Missionary Christmas - Taipei Style

So what is it like to be on a mission during Christmas?  Taiwan doesn’t really celebrate Christmas, not even the members of the Church - no special dinner, no singing, no gift giving, no scripture story reading.  Just hasn’t caught on here.  The stores and shops may have a Christmas tree here and there, but that is the only evidence of a celebration of any kind. Shops are all open, people still go to school and work, and the day just quietly passes with very little notice. But our little tree and poinsettia cheered up our apartment nicely and brought some Christmas color and cheer. 

It has been nice to have more time to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and lay aside, at least while on our mission, the hustle and bustle and clamor of a typical US Christmas. Our hearts have been tender as we’ve thought more about the humble birth of the Creator of the Universe. We’ve felt close to Him and have felt of His love. And we’ve enjoyed Face-Timing and Marco Polo-ing our children and grandchildren during their Christmas festivities.

Our mission has the tradition of providing two community concerts every year on the Sunday before Christmas, to help show the joy and the reason for the season. All missionaries from the mission (about 136 of them) were able to be together (no easy feat – they had to come from hours away and stay overnight with missionaries in Taipei) to provide a packed-chapel with songs sacred to the birth of Jesus Christ. The miracle of Christmas became very evident as these young people sang their testimonies of the birth of the Son of God. 

Our wonderful senior missionary who organized the concerts

A new missionary sister from Sweden visits with a friend

Our mission president's wife oversaw the concert planning, and
accompanied some of the songs

A few of the talented missionary performers

Two community concerts in one day - and both brought in a completely full house

This elder stops for a honey rush -soothing a throat sore from all the singing!

In between concerts we stopped for a group photo. It was a great time for a “family photo” of sorts. 

Two zone conferences were held the next two days – and we were busy preparing delicious holiday food for the missionaries, setting up, serving, taking down and cleaning up. They also enjoyed a talent show and watching Mr. Krueger’s Christmas, before resuming their zone training.

 Christmas Eve one of our senior sister missionaries and we invited our Office Elders and Assistants to the President missionaries to join us for a simple Christmas Eve dinner and the sharing of the Christmas story from the scriptures. These are amazing missionaries and we loved sharing Christmas with them.

Since Wednesday was not a Taiwanese holiday, the temple was open. It is always great to be in the temple. There currently aren’t many temples in the world open on Christmas day.  The missionaries were all invited to participate. What a special experience to be in the temple on the day we celebrate Christ’s birth.

The mission president and his wife treated all the senior missionaries to dinner and activities at their home Christmas night, which we followed with our weekly English group. Since Wednesday was not a holiday, we still had our English conversation group, and many came.

Dinner for the senior missionaries at the Mission President's home

Advanced English Group - Christmas night (not a holiday for any of them!)

In all, it was a busy time, which was great for lessening any feelings of homesickness, which of course set in. But you serve more, and spend more time talking to children and grandchildren, and focus on the blessing that it is to be in the service of the Lord.

One hymn sings - “mild He lays His glory by…” – Before He was born, before any of us were born, we all recognized His glory, power, love and purpose. If we sang for joy when the foundations of the earth were laid, surely we sang with great fervor and rejoicing at the moment of His holy birth, when He “laid His glory by” and came to earth for each one of us.

If we sang for joy then, and we sing for joy now, it’ll be an incredible day for all of us as we sing for joy when He returns to the earth, bringing His glory with Him this time, to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.  It just can’t come soon enough!

Merry Christmas to everyone!  He is the miracle, the reason, the purpose of the season.

Meanwhile, the entire island is preparing for the big event of the year - the Chinese New Year which officially begins on January 25th. It takes precedence over Christmas hands down. As the Year of the Rat, representing vitality and intelligence, it's destined to be a great one!

Flickr.com Courtesy of Michael Rehfeldt

Farewell, Vietnam

It’s February 2018.  The end of our mission has come. Everyone has been so generous in their kindnesses to us, with Tet meals in their homes and surprise farewell parties to beautiful remembrances and lots and lots of hugs.

