More Pictures from David's trip to Vietnam

David diving into Vietnamese culture, wearing a local hat and eating a dinner of wild boar & deer with jasmine rice and green tea.



Ingenious use of a motorbike.


Girls are girls everywhere! Wonder who she is text messaging?


David talking with a local minority lady.


Who in this picture is not like the others? (He actually brought home that basket.)

David's Thoughts about Vietnam

So what was surprising? Everyone was surprised at how touristy much of Vietnam has become. Many people speak English, there is western food, coffee and ice cream are around every corner. Hanoi is actually easier to traverse than most of China. I found China and Vietnam to be about 75% the same. The differences are: Vietnam is very Animistic (i.e. they worship their dead ancestors and view them as guardian angels). Even the communists practice Animism. Vietnam never had a "Cultural Revolution," unlike China, so the Animistic influence is still very strong. Many believe that their Animistic/Buddhist worldview is why they are so friendly to all who have once been at war with them (USA, France, China, and Japan). Don't tell my Chinese friends, but my experience was that the Vietnamese were more friendly.

Highlights... I really enjoyed our visit to the Hope Center, where students with special needs get a chance for education from 8am-5pm every day, including a few hours of 1 on 1 time with one of the many teachers. I really enjoyed the chance to make some new Asian friends along the journey--this is really my element and it felt good to be back again. I was also able to develop some tight relationships with some of the other guys, and a couple of them said that they would send their church to visit Nichole and I when we go back to Asia.

Concluding thoughts... I see Vietnam as a great place to send Chinese workers. They would do very well in Vietnam, because of the cultural and political similarities. Vietnam has changed drastically in the last ten years, and hopefully it will continue to change. Many good things are happening in Vietnam that I can not post here, but please feel free to ask me in email.

Thank you for joining me on this trip. I hope you learned something as well!

Homecoming

David's flight arrived safely at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport at 5:40am this morning. They were a tired bunch, but it sounded like they had a good trip. After a 1.5 hour nap this morning, David stayed up all day today, which is quite a feat with jet lag and lack of any real sleep for 24 hours. The two of us spent some time at a coffee shop this afternoon, looking at pictures and talking about their time. We'll try to post some of their pictures and David's trip report tomorrow. For now, it's David's bedtime!

Thanks to all of you who prayed for the trip. Your support means the world to us.

Easy to Love

For several years now, Northwood volunteers have been visiting and loving on kids at a couple of special places in Hanoi--the Hope Center for Autism and a local Orphanage. Places like these are unique in Asia. When I lived in a nearby Asian country, we met a kid on the street who clearly had no home. He had lice in his hair, very dirty clothes and some sort of disability that made it nearly impossible for him to communicate clearly. He was often harassed and beaten by people on the street. Since we were foreigners, we weren't allowed to take him in. So we took him from place to place, including the police station, where they finally told us to "drop him off at the train station, that's where everyone drops off the kids they don't want." When society is most important, sometimes the individual is left behind. Places like these, which invest in kids like these, speak volumes about the value of human life.



A child learning letters and numbers at the Hope Center for Autism



Another child, having fun at the Hope Center for Autism

They also visited a local orphange in Hanoi, where about 150 children currently live. Most of these will go on to support themselves, using the training in textiles, sewing and computers that they receive at the orphanage. Northwood members take a group of these kids out for a little beach vacation every year.

Kids at the orphanage




Another sweet girl at the orphanage




David and his new friend at the hotel. They chatted for hours on those early mornings, when David was enduring jet lag.

David and the others over the ocean right now, on their way to the US. They should arrive home early Saturday morning. Pray for safe travel, and for the interns as the process all that they saw and experienced.

The Water People

Yesterday, David and the interns visited Hulong Bay, which is off the eastern coast of Vietnam, not far from China. Many of the people in the area spend a lot of time on the water. They fish, sell food, and even live on the water in houseboats. How would you feel about trading in your car for a commute in a boat?

