WEEK 38 - Astros And Áo Dàis

This week was loaded. 

Since we’ve been rolling out FaceBook messenger ads (which are essentially where people can directly message our FaceBook pages) we have been talking to a Vietnamese guy named Liem Nguyễn. He’s an older dude, a devout Christian, and he had been spamming us for the past couple of days. He would send us pictures of his religious texts and quote scripture without really talking back to us and actually ended up sending us pictures of the Sách Mặc Môn (Book of Mormon), Giáo Lý và Giao Ước (Doctrine and Covenants), Trân Châu Vô Giá (Pearl of Great Price), which is CRAZY so–through some PI training I developed during my high school Senior Assassin days–I was able to track down where he lived and we decided to pull up on him (after he had invited us to come talk to him without giving us a phone number or a house address). I ended up finding the right house because the second we got there, he invited us inside and explained that it was a miracle we had come to his house after talking to him on FaceBook. I love him so much. He is just the most genuine guy ever with so much faith. He is currently in Panama right now, but after he returns we’re going to talk about baptism. He is married to a woman from Panama, too, who doesn’t speak much English and doesn’t exactly love us so I can only believe that I was meant to be reassigned to speak Vietnamese to speak Spanish to Liem’s wife. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

We had Doctrine of Christ for new missionaries to document and President Garn decided that instead of going to NASA, it would be better if we went to Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston. He pulled some crazy connections out of nowhere and got the Senior Vice President of Business Operations, Marcel Braithwaite to give us a tour of the stadium which was insane. We got to go onto the field and into the dugouts and even though I don’t necessarily love or follow baseball it was an amazing experience.  

I also had the opportunity to go to the 2024 Vietnamese Cultural Festival at NRG. It’s becoming festival season in Vietnamese culture and this festival marked the beginning of never-ending festivals. It’s the largest festival in Houston and it was super sick to go to. I bought my own áo dài which is so fire and we used it as an opportunity to pass out as many English class information cards as possible. I would go around passing out the cards to the oldest looking people there and say “chào cô” or “chào chú”, give them the card, and then disappear as they were looking at it. In my áo dài I got called a Chanel model and also Jake Paul so that was interesting. My anthropological brain was going crazy with all of the culture that I was being exposed to and I’ve decided that I really am in the celestial kingdom being on Seal Team 6 and now a Vietnamese elder, like it’s a testament that each mission that anyone ever goes on is specifically tailored to that person, like my mission is so me–I love it.

We had a baptism this week, too! Lễ báp têm of My. We had a good portion of the branch show up and it was the second baptism in Vietnam this year. Our friend Tuân still wants to be baptized but is struggling a lot because of his sexuality. We had to have a lesson with him about the law of chastity and about how when he’s baptized–and if he’s sexually active–his life might have a bigger change than he expects it to. We also explained that being gay within the church is not a bad thing at all and that gay people are warmly welcomed into the church, but that there might be a little pushback from prejudiced members and that his sexuality may not be as openly celebrated like other churches. He is not sinning by being attracted to men, but–just like straight members of the church–by acting upon those feelings outside the bounds of a legal marriage, that is breaking the law of chastity. He took it really, really well and said that his love for Jesus Christ and his desire to grow closer to him is why he is being baptized and that he is willing to give up/change anything about his life in order to grow his relationship. We then explained that if he thinks that when he is baptized he will no longer be gay, that that is not the truth, and he understood and said that that is not why he wants to be baptized. It was a really edifying lesson and the Spirit was so strong through all of it (and the Gift of Tongues was fr with me there). 

We ended up being in Victoria, Texas for yesterday’s round of member testimonies and it was crazy. Like, the most Southern town I’ve been to yet. Also, a two hour drive from Houston. It reminded me of a bigger Sealy so I started missing my boonie days. 

This week has been loaded and I am continually reminded of the verses–and promises–in Doctrine and Covenants 89 about the Word of Wisdom. Being a part of this special assignment in the mission, I need as much energy and health as I can get because of the insane workload and draining days (and nights) and I think it is incredibly important to prioritize our health. God promises that He will give us that health and on top of that wisdom and knowledge, even the ability to run without becoming weary. I rely upon this promise more than ever as I continue to follow the Word of Wisdom by abstaining from caffeine and other supplements that might be contrary to the Word of Wisdom and I have seen myself be able to accomplish all the tasks in front of me. That doesn’t mean that I might be without sickness but that sickness has yet to hinder me from the work I am tasked with. So, in other words, be wise, what can I say more?

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6VcLH45f4rX9Q26j7    

If you want to see just these weeks’ pictures go here. 

WEEK 38: 

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