Made it to Honduras.
Song playing on my comp: “Goin’ Against Your Mind,� by Built to Spill
Four days later we’re here. It’s my fourth continent this calendar year, and the last leg of the race. My body hates me. I hate my body. It’s mutual. But before stories of border strikes and underage drivers in my first day in Honduras, I want share more of Vietnam.
So here it is.
Day three in Thanh Hoa:
We start the day on Hung, Hien, and Ling’s motorbikes; three to a bike. That’s a first for me. We drive over to Ling’s house near the mountains. The mountains here look like Shrek’s teeth. They round at the top and pop up sporadically.
Vietnamese is a tonal language composed of six tones, half of which I can’t hear, the other half of which I can’t pronounce. I have managed to learn hello, rice, thank you, and Chuc Moung Nam Moi! (Happy New Year).
This last saying starts the round of cheers at Ling’s house as we take a shot of Vietnamese Vodka that kicks like a mule. Actually, I don’t know if it kicks like one, never been kicked by a mule. I did get head-butted by a goat named Ugly when I was ten though. True story. Anywho, it’s impolite not to accept a drink that is offered to you by your host. However, after three shots of Vodka (the third of which I chivalrously stole from Ashley Van cause she’s more of a lightweight than me…plus she’s Canadian) I decided to take the risk of being rude and declined my further shot offers at the expense of staying sober.
This was a lesson well learned. You can turn down drinks. The Tet Holiday lasts roughly a week. That’s a lot of houses to turn down homemade moonshine. But I’m learning its better to offend man than to offend God. I’ve also learned to fake a stomach illness while pointing to my belly and making a sad face just in case I do offend man.
Something you should know about Vietnamese people. They love balloons, techno music, and karaoke. I figure the techno music goes well with karaoke songs but the balloon thing I still haven’t figured out. Communist and balloons. Who would have thought? I’ve walked down entire streets devoted to karaoke though. No one is exempt, everyone partakes. Following suit, we sit down for tea and begin rifling through Ling’s list of American songs. We’re in luck. “You’re My Hero� by Bette Midler. I’d like to think we nailed it…that is until Ling’s dad got on the mike and began singing a love song in Vietnamese. He killed it. We merely managed.
Same day, next stop: local Pagoda. So just a reminder here folks. This is communist Vietnam and we are at a Buddhist temple. Two places not often visited by missionaries. Seems to me the only thing to do next would be sit and have tea with a monk and converse about our faiths. And that’s just what we did. I didn’t argue theology, I mostly just listened. We did have a chance to talk briefly (using my new friend Hien as translator) about why we were in Vietnam. I guess I was nervous he wouldn’t understand or that it would be an issue being a Christian. I stumbled through it.
Here’s a paraphrase: “We are Christians and…um…yeah…well…we all prayed where we should go…and…uh…the Lord told us to go love on people in Vietnam…that’s why were here.�
We were warned our faith could get us in trouble. Potentially jail or deportation. My thought: free night sleep in jail ‘til things are figured out, or a cool story of my bravery in trying circumstances to impress the ladies back home. P.S. ladies I’m still single and yes my looks match my personality. Anyways, I think people want to hear something different. They don’t know the basics of the Christian faith here. Many don’t even know the name of Jesus.
So here’s the point in this lengthy blog.
How often do we let fears affect our movements?
My team was never in trouble anywhere we went in Vietnam. The Lord’s was our safety. There will always be fears attacking our spirits not to share, go, feed, love, or fill in the blank here. People will tell you not to do “that,� or “it’s not safe where you are going,� and you can’t say “those things. What if it offends someone?�
Guess what.
Our faith is offensive. It’s not safe. Jesus wasn’t just a nice guy preaching comfort, he was offensive. Philip Yancey writes in the Jesus I Never Knew, “How would telling people to be nice to one another get a man crucified? What government would execute Mister Rogers?�
My suggestion: tell your fears where to go next time they try to halt you in your path and just go do the dang thing. I’m not saying don’t use discernment for when and where to share your faith. What I’m saying is don’t let what other people say about a place, person, situation, or circumstance affect what the Lord is asking you to go and be present for.
People are hungry for this stuff.
Go, Share, Do the Dew,
Salley
