Always Eat the Cake

The New Year is this weekend, or in other words, this weekend will be the party of a lifetime. Really I don't understand the holiday, but it's a big deal. The past month people have been preparing buying food, buying gifts, cleaning their houses, visiting family, decorating, the list goes on and on. Problemo is that no one has had time to meet because they're either busy getting everything ready from sun rise to sun set, or they've gone back to their home towns for like a month. We're struggling a bit with getting lessons taught, but if you can't find a way to do missionary work you're doing something wrong. This week will probably be visiting all those who are not leaving town and helping homes get cleaned and all the fun service stuff.

Sen's Shindig

This week was Sen, our recent coverts, birthday! Surprise birthday parties are the thing to do around here, so we got some of the members together and had a little shindig at the church. It was a good time and the cake was good. I eat cake numerous times a week...You know that movie Matilda when the mean principal lady, Ms. Trunchbull or something like that makes the fat kid eat the giant chocolate cake in front of the whole school and although the chubster loves cake it's a struggle to eat it all. That's how I feel or regular occasion. I cannot NOT eat cake though. Like who goes to a shindig and doesn't eat cake? I'll tell you who - noobs and squares.

Chú Trường and Chú Nguyên are holding hands. Baptism buddies! :)

Six people were baptized this week! The sweetest family of five got baptized and a man named Chú Trường. Chú Trường showed up at the gate of the church late one night about a month and a half ago and told the security guy that he wanted to talk to the missionaries. He came inside, but no one really knew who he was. The Elders talked to him a bit and found out that he had learned about the gospel about a year prior but stopped learning because he left Saigon and wanted to begin learning again. Now, a month and a half later he's a baptized man!

Classic Baptism Pics.

Funny little experience:

On Friday I went on exchanges with Chị Hồng and served in her branch. We went on a little bike ride (hour and a half and three bridges) to district 12 to visit a super cute young member, Em Ngọc. We taught and had lunch together and had a jolly good time. It's not companionship exchanges unless you have a little mishap though...

While heading back home Chị Hồng went over a screw and punctured her bike tire - and the adventure began. We wandered around for about 45 minutes trying to find a place to fix the tire, but no one in that area did that. There were only people fixing moto's and selling machines. Finally though we found a little place that could fix the tire, but would have to wait about 30 minutes. Hồng and I being typical woman, our first instinct was to go shopping while we waited. Like I said there were only people fixing moto's and selling machines in that area, but we were determined to find some shopping! I've learned in my short time here that EVERY SINGLE thing happens for a reason and especially every experience that just seems like a problem has a reason and is an opportunity to do the Lord's work. Walking down the busy street I asked Chị Hồng "So who looks like they need to be contacted?" I saw a man selling nước mía with a mullet...maybe another day. We kept walking and found a clothing store that was selling Britney Spears style mesh tops...I'm an optimist so we went inside. We browsed for a minute, then the owner saw us and started talking to us. After just a second she realized we were Americans and got SO excited and wanted us to speak English with her. Before I could even say xin chào she was pulling out chairs and forcing us to sit down and talk to her. Goooood stuff! We ended up spending about 30 minutes in her little house/business talking about her family and inviting her to English class. And soon she's going to have dinner with us at Em Ngọc's house!

The Lord continues to work in mysterious ways.

If He keeps this up I think the church should issue me a Mystery Machine (I think that's what it's called). You know, like the van Shaggy and Scooby have? Just a thought.

That's it for this week. Love you all more than fat kids love cake!

-Chị Trịnh Ly

P.S. I just got the transfer call and I'm staying in the Thảo Diền branch but I have a new companion, Sister Tiên. We live in the same house and have gone on exchanges before together so it won't be too much of an adjustment.

L8r Sk8r's