Feed my Lambs

 May 1, 2023

Hello,

I have been worrying about not writing and keeping in touch better. We are so busy. Most missions have senior couples to help and support the branches and mission leaders. We have 3 Humanitarian couples who are not allowed to do anything church related, they cannot even pray in church. They can go to church but not give a talk or prayer. They are doing good by organizing service projects that will help the country. They are also doing service by feeding members and missionaries. We have one Member leader support couple who are doing a great job helping with their branch and with English classes for the missionaries. We do not have a mission nurse, or finance secretary, or a housing coordinator or someone to do cleaning checks on apartments or someone to take care of referrals. We do most of those things because there is no one to help us. Senior missionaries are needed badly around the world. We would like a senior couple in at least 7 of our branches. We would love help doing some of the office duties we are doing so we can be with the members and missionaries more. An office couple has been listed as a critical need of our mission for 3 years in the senior missionary department. We do have 2 returned missionaries that help with finding apartments, stocking them up and managing any problems, They also pay the bills and take are of the missionaries finance cards. These are jobs senior couples would normally do. 

This week has been filled with the coming and going of missionaries. There is a lot of work involved. They have a nice farewell dinner and devotional at the mission home. After that some catch a light night flight for America or some sleep at the mission home and fly home in the morning somewhere in Vietnam. I will make them a nice breakfast if they sleep over. It is so hard to say goodbye. This batch was especially hard. They started out in the mission doing home MTC from a missionary apartment. We have loved them and watched them serve the Lord so valiantly. We are so proud of them and are grateful to be their mission leaders. Two new missionaries arrived later that evening and they also ate and stayed at the mission home. All of the missionaries are taken to the rice field to have their picture taken and we talk about being Laborers in the field and how they have prepared the field, planted seeds, harvested and nurtured. Tomorrow 10 missionaries arrive at the mission home for Mission leadership council and we will enjoy watching them seek for revelation on the direction we need to go in our mission. I have cleaned so many bathrooms, washed lots of towels, and bedding and cooked a lot of food! The reward for all of this hard work is seeing the missionaries serve the Lord. They are my heroes. 

Being the mission “mom” is an honor and comes with a lot of love and worry. When President Hughes interviews the missionaries I get to talk with them one on one too. We each learn different things. I always take tissues with me. Sometimes they just need someone to listen them as they express their worries, their mental health concerns, their unmet expectations of themselves. They just need a mom to tell them that they are loved and that I am so proud of them. Maybe I just need to say I am sorry they are having problems. They usually feel better just letting it out and crying a few tears. Sometimes there is follow up that needs to happen. I often am crying with them. 

The word that describes my week is “Feed.” It has been a big part of my week as I labored to serve those we have stewardship over. John 21:15 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me more than these? He said unto him, Yea, Lord thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” That is what we are trying to do. We are feeding them physically but also spiritually. We are working hard, helping missionaries go out and find the Lost lambs and bring them into the fold. 

Have a great week! 

Love, 

Janece

AKA Chị Hughes, Bà Hughes, Sister Hughes….

Pictures: 

Dinner with the elders

S/Hughes with S/THuyet and our finished dessert

Released Sisters Giving President first hug

2 New local elders!

Good bye to 5 great missionaries

Huge water lilly

Multigenerations on a motorcycle

Laughing Buddha

President by Pongour waterfalls

LIttle boy in local village

10 year old home from her 1/2 day of school and has started her chores

Tuyen Lam lake so pretty!

Huge Hydrangea

Pretty pagoda

Us by fishing boats, they fish at night. They have lights on, some lights are green and some boats have white lights. One color attracks fish andone color attracks squid.

Cooking with Sisters in Ba Dinh branch

Man rowing in his round boat

Anique cart

Pho a very common dish eaten any meal

Thien Vien Truc Lam Buddhist temple