Missionary work

 July 3, 2023

 

Hello, 

 

We have a new Preach my Gospel edition! It is wonderful. We will still be using the 2004 edition with the new version because only the 2004 version has been translated. We love the new version. At zone conference this week we focused on working with members from the new version. There was training on the importance of a weekly coordination meeting and supporting the Branches with their Sharing the gospel plan. The new PMG book online also has links to the general handbook sections about working together and missionary work, it’s great to see how they are coordinated to work together. We talked about supporting the leaders and helping them with their plan to grow and strengthen the church. Then on Sunday we were able to teach the leaders in Ho Chi Minh about the same things we taught the missionaries. Then we gave the leaders time to work on their Branch plans to share the gospel. We will be teaching the leaders in Hanoi on the 16th. There is a quote by President Nelson in Preach my Gospel that says: 

“Your ability to link the enthusiasm of the missionaries with the stability and loving efforts of the members cannot be overemphasized. Your success will be multiplied exponentially” President Russell M. Nelson seminar for new mission leaders, June 23, 2019

We are really hoping we can link the missionaries and leaders together. We know the church will grow so much faster and stronger if we work together. Members give us 3% of our new friends to teach. From their 3% of names we get 38% of our baptisms. That is amazing! We love having members help us, we need more of it. 

We continue to encourage Branch leaders and missionaries to prepare and help the YSA’s to go on missions. We have had 13 receive their calls this year. There is another 1 in SLC and 6 in the works. That is a total of 20 which is exciting. The most missionaries Vietnam has had called in one year since 2018 is 19. We are half way through the year. We are hoping for a lot more. It has been a big focus of the mission presidency this year.

We celebrated “one year left “with our family this week. We are so grateful for their love and support. We have missed them so much. One definition of a missionary is: someone who leaves their family for a short time so that others may be with their family for eternity. That is our focus. We are here to help others come to Christ and begin their path to eternal families. The mission is past half way with our 3 month Book of Mormon reading challenge. It has been amazing to look for Christ’s names and all other words like pronouns that refer to him. We have also been marking His words and the words of prophets who quote Him, Doctrine and principles and Christ’s attributes. The Book of Mormon is truly another testament of Christ. I have marked so many verses. In Preach my Gospel it says “The Book of Mormon combined with the Spirit is your most powerful conversion tool.” We truly believe that. I love the Book of Mormon. I know it is true and  I am so grateful for it’s witness of Jesus Christ. I hope you are reading it every day. I also have a testimony of the power of giving the Lord some time every day in scripture study. As we do, the spirit can answer our prayers and give us guidance. We learn to understand his words and how he speaks to us. We will use the time in the rest of our day much more effectively if we give Him some of our time in daily scripture study. 

I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating Independence Day with family and friends. 

Love, Sister Hughes

Pictures: Full size cow being pulled by a 50cc motorbike, pet fish for sale, crazy VN wiring, Cool old city wall with train tracks on top, It is not uncommon to be stopped by strangers who want a pictures with us these ladies were so cute and happy I said yes, on Long Bien bridge, nap time about 12 feet up, Hugs after a setting apart, Ho Chi Minh Zone, Elder Loi with his scriptures, Thu Duc lunch, President Hughes waiting at Cau Giay branch for Elders to come unlock the gate and church for interviews, Hanoi zone, Us with Sister Oanh and Thuyet, cute little lady in the elevator, Typical lunch/dinner scene, lunch with Hanoi north district, 3 cyclo drivers, cute little VN ladies staying out of the sun, Huy's baptism in Hai Ba Trung, Sunday dinner with Johnathan in PHu My Hung, and family zoom celebration
























 

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