I'm sorry that I was not able to get a group email in last week. Happy April Fool's Day to everyone! So, here's what happened during my week here in Vietnam:
Monday-Today was our Preparation Day. When I say Preparation Day, I am referring to the day when we get to email our mission president, family, friends, and we also get to do other stuff to prepare for the week like: grocerry shopping, cleaning the house, and also some fun activities. The purpose of Preparation Day, is to give us a day to get everything done that we need to do so that we can focus on missionary work throughout the rest of the week. Preparation Day is also referred to as P-Day. So, today was P-Day with the other missionaries in the district. So, we went ice skating together! It's nice to get back on the ice sometimes! It was really cool, because we talked to one girl who had only been skating for about one year, and she had learned a lot about skating from You Tube! We invited her to our free English class (Missionary Work and Ice Skating). 
Tuesday-Today we had the opportunity to go and visit one of our Investigator,s Anh Quang, at his house, and we brought a watermelon for him. Vietnamese culture right here: when visiting someone's house, it is often very good to bring a gift (that gift can be in the form of fruit as well as other things).
Wednesday-Today was the day for English class, and it was our turn to teach the class! Normally, we will switch off every other week with two other elders (one week they will teach the English Class, and we will give the 15 minute spiritual message, and the next week we will switch).The English class went good, and the subject was about talking about things in your home (like how many bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.). The other elders gave a really good spiritual message at the end about agency, and how we have the ability to choose. At the end of the thought, they gave a really good "Vietnamese phrase." The phrase goes like this: Ông Bà mình có câu...Muốn biết phải hỏi. Muối giỏi phải học. This phrase means that if you want to know you have to ask. If you want to be good at something you have to study. This was used to encourage the students to talk to us after the spiritual message about what we shared, how they felt at English class today, etc. It's a great contacting opportunity!
Thursday-Today we had a delicious lunch! We had Bún Thịt Nướng, and it's sooooo good! It is basically white rice noodles, with grilled meat and vegetables, with fish sauce, It is also eaten with Chả Giò (egg rolls). That was definitely a great lunch! I wonder if they would have this dish in Vietnamese restaurants in America? Maybe someone could ask the next time they are at a Vietnamese restaurant? If you want to get the tones right on Bún Thịt Nướng, here's some advice perhaps: when you say " Bún," go up with the tone of your voice. Bún means noodles. When you say "Thịt," pretend that someone is punching you in the stomach, and see how that affects the tone of your voice (maybe that will help). Thịt means meat. When you say "Nướng," go up with the tone of your voice again. Nướng means grilled. So being interpreted, Bún Thịt Nướng means noodles with grilled meat. You learn something new every day!
Saturday-We had a chance to play soccer as part of an activity with the Priesthood, and our Investigator Anh Quang came as well! I played soccer for a little bit, and let's just say that I should probably stick with ice skating.
Sunday-So today, we went in search of a less-active family. We were told by a member in the branch that they live very far, and that they rent houses and move a lot. We went with the address that was on their CBR (Convert Baptism Record), as well as a little cut out of their address on google maps. As we biked further and further, it was getting really far, and there were several times when we had to stop over and ask where to go next. One of the things that I will typically do when given an address and I don't know where it is, is just ask natives on the side of the road where to go next. It's a great way to practice Vietnamese! Anyway, the address that we had was a little weird, and we asked several people to help us out, Two very nice people went on their motorbike to help us try to find the address of these less-active members. In the end, we couldn't find it, also had another address for them, and then just decided to go home so that we could make it home on time. But, it is really great to realize how awesome the people are here to help us out when we need it. So that was our attempt at less-active finding!
Testimony Time:
This week, I was reading in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi during the time of Jesus Christ's personal ministry to the Nephites, and let me just say that it is such an amazing opportunity to actually read Christ's words and teachings! I was reading one part in particular that I really like, and would like to share with you all today: it is in 3 Nephi 17:5-9. Jesus Christ is about to finish His ministering for the time being, but then He makes another decision:
5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.
6 And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.
7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will healthem, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.
8 For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you.
9 And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.
In this scripture, Jesus Christ has compassion for the Nephite people, and He heals the sick, afflicted, etc. It is imperative to understand about the compassion that Jesus Christ has for us. He is our Savior. He is our light and our life. He is our joy. He is the one that heals our diseases, sicknesses, sins, etc. I want to testify that as we choose to come unto Him, we can receive compassion, and we are His sheep. Let us always remember the great and wonderful love that he offers to each of us as we lay aside our sins and come unto Him. I want to say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. I would like to invite all of you to listen to " I Stand All Amazed" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and think about what Christ's compassion has meant for you personally in your life.
Con biết rằng Chúa Giê Su Ky Tô đã chuộc tội cho những tội lỗi của mọi người. Chúng Ta không phải là một mình trong cuộc sống này bởi vì Chúa Giê Su Ky Tô hiểu chúng ta cảm tháy thế nào. Nếu Chúng ta nghe Tiếng Nói của Đấng Chăn Hiền Lành, Chúng Ta là Con Chiên của Ngài. Con muốn chia sẻ những điều này, trong tôn danh của Chúa Giê Su Ky Tô, Amen.
Picture Time:
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