Here's a snapshot of Vietnam, Uganda, and Kenya by the numbers.
Vietnam
Exchange rate: 1 USD to 20,000 Dong
That's right, 50 dollars makes you a millionaire in Vietnam
Days spent in our ministry city: 18
Cost of a smoothie in Ho Chi Minh City: 18,000 dong (90 cents)
Average temperature in Dalat: ~17 celsius (~62 fahrenheit)
Average temperature in HCMC: ~28 celsius (~82 fahrenheit)
Travel time from HCMC to Dalat: 8 hours
Number of worship nights with our ministry contacts: 5
Number of guitars received as presents: 1
Number of times we ate pizza(!!): 10
Cost of banana bread: 6,000 dong
Number of hot showers taken: 15
Number of times we harvested coffee beans: 1
Uganda
Exchange rate: 2700 Ugandan shillings to 1 USD
Hours of rafting the Nile: 8
Average cost of a Rolex (a breakfast burrito of sorts): 1500 shillings
Cost of a boda (a moto taxi) into town: 1000 shillings
Travel to Kampala from Seeta: 1 hour
Number of days painting the school: ~10
Average length of Sunday service: 5 hours
Number of people on my team who got malaria: 3 including myself
Average walk to town: 30 minutes
Number of murals painted: 2
Average cost of Novida Pinapple Malt Soda (yum!): 2000
Kenya
Exchange rate: 85 Kenya Shilings to 1 USD
Average classroom size at Great Mercy: 10-15
Number of children at the orphanage: ~100
Number of children at the school: ~150
Average time the children woke up: 5:15 a.m.
Number of grilled cheeses made this month: ~10
Square acreage of the school, orphanage, and church: 1 acre
Number of school wide debates participated in: 3
Number of times I taught about and demonstrated how to use a squattie/latrine in school: 1 (and it was one too many)
Hours of prayer on the daily at Great Mercy: 1.5 – 2
Hours combined team preaching throughout the month: 20+
Number of people on my team who got malaria: 5
I never thought I’d do one of these ‘New Normals’ but after 9 months, I think one is finally due..
-When ants crawl around on your plate of food, an easy fix is avoid scooping them up with your spoon
-Hands are washed when showers are taken, i.e. every 3 or 4 days
-Talking about American food while in the middle of eating non-American food is common habit
-Peeing on your foot is acceptable to leave; poop on your foot calls for a washing
-When bartering for items, you can usually get them down to half of what they asked for, sometimes even less
-Sunday’s best has turned into the same pair of pants and shirt every week
-You are called ‘Muzungu’ or, in my case, ‘China Muzungu’ more than you are called by your actual name in a day
-In Asia, it’s a surprise and an astonishment that I’m fully Chinese yet speak no Chinese whatsoever
-First check in the bathroom is not if there’s a toilet or a squattie or even a toilet seat, but if there’s toilet paper. Essential
-Most African meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, include fruit, and fruit in Africa also includes avocado
-Malaria is to be expected, but not as scary as most Americans believe it to be.
-Street food is best found in Asia, mainly in Thailand and Vietnam. Always cheaper and just as good as touristy restaurants
-Public transportation rarely follows ‘capacity of a vehicle’; that usually means the minimum number of people
-Private transportation doesn’t mean nicer, just that you decide where you want to go
-Rest days are most restful when you don’t go anywhere actually rest, especially spiritually over physically. Who would have known?
-Sketchy looking clinics and hospitals are usually sketchy but they also get the job done. You just have to decide what you want less, sickness or sketchiness?
-It is very reasonable to add a couple hours, at least, to the estimated time of travel. The longer the distance, the more hours you may add. I.e. Estimated 12 hours from Kampala to Nairobi turns into 17 hours
-Bug nets, no matter how many times you check and make sure, always have an entrance for mosquitos to come in during the night
-Clothes are dirty based on if they smell bad, not based on the number of times you’ve worn them or the last time you washed them.
-Water is essential. Everywhere, every day, all the time, even when you don’t think you’ll need it.
-Schedules are more like guidelines. They’re inclusive of what you can do, but not an exclusive list by any means.
-You can find all hygiene essentials anywhere you live (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc) though not always the brand you want. And of course, I’m a guy so ‘essentials’ is also defined differently.
-Traveling is a lot less scary. Phone sim cards are simple, easy, cheap, and everywhere. Internet is widely available. And it helps A LOT when you have locals love Jesus and want to help you.
