Month 6 in Vientiane, Laos has come to a close!
To start, I brought in 2017 on a night bus sharing a twin bed with Dylan. My original bed assignment was to share a bed with a large man who had already made himself quite comfortable in taking up more than his fare share of the space, so, much to the frustration of the bus driver, I was very insistent that I would not move from Dylan’s bed. HAPPY BELATED 2017 FROM THE NIGHT BUS!!!
This month the team worked with Rivertime Ecolodge Resort. We were able to stay in cabins in the woods along a huge river. We had cool weather, great friends and incredible work opportunities. My team was split between construction and teaching, my work being the latter. I had the privilege to work with Isaac, the 16 year old son of the manager. Isaac’s family is from America, but his father is from Laos and moved the family back four years ago. Since then, Isaac and his six siblings have been homeschooled. I never knew I enjoyed teaching until last month in Cambodia, and without a language barrier, Isaac and I were flying through his lessons. “I’m not like other teachers, I’m a cool teacher.” Don’t ask Isaac to verify…
I felt very routinized all month and I loved it. I started my days at 6:00 AM alternating between exercising and Bible studies. Breakfast was from 7-8 and then from 8-12 Isaac and I worked on his school. Isaac is super talented and is a breath of fresh air. Though he didn’t necessarily need me to, I sat by him all morning. From celebrating the victories over tricky tests, to closing out of games and Facebook, we became quite the team. I was able to learn right alongside him for hours as we reviewed fun facts I’d long forgotten. I never knew I had such a passion for education, but here it is. I’ve always loved learning, but now I know I love watching other people learn too. We’ve been tracking Isaac’s scores and they are steadily rising. One morning, before reviewing colonial history, Isaac told me he hated history, but he opened the lesson and plugged away without complaint for two hours. By the end of it, he said, “you know, I kind of like history.” Yeeesss. It was an awesome moment for me. It was a momentous day and I suggested celebrating with ice cream, but Isaac is committed to a low sugar diet, so I had to have a dessert party by myself. Nothing new really.
Here is a sample conversation between Isaac and myself.
Me: “Isaac, are you paying attention to what you’re reading?”
Isaac: “Well I’m reading every word, but some of them just won’t stick.”
Me: “Ok, how do we get them to stick?”
Isaac: “We could try tape”
While I’m teaching with some other teammates during the morning, the rest of the racers are sweating around the property doing maintenance. My teammates have an unbelievable work ethic. They served tirelessly as the maintenance team for the entire property six days each week and blew through the task list given by our host. Whether it was demolition, laying concrete, landscaping, cooking or filling potholes, the Wolverines did it all. We also were in bed by 7:30 each night, but the extra few hours of sleep were well deserved.
Funny Story:
As many of you might’ve seen on Facebook, I had quite the encounter with a monster spider that could’ve been a descendant of Aragog or Shelob, maybe both. I had clothes hanging from the curtain rod and when I went to change for bed, I noticed the curtain was moving on its own. After pulling on the edge to have a peak at the other side, the demon came rushing at my hand from the back with speed that rivaled the Flash. Fortunately, The Holy Spirit was upon me and I evaded his attack with even quicker reflexes and a scream that stunned the monster motionless. Brandon leaped to the rescue wielding the untold power of a chaco and I snatched a cricket bat. Together (mostly Brandon), we conquered the evil invader and left a satisfying stain on the curtain.
Working at the Transformation Center:
For two days we went to a rehabilitation center for people hoping to recover from drug addictions. In Vientiane, amphetamines are very prevalent and many fall prey to addiction. At the Center, we broke into teams to work with the men there. The directors focus heavily on vocational training and education as part of the recovery process and we spent our two days learning how to put up fences and stucco walls. Liz and I were on a team together and the first day gathered trees to turn into fence posts and then we painted the front gate. Day two we stuccoed part of the front wall so they could paint their sign at the entrance. We moved a lot slower than the other guys there, but we finished the job. 
Personal Triumphs
– I feel super thankful for where I am and who I am with. Some months are harder than others, but this month was incredibly fulfilling and energizing. I felt especially grateful for the occasional wifi day so that I was able to keep up with people back home and celebrate with them. Friends graduating, transitioning semesters in law school, healing after surgeries, new jobs and new relationships. These are the things I was afraid of missing, but I’ve been allowed to share in them with people, at least in a minor capacity. My prayer list grows and I’m so grateful for that.
– I took a big step of faith last month and submitted applications to four graduate schools. I kept having this recurring vision of having the admissions boards stamping a big “LOL. NO.” across my name. Fear’s not my game anymore though, I’ve seen what it does to people and I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on what it’s done to me. God keeps surprising me in how He pulls me through so if I received a bunch of rejections, I felt ready. I still am ready, but I haven’t had to deal with rejection yet. I have been officially accepted to an international law program (insert dancing and celebratory dessert party). The greatest part of this acceptance is that everything was out of my control so none of the credit goes to me. I wasn’t even ready to submit when I did. I was still editing my personal statement when I accidentally pressed submit. The wifi died immediately after the submission went through so that I couldn’t withdraw my application… It was a very long day, but the short version is this: Matthew 6:27 “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” – Nope. One of the many lessons I need a lot of help with. So praises for provision and opportunities!
Prayers:
– Please pray for Isaac and his family. We are praying they are able to find time for rest amidst all of the chaos associated with seven children and running a hotel.
– Please pray for my friend Nana, a dear friend’s grandma whom I have had the great pleasure of knowing. She recently began chemotherapy for breast cancer. She is an incredible woman who models grace and kindness. I am asking for full and complete healing for Nana and for strength for her family as they support her.
– My dad is having a lot of pain in his leg following his hip replacement. He’s searching for a solution with some doctors, but if you could be praying for healing and the elimination of pain, that would a miracle to years of discomfort.
Thank you so much for reading and God bless! Please let me know if you need any prayers!
