainment. We've included a few photos of that event plus some photos of my home teaching companion and his neighborhood.

These young women from the Viet 6th Branch did a graceful dance routine. They held a set of about six chopsticks in each hand to accentuate the performance.

This funny skit involved a peasant boy (actually a girl dressed as a boy) in his attempts to woo a beautiful peasant girl. "His" fellow workers are in the background.

These two cuties were in festive moods.

Ong Dung (pronounced oum yoom) is my home teaching companion. The title "Ong" conveys respect for someone older. I could not get his wife to smile. Their home is in a Viet neighborhood on the river, and the following photos show a little of the neighborhood.

One of the houses in the neighborhood. This family resides under the house.

Another home in the neighborhood.

Here is a photo of the truck used to move our furniture and belongings to a new apartment closer to the mission home. It was loaded in 22 minutes by a crew of four. It cost us $60 to pay the owner of the truck and workers.

These are students from the Central District (Vietnamese-speaking) who received recognition for completing their Seminary and Institute classes this year. Their teachers are included in the photo along with the mission president.

Mission accomplished! The Thalman's and Houser's were wonderful mentors and examples for us. They finished their missions this week and returned to their children and grandchildren. They served with honor amidst some very-big challenges in the Kampong Cham and Kampong Thom provinces. We will miss them!

Elder Khan is from Kampong Cham. He was one of four missionaries leaving for the Manila Missionary Training Center. He will return in three weeks to begin his mission in Cambodia. He is best friends with Elder and Sister Thalman and, since they had just finished their mission a day earlier, he asked us to stand in for them in this photo.

Sister Khan on her way to the Manila Missionary Training Center. She speaks Vietnamese, Khmer and English. She will be serving in Cambodia on a Khmer-speaking mission. Her best friend (on Sister Snyder's left) speaks the same three languages. She will begin her mission in three weeks. She will be serving in Cambodia on a Vietnamese-speaking mission.

A group of Cambodian children enjoying a day at the zoo!