Traditional Tet dinner at the home of one of our investigators.

Surprise farewell party guests

Beautiful Memory Book

Us with Mission President Lewis Hassell and his wife Sister Mary Hassell

Today was our last Sunday here. They asked us to speak in church about miracles.  We have seen many miracles in the lives of the people, powerful miracles that bring the power of the Atonement into sharp focus - miracles that testify Heavenly Father is always mindful of His children and is in the details of the details of our lives.

A few of our miracles

We sang God Be with You Till We Meet Again, Vietnamese and English lyrics ascending together in a harmonious symphony of unity and praise. There was lingering affection and that “one last hug”. Tears flowed, hearts ached.

Farewell photo with branch builders from our district

With soul-rending affection, we bid our dear friends farewell. Then we turned and walked away. 

All endings are simply new beginnings in another time and place. 

It’s a bittersweet experience.

We wouldn't trade our mission experiences for anything in the world.

"Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth;... glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth!" (verses from D&C 128)

Combined East and West Saigon Zones with 26 young branch builders and 10 seniors
(2 not in photo), plus our mission president and his wife, February 15, 2018

Christmas Comes, Even in Vietnam

Tin-foil wrapped creches adorn private businesses on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Tunes of spiritual Christmas hymns float through shopping centers. People occasionally even wish one another "Merry Christmas."

Traditions that are sometimes controversial in other parts of the world are readily available here in Vietnam, if you know where to look for them. 

Christmas celebrations are gaining popularity here, with each year seeing an increase in parties, celebrations, singing and programs. And shopping, of course. Children adorn little santa suits or santa dresses for those special school or church Christmas occasions. 

Still, many of the young people who came for our Christmas Eve program at our home had never been to a Christmas celebration before. It was a unique opportunity for us to share the reason we celebrate - that a babe born in Bethlehem many years ago is the King of creation and the Savior of souls.

Sharing the Christmas story

It is our joy to serve our Lord Jesus Christ by sharing Christmas traditions, song, stories, culture and love with these wonderful friends. Truly the Light of the World is filling hearts with values of faith, hope, trust and peace. And while our own hearts are miles away with our children, our hearts are filled to overflowing by the priceless gift of the greatest Gift, and the privilege that is ours to be in His service on this special day. What we end up accomplishing while on our mission may be very small - but who we are becoming inside is no small thing. 

Still, Christmas in Vietnam is not quite like anything we've experienced elsewhere. It's own unique traits make it a memorable experience indeed!

Christmas comes, even in Vietnam.

Sing to the tune of "My Favorite Things"

Tin foil wrapped crèches

And spray painted branches,      

Street vendor noodles

And sidewalks in patches

Bustling motos that drive with no fear

This is how Christmas is spent here this year!

Smiling new converts

In baptismal clothing,

Branch builders teaching

With faces now glowing.

Sharing the message of Christ far and near

This is how Christmas will last all the year!

When the dogs bark

When the bus honks

When sweat feels like glue,
You simply remember the Reason you're here -
And then you won't ever feel blue!

Elder Coffey showing temperatures from around the world to a street vendor friend.
Visiting with the people is what makes being here at Christmas so wonderful.

Feeding Christmas dinner to grateful branch builders on Christmas Day

Yule logs - Vietnamese style

Our guests Light up the World with what
 gift they will give in the coming year, carefully written
on little stars.

Fun Foods of Ho Chi Minh City

Pho Bo

Bun Bo Hue

One of the great cultural interests of Vietnam is it's unique cuisine. Many people are most familiar with the steaming bowls of beef noodle soup - Phở.

There are several variations of Phở, but our favorite is the raw beef version. When your bowl first comes to you, the thin strips of raw beef on top are literally cooked within seconds in the piping hot broth. Cost? $2.90.

