Does He walk where you labor?

Several moments have passed by without the snippets of a song or poem that passed through my brain getting properly captured as I might have done in an earlier day when the pace of life was more measured. Now it borders on frenetic- and I have pity on the saints who will follow us here- even if they are younger and fresh. The work worth doing seems endless, and the laborers are few indeed. But we have the awareness that unseen hands labor with us, and even while we sleep.

Christmas in the Hanoi Mission is unique. We have a few traditions, and they have meaning; some are long-standing from many sources, and others we have instituted. Among these are the sharing of Christmas songs, carols, funny poems and memorable times together in His service, as His servants.

Here then is this year's edition of a Christmas carol, now that a moment of reflection and quiet has come. May it bless your life and Christmas, as my gift to you. Christina Rossetti and Alfred Burt I am not, but a grateful soul for the mystery of a Savior born of a virgin and laid in a manger I can be and am. I see his footprints around me; I witness his hands touching the lives and hearts of those I love, giving healing and hope, and I know his wondrous love.

The Babe in the Manger

(Christmas 2017, Lewis Hassell)

Casting out the dark night- his birth brought  new light!

A daystar shone bright in the West and the East!

And blind eyes were opened receiving new sight.

The Babe in the manger, our King, yet the Least.

Hallelujah we sing with the angels above.

Hallelujah we praise the Babe King, born of Love!

In a world of sin where the wicked may reign,

His birth gives us hope for the future ahead.

In a world of sorrow, depression and pain,

This Babe in the manger brings life for the dead.

Hallelujah we sing with the angels above

Hallelujah we praise the Babe King, born of Love.

In a land where his name’s yet to sound in each ear

Yet his feet walk the paddy and toil in the Huyen*.

His hands show them mercy; His voice calls “Come near!”

The Babe in the manger will point them to Heaven.

Hallelujah we sing with the angels above

Hallelujah we praise the Babe King, born of Love.

*Vietnamese term for a village or small town.

Here is the music if you are inclined to want to sing.

Turning further towards our desires...

                                   

The things that motivate us are most often pretty universal, although also individual. In a country with a history of poverty and deprivation, the widespread yearning to build a better economic life for themselves and their children has been a dominant theme in Vietnam's psyche for a long time. The belief that by working more, working harder, they can lift themselves from their plight is prevalent. We often encounter people who work 15-17 hours a day to provide for their families. It is a habit born of the day when one's employment barely covered the costs of putting rice in the bowl for half the month. Lawyers and teachers take on extra work by driving an Uber or Grab ride-sharing vehicle in their off hours. Home businesses (from selling smoothies to hardware) supplement the office job or factory work, managed by the at-home grandparent or spouse, usually with opening hours that would make a convenience store jealous.  
Clearly related to this is the recognition that war and conflict poses a risk to that hope, just as it has imposed a heavy cost in the past. So a desire for peace has also been a celebrated theme here for a long time. 
Hanoi has proclaimed itself a "city of Peace" and the symbolism of the dove figures strongly in public iconography, right down to the public buses that feature an idealization in their exterior paint design. While maintaining a strong presence of a military, and often attracting recruits by means of the economic advantage of education and employment, the city is not one that has seen armed conflict for a long time now.

The drive for economic improvement is related perhaps to the thrust to become educated, and the desire to see one's children better educated than oneself so they have an advantage in the marketplace ahead. Schools in Vietnam are often crowded, with generally large classes, sometimes with two different sessions for different enrollments, a morning session from 7-12 and an afternoon enrollment from 1-5. In addition, the number of evening classes offered by private teachers and tutors, as well as institutes, academies, and such is protean. Walking by the ILA, or the VietMy Association, or Titan Education buildings at 8 pm is to see the upwardly hopeful parents awaiting their children's release from these enrichments.

