Third Transfer in Phú Mỹ Hưng, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hello everyone!

So the last few weeks have been excellent. I am still with Anh Cả Vương in Phú Mỹ Hưng for the third transfer in a row. It’s been amazing. We have gotten super familiar with the area and have been able to help a few different people accept and follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At this point, there is no doubt in my mind that regardless of who, where, what, or when, life with the Gospel of Jesus Christ is better than life without it. 

Here are a few stories. When I first got to this area and met my comp, we both established that we really like basketball. So we started a basketball activity for the branch. The church buildings here are just rented out space in a bigger building so we are yet to have a classic, beautiful, hardwood church basketball court in Vietnam. But we will get there one day. Anyways, because of that, we just find a place to go play for the basketball activity. It’s usually just a park where we go and play pickup with a bunch of people already there. I have yet to see anyone nearly as tall as me and also yet to see anyone else who can dunk. But it’s super fun to play with these people. And my Vietnamese basketball vocabulary is getting better and better. Basketball, like the Spirit and music, is a universal language and I love it.

Yesterday we had a district conference. This is the equivalent of a stake conference but for a district. There were just over 200 members there. Since we don't have a church building big enough, we rented out a big hotel conference room downtown. Great talks were given by the leaders of the church in this amazing country. My mission president (President Hughes) is the priesthood leader for both the missionaries and the members in this country. He spoke about a temple in Vietnam. He helped all of us understand the importance of a temple in vietnam. He also helped us realize how much more needs to be done in order to have a temple. We are a ways away and it's a big mountain to climb. But we are going to work until we earn a house of the Lord. 

Temples are of incredible importance and worth. These people have all been promised eternal families if they follow the Gospel and they are looking forward to a temple. What a blessing it is to have the house of the Lord!

Love you all and hope you have a great week!

-Elder McConkie

PS. Hyrum’s mom here—he didn’t attach any photos with his email so I will put some on here that he has shared with me over the past few weeks. Teaching the people, working with his amazing companion elder Vuong and all the other missionaries, the food, and basketball are all things he loves so much. Also pictured are some interesting sights around his area, and the little yellow truck where the elders enter to get their $3 haircuts. Love to you all, Laurel