Alo,
Happy July and Merry Independence Day. I hope everyone had safe travels to wherever people went for the 4th. Or if you stayed home, I hope you had a good view/smell of fireworks. Unfortunately, the 4th of July isn't very big here in Vietnam.Last Preparation-Day:
Last P-Day the district went to a big "city", if you want to call it here in Hanoi called "Oceanpark". Think of it as this megacorporation urban development designed to keep people entertained 24/7 so they never have to leave. It is constructed by this large private company here in Vietnam called "Vincom". It is basically like if people wanted to live on mainstreet in Disneyland.
To my understanding, the "Vincom" company not only does the major real estate development here, but they also do cars "Vinfast", Malls "Vincom Malls", and also... milk... Vinamilk. I'm not certain what their exact target market is (other than monopoly) but it seems to be working out pretty well for them. They have a variety of different urban living complexes around Hanoi, and they are really quite impressive. There is a stark difference between the infrastructure that is made/constructed between the private Vincom company and others.
Anyways - we went to Oceanpark and were excited to explore the area. We got there and it was a complete ghost town. I'm talking a good couple square miles, full townhomes, roads, entertainment - just completely empty. It was spooky. Music was playing, there were some other people walking around too taking pictures but everyone was acting really strange. Maybe it was just us though. We got to take lots of pictures, especially in the area that has a big river in the middle and looks like Venice. I took a picture on the Vietnamese Venetian Rialto, and then we got some Mixue. It felt like a fever dream, but it was fun.
Anyways - we went to Oceanpark and were excited to explore the area. We got there and it was a complete ghost town. I'm talking a good couple square miles, full townhomes, roads, entertainment - just completely empty. It was spooky. Music was playing, there were some other people walking around too taking pictures but everyone was acting really strange. Maybe it was just us though. We got to take lots of pictures, especially in the area that has a big river in the middle and looks like Venice. I took a picture on the Vietnamese Venetian Rialto, and then we got some Mixue. It felt like a fever dream, but it was fun.
Other fun stories:
-Talked to a lot of Chinese people this week. It was fun. Lot of them come here for travel and work - but the area the church is in is a nice place to walk around, so we run into a lot of tourists.
-I translated for our Sunday service this week. Translated might be a strong word - it was really good summarizing. The AP's and professional ward translator were gone, so I was the one up next to translate for the expat families living here. They also decided it would be a good idea to make the foreigner branch presidency member conduct - so I had the chance to translate from English to Vietnamese. It was interesting, kinda fun though. I also got to translate for the member in our ward who is the Ambassador of South Africa, so now I can say I have "Translated for an Ambassador at a large meeting" on my resume. ;))
-Elder Mai and I conducted our Saturday English activity by ourselves. It went pretty good!
-Our mission is setting a lot of records with our referrals, which is a nice success. Hoping to keep the momentum going.
______________________________
The Power of Testimonies:
Recently Elder Mai and I have been teaching someone who asks a lot, a lot of questions. He is very well informed about the Bible and has read it extensively. The Book of Mormon has been interesting to read through with him. He finds a lot of things interesting, but likes to make a lot of comparisons and sometimes gets a little, energetic, during our lessons.
During personal studies and during lessons I would constantly try to find scriptures and other resources to help satisfy his answers. His questions aren't simple either - they are quite complex. He wants evidence from a variety of biblical, historical, and Book of Mormon sources. It has really pushed my Vietnamese listening and reading lately. Even if we found verses or evidence for one of his questions, he never seemed satisfied. I was starting to get a bit frustrated with the situation - I was exhausted using all of the knowledge I had to try and teach and help understanding.
Eventually, after some more questioning and low-key bashing, Elder Mai and I just testified of the things we knew were true. We testified we were representatives called of Jesus Christ by the current prophet and had the ability to teach the restored and true gospel of Jesus Christ. We testified the church was true, and testified of each others testimonies. Our friend - couldn't say anything. He got pretty quiet, and began to be a bit more respectful. He said he just "doesn't know if it is true yet". We told him that is understandable, absolutely - that is why we are here ;))
I testify that although our testimonies may not seem as "rock, solid" information or sources of evidence, they are still valid and precious. Our testimonies are our own source of truth and understanding. They are unique to us and will constantly develop as we learn and grow. Our testimonies may not convince/convert others - but that isn't their purpose. They are there for our understanding and our own development - sharing them helps us recognize that growth.
Have a great week! Get yourself some ice cream this week.
Love,
Elder Reynolds of Vietnam
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