Of course many of these enrichments are merely core capabilities like English, math and science as well. While suburban parents in the west escort their kids to soccer or gymnastics or music, the after school hours here are crammed with added study sessions in languages and STEM content.
These drives and desires carry over into times when we might rather they did not, such as Sunday mornings, when we would prefer that families were together and attending church services, and of course Monday evenings when we'd encourage families to strengthen their bonds with each other.
I think the challenge for families in this case, or individuals, is in understanding truly the ultimate costs, rather than just the marginal costs. With a bias towards seeking economic improvement, or educational benefit, or even peace and social harmony, we make most decisions to seek these things based only on the added incremental cost, the marginal cost- be that a couple of more hours of work at night, an extra class for an hour on Sunday morning, or an added social imposition of control to preserve peace. But in making these kinds of choices we often undervalue the alternatives, things which might also be strong values, but less urgent and more easily deferred to another time, or just relegated to someone else's duty.
What is the true value of a few hours each week for family time in the evenings? What kind of difference does it make for a father to hold and play with his children each day? How would one's life be different if one were together with one's family in church each Sunday? What kind of human values would develop if allowed to gather for social action without the need to register content details and the ID card numbers of each participant whether foreign or domestic? These are questions oft forgotten or left unanswered in the rush of humanity towards the elusive goals of a better more secure economic life, higher education and urban tranquility.
We are heartened however by the number of bright young single adults who are seeing the difference that a balance between these dominant drivers in society can make. They are bravely swimming against the stream in taking time to worship, time to serve, and time to integrate spirituality amid the press of the corporal concerns. The recent YSA conference in Hanoi centered around the theme that "Your Story Begins at Home" and helped many of them see the relationships with parents, siblings and friends as the starting point for happiness in the story they are writing to include a spouse, children and grandchildren. The inter-connectedness of choices in small and simple things now and the state of their lives decades from now became more clear as they heard the story of others further along the path, like Elder and Sister Peter Meurs, from the Asia Area Presidency.

Though we are not totally sure whether they come for the fruit and home-made cookies, or the chance to discuss the topics from the institute courses on preparing for an eternal and glorious marriage, we are grateful to welcome a varied group of these young people to our home on Sunday evenings. Even when the topic is as grave as how to confront and overcome problems like pornography, they seem eager to listen, ask insightful and probing questions, and linger after to visit. (And they are always keen to clean up the kitchen and such before they leave!)

We aren't going to turn the tide of Vietnamese society away from its yearning for a better economic future, nor will we have much impact on the private enrichment educational industry here through our branch-builder's English sessions, but we think there are a growing number of wondereful young Latter-day Saints who are seeing that fulfillment and joy in life is not measured in the size of a bank account, or the score on your IELTS exam. It is however found in the peace of mind and heart that comes from relationships made pure by the Atonement of Jesus Christ

Kings and Princes, Queens and Princesses

Follow us to learn a bit about what life was like for the Nguyen Dynasty Kings- It may give a clue as to why everyone wanted to be a Nguyen!

                                 

A visit to Vietnam often includes some contact with the vast history of this country, which spans millenia. It is a history that is remembered in the street names, (with I believe an official list of which names are acceptable resulting in the repetition of certain common heros’ streets being found in almost every city or town in the country,) statues, and historic sites. A few weeks back we were close by the site dedicated to the memory of two of those, the Two Trung Sisters, and more recently we were in Hue, the site of the grand Citadel and Forbidden City of the Nguyen dynasty, which governed the country from the early 1800s to 1945 when the last ruler Bao Dai, agreed to abdicate and exiled to France where he later died and was buried. 

But his ancestors built an impressive complex modeled in many respects after the Forbidden City in Beijing. The grand lay-out incorporated many familiar features- the central way, reserved for the King, with parallel entrances and paths for mandarins and courtiers, a separation of public and private spaces, men’s and women’s quarters, worship and pleasure. 

                                

The great deeds and poetic, wise utterances are commemorated and remembered in a vast hall with altars of each of the rulers, with the exception of the last, and the most noted being the founding father, Gia Lam. While a young missionary we lived on a street named for one of these Nguyen rulers, Thanh Thai, always being careful that we pronounced the name with the proper tones lest we instruct someone that we lived on the “become pregnant” street rather than that named for the ruler of the past. The street has since been renamed for a more acceptable hero (An Duong Vuong) and although there is a Thanh Thai street, it is rather unimportant. 

Altar commemorating the seventh Nguyen King, Thanh Thai, his poetry engraved in the walls behind.

