After baking over 500 Christmas cookies together for the international church to pass out and totally getting us all in the Christmas spirit, we went out to dinner and karaoke with our hosts, Kelbin and Elissa, before another sad goodbye. You will forever be in our prayers! Thank you for everything this month! (Video soon to come about the ministry we did this month with them!)
Then it was a 17 hour train from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City.
Our squad of 7 teams met up in Ho Chi Minh City for a combination of reasons: for the opportunity to celebrate a Christmas together as a family, for Leadership Development Weekend, and to catch our flight for our next country. When I pictured ministry in Vietnam, I pictured us laboring in the rice fields while building relationships in village. As you can see, we saw a very different side of Vietnam!
We attended an international church for a Christmas Eve service in English
And then gathered around for a not-super-traditional Christmas Eve dinner… a Taco buffet!
Then my team went back to where we were staying for the week and giggled into Christmas at midnight. Not your typical ‘Twas the Night before Christmas reading around the fireplace, but perfect all the same.
Christmas morning was my family’s Christmas Eve but I was just as eager to wake up and call them as I was eager to wake up and jump on them 20 years ago. I ran through the Vietnamese rain in my elf hat at 7:30am to find wifi and caught them in the middle of their dinner (hosted by my sissy and David!) I managed to capture 3 generations of my brother in laws family in this screen shot and only a eyeball of my sister. I got passed around the table via FaceTime and David tried on the gift I had left him. I’m definitely his favorite sister in law now.
The rest of Christmas Day included 46 World Racers singing worship songs in the stairwell of a hotel in a closed country before our white elephant gift exchange where we traded items that we already had in our packs. I got bug-repellant lotion and it’s the most practical gift ever! I also opened the two Christmas cards I was sent with from Julia and Jackie and my heart melted at their words and heart behind preparing those cards so many months in advance.
THEN the next day/Mom&Dads Christmas Day, I got to facetime these two. I have never appreciated wifi more. Thank you for loving me so well. I miss you dearly.
“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
??-Luke? ?2:10?
