Visit from Elder and Sister Rasband - Hanoi, Vietnam

 

Sister Rasband and Elder McConkie

Weekly Email! - Hanoi, Vietnam

I know the title says weekly email but it's more like Transferly email, here it is for the big group.

Hello everyone! I hope all is well and that everyone is healthy and happy! I certainly have both of those things as I continue to live in paradise. Vietnam is simply amazing. I have almost been in Hanoi (capital city, north Vietnam) as long as I was in Saigon (biggest city, south Vietnam) and I love them both! Far to many people ask me what place I like more and it's hard to answer. I would just barely rather live in Saigon than in Hanoi, but I would also just barely rather spend a tourist vacation in Hanoi. Hanoi really is traditional Vietnam. It has kept the Vietnamese culture very strong even though there are a lot of tourists. I love the food and the History. I get to bike past a huge lake in the middle of the city on the way to the church everyday and it's just a joy to live here. 

My companion and I both really love basketball and have found a great place to play in the mornings. It is a place called the new quarter and it has 3 hoops, 1 full court. It is such a great thing that my love for the Lord and His gospel can increase without losing any of my love for the greatest game on the planet!

Life isn't all easy however, we are working hard day in and day out and sometimes even after we have given it our all, we sit down at the end of the day and think that we did absolutely nothing to really contribute to the building of the Lords kingdom in the grand scheme of things. But we just go at it again the next day. But I am learning that the Lord remembers our efforts on those days, I know He does.

There is this Vietnamese dish called Bún Ch? and it is amazing. And this past week, a member took us to eat it at this great place downtown and it was amazing. It's pretty much really good smoked/grilled meats in a super delicious fish sauce. And then you also eat it with rice noodles and it can be eaten with fried eggrolls and lots of greens. It's amazing. I'm trying to learn how to cook Vietnamese food before I come home, there is SO MUCH to learn but luckily my companion knows it all. He is teaching me and I want to master it. But nothing is like the original stuff here. Delicious!

In the last month I got the chance to see some more people from my MTC group that I haven't seen since the MTC, almost a year went by but it was so great to see them.

The scriptures really are incredible and they are the Lords words for us. The living Prophets and Apostles are also able to describe Gods will for us. Lately I have been studying the lives of previous prophets of the church in this dispensation. They all have a different story and it's so interesting. But all of them are just great examples of consistently becoming more like the Savior. The duty of the Prophet to be help others come unto Christ is not his duty because of his calling, but because of his covenants. the same applies to me, I have less than a year left on my mission but I have a lifetime of sharing the Gospel ahead of me, just like the prophets and all those faithfully keeping covenants. The Gospel really is the greatest source of long lasting joy.

-Elder McConkie

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 

Two Weeks in Vietnam - Phú Mỹ Hưng, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hello everyone! I've now been in south Vietnam for just over 2 weeks and there is a lot to say. Here it goes:

We had zone conference and interviews this week. At zone conference, we heard a lot of great trainings about our missionary purpose and how that will bring us more unity with each other and Christ. It was definitely the smallest zone conference I've been to. There were about 29 missionaries there and that is most of the mission. It was so great!

The people in vietnam are so ready to hear the gospel! Their humility and willingness to improve their lives is inspiring. When we promise that the gospel blesses individuals and families, these people want to learn.

We had dinner with a family yesterday and it was an incredible experience! We sat on the floor in the home of a family that was a bit smaller than the average American bedroom. Then at the back of the room there was a ladder going up to a second floor with the same amount of space. We sat on the floor of the ground floor and there was a bunch of noodles, fresh greens, and a big pot of broth. In that broth was a mixture of squid, cow tongue, and cow liver. Now, this meal was delicious. I would eat the tongue again in a heartbeat. The squid was also really good. But the liver is something I'll have to get used to. Anyways, these people are amazing and have 0 pride. They don't care what we will think about the size of their home, they just want to invite us and share what they have. It was a great experience.

This week I read the book of Enos in the Book of Mormon. I learned a whole lot. Enos follows a pattern of: faith, Repentance, more faith, covenant with the Lord, then his soul is at rest and he goes to serve the Lord. It reminded me of President Nelson's talk from the most recent General Conference. We can all follow the pattern of Enos! And we don't need a perfect or unshakable faith to begin repenting. 