                                  

Architectural detail of the Queen Mother's residence in the Forbidden City, Hue

                         

It was under the Nguyen dynasty that the French colonial influence (control?) intervened in Vietnam. So it is not surprising that many European influences entered into both the forms and the education of the later kings of that dynasty. And if one were to look upon the excesses of the next to last emporer, Khai Dinh, as reflected in his tomb, one might wonder if these were in part the cause of or at least contributing to the demise of the dynasty, a lesson demonstrated a generation earlier to the French themselves. The human and economic costs seem not dissimilar to those of the Book of Mormon king Noah, whose life was much more directed towards personal pleasures and consumption rather than the common good. Our guide admitted that “He [Khai Dinh] was not a good king” even as she took pride in the art and effort required to construct a tomb with features such as the life-size bronze statue, and the concrete pallaquin over his head, decorated to appear like silk above him. 

                                 

   

Wall details in Khai Dinh Tomb, Hue, depicting two of the seasons of the year

                                

In the current space of the Royal City, there is space to try on the yellow robes of the former kings decorated with the dragon motif, and even, for a price, to pose ceremoniously on the throne where one can be admired and paid homage to by whatever tourist may stand nearby, endeared fleetingly with no doubt countless “likes” on whatever social media is chosen to acclaim one’s glory. 

Dragon motif decorating the modern temple dedicated to the memory of the Tran Huyen Princess, Hue.

                                

We are most abundantly fortunate in knowing of those rewards prepared by a loving King who desires all his children to be Kings and Queens, and joint heirs with him of all power and majesty. It is the ultimate populist doctrine-- “Ye are gods”  He said, and not peons or paupers, Kings and Queens, not slaves or servants. And unlike the dead and forgotten Kings who defended their riches and power by fortress, armies, secrecy and often intrigue, the Kings and Queens in His Kingdom find that power and honor, glory and influence flow unto them "without compulsory means" seemingly out of thin air, "as the dew of heaven." 

Hai Quan Pass separates Hue from Danang and points south; The Nguyen dynasty fortified this key point to defend their capital, to which later generations of warriors added more defenses.

                       

International Children's Day brought out some traditional costumes for one of our neighbors from Korea.

Sister H and Sister H in Danang share a common goal of being of service to their fellows- the signature of a transformed life, whether in a Mormon or a Buddhist.

Senior Missionary Sisters gather before an evening of cultural experiences in Hue, one in heart and mind if not in dress.

Being able to find the noble, the sublime, the confidence and regal glory that can emerge in the lives of many who have cast themselves on the ash-heap of life is perhaps the great miracle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even for those who have retained some sense of propriety and self-esteem the transformation as they come to understand what it means to BE a Child of God is always so remarkable. And wonderfully, it is not a situation where one ever has to worry about there being a more favored child somewhere else in the family; no crown prince or spoiled princess is ahead of us in the birth order! We are all offered the same wonderful kinship as heirs with all His children of all that He has, nothing more, and nothing less. 

That’s the work we see our wonderful young (and old) missionaries doing each day. Pig’s ears become silk purses. Beauty for ashes. Victory from the jaws of defeat. Light and life supplants darkness and despair. Not surprisingly, it is joyful work, albeit also toilsome. We will not stop because we are tired, or worn, though there are times of respite and rejuvenation (such as General Conference weekends.) But we are ever motivated for the next opportunity to witness the miracle of a new King or Queen being prepared for their inheritance. No exiles or abdication needed, for this dynasty is an everlasting one.

Members and missionaries break between Conference Sessions to enjoy banh cuon and gio at a nearby street cafe. Red chilies and limes make it look like Christmas!

Part of the noble army of peace-bringers in Hanoi- none here more noble!

The French-era Colonial Government Center of French Indochine is now home to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, which has nicely restored the exterior.

