Hello dear friends,
I write to you from an adorable little coffee shop in city of Danang, Vietnam. Let me tell you, Vietnam is not at all what I was expecting. To be completely honest, this is not a country I was that excited about or looking forward to but it sure has proven me wrong. My heart loves loves loves this place. I am in the city of Danang, where one of the most beautiful beaches in the world is a ten minute walk away, the food is flavorful and delicious, and the people are incredibly kind. This month we are working with an organization called Orphan Voice. A mission that partners with orphan care, special needs therapy, and human trafficking prevention around the Danang area to support, encourage, simply meet needs of the children, the workers, and the families that surround them.
So here’s a simple little update on daily life:
A day’s work >
we hop in a van at around 8am, head to one of the orphanages or special needs centers for a couple hours, help in any way (playing games, english, teaching kids how to brush their teeth, paint, etc), grab lunch at whatever village were at (you just eat whatever you’re served- menus aren’t a thing), take a coffee break, head to another orphanage or therapy center for a couple hours, then head home and arrive around 5/6pm, grab dinner somewhere with our team, have team time, and then as you can guess we’re exhausted, showers, and bed!
Typical meal >
noodle dish, consists of white noodles, soup, lots of green veggies, normally beef, spices, peanuts, and rice patty that you dip inside. This is my favorite meal in Nam and on the race so far! I would also like to announce that since living in Southeast Asia for the past two and a half months I have mastered the art of chopsticks. praise.
Food challenge > Yes its true friends, they eat dog here…I’d rather not talk about it.
Personal challenge >
During our time in Thailand, I hurt my knee and its been in pain for a good long while. I decided this week that it was time to get it checked out, got an MRI, and it turns out I have a tear in one of my ligaments. There was a scare of surgery, but thankfully this tear should heal on its own if I am careful. This is definitely not a fun situation but we just have to pray for healing and choose joy when things like these happen.
World Race moment >
this is very vulnerable…unfortunately I have not been able to master the squatty potty. With weak knees i’m very sad to say that I have peed on myself several times. I am happy to say that with the help of my loving team it gets better each day.
Perspective >
Orphan Voice was founded by an incredible couple from Kentucky. This family has left their comfort and obeyed their calling to love on orphans and special needs kids. Having them as our host this month has been the biggest blessing as we get to attend an international church with missionaries from all over the world! The fellowship that we have experienced here is unreal, this race has truly opened my eyes to the strength that is given to those who are obedient to Christ’s calling to go out to the nations and be a light – these people are an inspiration. Words I heard recently:
“Obedience is God’s love language”
Joys >
If you know me you know that I love babies and bicycles. Well, Vietnam has opened the door for both of those to be a part of daily life. At one of the orphanages we visit every week, there are two rooms that house 20 babies (ages: newborn to around 18 months). We get to go in there, hold babies, feed, change, play, and help the staff with anything they may need. As sweet as this is it is also heartbreaking to walk into a room with 20 beautiful babies without parents.
Joy number two is bicycles. The country of Vietnam is a sea of motorcycles and bicycles. In an effort to embrace the culture and blend in (impossible – starring is a guarantee) we have rented bikes to use as our main source of short distance transportation. Taking a good bike ride is something that makes my heart incredibly happy, especially when our final destination is the beach!
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As thanksgiving quickly approaches, our team is truly thankful to be here this month. No we don’t have scarfs on, no leaves are falling around us, the closest we are to our families is our iPhone Facetime dates, and no we don’t have a turkey feast coming up, but we have the honor to learn of obedience in our calling. The honor to hold children who have been left by their families, whose day is made when they learn a new english word, and who are waiting for you to throw them up in the air. These kids radiate life and joy…how could I not?
