Elder Sam 1 and Elder Sam 2

Dear family and friends,
   So this week was NUTS! It was the beginning of a new transfer. As I mentioned last week, I'm still in the same bike area with now just Elder Sam, my native Cambodian companion. He and I being together was part of a transfer suggestion that was submitted to President Tew by Elder Fowler and me.
   It’s been tough. Since transfers, Elder Sam has had a harder and harder time following rules, getting out to work, and studying. Pretty soon he just shut down completely, like he wouldn't talk to me at all. So, this one night, when he was not talking to me, we were out working, getting ready to ride our bikes home. We were pretty far from our house and it started to drizzle. The drizzle turned into freezing rain and by the time we got home, we were both soaked. Honestly, having to ride all the way back to our house soaking wet and in the freezing cold was hard, but more terrible for me was just not knowing what was wrong with my companion. And yet, somehow I was happy through it all. I felt like somehow I've learned on my mission to enjoy the hard times. To really step back and look at the bigger picture. To be able to say to myself, "this isn't going to last forever,"-that the storm will pass," (in this case) literally and figuratively. And I know that through our struggles we grow and are made stronger.
   So we're riding home and I'm trying to encourage Elder Sam by finding some humor in the fact that we are soaking wet riding our bikes, anything to just help him not get too caught up in "the storm". However, Elder Sam got home and instead of planning with me, he started packing up his suitcase. He literally packed up everything, and then called his brother to say to get packed up as well because they were going home! Wow! Honestly, I wasn't super surprised. Ever since he’s been here he's talked about going home. With his recent behavior leading up to this point, I could almost see this coming. I just didn't know when. Every day since he has packed up, Elder Fowler and I (Elder Fowler is Elder Sam2's companion) have been working closely with President to figure out any possible way we could keep them here. They don't realize the significance of this decision to go home. It will affect the rest of their lives, their posterity's lives, the church as a whole in Cambodia, the people here in Long Beach. It’s huge! It’s significant for so many people in so many different ways. The saddest thing of all is that Elders Sam2 (Elder Fowler's comp) wants to stay. He's happy, he loves the work and he knows this is where God wants him to be. However my Elder Sam, Elder Sam1, is telling his brother he has to come home with him. Apparently, before they came out here, they made a deal that if one of them goes home, they're both going home. Elder Sam1 isn't letting his brother out of that agreement. It's so sad.  Elder Fowler and I and the rest of the Cambodian missionaries have been doing everything in our power to keep the Sams here. We just keep saying, "if we go down, we're going down swinging.”
   I decided to tell Sunra and Nike about what was going on, since both Elder Sams weren't really talking to us any more; we figured maybe some members of the ward could help, especially members who the Sams respect. Sunra and Nike have done a great job so far. Sunra just told them how selfish and weak they are if they actually go home, and Nike gave an AMAZING pump up speech to all of us missionaries together, mainly geared towards helping the Sams want to stay.
   The past couple nights Elder Fowler and I have been talking to their parents in Cambodia from President's office. We’ve been trying to help them understand what's going on, and asking for their ideas on ways we can help. We talked to their parents a lot, and we translated for President a lot so he could talk to the parents as well. We were also able to get Sam 2 to talk to his dad. Sam 1,on the other hand, pretty much just picked up the phone and hung up. The three Elders who aren't their companions, Elder Fowler, and I all fasted yesterday, and wrote both Sams letters. When Elder Fowler and I first were in President’s office telling him about the whole situation he compared the situation to a football game. "Right now we're down by 4, 16 secs left in the game, we're 80 yds away from the TD. We need a BIG play." So that's just what we've all been trying to do. It's been pretty dramatic. I want them to stay so bad! We all do. Not for us, but honestly, the people here need them. The Lord needs them. The church in Cambodia needs them. It's just so significant, the decision they're making right now.
   Finally by last night, after going back and forth between us saying, "we want to help you" and them saying, "we know, thank you, but we've made up our minds as to what we want to do", President agreed to call Salt Lake and start making arrangements for them to go home. They won’t tell us why they want to go home. That's one of the most frustrating things. I honestly think it is just too hard for them. It may be a worthiness issue, but we think about that and we're pretty sure that's not it. But we're not giving up until they actually get on the plane. We're still going to do all we can to get them to stay. Please pray for them both.
   As for me, I'm doing fine. I’m grateful for what I went through with Elder Dain. It really has prepared me to deal with this. If this was happening at the beginning of my mission I would have been stressed and worried all the time. But now I feel like I understand that people have their agency. All you can do is what's in your control and then just leave the rest up to God to help them make a correct choice. And that's what this is going to have to come down to, them choosing to stay.
   Thank you for your prayers you've already been giving in behalf of my companion and me. I know we've been blessed and that miracles have come because of those prayers.

Love,
Elder Hicken