Welcome Home Elder Ly! November 1, 2018.

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And we are back to business as usual...almost:-)

My final week in Vietnam!

This will be a quick email. Today for P-Day we will be going into the city (Sài Gòn) to a big market, and I will buy gifts for people at home, including you and the papa of course. I think we will also go to eat at a Mexican restaurant! 

I emailed with Bishop Hunter about scheduling my homecoming talk...I had a couple of return missionaries from Vietnam ask me when it was. We can't do November 4, because that is fast and testimony meeting, but perhaps November 11. Elder Craghead's is also on that day at 1:00 PM, so if we have 9:00 church that could work, because I still want to go to his as well. Hey mom, did Drew from the skating rink get in touch with you yet? I gave him your number, because him and possibly some other skating friends would like to come to the airport.

The Halloween English Event Night will be this Wednesday! Next Monday will be my last Monday emailing, so hopefully I can get everything set up with inviting people to my homecoming.

Love you and have a great week!

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1-2.  District P-Day at a Mexcian restaurant! (Sombreros!)

3. Last Branch Council in the Bình Dương Branch!

4. Meal set-up for Bún Thịt Nướng (A very delicious Vietnamese meal with rice noodles, grilled meat, fish sauce, vegetables, and egg rolls).

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1. Mexcian burrito.

2. Last picture with an awesome member, Anh Duy!

3-4. Last pictures with a family that I taught in my first area (Anh Hà, Chị Tú, Bee, Moon). The dad is baptized and has the Melchezidek Priesthood, and he baptized his daughter!

5. Dinner with Anh Hà, Chị Tú, Anh Duy with the four Elders! (Bún Thịt Nướng!)

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Well, this will be my final email in the mission field!

I am so thankful and grateful for this opportunity that the Lord has given me to serve in His Vineyard among His children! It has been full of challenges for sure, but I have really seen how the Lord has been shaping me into who I have the potential to become. One thing that I really love about missionary service is that as we "cast our nets out to all at sea," the net ends up catching us. To me that really fulfills what the scriptures say about losing our lives in the service of others, and in the end saving our lives as well!

Lessons that I have learned on my mission- 

1. The Lord truly is preparing His children to accept the message of the restored gospel. Sometimes we need to find them, and sometimes the Lord will bring them to us. One really cool experience that I had with the Lord bringing someone to us was when I was serving in the Tân Sơn Nhất Branch. At church one day, we met someone named Chị Nguyên. She had already read from the Gospel Principles book, and she also had a friend who was a return missionary. She started learning, was baptized in the Tân Sơn Nhất Branch. It's amazing how we were just able to meet her for the first time at the church! The Lord truly does prepare His children to receive the glad tidings of the gospel!

 2. Humble yourself and the Lord will raise you up. I have seen many instances on my mission with companions where pride has really gotten in my way at times. There are also so many hard things that we are expected to do as missionaries such as learning a new language and talking to strangers. But, if we truly put our pride to the side, do our best to get along with others, then the Lord will truly help us turn our weaknesses into strengths. As we "lower ourselves" and become meek and humble as a little child, the Lord raises us up! 

3. Trust in the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change hearts. I really saw this strongly with an investigator that we had worked with in Hanoi, Em Hậu. As far as I understand, he did not believe in God before learning and while learning. But, he felt the spirit and started to believe in God, and he was baptized! 

4. Success as a missionary is not measured in how many baptisms we have or how many investigators we have. Those factors can certainly motivate us and be the results of hard work. But, the true success comes in the change that we see in others and the change that we in turn see in ourselves. The true success also lies in our commitment to teach repentance and baptize converts! 

5. Trust in the Lord's timing for His children. When I was in my first area with my trainer in Ho Chi Minh City, we worked with an investigator family: Anh Hà, Chị Tú, Bee, and Moon. Anh Hà seemed to really like what we were sharing, but there were problems in the family. They stopped learning for some time, but were eventually contacted by some other elders. As far as I understand, Anh Hà actually asked what he needed to do to be baptized. The family moved, and Anh Hà was baptized in the last branch that I served in (Bình Dương). While I have served in the branch, he has received the Melchezidek Priesthood and he baptized his daughter Moon! We truly need to trust in the Lord's timing for when His children are ready.

Overall, It has been incredible to see the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints here in Vietnam! When I first came to Vietnam, there were just 2 (almost 3) branches in Ho Chi Minh City. In Hanoi, I think there were two branches. Now there are 6 branches in Ho Chi Minh City and 4 branches in Hanoi! It's incredible to see how the numbers have gone up in terms of building the kingdom of God here in Vietnam, but it's important to understand why: because God loves ALL of His children, and He wants ALL of us to return back to Him!

I want to testify that I do know this is the Lord's work. I know that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for ALL of His children, and I know that redemption and salvation come through the Savior Jesus Christ. I testify that the Savior's grace is sufficient to heal us, transform us. I testify that the Lord's work is hastening, and that Heavenly Father wants all of us to return to His presence, and that He has provided the way through His perfect plan. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

My homecoming halk will be on Sunday November 18 at 10:00 AM, 2465 South 800 East in Salt Lake City, Utah.  PLEASE COME IF YOU CAN! For any questions or information on the address, please contact my mom:juliann.jeppsen@gmail.com or call (619) 616-6138. I will arrive home at the Salt Lake City Airport on Thursday November 1 at 7:30 PM!

Love,

Elder Justin Ly (Anh Cả Dũng)