August 31, 2010 My Facebook here in Hanoi is weird and I cannot upload photos so that will happen here instead!!! So here are some pictures of my adventures so far in Hanoi...
The view from my 3rd story room...
The house they are building directly across the street....VERY loudly and VERY early in the morning!!
A nasty traffic jam I watched the police unsnarl. This is what happens when people ignore traffic signals!
I can't remember the name of this, but it is essentially meat rolled up in very thin noodles called pho.
Fried pho noodles with beef, greens, and onions....sooo delicious!!!
"famous" Hanoi ice cream...lime flavored so i didnt finish mine....
This is what i look like when riding a motorbike...see Mom & Dad, I'm being SAFE!!!
Of course, safe is relative....i took this WHILE we are driving...Thoa should've been looking at the road i think...
Jeremy and Oanh on her motorbike...
At Hoan Keim Lake....it was beautiful but HOT!!!
a bakery that is 'famous' for its bread
Traffic on the way to Hoan Keim Lake
Thoa, me, and Oanh at Hoan Keim Lake
September 2nd is Independence Day here....65 years!!!!
I'll post some more photos later....let me know if you like them!!!!
August 21, 2010 – I have been in Vietnam for 1 week now. Every other day I think I am used to the heat and then the next day is the hottest yet! First things first: yes, it is hot (check out HOW hot on weather.com); no, I do not have air conditioning; yes, there are other English-speakers here; no, they do not live with me (except Jeremy of course). To be perfectly honest, life here is very different from anything I have ever experienced and nothing like what I had imagined.
I am teaching English to children who attend the music school of the lady whom I live with. I will also be helping two lovely Vietnamese women with the English they already know (basically pronunciation and extra vocabulary). I am also learning Vietnamese two mornings a week. My world revolves around language and food!
Food here is fantastic. I have really liked everything I have tried so far, even the fruits. I am learning how to order food and pay for things here. Money here is very different – the exchange rate is about 19,000 dong to 1 USD, which means Leigh has a lot of money in her wallet (or at least it looks like it!).
I was very excited to see a supermarket the other day. I had resigned myself to having to buy everything from an outdoor market or a very, very small store, but God loves me and brought ‘Big C’ to Hanoi!
I have not yet taken the bus anywhere, but I know where the stop is, I have a map, I know which bus brings me back home, and I know that the bus only costs me 3,000 dong for each ride (do the math using the conversion rate above).
I have taken taxis and motorbikes everywhere I’ve gone here. Taxis are hard for me to take, only because the drivers don’t speak English so we have our friend call the taxi for us, we go wait for it near our house, then once we are in the taxi we call our friend back and have her tell the taxi where to go. Clearly, it’s not a perfect plan….
Motorbikes are the fastest and cheapest way to get around here. Cars are really expensive so all the normal people drive motorbikes and scooters. It makes for some pretty insane traffic, especially when combined with a distinct lack of traffic lights at many intersections, vehicles going the wrong way, and vehicles stopped on the side of narrow streets. The mix of bicycles, motorbikes, cars, and trucks on the road is scary, but it is something I’m starting to get used to. I have my own helmet and face mask (to prevent me from breathing in all the exhaust hanging in the air). I will try to post some pictures soon. To be blunt, I just haven’t taken that many…
PRAY – for my continued health, both physically and emotionally; for wisdom and insight into my work here; for me to develop relationships with V-ese believers; and for me to recognize God-appointed encounters.
I love you all so much! Thank you for all your support. It is really being put to work here in V-Nam.
Check out the link i posted below...those truly are the luckiest people in the world!! Also, here are some pictures of my time here in KL for those of you who are not checking them all out on Facebook.
view of Petronas Towers
me and a very photo-shy Hindu monk
me with Biang, a fellow GET student from Papua New Guinea
at our monthly International dinner (with Frances from India and a Yemeni friend)
me and Johnathan DeForest watching a World Cup match
in Kota Kinabalu: giving my testimony in church on Sunday
in KK: teaching English to Indonesian refugee children
in KK: it's picture time!!!!
in KK: group photo with the Sabah Cultural Dancers
Please feel free to comment to let me know you're reading! I love you all and will update soon!
Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!!!!! It has been far too long since my last update. So many things have happened and I have been so busy that I keep pushing this blog further and further down my to-do list. So now I will do my best to update you on what has been going on this last month.
June 26th – 30th I was in Kota Kinabalu (KK), Malaysia. This city in east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I was sent there as a part of a small team to assist in a ministry teaching refugee children from the Philippines and Indonesia. I have never been more hot in my life, but it was an awesome experience that I will always remember.
July 4th is an interesting holiday to celebrate outside of the United States. You find out very quickly that no one else cares that the American colonies won their independence from Britain in 1776. My fellow Americans and I decided that everyone here in GET would celebrate with a potluck dinner and swimming party. We had a marvelous time eating hot dogs, potato salad, red beans and rice, cornbread, and pavlova (an Australian dessert).
I had a nasty run-in with a cold this month…I am finally better, thanks to good antibiotics and your prayers.
The most exciting thing that has happened this month is that I finally know where I will be spending the next 6 months of my life. My internship with GMT will be spent in…..drum roll please……VIETNAM!!!!! That’s right, Vietnam…Hanoi, actually. GMT has an orphanage and music school in the capital city, and I will be teaching English there for the next 6 months with my new friend from GET, JeremyPhua.
Please pray:
That God will continue to bless the work of GMT and its staff
For clarity of vision for the plan God has for me in Vietnam
For renewed health
Thank you so much for your continued support of the plans and purposes of God through me.
June 25 --- We have had 3 weeks of class by now, which means 3 teachers (all Aussies), many hours of readings, long assignments, and the occasional break to watch the FIFA World Cup – GO USA!!! We have covered the topics of Cultural Anthropology, Biblical Basis for Missions, Historical Expansion of Missions, Christian Leadership, Reaching the Unreached People Groups, and Stars, Sand & Dust – the Abrahamic Covenant. The information in our classes is all highly relevant and important for all Christian ministers to grasp. Pray that God continues to bless, anoint, and show favor to the speakers who are flying in from all over the world to impart the words and vision of God.
I leave on Saturday for Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, where Malaysia shares a border with Indonesia. My team will be working with a local church, teaching English to refugee children who are not accepted in the regular school system. Pray that God uses our hands and our minds to bring relief to the existing workers and to build the confidence and self-esteem of the children.
This past week I have been fighting a cold; thank you to Mom and Dad for praying for my complete health….I am feeling better, but not perfect. Pray that my health is fully restored and that I will not suffer this weekend while doing ministry.
The World Cup…..GOD BLESS THE USA!!!! We won our group and now move on to the Top 16….I know many of you in the US couldn’t care less about soccer, but here it is so huge that I feel responsibleto stand up for MY team.
You may notice that I have posted a block that shows an unreached people group --- it changes daily, so check back often for different groups. Just so you know, there are about 6,300 people groups (equal to 40% of the world) that have yet to hear the Gospel in such a way that they can understand enough to accept God’s love and grace. They have no church, no fellowship of believers and the few believers tend to be isolated without a leader of any kind. I challenge you to pray for the group that shows up whenever you check this blog. Research the people if you desire – use http://www.joshuaproject.net/index.php for great updated information and statistics.
A few other recent statistics and estimations from DavidBarrett (the US Center for World Missions):
The world population increases 3 people everysecond, which means +94,608,000 every year.
The world population of baptized Christian converts increases approximately 210,000 every day, which means +76,650,000 every year.
What does this mean? It means that while the Gospel is being preached and accepted, we are behind the curve. We must push on; we must double, triple, or even quadruple our efforts in reaching those who have never heard.
Remember that Jesus came so that ALL might hear and know; He knows intimately and loves desperately every person who now lives, has lived, and will live. Don’t they have the right to hear and understand the TRUTH of God?
