That Time Garrett Traveled To Vietnam

Well after I finished emailing you guys on Saturday we got into the car and went to the Phnom Penh (PP) airport.  We traveled with a Vietnamese sister who was going to transfer to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).  It was exciting to get going, but this sister is extremely motion sick.  And I sat next to her on the plane ride.   

Similar to Cambodia but much nicer

It was kind of weird because when were in the airport we had to take off our nametags and President told me I could not talk about the church, or about missionary work, etc.  I jokingly said, 'So, president you are telling me not to be a missionary."  He thought about it for a second and then said..."yea".  He also told me to kneel down and open my bag when we were in the airport.  I was a little confused, and then I saw him holding a stack of $100 bills.  The stack was probably 1.5 inches thick.  He told me he could not take more than $10,000 into Vietnam so he put a nice little stack of about $2000 in my bag.  I felt scared going through security.  Then I forgot about the money too, and it just sat in my bag for a day or so in HCMC when we were out and about.  It was fun though.   

Well the flight from Phenom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City was really short.  We literally just got up into the air, and then they said we were going to land.  Luckily the sister did not throw up on me.  When we got to Ho Chi Minh City we all got through customs and visa checks fine until Elder Khan.  I guess his passport only had 5 months left until it expired, and they want 6 months to be left in order to let you into the country.  We were kind of nervous, and we just watched Elder Khan talking with the agent and then having them call over other agents and talk.  Then one of them took Elder Khan on a nice little walk up and down the terminal.  The agent wanted money from Elder Khan, and he kept saying that he would let him in and help him but that elder khan had to help him a little bit.  Eventually they let him through when we showed and convinced them that he already had a ticket purchased to leave in 4 days.  We were very grateful that Elder Khan would be able to continue.   

 Some thing in HCMC that looked cool

We got in the taxi and went to the Elder’s apartment.  Ho Chi Minh City is super nice.  There were tons of bridges, overpasses, sky scrapers, etc.  I mean it is similar to Cambodia...motos everywhere, etc, but HCMC was very western though.  HCMC is very big.  It just keeps going and going. 

  HCMC from the top - lots of big nice buildings

In the area where the Elders and Sisters live there were a ton of white people.  The first night there I went out with two elders to a lesson.  In Vietnam there is one zone for both HCMC and Hanoi (all together in one).  There are usually 12 elders and sister in all of Vietnam.  6 in each city. HCMC is by far the best though in terms of progress that the church has made.  We traveled by taxi maybe 40-45 minutes to a lesson with a less active and his daughter.  It was fun to sit there and listen to them teach in Vietnamese, but then it gets kind of old honestly.   

 Lunch at an American members house

Then on Sunday we went to church with them.  There were 141 people there.  It is kind of an international branch.  There are several Americans living there with their families, the elders quorum president is Korean, etc.  There were a good amount of return Elders there that were still active and helping the branch.  That is something that Cambodia kind of struggles with.  It was really fun just to be there and be a part of it.  Afterwards we went to an American family’s house who lived at the top of a skyscraper.  We could see all the bridges, the city, etc.  HCMC also has Subway, Dominos, Burger King, etc.  Then we went and taught some lessons at people’s houses through the city. 

House looking building is the church and then a skyscraper in the back

You have to bike a long way there because you cannot contact or approach people so you meet who you can and if there is no one to meet it kind of stinks.  Monday we then had zone conference and Elder Khan and I did a pretty good job.  That night we flew to Hanoi which was a 1.5 hour long flight.  We got there late.  Hanoi itself is also very nice, but I did not like it is as much as HCMC because it just seemed dirtier and more strict.  Lots of big buildings though, the highway was just like one in America.  It was kind of chilly up there too.   
 

After the zone conference in HCMC

We got there late and got to the Elder’s apartment (which was not as nice as the HCMC apartment at all) and then the next day we had zone conference.  It went well again and was fun to be up there with all the missionaries.  Parts of Hanoi reminded me of NYC.  The work up there is definitely not as good, and they get about 45 at church every week.  We sat around a little bit at night at the church because we had no one to go see, and we could not go and contact.  I feel like serving there would be fun for a while, and then it would just get old when you could not do anything. 

In Hanoi, at the church.

I was impressed with the Vietnamese people’s English.  Many of them know pretty good English...a lot better than in Cambodia.  The next day we flew back to Cambodia.  PP is a little different than Vietnam. Actually a lot different, but it was so fun to be able to go there.  I saw communism flags with the hammer and sickle thing and a few weird paintings and murals that hinted death and communism.  The south just seemed happier and lighter. 
 

Kind of of looks like NYC

I ate the famous Vietnamese soup called pho; it was kind of similar to Khame soup, but I had to eat it at least one time.  I loved Vietnam.  It was a really great week.  Traveling with President was fun too.  He talked about fishing and just regular things which was different but fun.

Driving around in Hanoi.  

In Hanoi, the Elders live on the 18 floor. 

I don’t know if I told you guys, but at our last zone conference when Elder and Sister Wilson were here we all got the assignment to read the Book of Mormon again with a fresh copy and highlight in different colors all the references to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have loved it.  I feel like I have picked up more on the repetition of the gospel of Christ in the Book of Mormon.  I especially love the sections where I just get to go "crazy" and mark a ton of things just like 3 Nephi 31.  I am looking to finish this project.  I am in Jacob now and then when I am done I want to go forward, and I want to do it again but only mark references to Christ or go through just looking for answers to specific questions.

Elder's house. So nice. A bit messy.

I feel like recently the scripture telling us that when we are in the service of our fellow beings we are only in the service of our God has come more alive.  I am obviously not perfect and sometimes need a lot more patience, but in the office we have to do a lot of little errands or things to fix a problem or help someone.  I have felt happier as I have served others and sacrificed my time or something that I wanted to do to help make someone else's life a little bit easier.  I know I still have a long way to go and sometimes I need to work on not complaining to myself before I go out and serve them, but I really have enjoyed the chance to try and become a little more like Christ since being in the office. 

 Can't escape the roadside food places.