STILL celebrating the New Year!

 Our celebrating has begun with Allen's new year! We celebrated his birthday on Monday, January 6, when he became even older than me. Just sayin'...

One of our Sister Missionaries will finish her mission tomorrow, so for our last big p-day with her, she wanted to go to the zoo and celebrate with the hippos. For whatever reason, she delights in hippopotamuses, so we had to oblige! We took a trip to the Hanoi Zoo, a much more low-key zoo than the San Diego Zoo, but still in a very pretty setting. It was a relaxing day and a chance to have fun with our district missionaries. 

The big event of the week was yet to come. We were told that this Vietnamese tradition has been passed down for over 4000 years, so we were looking forward to it.

To celebrate Tet, the lunar new year, the Vietnamese people make Banh Chung, or Chung cake. It is made with sticky rice, mashed beans, and pork, and it's a 2-day process.

On Friday, I went with the Sister missionaries to help a sister in our branch to buy the ingredients, which cost over 2 million dong, or around $80, for about 50 cakes. 

The first step that Friday night was to boil the beans and then mash them up.

While the beans were cooking, some of the women were washing the leaves that the cakes would be wrapped in, which are called dong leaves. 

When the beans are all mashed, it's time to form them into balls.

The balls were put in the fridge and the rice was set to soak overnight.

Early the next morning, the work began in earnest. The leaves were measured to fit into the cake forms, then cut, and then expertly folded with about 4 leaves per cake.

Once the leaves are folded into the forms, it's time for the sticky rice. A layer of the rice is pressed into the bottom of the form on top of the leaves, followed by a layer of the mashed beans, also pressed into the form, on top of the rice. On top of the beans goes a portion of raw, seasoned pork, which is then covered with a layer of beans, and topped with another layer of rice, all compressed as much as possible, and which now fill the form completely.

It was a real assembly-line production...

...and ended with the leaves being folded meticulously on top--it had to be done "just so" or the older sisters, who have done this for years, would step in and correct any mistakes, and make sure each cake was beautifully wrapped and tied with bamboo strips.

I was lucky to have Sister Huyen helping me and showing me how to do every step. And Sister Tuyet and Sister Hang were nearby to make sure all the cakes were perfect!

From the production line, each cake went to the large pot outside, where a fire was lit, the pot was filled with cakes and then water, and then they were boiled for 10 hours.

The fire was kept going all evening, and was put to good use by our Sunday School president and the children whose parents were helping with the process. They baked sweet potatoes and regular potatoes in the coals, and put shrimp and squid on the skewers to cook.

After about 10 hours on the fire, the cakes were ready! They were fished out of the pot and laid on a table until the next step...

Then boards were put on top of the cakes, and everything that was heavy that they could find was placed on top of the boards. This was to press out the water and make the rice even more sticky. They stayed that way from 9:00 pm until the next day after Church. 

At which time, the cakes were uncovered and divvied up!

And a couple of them were opened and cut up for immediate consumption.

While not my favorite thing to eat--yet--I am developing a taste for them. :)  Which is a good thing because we have 2 in our fridge!

Our branch cooked our Banh Chung cakes earlier than many families will be cooking them; they are usually done on Tet, but we made them early so branch members will have them for the holiday. Most people go to their hometowns for the holiday, so we are told, and the streets of Hanoi may be deserted! We'll be sure to have pictures of THAT because it will be so strange to see!

These are fun things for us to experience, but the really awesome part is to see how MANY friends (who are not members) come to help out! They come to English activities or music class or Church and are invited to participate in every activity of the branch. They are very kind and fun, and willing to help in every way. 

I've been fighting a cold all week, and the members are all so concerned for you when you're sick! They are very loving and kind and think I should be in the hospital (for a cold). 

The weather has been even colder for the last few days (this morning was 53 degrees), but it will be warming up to the mid-70s this week. The members also think that's why I have a cold.

New missionaries come in this week on Wednesday, and Allen and I will get to go help with the collection process, which we love to do.

We are happy to be serving here in Hanoi and are doing our best to make a difference in the lives of the members, as well as the young missionaries.

We hope you are all happy and healthy!