You have the answer. Just get quiet enough to hear it.
— Pat Obuchowski
*Due to Vietnam being a closed country, I can’t name my Host’s name or their company we worked with. This is for their safety and respect for the work that they do.*
If I had to put this month into one word, it would be, “quiet.” We started ministry a week after we arrived to Vietnam, because our host was out of town. The extra days off had been a blessing. We went out to eat, got our nails done, shopped, walked around the city, and just enjoyed our freedom after a crazy month in Nepal. Also living in a home that had western toilets, hot showers, beds… we couldn’t believe it. I swear I almost started crying standing in the first hot shower I took, having flashbacks bathing in a freezing cold river in Nepal. One morning, the girls and I ran in a full on sprint into the roaring ocean. We ran around on the beautiful beach for about an hour, taking pictures and chasing each other… eventually getting yelled at by the police to get out of the water.
Looking back in my journal, I realize how much growth had taken place–
“I am changing, every day, every second. Who knew it was possible to feel so much love at once? I also feel myself finally detaching from home. I look at AB, Kim, Danielle, Betsy, Grace… even the boys on my team and I start to feel like I’m home.”
I was grateful to have this realization going into this month. Our schedule was very much our own, we only worked Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:30pm-7:00pm to help Vietnamese people with their English. With Vietnam being a closed country, talking about your faith can be extremely dangerous. We were restricted from it in many ways. Having to avoid that topic was hard for us, since that is the basis of this trip… but we did what we could. The spirit speaks louder than words sometimes anyways.
Myself, Kim, and AB and new friends from English Corner.
I made a wonderful friend who invited me to her home to have dinner with her family. I’m always so surprised by how hospitable other cultures are. You make a friend – you invite them to dinner with your family. I’ve seen it in India, Nepal, and now Vietnam. I’m always so flattered by it, while for them it’s very simple. I’m constantly being shown by the Lord how simple love can be. This is how simple His love for us is. It doesn’t matter what we have done, where we have been, how many Christmas cookies we’ve stuffed in our face in the past 2 weeks- He loves us. Bottom line.
We also worked 12 hour shifts in a cafe in a very small, hot Kitchen on Christmas Eve and the day before. We did everything by hand, chopping vegetables, turkey, bread, making cookies, cakes, punch, you name it.
Cooking and baking away! Myself, Danielle, and AB.
These long shifts ended up bringing our team together immensely. We were exhausted at the end of the day, but we leaned on each other and pushed our friendships forward. We also became very close to the staff there. Some can speak simple English, and the rest are deaf and mute. So we learned some simple Vietnamese sign language to communicate. So even though we had to work until 8:30pm on Christmas Eve, we made the best of it. We went out dancing afterwards, deciding we needed some fun in our lives. It was the perfect ending to a crazy day.
Korban Sisters going dancing after a long day of work on Christmas Eve!
Team Korban and the cafe staff on Christmas Day!
Now we are closing in on the final days in Vietnam. Seriously… where does time go? I’m currently sitting in a coffee shop across from Anna Bonita. We don’t work again until Thursday, where we will go to a university to help students with their English. With our schedules being open this month, I had time to stop and realize how much of my past I have healed from. How much I HAVEN’T healed from certain things. What I need to work on. How much Nepal molded me and how much more there is to come.
The Father is really good at giving us exactly what we need at the perfect time. Sometimes we don’t realize that. Sometimes we fight it, or avoid it. I certainly do. But looking back on this month, the quiet, the freedom, as frustrating as it was to not be as busy as we were in previous months- it was needed. It was a gift. Answers were given. And honestly- we don’t realize important changes took place until the quiet and sad period is over. God is so good at choosing to be quiet, and then making Himself known. I only hope differences were made around us, I hope the Spirit moved, and I hope we showed Christ’s love to the fullest this month. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my supporters!!