In seeking to create a culture of such nobility of thought and demeanor, we mesh so well with the cultural value here which seeks peace. After so many centuries of wars and conflicts, the people are just now beginning to reap the economic benefits of peaceful times, the so-called "peace dividend" from not wasting one's resources and spoiling one's countryside with the ill-will and toxins of conflict. But it really is the Prince of Peace, and the  principles he taught that bring both inner and eternal Peace, that are desired. Notably, other religious themes of thought also carry some of this yearning for peace, and often through very similar principles. So as we climbed to the top of the hill behind the Tran Huyen Temple in our ties and white shirts, we could with the Buddhist monk there, also unashamedly ring the large cast bell, the Peace bell, that reminds the surrounds of that yearning. Perhaps you can also hear the resonant call for peace. It is a call made most convincing coming from true Kings and genuine Queens- the covenant-keeping, righteous-living kind!

A Peaceful Place for the Process of the Changing of the Guard

I remember watching a film of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace when I was a child, and hearing my mother read, many times, a collection of poems by A.A. Milne, which included his well-known one which starts out with....

They're changing guards at Buckingham Palace.
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.

And it came to mind as we were at the Citadel in Hue last week, showing it to our cohort of senior missionaries as part of our semi-annual senior missionary conference, because we happened to arrive there just before the early morning ceremonial posting of the guard there.

And because we are heading into the period of time when our 2016 group of 8 seniors will start returning home and new ones will be joining us.

One thing that has been particularly good is that, blessedly, the government required authorization letter finally was issued 24 hours before our newest senior couple, the Braithwaites, were scheduled to fly here. Without that authorization, entry into the country would be impossible.  But it came.  So they could.  And they did, arriving about 10 hours before our morning flight to Hue.  So they were able to be part of the conference too.

Elder Braithwaite is our second senior elder who served here previously in the military.   

And no, it wasn't raining.  Umbrellas are also sunshades in this part of the world.

The meetings were helpful and insightful and good.  We have a group of thoughtful, earnest disciples here and it is a pleasure to work with them.

This was L. and my third trip to this historic city.  It's a pleasant break from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and offers, along with it's surrounding area, some lovely, peaceful places.  

So, we also spent some time facilitating our senior couples in seeing some of that while we were here..  

This pagoda complex is one of my favorites.  The quiet, still in the city but up on a hill, is calming.

And I particularly love the view of the river it offers

Here are a few more photos to give you a bit of a sense of this city.

And then, this week, we held our next Hanoi Zone Conference.  I can't say how much I love these people.  Not enough words.  I love, particularly, watching them learn to listen to, love and watch over each other as they engage in their work.

Elder T. rolled his ankle on his way to the conference.  Elder V. was prepared.

Practicing the art of counseling together

Such good hearts.

Listening to sisters discussing scriptures in Relief Society in the Ha Đòng branch today

There are thoughtful women here.

Harvesting... and tools

                                

The culture of Vietnam has such a very strong tie to the “que huong” or home town. It persists over generations even for people born in the cities, who nevertheless still maintain a fondness for their village of origin. And it is not an idle passing nostalgia. Rather, it is an on-going vibrant relationship with the land, their ancestral homes and what has been built over generations. One manifestation of this is the regular exodus from the cities back to the countryside, most especially for holidays, such as the recently passed Ngay Quoc Khanh, or National Day (commemorating a declaration of independence from French colonial rule by the Viet Minh in Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi in 1945 following the defeat of the Japanese.) But depending on the distances involved, it is not unusual to find people who travel a hundred kilometers or further each weekend, or perhaps several times a month to reconnect with parents and family in the que.

     

We took the opportunity to enjoy some time with some friends recently on such a visit to their hometown in Ben Tre, located about 120 km from Ho Chi Minh City, normally about a two hour drive. But the holiday turned that into more than four hours. But that did however give us a pause on the bridge over one of the “Nine Dragons” as the translation of the Mekong would be from the Viet term “Cuu Long.” Pausing as we did (for what must have been 45 minutes) we were able to see the river traffic, a few floating houses, perhaps shepherding herds of fish, and enjoy an elevated perspective on this otherwise quite flat landscape.

      

Any visit to the delta of this massive river reminds one of the richness of this land. It is a veritable cornucopia of agricultural and aquatic richness. And that brings me to my topic of the harvest. In addition to the rice paddies which often yield three crops a year, there are also massive amounts of fruit produced- bananas, coconuts, mangos, jackfruit, citrus, and a host of others including lychee, longan or dragon eyes, and rambutan (cham cham.) One of our stops during this visit was at the orchard of a friend who had an acre or two of rambutan and lanzones (yup, I had never heard of them either!)