Have a great week everyone!

-Anh Cả McConkie

Photos: Zone conference, English Club, Park

Zone Conference

English Club

Five Weeks in Tennessee - Lebanon, Tennessee

Hello everyone! 

I have now been in Tennessee for almost 5 weeks and time is passing faster and faster. And this area is doing really well right now. 3 weeks ago the ward split in half, creating a Lebanon 1st ward and a Lebanon 3rd ward (Lebanon 2nd is the spanish branch). So Elder Wakefield and I have cut our boundaries in half and are now just focusing on the Lebanon 3rd ward. It was sad to not see a lot of the 1st ward members as often as we did, but this change is for the best, and the members in the 3rd ward are incredible! 

We started having car problems 2 weeks ago, so we got bikes and were on bikes for a few days until the car was fixed. But then, when we got the car, it started having the same problem again just 4 days later. We turned it in again and were on bikes for almost another week. Cars are much more effective for missionary work, and much safer. But I actually loved the bikes! It felt like I was cheating and getting more exercise time each day and it was awesome. We now have a loaner car until transfers (which are next week).

We had zone conference on Wednesday and it was fantastic! President Graham is an incredible leader. There are more people on date for a November baptism than any other month in the history of the mission. After President Graham told us this, he started talking about the need for a temple. They have officially marked a spot for the Knoxville temple and it is going to be incredible! This part of the world is ready to better help people on the other side of the vail. Exciting times in the Tennessee Knoxville mission!

On Saturday, Elder Wakefield, a member friend of ours, and I went to visit a house of someone who had met with missionaries in the past, but due to lack of contact, it was tough to keep teaching her. It had been a few months since anyone had tried so we decided to stop by unexpectedly. The lady we were looking for was not there, but her son in law was. He seemed fairly set in his ways, and while we did tell him about our Church and the Book of Mormon, he felt the need to try and teach us as well. He said that with his non denominational beliefs, and listening to different pastors throughout his life, he has come to the conclusion that we must become 1% better each day. Really nice fellow. As we walked back to the car, we just kept realizing the similarities in the principles he taught and the principles we believe. There are a whole lot of Christians here, and they are such great people. But like President Hinckley said, we are just trying to add to their knowledge. There are a lot of great people everywhere. But this gospel is the next step. And the only way by which we can enter the gate. Everyone can be a great and happy version of themselves. But as I've come to learn, only this gospel, the true and restored gospel, can each individual become the greatest and happiest version of themselves. 

I hope everyone is doing well! I love being a missionary!

Elder McConkie

hyrum.mcconkie@missionary.org

New Missionary Follow-up Meeting - Knoxville, Tennesee

 

Last Email from Utah - Provo MTC

September 26th, 2022

Hello all!

So, I have been here at the MTC for a good 7 weeks now and don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved my time at the MTC, but it is definitely time to get outta here. I have 1 more week until I go to my new temporary reassignment while I wait for my VISA. Knoxville Tennessee here I come! The VISAs for Vietnamese missionaries are really slow and it’s looking like a 4-6 month wait. I love Vietnam and still feel like that is my place. But a few months in Tennessee will be awesome. I’m really excited to meet the Grahams (mission leaders) and be in the field!

Due to the extended stay at the MTC with the reassignments we will not have our Vietnamese teachers for the last week. GREAT TEACHERS! Sister Burden and Brother Richards have done a fantastic job getting us all as ready for the field as we could be.I’m gonna miss them. The only way I can repay them and all of you that I love is to go serve with all I’ve got.

Conference this week, lets goooooooooooooo! conference is 10x more exciting as a missionary. I’m excited for everyone to speak but I got a couple that I’m really pumped for. I call it my conference mount rushmore. The 4 speakers I’m really excited to hear: President Nelson, President Eyering, Elder Morrison, and of course, Elder McConkie. What a blessing it is to be able to hear from these legendary servants!

I hope yours all doing well, I am praying for everyone. And I can feel your prayers too! I am happy and learning lots. Something to pray for: All VISAs of every Vietnamese missionary waiting to go to Vietnam.

I love being a missionary!

-Elder McConkie