Vietnam was a very busy month with little down time, but also filled with so many good things. Our time in Vietnam was probably one of my favorites so far! Since I did not blog much while in Vietnam, I thought I’d share a little snap-shot of our past month.
MINISTRY:
Our host for Vietnam was INCREDIBLE! We got to know and interact with our host and his wife, as well as his two children, but for his protection I will not use their names. Our host has an amazing story of redemption and has a heart for orphans in Vietnam. His dream was to open an orphanage, however, the government would not give him the licensure for this, so instead, he opened a day care. He still has a heart for orphans and has welcomed many children into his family. It is cool to see God work through him despite many obstacles he has faced.
WHAT WE DID:
This past month we helped out at our host’s day care and mostly did construction work. Through God’s provision, our host is adding a cafeteria, two classrooms, and an outdoor playground for the kiddos. So we helped with this and painted a LOT. At the end of the month we also got the chance to paint a mural in the kids’ cafeteria area. Since our team name is SOLDOD (Sons Of Light, Daughters Of the Day – Thessalonians 5:5), we wanted to speak this over the children there, so we painted this within the mural. I pray that the kids would grow to know Jesus’ love through our host and the day care.
In addition to doing construction work, three nights a week we would teach English to both kids and adults. Learning English can open a lot of doors for Vietnamese people, so it was a cool opportunity to be able to teach in this capacity.
PEOPLE:
Wow. I just can’t even describe to you how much I loved the people of Vietnam. I met so many people that offered us directions and moto rides when we were lost. Many people on the street would wave hello and everyone was super nice and helpful. My heart broke for them to know the love of Jesus.
FUN FACTS:
1. Vietnamese iced coffee is the BEST!
2. Everyone drives motorcycles, which they refer to as “motos”. The most people I have seen on one moped was five people! Who says motorcycles aren’t family cars?!?
3. The exchange rate is amazing – roughly 23,000 Dong to 1 USD.
4. They have fun fruits to try! The weirdest one I tried is called durian. It smells really bad and looks like scrambled eggs, but tastes like a sweet melon!
5. You feel like you are in a game of Frogger when you try to cross the busy streets!
6. We found a Baskin Robbins and JIF Peanut Butter….praise the Lord!
7. Vietnam has lots of small lizards. If you try to pick them up by the tail, it will fall off and wiggle for a bit as the lizards runs away.
WHAT GOD HAS TAUGHT ME:
One of my favorite things about this past month was getting to spend quiet time with the Lord on the rooftop of our hotel. I would often wake up early to watch the sunrise and do my morning devotion and boy did God meet me there every single morning. God taught me a lot while up on that rooftop. I practiced just sitting in God’s presence without an agenda or expecting a specific response. I danced with God. I worshipped Him. I was amazed by His beautiful creation. I was overwhelmed by His presence. I was filled with His joy. I felt His love for me and the people of Vietnam.
MORE PICTURES:
We had a Thanksgiving potluck at our host’s church and were asked to make an American-style turkey. Regan and Joe did a fantastic job cooking it!
There was a tropical storm that hit Vietnam while we were there. It flooded quite a bit, but our host remained positive and trusted the Lord throughout it all. We helped clean up after everything dried out.
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That is a small glimpse of our month in Vietnam, but if you have any questions feel free to message me. I would love to share more about our time in Vietnam! I am currently in Cambodia and will share a blog shortly about our time here in Battambang. But for now, check out my teammates blog about team changes and my new team!