Rambutan trees often have braces between branches, and supports from the ground to keep the tree from breaking under the weight of a heavy harvest.

                                   

Lanzones or in Vietnamese "bon bon" grow from the trunk, hence the species name "parasiticum" I think.

                                   

Rambutans grow on a rather tall tree, which tends to spread out broadly, with the fruit at the ends of the branches. As a result, the boughs in the fruiting season can easily become too heavy for the main branches to bear. So they require bracing and props to support them. But with this spreading habit, harvesting fruit from the tops of the 20-30 foot trees, even when they are bowed down with ripe fruit, would be a challenge. Enter human ingenuity.

                                    

The tool of the harvest for these terminal branch fruits (rambutan, dragon eyes, longans, etc.) is a long bamboo pole, with a narrow gap, perhaps 20 cm long between the two sides at one end, braced from splitting further or breaking by a wrap with poly-ties or other material that reinforce the end at the base of the gap. The harvester simply extends the pole to engage the small fruit bearing branches into the gap and then twists the pole to break the branches off and lower the fruit to the ground. Each such action might easily yield up to a dozen of the fuzzy red to yellow fruits.

The bags are quickly filled when the harvesting rod brings down a few bunches.

                                   

This is an activity not without its likeness. We see the fruit ripening all around us- it is the sweetness in the lives of young and old, the growth of wisdom and meekness that comes to accept the light of Christ's life and message and desires to follow him. To follow his example in being baptized, to follow his example and teachings in loving and serving others, and to participate in the model of feeling his love (often through others ministration), changing for the better, and partaking in a covenant promise to live his commandments (most often by participating in the sacrament each week) that they may have his spirit to be with them on the next, and each subsequent leg of this "eternal round" journey back home, to the ultimate "que huong" above.

        

We were recently impressed by the assertion that the tool for this harvest, the harvest of souls, is the Book of Mormon. We have been thinking about that a lot, and have spent considerable time teaching our missionaries how to consider it as key to their efforts to solve the problems they face. 

                                 

It first helps them to sharpen their own lives, focus their own hopes and salvation in Jesus Christ. It witnesses of him, and brings hope and understanding to cope with their own personal journey to come closer to him. So many stories of young men and women, like unto them- Nephi, Enos, Alma, Corianton, Mormon and Moroni, speak these truths of how we can be changed by coming to Christ, and by serving others.

It helps them see the motive and the method in what they should be doing as they are sent to represent him before the world. The examples of Nephi and Jacob, who "spoke of Christ, rejoiced in Christ, taught of Christ, prophesied of Christ, and wrote of Christ" or of Ammon and his brothers among the Lamanites who said, "yea, I will be thy servant," reinforce the teachings and example of the Savior himself, whose message was pure and focused, and who "went about doing good."

We were particularly impressed with some of the lessons the Book of Mormon offers as we work with others in this cause to build Zion and overcome opposition. Here the story of Captain Moroni and his Commander in Chief, Pahoran, as detailed in Alma 59-62 is so highly instructive. I sometimes hear the young missionaries complain that they are not getting the support they wish they had from this branch leader or that member. Then I think of this story- of Captain Moroni's zeal, and his mis-judgement. And I think of Pahoran's humble and wise response to being severely censured. The lesson most pertinent however, is that once they had united in understanding and jointly worked to oppose those who were thwarting the righteous work they were trying to do, not only were they once again friends and united in spirit, but they were successful.

Finally, in the stories of the Book of Mormon we find examples and answers for so many of the challenges of life that someone investigating the doctrines of Christ and his Church might encounter. Disbelief, struggles with stubbornness, weak faith, sin and bad habits, dwindling valiance in good things, opposition from family or friends, inability to keep commitments, competing demands of work, friends and finances, and so on.

For all these reasons, it is the tool suited to the harvest, the harvest of souls in preparation for his second advent. And we are so blessed to have many new missionaries, and many capable missionaries wielding that tool with greater vigor, testimony and fervor. The sweetness of a "cham cham" or a "bon bon" is one thing, but the sweetness of a soul who has and is repenting and coming unto Christ is beyond all that is sweet.