Happy Birthday, Tony

What a gift! A bucket of peanut butter!
And the prize for "Crazy Cake Creativity With Numbers" goes to...

We celebrated Tony’s birthday today. The girls got up early in an effort to fix their Dad breakfast in bed. But…Tony was up early, too. So, they surprised him with breakfast any way, since he was busy on the computer while they were in the kitchen.

After breakfast, the girls and I gathered around Tony for each of us to say a birthday prayer for him. Very sweet. Anna Mei said, “And Lord, please let Daddy go bowling for his birthday.” So, at 10:00 am this morning, her prayers were answered! There is a small bowling alley here in Danang. During daytime hours, a game is less than a dollar. Of course, the shoe sizes are limited, shoe rental is a bit extra, and you must buy socks if you do not have your own with you. Still, it’s a bargain. No bumpers on the lanes, and no alarms for crossing the line (most everyone we saw there today slid a few inches down the lane.

Tony helped Faith and Joy score their first points—Faith riding on his shoulders while he bowled for her; Joy having him help push her ball down the lane with a little speed and force. A few frames into the game, Anna Mei said, “Dad, you’ve bowled your age!”

The girls all made Tony cards, which were delivered in a steady stream throughout the day. Tonight at supper, we had 18 folks around tables as our staff and families joined us. Really nice time.

Tony received some nice gifts: after shave, a tie, a birthday cake, a shirt, and a bucket of peanut butter! The thing is huge and I guess it to weigh over five pounds. Someone knows how much peanut butter Tony eats!

Just a great family day. I am more thankful than ever tonight for this man that we are blessed to know as husband and father. The greatest gifts that the Father has bestowed upon me have been delivered in the person of Tony Brewer.

This past Sunday I was asked to share a brief testimony about our “love story.” I thought some of you might not know how we came to be a family.

Tony and I met at Asbury College in January of 1979. I was sitting next to him the first day of Philosophy class, when the professor opened the session with a time of individual prayer. Because I was sitting close, I could hear Tony pray. I told my suite-mates in the dorm on that day that I had either met the man that I wanted to marry, or I wanted someone just like him.

Seven years later we had our first date. Yep, you read it right…7 years to the first date. We had both left Asbury (I transferred; Tony graduated). We wrote for awhile, then lost touch for about 3 years. That’s when the Pastor of the church where I served on staff asked if I could locate Tony and see if he was interested in a teaching position at the Christian school begun by our church (Tony’s bachelor’s degree is in Education). He did end up coming to the school, and months later we had our first date on April 17, 1986. Although Tony was gone for most of the summer to graduate school in Virginia, we called and wrote letters. He proposed during a phone conversation in July and we married after he came back from his summer classes, on August 23, 1986.

Wow…the years have flown by. How glad I am that the Lord has led my path in just this way. I hope as you reflect on the journey of your life, you also see evidence of the goodness of God. Even through hard places, maybe especially in hard places, or in times of waiting (like…7 years) He strengthens and upholds; He shapes and molds.

Wishing you many tender joys from His hand this day…

Grace and peace!

Makes Me Chuckle...

Here are a couple of things that made me smile this week...

This is Joy in her Easter dress...


Our friend Linh took Joy to shop for shoes to wear with her new dress. Here is Joy's selection...she could not be talked into the pretty buckle shoes!

And, lastly, forget "Two men and a Truck"--this is furniture delivery Danang style. He is bringing a new mattress for Jillian's bed. :)

Quang Tri

Another highlight of February was the visit of a good friend from the US. A retired Marine colonel (and Vietnam veteran), he now frequently visits Asia as part of his work. Our family is always delighted to see him! On this brief visit, we took a couple days to visit some of the places he knew as a soldier. One of those places was Quang Tri. As the northern most province controlled by the Republic of Vietnam (the South Vietnamese) during the Vietnam war, Quang Tri was the location of brutal battles as both sides fought for control.

We traveled northwest of Danang to Quang Tri Province. We spent a little time in Hue (pronounced “whay”), where emperors ruled for centuries. The palace is now a tourist site, offering elephant rides, gardens, and ornate gold covered thrones. It is reminiscent of The Forbidden City in China: expansive grounds with many buildings. Some housed the emperor’s wives. Linh told me how favored wives were in danger for their lives, especially if they became pregnant. If the child was a boy, there was added jeopardy to both their lives. Women taken to be the wife of the emperor never again left the grounds. I could not help but think of women of poor means whose selection to that elite group meant trading the freedom from poverty to having no freedom at all. What a choice.

