After close to 24 hours and 3 different flights, Howard and I (Myrna), Danny and Heidi and Dan arrived home safely around 5:30am. Ben and Anicka should be in the air as I write.
This was my third trip to Vietnam and each time I've been amazed at the increased sense of freedom among the local people of Saigon. There are no longer police stationed at our hotel watching our every move and we are pretty free to travel as a group wherever we go. (In the past, we went two by two to visit our friends or to work on projects, so we wouldn't draw attention and cause problems for those we were helping.) We are still careful not to endanger any of our contacts by drawing attention to what we are doing, but there is a remarked difference since President Bush visited in 2007 (I believe)
The city has become increasingly modernized as well and we are now seeing as many "Highland Cafe" coffee shops as we have Starbucks in America. I kind of miss my 'cafe den' dripping like black sludge into my glass coffee mug filling it about a third of the way. I did have the sludge experience several times, but I was pretty excited when I could treat myself to Hazelnut Cafe Freezes.
It seemed a little harder to find those amazingly good buys at the Ben Thanh market. Increased tourism, I assume, (lots of Australians, Europeans and young people) has driven up the prices. The An An hotel has also risen in price from around 22.00 a night on my first trip to a whopping 40.00 this time. Ah, but the upgrades.
This trip had two focuses for me. Our outreach to the poor and our outreach to one another. I see how our love for one another is just as impacting as our ability to give assistance or things. It is not hard for me to love our team. They each have a special place in my heart and they each have such an amazing witness.
My prayer throughout our trip was that each person we came in contact with or physically touched would be set aside as God's own. That He would mark them and woo them and call them. I prayed that they would hear his voice in the wind and sense His presence and greatness and would be curiously and peacefully drawn into fellowship with their maker.
I always go away thinking, 'Next time, I'll be sure to . . .' It is so hard to anticipate all the various opportunities that may present while we are visiting Viet Nam.
Oh, if I would have thought to bring 'more' candy to the elderly and handicapped. ( I know now that is something they enjoy) Or, if we had known we would be delayed arriving at the rice distribution, we could have brought treats to pass out while they waited. Or if we would have known what that whole event was to look like, we could have had toys for the children etc. etc. etc.
In the end, I am learning that my Father is surely big enough to make up for my lack. My part is just that. Whatever way I can think of to love and show compassion and lovingkindness is pleasing to Him. He is the one who supplies all our needs. All of mine and all of theirs. He is far more creative and reliable than I am to know what that looks like for each individual. I have to say I am grateful for having any part at all in sharing his heart. I felt unbelievably privileged to hold the children at the orphanage and to greet the elderly and handicapped and to interact with the poor village people in The Highlands and to make life easier for an impoverished family and to bring provisions to a small church group in the mountains and to visit the Grace House children and party with them at KFC. Etc. Etc. I love my God, because he so eloquently loves me. Myrna
