Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
Isaiah 35:3-6
I have to catch my breath each time we round a curve. The roads are slick and we are going much too fast in this big bus. I am sending up prayers for all our wheels to remain on the road. Raindrops make lines down the windows I stare out. The dark blue gray ocean fades into the misty clouds. The ocean is dotted with bright white lights bobbing up and down in the stormy waves. I particularly like this view. I don’t know if it is because it is the contrast of the beauty and the fact that I’m stuck on this bus or the fact that I get to enjoy it in my own little world as I look out the rainy window or simply that it is beautiful in it’s own right, despite circumstances. All the same, I love it. If I could paint, I think this is something I would want to paint. We are in hour 8 of at least 20 on our way to Ho Chi Minh. I can’t believe we have really left Da Nang, our ministry site for the month. A large part of me still feels as if I only just arrived. Then I remember the people I had to say goodbye to and I know I was there long enough to build friendships.
Living in Da Nang was a breath of fresh air (literally, we were 10 minutes from the beach!) after a hard month in Cambodia. It was a place where I felt right at home and not just because I discovered a bakery with red velvet cupcakes.
Each day, in the early afternoon, we walked to the iCan International Education, the center where we were volunteering for the month. I spent my afternoons designing and then reporting on a student survey so the center can start to integrate more technology and eLearning in the classroom. As I sat in a chair and racked my brain for the best way to ask questions and report the data I was transported back to my job and had more than one instance where I wished I had some colleagues to bounce ideas off. Thankfully, I spent enough time in my boss’ office to summon a couple quick “What would James do?” question and answer sessions in my mind and usually come to a pretty good solution. When I wasn’t working on the survey, you could usually find me tackling a squad logistics task. From booking hotels to hydrofoils, this month was full of things to do on the logistics front. As I watched my work for both of these tasks pile up, I had moments of stress but I continued to see God work. When the task seems insurmountable and we let Him handle it, it becomes doable. He makes us able.
In evenings, we assisted in English classes. We stayed with the same classes each week so we were able to make friends over the course of the month. The students were eager to engage and talk to us. They gave us suggestions on the best food to eat and places to visit. We were able to go to coffee with them outside of class to hear more about their lives.
On Thursdays we had a weekly prayer meeting with the staff at iCan. I loved this part of the week. It was a great opportunity for fellowship and to form friendships. As we shared our requests and prayed for one another and for the work we were doing, we grew together. It was such a joy to be serving alongside these people in the classroom each evening.
If you asked me my favorite part about the month, I would have a hard time choosing one thing. I enjoyed the city, the work we were doing, and the people. I am so thankful for this month. It was such a gift from God to feel refreshed and restored this month.
Please note, my blog will be password protected while we are in China during April. Password: callie
