Justin's Vietnam Mission: February 2018

Xin Chào Mọi Người! Hello Everyone!

This week we definitely had some cool miracles happen, and here's an overview of the week:

Monday-My companion and I were able to attend YSA (Youth Single Adult activity) at the church, and we played a really fun game. So basically everyone has a number (for example from 1-9). Then, there is someone in the middle who is blindfolded while everyone else is sitting in the circle. Before every round, everyone will switch places to a different spot in the circle. The person in the middle who is blindfolded will call out 2 different numbers. The people who have those numbers (1 number per person), will crawl to a different place while the person who is blindfolded tries to catch and touch them. Then when they get to the new place, people will clap if the person in the middle has not caught the 2 people that needed to move. That was a fun game for sure! So, the highlight of that day is that I learned a new game!

Tuesday-We received 2 new investigators, Anh Mẫn and Cô Thanh. Anh Mẫn is the son, and Cô Thanh is the mom. We got to have a lesson at their house, and they have really been prepared to receive this message. When we were in their home, they shared about how Anh Mẫn's father passed away not too long ago. We were able to share about how we know that we can live with our families forever after this life. We also shared about Heavenly Father, how we are His Children, how the Gospel blesses families, and we taught them how to pray as well! Cô Thanh closed our lesson with a prayer. They were actually referred to the church by a friend who lives in America, and they have come to church twice!

Wednesday-We had our free English class, and we were able to start having people wear new name tags with their English name on it. At the end of every English class, we share a fifteen minute spiritual message. For this message, we did something cool. So for the Tết Holiday or the Lunar New Year, children receive something called Lì Xì, or lucky money. It is normally given in an envelope, and represents wealth and good fortune. When children receive this lucky money, they normally also get good advice and encouragement as well. It is given every year around this time. We were able to connect it by saying that just like good children receive Lì Xì every year, we can also receive Lì Xì from Heavenly Father. But, that Lì Xì does not come in money form, but rather in the blessings that Heavenly Father gives us if we follow His Son, Jesus Christ.

Friday-This was a great day because one of our investigators, Chị Nguyên, passed her baptismal interview before going to her hometown for the Tết Holiday! Her baptismal date is currently for March 3, 2018, and we are very excited for her! A cool thing about her is that before she started learning about the church with us, she had already read all of the Gospel Principles Book (that is a book that contains the principles of the church that we teach).

Saturday-Today was the baptism of Anh Hùng. Anh Hùng is actually someone that was contacted while my companion was on an exchange with another missionary in our district. The cool thing is that the first exchange was when Anh Hùng was contacted. The second exchange that my companion had was when Anh Hùng passed his baptismal interview! The missionaries also got to wear Áo Dài's or traditional Vietnamese clothing, and take some pictures together! We also make Bánh Chưng or traditional Vietnamese cake. It contains rice, green bean, and seasoned pork. It is wrapped in leafs, and tied with bamboo strings. It was cool to learn how to make it and tie it up... the ones I made didn't necessarily turn out super beautiful looking.

Sunday-Today we wore the Áo Dài's to church, which was pretty cool. We also had a great lesson with our investigator, Chị Đào. She has a baptismal date for March 17, 2018, and is progressing really well!

Testimony Time:

I would like to share a scripture with everyone in the New Testament in John 16:33: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

In this life, we will experience many challenges. Sometimes we will be lonely, sometimes it will seem like we don't have the strength to overcome a certain challenge, and sometimes our faith will be tested. But, we can be of good cheer, because Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for us. The Atonement allows us to truly change, overcome any obstacle, repair what has been broken, and give us constant hope for Eternal Life in God's presence. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Vietnamese culture: Around this time of Tết or the Lunar New Year, people will really deeply clean their house. Doing so will take away the bad fortune from the old year, and bring in the good fortune for the new year.

Picture Time:

1-2. Me making Bánh Chưng or traditional Vietnamese cake.

3. Anh Hùng's Baptism

Traditional Vietnamese Clothing!

FOOD! FOOD! and MORE FOOD!!! YUM!!!

Rice Chicken Curry (L) and a great breakfast (R)

A traditional Vietnamse food called Bánh Xèo. It is a pancake with shrimp, ground beef, and vegetables

Fish sauce or Nước Mắm (L) and a banana leaf (R)

Zone Conference with TWO ZONES! Makes for a lot of missionaries now!!!

More Lunar New Year Celebrations

Hello Everyone! Xin chào!

I'm am going to try really hard to get better at sending out a group email every week for my mission experiences. I have been serving my mission in Vietnam for a little over a year, and I've got about nine months left! Every week I will do my best to send a group email talking about what has gone on throughout the week, and sending some pictures as well!

This week, a lot of great stuff happened: My companion and I currently have three investigators with a baptismal date (don't worry, I will explain more). A companion is someone that you do the missionary work with. You always have a companion that you live with and work with. An investigator is someone who is learning more about the church. That is my job here in Vietnam, to teach about the church. When we teach investigators, we prepare them for baptism. Our three investigators with a baptismal date are: Chị Nguyên, Chị Đào, and Anh Duy.

Another cool thing that happened this week was that yesterday at church, we had two new people come (a son and his mom). They heard about the church through a Vietnamese friend that lives in America. So, they came, and they have really great potential to become investigators! It's really exciting when you find people that have been prepared to learn more about the church!

Testimony Time:

This is the portion of the email where I will share something more spiritual: Being here in Vietnam is truly a blessing, and the missionary work here is an act of service and love. We share the message about the church with others, because we love them. Why do we love them? Because, they are Children of God. We are all Children of God, and God loves us and sees great potential in us to become like Him. That is the wonderful message that we have to share with the people here in Vietnam: They are Children of God, and God loves them.

Pictures:

1. A dish that I learned to cook while on my mission: A rice bowl with egg, kimchi, and seaweed!