Skip to main content

New Year, New Country, New Language

Hope you have started 2024 off strong and ready for a new year! New Year's is actually one of my favorite holidays, because it is a holiday celebrated by mostly everyone on Earth. It's interesting to see how the world unites for this brief period of time, to celebrate a new beginning. 

Vietnam:
I'm starting off this new year in an exciting way! As I write this email, I am currently on my way to Vietnam! I will have a short layover in Seoul, South Korea and then a 5 hour flight to Vietnam. I am so excited to reunite with some of my fellow MTC missionaries and see some friendly faces again! My language skills are far from perfect, I am certainly a bit nervous. Simultaneously,  I am so excited and grateful for this opportunity to start this next adventure and serve in Vietnam. Next week, I should have plenty of photos to share!

The Last Day in Bemidji:
While preparing to leave Bemidji and head to Bismarck where I would temporarily stay until my flight on Monday, we got a phone call from one of our friends. We asked what we could do for him, and he casually asked "Yeah, when is the soonest I can get my family baptized in your church?". We were shocked to say the least. What an amazing miracle to see on my last day. Although I won't be their for there baptism I am fulfilled knowing we helped someone.

I am so grateful for my extraordinary trainer Elder Mayne and my wonderful district in the North Dakota Bismarck Mission. They have been great examples of diligent missionaries. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to serve alongside so many great missionaries. 

Being a Missionary Pays:
While visiting a family in Mandan ND, we closed with our prayer and asked if we could do anything for them. The oldest native man walked away, came back and handed us each (in a trio) $200 in cash. He said it was for gas money, and since he didn't have time to feed us, we could go get ourselves food. We tried kindly turning down the offer, until he finally told us "You can not say no to an Indian". 

Despite this, I believe there is currently a plan to somehow return the $600. I left my $200 back in Bismarck with leadership. If the family truly refuses to take it back, hopefully the mission office can put it towards some missionaries who may need extra winter clothes or materials. 

Spiritual Thought:
I have been thinking about the New Year and 2024 quite a bit lately. There are a lot of things I am ready to move on from in 2023. Although new year's is a great time to feel this sense of renewal and a new beginning, I realized we can do this every week as we partake of the sacrament. I don't need to wait for a new year to feel refreshed. In fact, we can have this renewal as we repent daily and rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It doesn't mean our problems, insecurities, stress, or trials will be healed or immediately fixed - but it does enables us to have a new perspective and clear mind on how we can continue moving forward. 

Wishing you the best and a smooth start to 2024. Remember, I have about a 14hr time difference now, so I may be late to respond to some messages!

Love you all,
Elder Reynolds
Anh Cả Reynolds


Arrival in Seoul

My parents (Mom) were happy to see I was alive

Arrival in Vietnam
(Photo by President/Sister Hughes)

My District back together again!




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hanoian Hamburgers

  Alo- Hope you are doing well and enjoying the Spring Weather. We are hoping to start getting some warmer weather this next week (meaning the grey overcast that has been here for the past 3.5 months leaves). This week I don't really have much to report on. Always Adjusting: This week was mainly just adjustment to the new area and assignment. This transfer I'll be helping as an Assistant, which is mainly a lot of behind the scenes work. It reminds me a lot of when I was doing Social Media work a little over a year ago - rather than managing the social media, you help with different aspects of the mission. There isn't anything extremely stressful or overwhelming -- it is just lots of small tasks you have to learn to do. My current companion has great experience in this role and has been teaching me lots. He leaves at the end of this transfer, so I am trying to absorb as much as I can to get it ready for the next transfer.  The Mission Branch: One aspect I have been enjoying ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Escaping and Entering The Matrix

  Alô, Wishing you a happy end to your summer break and a successful start to the upcoming semester, or whatever adventure you are onto next. If you have some spare time, send me some photos or a little update of what you have been up to!  As for me, this might be the busiest/chaotic I've been on my mission so far. I'll do my best to organize this email the best I can. The Matrix  As mentioned in the previous email, my new companion Elder Bird and I are currently in a temporary apartment, until we get to our new apartment later this week. [ The last apartment Elders were staying in got sold out underneath them, resulting in this situation ]. We've just been living out of our suitcases - just waiting to move and get settled in. The apartment we have been staying in is called "The Matrix" - and it has certainly been a fitting name, as it truly is an escape to try and enter and leave the complex. It's also resulted in me making plenty of movie references. My pers...
Post a Comment
Read more

Buddist Monks and Ba Đình

 Hello everyone! Hope you have been doing well. Congratulations to those of you finishing up your semesters, and keep pushing on for those in the end game!  Remember in my last email I said "pray for some stories?". Well - I don't know who prayed for them, but Heavenly Father certainly answered your prayers. This week has been quite crazy, but fun.  Last Preparation Day: Last Preparation Day was a blast. We planned with our district to travel to a cool hike with a cave and Buddhist temple. So, we ordered our taxi and went on our way. Thirty minutes into the taxi ride and checking on the map we realized we were in fact not going to the correct Buddhist temple - we put in the wrong address, and were riding in the opposite direction. Being 10 minutes away from our new destination (and almost accidentally leaving the zone) we decided to see what the temple would be like.  Upon arrival, it was clear the temple was under major renovations and closed. We checked out the lit...
Post a Comment
Read more