Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

| by archiveworldraceblogs

I was born in Saigon. My family and I left Vietnam when I was 7. That was almost 30 years ago. I sit here writing, awestruck that God loves us so much. He took me out of the country and guided my parents to Canada, where I had a proper education, a post-secondary degree and a blooming career. In the process of all that, He kept pursuing me for 10 years until I finally accepted Him as my Saviour. He equipped me for my return trip back to Vietnam by growing me in my walk with Him. He taught me what it means to love people and to share His love for His people.

He brought me back to Vietnam last month, to a country I only knew as my birth country. I had very little recollection of a place that I spent the first 7 years of my life. I do however, remember all the different types of food which I quickly reacquainted myself with. Vendor carts line up the narrow alley ways, each cart serving a different dish from shrimp rice rolls, to fried noodles to my favourite, vermicelli with grilled pork. Fruit shakes that only can be found in Asia was also a highlight of the month in the food category. 

  
Driving Through narrow alleyways on motorbikes looking for food and voila – rice rolls!!!!!
 
I was wonderfully surprised by how developed the country is and how modern everthing is. It was by far the most overwhelming motorbike traffic I have visited in all the countries I had visited, and I can now call myself a seasoned traveller.
 
Driving through the streets of Ho Chi Minh city is always an adventure. We are making a left turn and the way to do it is go right through traffic (Top Right)

But what was more surprising were the Vietnamese people. They are kind, generous and loyal. Once you become friends with a Vietnamese, you are good friends for life. The friends I met have left a huge dent in my heart and I miss them so much already. All the things that I had lost in being a friend, I had found and regained from my Vietnamese friends. It’s the little things they do – keeping a promise even when they don’t feel like doing it, treating you to meals and coffees, texting you at the crack of dawn to wish you a good day or buying you food and drinks because you are sick. Through life, I had somehow lost the little things that I used to do for friends, thinking they don’t care  or worse, I stopped caring.  God reminded me through the Vietnamese friends (i want to not mention names in case it gets them in trouble) that He cares about the little things.

 
 
I also met up with my Aunt and cousins for the first time after 28 years. I got to share with them why I was on the trip and what I believe in and how much Jesus loves them. I believe that the Lord will allow that seed to grow but what a privilege to share with them the love of Christ.
                                     

I am thankful – for not just the opportunity to go back to Saigon, but to go back sharing the love of Christ with my family and the people I met, who have in turn, reminded me that the little things in life do matter.