In Jennifer's last letter she told me I was bereft of my duties as a missionary and was not introducing you to the people in my life. so I thought perhaps I would share with you some of the most memorable people in my area.
First person. Anh Khoa. He is 26 yrs old, a recovering drug addict who wants the priesthood so he can baptize his mother. Three things aren't in his favor. One he doesn't like to listen to the missionaries, he spends the whole lesson saying Yeah, yeah yeah and not hearing what we say. second he doesn't work with men in positions of authority which makes interviewing and going to priesthood meeting almost impossible and third, he is in love with my companion, which means he is getting shipped to the elders. this is the second time one of the people we work with falls in love with my companion, thank goodness never with me, apparently I have a big sign on my forehead that reads "stay away" in Vietnamese :-)
Next person, is strong like an ox girl. I don't know what her real name is, but ever since we met and I said khoe lam (very good) she always tells me she is feeling strong like an ox. I love her and look forward to seeing her every week at the YSA activity, she always gives me a smile and a hug and I love singing by her for the Christmas choir practices. Yes we are having a Christmas choir, it is an inter faith choir and we perform Dec 15, I am so grateful for the opportunity to sing and that I can still play the piano here.
Next person, Co Nuong, she is our neighborhood gambling mother, I am thankful that Heavenly Father is helping me feel His love for her, because mostly I just want to give her a kick in the pants, who considers selling their daughter and grand-daughter to pimps? It just mean she has lost truth in her life and she needs to feel it again. I am excited to help her feel that love and truth again, in fact Chi Ly and I have already started. Yesterday we visited her and invited her to come to church, she had a whole list of excuses, about things people had said or had done to her. But she didn't have a response when I told her Heavenly Father had something I needed to share with her. I love Ether 6:5-11, it tells all about how Heavenly Father sent a fierce wind to the people of Jared so their barges would arrive at the promised land. Tthis wind caused all sorts of waves and scariness, yet the barges needed it to arrive in the promised land. As I read that scripture the spirit told me those verses were for Co Nuong and when I shared those verses and the knowledge I have that sometimes Heavenly Father allows storms to come and sometimes he sends in others to help us. Those winds (trials, gossip, addictions) can feel overwhelming and scary, but those winds are the things that will ultimately lead us back home and help us be what Heavenly Father would have us be. When I promised her Heavenly Father's help and promised her that those words were from her loving Father in Heaven it was amazing to see her face change and the hope in her face. I know Heavenly Father loves us and he will help us.
Last person for today, Co Va. she is a scary one, she has seven vicious dogs, made vicious from years of confusion at her moods and abuse. Co Va is bi-polar and is quite the character. We survived the visit and were excited to see her at church yesterday we also determined we would invite her to drink orange juice with us downstairs before we ever go to that apartment again. In that apartment I learned two things. I learned that I must have the spirit to do this work and that the spirit can not be where filth and contention are. Second I learned that I always want to be a good mother, I always want to reach out in love to my children, provide a place where they can feel the spirit and to cuddle them when they become scared or hurt. My heart determined these things as I listened to a new born baby cry for its mother and no one moved to do a thing, all I could do was hold its hand and rub its head as I made soothing noises. God's children are so precious and we must be careful in our stewardship of them.
I am thankful for the stewardship God has given me for his children. sometimes it feels so very overwhelming. But our God is one who glories in the details, He knows us and loves us and sometimes even allows us to be the answer to another persons prayer.
May we always be that answer.
Love Chi Dao
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