An Tet Vui Ve, nhe!! (Have a Wonderful Tet!)

 This past week we have been getting ready for Tet and learning about Tet and wondering about Tet and getting excited for Tet--our first one here!  Tet is the first day of the lunar New Year, celebrated in Asia more than our own New Year is celebrated back in the U.S.  Tet begins January 29 and things are supposed to be pretty quiet around here when everyone goes home to their hometown. Tet ends a few days later; the date varies depending on whom we ask. Some people are gone from work for 10 days; many, for less than that. Next week's blog will likely be all about Tet. This one is how we've been experiencing Tet so far, among other things.

If you remember Hang Ma Street, where all the Christmas decorations were sold; well, now Hang Ma Street is where all the Tet decorations are sold! And there are even more of these, filling both sides of the street and also with a wide median of decorations. The main street was closed off to cars, and we wished they had included scooters in the ban because it was pretty crowded even without the scooters pushing you around and blowing exhaust into the air.

It's the year of the Snake.

                                                                                                    We found pink among the red!

The envelopes in all shapes and sizes (but mostly red and gold) are for lucky money (Li Xi)--a gift for the new year to those who help you or serve you or whom you love. Our missionaries are not allowed to give money, so they (we) made envelopes with a scripture inside, a picture of Christ, and a holiday wish for health, luck, and joy. 

There were also shops like at a flea market, selling all kinds of antiques and artwork. 

This is the "lucky toad", which is very popular in Vietnam; it has a lucky coin in its mouth.

Flowers are another very important aspect of Tet, and so there are streets filled with flowers (some real; some for decorating homes or large red Tet fans)...

I really love these orange and red koi; they're a popular decoration. Next Tet, I think I'll need to get some to bring home. This year, we've bought 7 fabric lamps of various colors and patterns and shapes so far. Our gazebo is going to be awesome!

From Hang Ma Street, we walked over to Hoan Kiem Lake again, one of our favorite spots to visit. Once again, the young women were out in force, posing for pictures. The air wasn't very clear or clean, so their pictures weren't as beautiful as they could have been, but it was still really fun.

Wednesday was Kitchen God Day in Vietnam. Google tells me that the Kitchen God returns to heaven on a carp to report to the Jade Emperor on all of the goings on in the house. Vietnamese people like to help the kitchen god on his way by making offerings on their family shrine and releasing goldfish into nearby lakes, ponds and rivers. (I talked about this in the last post and showed some fish for sale on the street.) Well, we went to Bay Mau Lake to see if we could see anyone releasing fish into the lake. We got lucky...

Bay Mau Lake is a very large lake with a very nice park nearby. We did our "look at us!" stroll around the lake and park, hoping to make our missionary badges a more familiar sight to the people, and maybe have conversations with anyone who was curious. I did have a little conversation with a couple of 18-year-old young women who were surprised that I could say a few words in Vietnamese, and who were very happy to have their picture taken, and to take some with me as well.

This is a massive Banyan Tree; the pipes are funneling the roots down into the ground. It was planted in 1960, purportedly by Ho Chi Minh himself--"Uncle Ho", as the Vietnamese people lovingly call him.

This statue in the park is of "Uncle Ho" shaking hands with Uncle Ton.

I asked this girl if I could take her picture because I thought it must be an outfit from one of the Vietnamese ethnic groups, but it turned out to be a Chinese outfit. I didn't care; it was pretty.

We've been able to help the missionaries teach a few lessons this week. It's so fun to be able to help people learn about prayer, or how to feel the Spirit. I even got to help with an online lesson while we walked about the lake; it's harder on the phone, I have to say.

Thursday was English activity again in the evening, which is always fun. In this one we talked about Tet and had them tell of their experiences with Tet.

Friday we did not have FHE because so many people are already busy with Tet and we were afraid to compete!

Saturday, I helped a family in our branch at the market and then walked to the church to meet the Sister missionaries and study Vietnamese with one of them. I was asked to give a talk on Sunday (today) and I really wanted to read it in Vietnamese; Chi My Linh is a native of Vietnam so she was going to help me with Vietnamese, and in turn I could help her with English. Me reading my talk took a looooooong time, so I had her read the paragraphs which referenced scriptures, and I read the ones in-between. Today I gave the talk and did okay; the missionaries said they could understand me! Haha. The members were kind. 

Also on Saturday after English activity at 4 pm, we stayed at the church and helped with 2 more lessons with investigators. That's a very satisfying thing to do.

Church this morning began a bit late; we were beginning to wonder if Tet had taken people away already, but by 9:15 am we had a few members arrive and we began the meeting. And after church, our branch gathered in a circle to talk about Tet and to receive their Lucky Envelopes with the scriptures inside. It was a nice way to start the week of Tet.

Chuc Mung nam moi!!