A normal day here in Danang. After breakfast, I trudged up the 42 stairs(trudging is the best I can do at 8:20 am) to the laundry porch on the third floor to remove the clothes from last night's washing from the clothes line and hang at the new load that I put in at 7:30 this morning. With 9 of us in the house, we have one line for the wet clothes, about 10 feet long. To make space, we hang the wet clothes on hangers. Of course, terry cloth towels don't dry so well when folded, so most of the time, they have to be turned over on the hanger to dry the underside. For some reason, turning the towels always makes me think of my old laundry room at our former house, and the laundromat I used just before we moved to Vietnam. I loved taking the hot towels out of the dryer. Here, the fragrance is just as strong, even though the towel is partially damp. It reminds me that things are good in both places--just different.
One difference that is not so welcome is the bugs. The ants don't just march two by two. Even Faith and Joy refer to any sighting as "a bunchee ants." Then, of course, there are other flying varieties, along with spiders of all sizes. Thankfully, I am learning not to be so squeamish about things. And, the girls now appreciate the importance of keeping food in the kitchen, picking up trash, and rinsing dishes.
Tony was preparing to leave for China today. He will visit a couple of orphanages, and meet a lady who is coming on a prayer mission. She will remain here long enough to teach at a couple of conferences for church leaders. We will all travel with the teaching team to Cambodia in about a week. It will be Elizabeth and Jillian's first trip to Cambodia, and they are excited about it.
While I was helping Tony pack, I reached in the top of the armoire in our room to remove a shaving kit. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something falling toward my face and I jerked my head to the right. I looked on the floor to see a lizard scurry under the armoire. I had to laugh--a few months ago, I probably would have screamed like a little girl, now I barely flinched. Of course, had the thing actually landed on my cheek, I probably would have brought the whole household running.
It is days like this that I love my tea kettle most. It is nothing special really. Just a plain, ordinary, useful tea kettle. It is not ornate or decorative. But of all the kitchen items, I use it the most. It holds hot water for my coffee, tea-brewing and dish washing. It is homey, and comforting in a way. I like the feel of its wooden handle in my hand. I always think of the utensils the Bible talks about in 2 Timothy 20, 21--
"In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."
If I keep my heart close to the Lord by walking with Him daily, He will make me an "instrument for noble purposes...holy...useful...and prepared to do any good work." I don't have to be the best instrument, the most ornate, the most costly. I just have to be like my tea kettle--ready to serve, faithful in fulfilling my purpose, available. Oh, that my Father would think of me as I do that tea kettle, with warm affection, comfortable, at home, and that my heart would fit well into His hand that He can pour me out as He chooses.
One difference that is not so welcome is the bugs. The ants don't just march two by two. Even Faith and Joy refer to any sighting as "a bunchee ants." Then, of course, there are other flying varieties, along with spiders of all sizes. Thankfully, I am learning not to be so squeamish about things. And, the girls now appreciate the importance of keeping food in the kitchen, picking up trash, and rinsing dishes.
Tony was preparing to leave for China today. He will visit a couple of orphanages, and meet a lady who is coming on a prayer mission. She will remain here long enough to teach at a couple of conferences for church leaders. We will all travel with the teaching team to Cambodia in about a week. It will be Elizabeth and Jillian's first trip to Cambodia, and they are excited about it.
While I was helping Tony pack, I reached in the top of the armoire in our room to remove a shaving kit. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something falling toward my face and I jerked my head to the right. I looked on the floor to see a lizard scurry under the armoire. I had to laugh--a few months ago, I probably would have screamed like a little girl, now I barely flinched. Of course, had the thing actually landed on my cheek, I probably would have brought the whole household running.
It is days like this that I love my tea kettle most. It is nothing special really. Just a plain, ordinary, useful tea kettle. It is not ornate or decorative. But of all the kitchen items, I use it the most. It holds hot water for my coffee, tea-brewing and dish washing. It is homey, and comforting in a way. I like the feel of its wooden handle in my hand. I always think of the utensils the Bible talks about in 2 Timothy 20, 21--
"In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."
If I keep my heart close to the Lord by walking with Him daily, He will make me an "instrument for noble purposes...holy...useful...and prepared to do any good work." I don't have to be the best instrument, the most ornate, the most costly. I just have to be like my tea kettle--ready to serve, faithful in fulfilling my purpose, available. Oh, that my Father would think of me as I do that tea kettle, with warm affection, comfortable, at home, and that my heart would fit well into His hand that He can pour me out as He chooses.
