You wait with anticipation as the plane reaches the gate. You prepare your things to step onto the war ravaged Vietnam soil. In the back of your mind you know that some of the worst atrocities your own country has ever committed was against the very land you are preparing to enter. Your heart beats a bit faster with fear of what immigration will be like as you continue on into a communist country. That’s when the first surprise hits. You expect this well dressed immigration officer to call you back for further questioning, instead he waves you on after a quick glance… the fastest you have ever gone through security.
That’s how this month started for me. Vietnam has been a pleasant surprise at every turn. After visiting the war museum in Ho Chi Minh/Saigon I realized if there is any country in the world that has reason to hate me because of my citizenship it is Vietnam. But I’ve found just the opposite, after all the countries I have seen I feel it is the Vietnamese who are the most loving to Americans.
Perhaps part of it is related to the fact that the tallest Vietnamese man I’ve met reaches up to my armpit, but I’ve never been so aware of my height in my life. It’s a rarity for me to walk 100 yards without getting some stares of awe on behalf of my height. It’s quite humorous.
Vietnam is premier example of a country giving full forgiveness. One has to search for the signs of war. The joy of the people make it easy to make friends, even with those you can’t understand. If everyone here is as joyful as they are without the Lord and as little as they have, how much more should we be!
G-d is our JOY we need nothing more!
