Don't Blink!

 I don't know if you've noticed, but January is half over. I don't know how that happens, but it does. 

We had to find something to do inside because the air was so unhealthy outside, so we went bowling for our p-day activity! Allen's back groaned about it and my hip fussed about it, but we both survived and had some fun along the way. We also both wanted to blame our scores on the Vietnamese bowling alley for having uneven lanes, but I don't think we can honestly do that. haha 

I'm sure both of those were strikes. Maybe. Maybe not...

Tuesday is usually District Council, but this week was Zone Conference, and we love Z.C.  We always leave home around 7 am because we're afraid we'll get into some bad traffic and we want to be there around 8-8:30 am. This time, since we needed 2 cars to take all 8 of us the 5.5 miles to the District Center, we planned for 7 am, but I was running late so the first car left, and then we couldn't get a Grab car until 7:20 am. We were afraid that with all the red we saw on the Google map, we would be lucky to get there by 8:30 am. We arrived at 8:05 am, and the first car of Elders which had left at 7 am had been there for half an hour already. I tell you, the Vietnam adventure is real! 

Zone Conference is filled with teaching and training by the young missionaries, and this time we got to have some hands-on Tai Chi training for an exercise portion of the conference.

And then we get lunch!

Whenever there are missionaries on their last transfer, they get to give a departing testimony. One of our sisters in our district is ending her mission--dying, if you will--and will be going home on Jan 27, home being about 6 miles from here.

The other sister going home now was somehow sent to the Manila MTC instead of the Provo MTC at the start of her mission, and they don't teach the Vietnamese language in the Manila MTC. Once she arrived there and realized that she wasn't going to be taught Vietnamese, she called President Howell here in Hanoi and they both decided that she would trust in the Lord and somehow she would manage, and by golly, she has been a wonderful missionary and has learned the language quickly and is a Sister Training Leader.

The 3 Hai Ba Trung Sisters

The Hai Ba Trung District                                                                                     

Tuesday night was game night. It continues to be a big draw with the young people, and usually at least half of them are friends who are being taught the gospel by the missionaries. 

Wednesday night was a R.S. activity, making a Vision Board for 2026. Allen was coming just to make sure our technology worked (TV hook-ups), so we stopped for dinner together first and had our first duck dinner in Vietnam... not too bad.

And then the "cut and paste' activity of what the new year will bring. I wasn't prepared for the comments when I told how we would be needing to buy a car when we got home, but that was nothing to the comments that I heard when I cut out 2 cars because "one was for him and one was for me". I felt very much spoiled and overly-rich when compared to my friends in Vietnam. 

On Thursday, Allen and I met with a Sister missionary who needed dental work, sat with her at the dentist so we could pay the bill, then went for a walk around that part of town when she and her companion left. We are constantly amazed at the old structures and architecture, the cool murals on the shop walls, and the small chuas (pagodas) we find on the streets.

This is a cool mural.

                                                              And this was a pagoda on a side street that we hadn't seen before.

I liked this mural, too. Pho Cuon are tasty.

Then we walked over to the big pagoda near the mission office. We've been here a few times; it's such an impressive, beautiful place.

The front entrance.

Thursday evening, we went to the English activity and helped out. The participation is growing again, which is really great. We had around 20 people come tonight.

Friday morning was going to be free, but our Sister missionary had another appointment with the dentist that we had pre-paid, but then she had some extra work done. We had to go in after all and pay for the extra work. Since we were going to be out and about, we decided to go to the Vietnam National Museum of History. We had been to this museum before; it has 2 buildings: the first covers the early history of the country and this second one that we saw today covers the later years, the war years. It was interesting, but a bit depressing to again see man's inhumanity to man. It was very sad to see the oppression of the Vietnamese people from so many countries over so many years, and very stirring to read again about their patriotism and love of country.

This is embroidery showing the 2 (hai) Trung sisters, famous in Vietnam, and namesakes of our branch.

This is the model of "a carved wooden cannon, painted crimson and gilded. It is the main symbol of the Festival of Cannons in Dong Ky. The festival is recognized as the national intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam. It is decorated with dragon, unicorn, turtle and phoenix designs."

      Dragon                                                                               

                                                                 

Unicorn (Lion-Dog)

    Turtle

Phoenix

This cannon is very impressive looking, and had Allen looking up whether we could go see a festival with this at its center.

Saturday brought us a bit of rain! This was very welcome, as it helped wash the air enough to take us down to only unhealthy instead of dangerous. hehe  We were busy with: Branch Presidency meeting (Allen), Music/Piano Class (Barb), and English activity. We also caught up on a bit of grocery shopping today, and then I made clam chowder tonight for the potluck lunch which is tomorrow...

Sunday is a lovely day. I will admit, however, that I look forward to the day when I can hear the entire meeting in English and not struggle to understand because of the language. 

Our Elders travel to the church by bicycle...

...and it's fun to catch them on film (which is an antiquated word, isn't it?).

My piano student Khang is really good at memorizing songs, and loves to do that above all else. I try to get him to focus on learning the notes and playing by reading music, but he insists on playing mainly by ear. I won't/can't make him stop, so instead I encourage him to do whatever he can (and read music along the way). Today, he played a bit of postlude music, much to his mother's delight. She is my other regular student. A favorite song in the branches is Nearer My God, to Thee; he has it memorized.

Today being the 3rd Sunday of the month, it was our potluck. I have become a regular clam chowder maker because I have so very many people who love it, and who love to tell me how much they love it. It's a very good feeling to know I can give them something they can't usually get in Vietnam.

We had a special opportunity tonight to visit a sister in our branch who is not able to attend church as much as she would like to because she has to support her family. Her teenaged daughter is on date to be baptized, which is wonderful, and 2 other children live in the home. This sister is doing her best to make ends meet, but life is hard, as it is for so many people. The challenges can be overwhelming for members here, but the blessings promised are great.

We love to go out with the missionaries; it makes being a missionary so worthwhile. We love to help the young missionaries whenever we can, and wonder what good we can do in these visits, but this sister told us that she was honored that we had come to visit with her because we have lived the gospel for so long that she feels she can trust us and the things that we say. And that is the blessing of being a senior missionary; a life-time of experience and loving the gospel.

Have a wonderful week!