Your own floating 7-Eleven! They met the lady below and bought some fruit from her.




Talk about fresh! They also bought some seafood, including fish, crab, shrimp and squid, like some pictured below. They ate it five minutes after it was out of the water!



Please continue to pray for the interns. They are in the middle of their last full day in Hanoi. They are planning to visit an orphanage and another site today. Pray that they'd have the chance to bond with some of the kids, or some other people along the way. Pray also for them to have some quality time to learn from Bob.

Treats for a Cause

The interns recently had a chance to visit a tasty, interesting venture. The goodies below are from a pastry shop that trains street children. After the training and experience they receive at the shop, they are prepared to have a career in the food service industry.



The interns have just returned from their time in Sapa to the city, Hanoi. They have a few more days in Hanoi, where they will visit some more project sites and see the city. Today, they went to an ethnic museum, where David saw a hat like one he had just purchased on display! (I know that won't be a surprise to many of you who know him)

David's adventures in Sapa

David is having tons of fun, enjoying the Asian culture, which allows you to make friends super fast. Can you imagine making friends with someone in an hour's time? In many parts of Asia, it can happen.

According to David's email, they met the "number one singer in the area and the number 3 chess player in northern vietnam." The chess player is apparently the first person from his village to graduate from high school. They also spent time with a young lady who has been helping groups from Northwood for many years. They are on the train now on the way back to Hanoi (where David should finally catch up with his luggage).

Below are some pictures from their adventures in Sapa...



David climbing a rock on their hike in Sapa. Or at least pretending to climb a rock.



David and the interns playing a game with the locals. Missing a shot is understood across cultures!




A Catholic church in Sapa. All people who attend are from the "Hmong" minority people group.

In the mountains of Sapa

The interns have just spent their first day in Sapa! From David's description, Sapa is an interesting little town. It's remote--eight hours away via train from Hanoi, the nearest large city. But it's also has some comforts of a tourist town, with a few European restaurants and free internet service at their hotel. They've also met quite a few people who speak English in Sapa, some from the "minorities" (people groups other than the predominant Vietnamese ethnic group) who have learned English to be part of the tourist industry there. The picture to the right is a little girl from the"Red Zao" people group.

The group also got the chance to visit some project sites and go on a challenging 6 km hike through the mountains of Sapa. To the locals, it's not challenging; they're used to it. (see right) During the hike, a young lady walked with them the whole way. Naturally, she hoped that the group would buy her wares at the end, but the guys did get a chance to chat with her along the way. Continue to pray for bonding among the interns, and chances for each of them to bond and make friends among the locals. The "small town" atmosphere of Sapa may make this easier than in Hanoi. Of course, David has already made a few friends!

...they are precious in his sight...

David and the others spent some time out in the Hanoi community yesterday in service, painting a medical clinic office. They also got to meet a doctor, who has spent a lot of time lately working with kids with autism and cerebral palsy. Apparently, more and more kids are being diagnosed with these conditions. Part of Northwood's work has linked Special Education teachers at Northwood with the educators in Vietnam. Until recently, kids or adults with these conditions were not accepted in society, and were not given any special attention in the school system. The Buddhist idea of reincarnation has traditionally led people to believe that their current state of disability is due to something bad from their previous life. This doctor, clinic, and the educators that Northwood has worked with are part of the positive change that has begun in Vietnam for these kids. Pray that these kids will be part of a new generation, that will realize their innate worth in their Heavenly Father's sight!

Pray also for the interns today, as they begin their adventures in Sapa. They will be visiting clinics, schools, and water filtration project sites. There will be many opportunities to learn, process, and dream about the future. There may also be opportunities to make friends or have meaningful conversations along the journey with local people.

By the way, David's luggage has finally been located. It should arrive in Hanoi soon, so he will be able to pick it up after he returns from Sapa in 3 days.