Sister Jenna Connell

Well well just like that, my year and a half of full time missionary work in Vietnam is coming to an end. It's been a wild ride for sure but I wouldn't change it for a moment. The things that I have learned seen and experienced are things that will stay with me forever. This is the Lord's work, we are simply tools in his hands He loves his children The Book of Mormon is the word of God and will guide every aspect of our lives Personal revelation is real The secret to happiness is service and gratitude We are imperfect but that's okay because the atonement makes up for our mistakes The companionship of the Holy Ghost is so so important and such a kind gift from Heavenly Father. We should do all we can to keep it with us. ... Well I could go on forever and ever but I won't today. This last week was one to remember in the field. It was pretty normal missionary work but just before general conference this weekend we had an amazing experience. While we were t...

Hello from Ho Chi Minh So I don't really remember what happened this week! Kind of a blur! We got cancelled on alot alot this week. But it was also good cuz my companion got super sick this week. So she was able to recover and we were able to clean up our area book and do a ton of follow up calls and setting up appointments so that was good! A couple cool stories real quick though! We went contacting at the park last night and met a really cute little lady. We were talking about what we did here in Vietnam and said we teach about how to find true happiness and we also serve others by teaching english. And usually people are more interested in English but it's good cuz it makes it way more comfortable to talk about the gospel. But this lady was like "Ooo can you teach me more about happiness?" It took me a little by surprise but she learned about the Book of Mormon and we will meet her again tonight! So we have been working with someone named Dat for a long time...

At zone conference we all got Vietnamese bibles so that was super exciting! we have been running into a lot of people of Christian faiths and so to be able to use the bible now will be super great! Speaking of Zone conference it was so amazing. We focused on recognizing the Holy Ghost. There are 4 lessons you could say of how the spirit prompts us. One is revelation but not knowing beforehand, so being lead even though you don't know you are being lead. this comes as you are obedient and strive to follow Gods will (think of Nephi getting the brass plates). The Second is revelation through repetition. So when you read something or learn something a million times and then one day something clicks and your understanding deepens. The next is revelation as a conclusion so like a prompting to do something even though you don't know why. And then revelation as time, so knowing what you need to do already but understanding the right time (Like extending an invitation at the right tim...

So this week we taught one of our investigators preparing for baptism about temple and he loved it. He always has questions about marriage and how it works in the church and so to know that families can be sealed together was such sweet moment! The next day he came up to us after english class and he asks "So like girls in the church, can you like, like them? if so I think I'll try it." Haha awesome. Anyway this week was a super rough one to begin with but finished with a lot of miracles. We had a lot of investigators text us and tell us they don't want to learn anymore. And then in weekly planning we had to drop some more. And almost all of our appointments fell through and no one wanted to listen to what we had to say so finding was not successful. Also we had just like a lot of weird situations like going to meet someone st a coffee shop and then while we are waiting a bunch of musicians come in and start playing maroon 5 and stuff. Didn't think I would ever ...

So we had a kinda of  Martha and Mary moment this week and definitely understand that story so so so much more. We went over to one of our potential investigators house this week and earlier we called  and set kinda expectations but when we got over there the guy we talked to wasn't there but the rest of his family was. So we sit down and the wife is like i just cut up some fruit real quick while we wait a couple minute for him to get home. So we wait and she starts cleaning and putting some pots on the stove and grabbing more than just fruit and we were like wow wait we just have a few minutes do you mind if we share a quick message or help you out. And she is like it's okay it will just be a moment. but for the next like 20 minutes she is going back and forth cooking all these things having us try stuff, chopping up oranges and mangos and all sorts of things. And she was being so sweet trying to show us all the fun Vietnamese things but we just really wanted to talk to her a...

Wow so I have not sent one of these out for a while! so get ready for some good stories! On Saturday I learned that sometimes the Lord has a lot better things planned than we do.  So it the afternoon we had a couple of appointments at the church starting at 3 and when we got there, 2 of our later appointments where already there but not the one for 3 o'clock. So we were like okay everyone wait a minute. So the lady shows up late but its okay cuz she was sooo awesome! She was listening so intent and her questions and answers were basically right out of PMG. when we asked her if she would like to learn how to pray she was so excited and said a really beautiful prayer. It was the quickest, smoothest lesson I have ever been in. Then the next appointment for 3:30 left already but the lady who was supposed to show up 2 hours later came early. So we met with her and she was so funny! She learned about the word of wisdom from english class the week before and told us "I know milk te...