But did you know there are literally dozens and dozens of rice noodle soups of various names and with all kinds of ingredients?  Like Bún bò Huế , pictured to the right. Each soup has its own special name and flavor, though to many Westerners they all look like - well - like noodle soup!

The other all time favorite in Vietnam is Chả giò - a fried spring roll that is completely unique from other countries versions of fried rolls.  Traditionally you wrap them in greens and dip them in nước mắm (fish sauce). When I was little and lived here in Saigon, we'd have 100 of them made up and eat them as the main course. These are a family favorite of ours.

Flickr.com courtesy of Katarina

But what else is there to eat here in Vietnam?  It's time to go exploring! That's when the fun begins!



Bánh mì - which really means bread - is the Vietnamese version of Subway. Probably the most popular food item in the country. Cheap, fast, and available everywhere. Motorcyclists stop by the little carts to order their take-away Bánh mìs. They come neatly wrapped in used paper and a rubber band. When the food is gone, the cart owners close up shop and the cart disappears down the street or into a nearby shop. Cost?  About 65 cents.

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Bánh xèo, or sizzling cake - made with rice flour, water, tumeric, seafood and vegetables. We ate our first Bánh xèo with one of the other senior couples here in HCMC. This particular restaurant was made "famous" by chef and food author Anthony Bourdain.

 Here is the kitchen where they make this famous dish. 

Sinh Tố - the most delicious discovery here.  Fruit smoothies of exotic flavors - mango, soursop, papaya, strawberry, coconut, or our all time favorite - avocado.  And if you haven't tried an avocado smoothie yet, Google it and try it.  You are in for a real treat! Commercial cost?  About 90 cents.

My homemade avocado smoothie - yum!

Everywhere we go, if they have smoothies, we try them.  Our good friend showed us where there was an especially delicious smoothie vendor - tucked down a little alley where we sat on the popular tiny red plastic stools and sipped away under the canopy of an old fabric awning on a sweltering humid day. Chickens, cats and geckos mingled aimlessly around us - and the enjoyment of the smoothie was only topped by the aesthetics of the surroundings.

Pork kebabs are not exactly Vietnamese, but they come right off the street vendor carts and we love them. Street vendors are an endangered species here, as the government tries to keep the sidewalks clear for pedestrians, and sometimes the carts get forcibly removed.  Somehow, the carts reappear within a few days. Cost?  About $1.25.

Another non-Vietnamese treat here is Bing Su - a delicious blend of finely shaved ice and packed with your choice of fruit or other flavors.  Elder Coffey goes for the mango and I go for the chocolate - both are delicious! Cost? About $2.95.

But back to traditional Vietnamese fair - the cơm gà (rice chicken) is the street food of choice for many - including us.  On Tuesdays when we run out to District 6 to teach English conversation, we usually make our way to the little shop across the street where their cơm gà is the best we have tasted anywhere. 

Our cơm gà dinner - with broken rice, seasoned deep- fried chicken, and a few veggies, costs a whopping $1.20. Each. To the right is our cơm gà lady - whipping up a plate for us.

Eating cơm gà with the branch builders of District 6.

The banana paper lady.  I don't know the real name for her treat - but it involves smashed paper thin dried bananas dried over coals.  We bought from her a couple of times, and now she cheerfully invites us to continue the habit each time we pass her spot.

We could go on and on about the interesting foods we have discovered here - but let's end this post with two of the most unusual.  The red dragon fruit is a tropical fruit of Southeast Asia - looks similar inside to the kiwi fruit - but lower on the flavor scale.  Still, it's beauty makes it a popular gift or dessert.

 

And lastly, the frogs.  A cage full of patiently waiting frogs.  Cheap protein.

Uhhh - no - we did not try the famous frog porridge. 

 Though I'm told it's delicious....

As good as these foods are, when we tire of them, we always fall back on our American recipe of homemade zucchini bread!