We found out we were coming to Vietnam about halfway through the Race and when we did, I was pretty excited about it. I didn't know much about Vietnam but I had a really good feeling about it.
We arrived in Ho Chi Minh, got settled into out hotels and awaited our team assignments. My team soon discovered that we would be staying in Ho Chi Minh for part of the month and then going on to Nha Trang (known for its incredible beaches) for the second half. This was the ideal situation, because we would getting both the city and the beach in one month.
During our time in Ho Chi Minh, we did a variety of things, but my favorite was spending time at Sidewalk Cafe, a little tea and coffee shop down a small backalley where people came to practice their English. We went there for three days and chatted with the people who came about anything and everything, depending on their English level.
Talking with Vietnamese at Sidewalk Cafe reminded me a lot of my time in Japan and I even met a man who was fluent in Japanese and had spent two months there, which really encouraged my heart in thinking (read: worrying) about my upcoming time there.
Besides visiting Sidewalk Cafe, we spent one morning in a drug and rehab center, singing, dancing and encouraging the men there. I gave a little testimony about Joseph and my own life and that sometimes, God will allow you to be sold into slavery and put into jail and all kinds of other things so you can eventually become the governer of Egypt.
My new team (since Cambodia) is lots of fun and we continue to grow together.
AND on a personal note, Ho Chi Minh rocked because I got to see my good friend Yu-chan from Japan! We were co-workers in Fujieda and he's traveling the world now with his girlfriend. We were so excited to be in the same city at the same time and once again, I was so encouraged to see a dear friend from a country I love and will be going back to with your help!
