Pictures included in this one!

Just like before, the time keeps flying by. I'm not even really sure what week this is. Week 9? I think so, but who knows.

 

Classes just keep going and going and we just keep learning and learning. I have noticed that my listening ability has improved a lot over the last few weeks, which is awesome. That is something I have really tried to improve on.. and apparently it is working. I usually understand most of what our teachers say in class, but when we teach them as investigators its still hard to pick up everything. I can generally get the main idea of what they are saying, but there are still the words I dont know. It can make life difficult as a missionary when you can understand what the people you teach say to you. You can't determine their needs, even when they flat out tell you. I'll just keep working, and it will come over time.

 

Well, I'll start off by answering the name questions because those seem to be the most common. No, it is not a common thing for foreign speaking missionaries to be given new names. Most places just keep your name or kind of just translate it into the language. With Vietnamese though, they can't pronounce our names. Words in Vietnamese are only one syllable. So, they give us new names so that the people can say them. What our names are is decided by our teachers. I don't know everything they do, but basically, they give us names with meanings to fit us, or what they see in us. I dont really know much more about that.

 

I was also asked to just share some experiences, teachings from devotionals, what things we are looking forward to, etc.

Well, devotionals and firesides are always good. We have a fireside every Sunday night and devotional on Tuesday night. I can't say that we ever look forward to any in particular because we aren't told who is speaking until we are there. We just look forward to each one, knowing that it will probably be a great message. I have just started going through my study journal and making a topical table of contents. It has been really cool to go back through the things we have been taught here. Of course, the most common topic is how to become better missionaries, why missionary work is important, etc. The next most common topics though are receiving personal revelation and feeling the Spirit.

 

I am so grateful to be here on a mission. I haven't even begun teaching "real" people, but I can already see the benefits from being here. I can see those in myself. I am constantly learning and can always see the hand of the Lord in the work. I know that I need to be here now. I know that I am meant to be here with the people that are here. I know that I am hearing the messages here that I need to learn in order to become the missionary I need to be. I don't yet know why I need to go to Houston. And I really don't know why I am supposed to be learning Vietnamese. But I do know that there is a reason. That reason is just as much for my benefit as it is for the benefit of those I will meet in Houston. I can't wait until I can get to the field and really start this work. Even teaching our "fake" investigators here, it is an amazing feeling when they are taking the steps necessary to come closer to Christ. I can hardly imagine what that will feel like when I am teaching really people, who are really changing their lives.

 

Being on a mission is an incredible experience, an experience that should never be passed over. I have only been out for barely 2 months, but I have really come to know the importance of this work. It is certainly a sacrifice to give 2 years to the Lord, but really in the end it wont be a sacrifice at all.

 

Tôi biết rằng Giáo Hội Các Thánh Hửu Ngày Sau của Chúa Giê Su Ky Tô là chân chính. Giáo Hội này là giáo hội của Thượng Đế trong Thế Gian. Tội biết rằng phúc âm của Chúa Giê Su sẽ gíup tất cả như cầu của chúng ta. Thượng Đế yêu thương tất cả con cái của Ngài và Ngài muốn ban phước chúng ta. Để nhận được các phước lành từ Thượng Đế, chúng ta phải cầu xin Ngài. Qua Chúa Giê Su, chúng ta có thể sống với Thượng Đế lần nữa.

 

Chân thành,

Anh Cả Phong Manhardt