My first impressions were… Ho Chi Minh is a very big city. Motorbikes are everywhere, traffic is scary, the people are nice, and the street we stayed on is like Bourbon Street. Now they have changed to… Ho Chi Minh City is still very big, motorbikes are still everywhere, traffic is still scary, the people are still very nice, and the street we stayed on is still like Bourbon Street – just with cars and motorbikes. I truly enjoyed staying in Ho Chi Minh City. I was able to ride on a motorbike a few times before I hurt my ankle and it was fun and scary all at the same time. After my injury we took taxis everywhere and I think I saw my life flash before my eyes one too many times. We stayed in the backpackers’ area in District 1 and therefore there where tons of people, bars, restaurants, souvenir stores, nail salons, convention stores, and street vendors. The street was loud and lit up at all times, making me think of Bourbon Street.
The weather here… hot! The few times it rained it would cool off slightly, but for the most part it was just hot.
The best thing I ate was…Vietnamese pizza. It is nothing like American pizza. It is made with rice paper. They fry the rice paper and then add egg, cheese, your choice of meat, and other spices. My best comparison to something I would eat at home is a quesadilla, but thinner and not folded in half.
My favorite moment in this country… is a toss up between two, so I’m going to give them both.
My first moment was the first and only time I got to play tchoukball (if you have the time look up tchoukball…it’s a lot of fun). Ekow and I went to play tchoukball for the first time not knowing what we were getting ourselves into, but we had a blast. We met the guy in charge and learned that it is a Christian club and their goal is to minister through playing the game. Sadly, I did injure my ankle two days later and was unable to play the rest of the month. However, Iwent to every game and they are the ones that introduced us to Vietnamese pizza.
The second is a day filled with soccer (football), testimonies, and tons of laughs. The café we volunteered at planned an outreach day. So we went and played (well, I watched) soccer. It was just a great day of fellowship. I enjoyed getting out of the café and seeing everyone in a whole other environment. At the end of the afternoon a few people shared their testimonies and shared the gospel with the nonbelievers that came with us. Before the day was over two people had given their lives to Christ!
What satisfied me the most? Building relationships at the café we volunteered at was for sure the most satisfying. The people there showed me so much love. They truly care about each other, my team, and every person that walks through the door. They are on fire for God and that reignited a flame in my soul. I enjoyed being able to just sit and talk to them and listen to their stories.
What frustrated me the most? This is easy…having a sprained ankle. I struggled to do all the things I wanted to do and therefore became very frustrated with myself. I know that I am an introvert, but the moment something forced me to stay inside and not be social, the more extroverted I all of the sudden wanted to be. So sadly I did not get to sight see in the city like I would have liked.
I see God at work here…in the 2% of the population that are Christian. I was given this statistic and truly believe there is way more than 2%. It seemed that everywhere we went we met Christians and people wanting to know more about the gospel. The 2% is working hard for the kingdom of God and making big changes in Ho Chi Minh City.
If a friend travels here they must… go sit in a park and just wait to see what happens. The young and old people in Ho Chi Minh City want to know English so badly that they seek out foreigners. It is so much fun to go and sit and just talk to the many people that will come up to you!