Well I guess its time to welcome the year of the pig and welcome everybody back from their hometowns! Tet was good but I am glad everyone is back in the city. So real quick here is an update on our people: Chu Nghi is getting baptized this next week! I have never seen someone with so much faith in my life. We met him at the end of January and he has read the book of mormon 2 times, listened to all the hymns, quit smoking, and basically taught himself all the lessons! It definitely motivates me to become a little better as far as studies and faith and stuff go! He also stays at church all Sunday and attends 2 sacrament meetings. I am just so amazing at the faith that these people have and there are people like that out there who just don't know where the truth is! I am so excited for him! Also we met with the sweetest lonely guy named Chu Tuan! We sang I am a child of God to invite the spirit and he was getting all teary eyed and you could just feel the spirit. At the end he s...

So usually right around tet (lunar new year) time is so hard to do missionary work because everyone is working like crazy and then leaving the city to go to their hometown (the land of their fathers) ! But this week was fun cuz we were able to actually keep super busy! One of our investigators, Anh Phuc, is staying in the city for tet so has a lot of time to meet. But lately he has been struggling with coming to church. So last week we taught keep the sabbath day holy but he still didn't come. So this week we we taught him why we come to church by teaching him the atonement. It was such a powerful lesson and at the end he was like "Oh I understand now." and yesterday he was able to set up his schedule and come to church. I am so grateful for the atonement and the time that we have to reflect on how we can become more like Christ as we take the sacrament each week. Also we have this awesome investigator named Chu Nghi! He has been learning for 2 weeks and is already t...

So the last couple mornings have been a little interesting and let's just say we are experts at killing cockroaches now. Also the adrenaline from having a cockroach run across your toes in the morning wakes you up and gets you ready for some solid working out! Anyway we are counting down to Tet which also means things are slowing down soooo much! everyone in the city goes away to their hometown so no one can meet! but we have been getting creative-- Family History: We shared a spiritual thought about family history after english and we have never had so many people stay afterwards! We had a lady ask about how to do it and why. So we explained about temples and invited her to prepare to go to the temple and she was so interested and we told her the steps she had to take which included the first principles and ordinances of the gospel and she was so excited. I really believe that the spirit of Elijah will turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of the fath...

It must be Tet time we got cancelled on soooo much! Here's a funny one though. So we have an investigator and her english name is apple. She is so funny and her english is soo good! But anyway she was supposed to meet for an appointment and she was a little late so we give her a call and in a very harsh very dramatic whisper she says "Connell. Can you hear me? I don't think I can make it. I cant see the sky." I was very concerned but also it was so hard not to laugh. Then she says "Don't worry though I will pray to the Lord." I was super happy to hear that. We have only met once and we briefly shared about Heavenly Father and we haven't even taught her how to pray. She is also buddhist so to hear something like that was so fun! We were able to give a lot of our investigators baptismal dates and it was so fun when they are so accepting and willing! Sometimes they just hold on to every single word and they just feel it and want it! It makes mission...

So this week we go to eat rice (not a surprise since we eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner) but I am with my native companion and I go to grab some chopsticks and she is like "What are you doing? You cant eat rice with chopsticks." What!? my whole world got flipped upside down a little. Anyway, its been a good week! We met someone from Canada this week and get this. She just barely met the missionaries in Canada a couple weeks ago and she went to church a couple times and then we just happen to run into her in the middle of Vietnam at a pizza hut. But she is so interested and so funny. Not your typical Vietnamese investigator ill tell you that. She is not even Vietnamese but she came to church and it was fun cuz I got to translate for her and it was so fun cuz after she had all these questions like "What is the difference between your church and the others? How is the Book of Mormon different from the Bible? Who is Joseph Smith? How do we find happiness in this worl...

Let me tell you Christmas out on the mission is the BEST! so fun cuz everyone is just way happy and wants to learn about the true meaning of Christmas! We got to go over and teach Chi Huong's family and it was so awesome! I love getting to tell all these cute families that they get to live together forever as we teach the plan of salvation! It brings so much hope and joy! In fact the daughter was so excited she started sing "True colors" for us right in the middle of the lesson. I didn't really know how to respond but it was awesome. Also this week Chí Hướng (english name:Tomato) is progressing sooo fast! We meet with her like everyday and she has so many questions. They other day she asked if we could explain the pictures in the front of the Book of Mormon and we got to the waters of mormon one and she asked us what we need to do to be baptized. The spirit was just so strong as we explained to her what baptism was and invited her to be baptized in her little one roo...