Elder Reynolds in Hanoi

Hello everyone,  This week was filled with less fire, police, and other random visitors. It makes for good stories, but I have to say it has been refreshing.  This week we had a great Christmas and Zone Conference. We bought some new Áo Dài, which is some Vietnamese traditional clothing. It was enjoyable to celebrate together and have time to focus on Jesus Christ. I've really liked being in Hà Đông and serving in the district I am in. It reminds me of a teaching from President Nelson when he said,  " The joy we feel has little to do with the  circumstances  of our lives and everything to do  with the focus  of our lives ." I've really come to learn this on my mission. As we focus on the Savior and the positive, we are able to have more joy.  Love you all! I am doing well Elder Reynolds  Photos:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/ KXNEyuJ6epdKQtAq6 Our Zone Christmas Celebration Elder McBride and I wearing our new  Áo Dài Screen capture fro...

(Note from Sally: This week is an extra long letter, so good thing you have the holiday break to read it. :) Ethan just found out this morning that he was on the  Vietnamese National News  - his part starts at the 19:00min mark. Also, he was asked to write his testimony and thoughts about this Christmas to share with our home ward here in Idaho, so I attached those in a Word Doc as well. ) Merry Christmas!   Alo mọi người, Yes - the title of the email is a reference to Billy Joel "We Didn't Start The Fire" and it is relevant to the story.  This week was one for the books. That's why this email is going to be a bit longer than the previous ones I have been sending. We've had about everything, from the police in our apartment to a wild Branch Christmas Party. Make sure to check out the Google Photo Album this week.  Last Monday - The Vietnamese UFO:  Last Preparation Day, as I mentioned in the previous email we were visiting a Non-Profit Government Organizati...

 Alo,  Thanks for tuning in again for the update this week. We had a good week finding lots of people and having lots of activities.  Nothing super exciting happened this week, but it was fun nevertheless. Today for our preparation Day we are visiting the "Vietnam Union of Friendship Organization" also known as the VUFO, hence the title. We will be meeting with local officials in Hanoi to help build church relations. It will be lots of sitting, smiling, shaking hands and good food. It reminds me a lot of what my group did while I was on my study abroad in China. It should be interesting! I'll probably have some pictures for Google Photos to upload for later in the week. It has been nice having the cold weather and Christmas. Despite being far from home I've been able to have the Christmas Spirit. I've really come to appreciate Christmas in a different light this season. Fortunately, we have many outgoing members, who last week bought a Christmas Tree to put in our...

 Alo, Wishing you all a nice start to December and lots of fun Christmas traditions.  No joke, the weather here is actually cooling down and I need to go get another sweater, haha! This week has been really good. I enjoy my new companion, Elder McBride, who also just so happens to be from Meridian, Idaho. We laugh a lot and have a lot of fun. The branch is really great as well. I get 4-5 meals every week from the one and only Richard Pico, who brings us all sort of interesting food. The district I'm serving in is really great too, so I look forward to the coming weeks.  Nothing extraordinary happened this week - it's mainly been a lot of organization and meeting new people. We have been meeting lots of new people and are hoping they commit to come to church activities so they can learn more.  ______________________________ ____________ Spiritual Thought: On Sunday, we read a conference talk "His Hand Ready to Help You" from October 2024. It talks about how we have wa...

  Alo mọi người - It is getting nice and chilly here in Vietnam at a solid 69 F and a high of 78 F. I have to say, I do get quite chilly while biking home if I don't have a sweater or jacket.  To make myself feel better, I just set the temperature on my phone to Celsius and say "Wow!! It's 22 degrees outside, it's freezing!"  Who would've thought that after subzero temps in Bemidji, Minnesota I would be getting cold on a nice summer's day. Transfers were this week - I will be leaving the Hai Bà Trưng area and moving to Hà Đông. I will be serving with a new Elder named Elder McBride, who also so happens to be from Meridian, Idaho. I've now served with 2 people from my hometown - how bizarre! Never knew either of them before, but that's just how it goes in Idaho. I'll be sad to leave Hai Bà Trưng, but the change will be refreshing and I'm looking forward to the new adventures. This is the last area I haven't served in the North, so I'...