The battle site of Quang Tri is now also a tourist area. There is a small museum, largely intact bunkers, and a US helicopter and plane. I tried to imagine how it might have been for the brave men stationed there. I thought of my own brother, a Vietnam vet (now deceased). Wish I could ask him if he had been there.

A few people wandered the grounds, selling dog tags from American and South Vietnamese soldiers. I held them in my hand, but they held my heart. Names after name, home states, religious beliefs, blood types…I was keenly aware that each of the cold metal rectangles stood for a living, breathing human being. Part of me wanted to buy all the dog tags, and part of me wanted to make them stop selling them. It seemed profane to me, to sell the dog tags in the face of the sacrifices made on that hill.

Any way, if you are veteran—or if you love someone who is, I just wanted to say thank you. I appreciate your service. I wish my own brother were living so I could tell him.

With Good Friday nearly here, I am thinking about another sacrifice willingly made. I am thankful for that one, too. May we all live lives worthy of what has been given to us and for us.

Grace and peace,
Cindy

Shopping Spree

I have been promising the girls (and most specifically, Joy) to go shopping for Easter dresses. Today was the day. Well, at least tonight was the night. Shopping here poses many possibilities. We can go to the market and bargain for each and every item we buy (which I find exhausting). We can go to Big C, gather an entourage of on-lookers who follow us throughout the store, right through the check-out. We can look for a small shop and risk higher prices. Or, we can go to our friend, who sells children's clothing out of her business office.

Tonight we visited my friend. She buys clothing at outlet centers in Saigon, most likely where the clothing is made. There are many namebrands: Gymboree, Gap, Old Navy, Children's Place--even some Ralph Lauren. Other brands are Australian or British. We arrived about 6:15pm, after the office was closed. About 15 plastic bags of various sizes were in the middle of the floor, and we were invited to plunge in. Every bag was packed full of new clothing--from fancy dresses to sundresses; pants; shorts; tops; even some hats, house shoes, and underclothes.
The girls loved it. They used an empty office as a changing room and had a grand time trying on different styles.

Of course, at the end of the shopping session, we had a big job folding and returning the clothing to the bags. We all came home happy. The girls have a total of 4 dresses, 2 skirts, 3 pairs of capris, 6 tops and a cropped denim jacket. Dad and Mom are happy, too. All 16 pieces came to a grand total of about $55.

Life is full of exchanges. We shop from bags in an office instead of at a mall. But the tag on Faith's Gymboree pants says they will cost about $30 in the US. I paid about $3. There are limited sizes and no "restocking." Still, to find the right dress in the right size brings some big smiles. All in all, a very good night.

Grace and peace,
Cindy

Back in the Swing

Wow! After a long absence I hope I am back for the "long run"! Computer/server problems have prevented me from accessing the blog...very frustrating. But, thanks to Enoch, all is well once again!

Now for catching up...

February was eventful. The lunar new year holiday, Tet, was February 14. That meant that the city effectively began shutting down on February 7, and by the 12th, schools and businesses were on holiday. Tet is beautiful...flowers everywhere, colorful lights up and down all the streets at night, lots of cleaning and sprucing up with painting, etc. Looking at a very full schedule over the next weeks, we took a few days off for vacation at Tet, spending a few days in Hoi An, a quaint tourist hot spot about 45 minutes from home.

The weather was spectacular. The girls went swimming three times a day, and enjoyed riding bikes and a trip on jet skis. They loved it! Jillian rode with her Dad, Anna Mei and Elizabeth each rode with an employee from the rental place. Anna Mei's "guide" let her drive. He was Vietnamese, but got plenty of practice on one English word during his outing with Anna Mei: "Slow! Slow! Slow!"

For the Vietnamese, Tet is also a time of focus on family. It is the time of year when everyone travels home and there are frequent visitors. Children receive small red envelopes with gifts of money. Everyone is expected to have two new outfits. "New" is the operative word for everything, which makes the time leading up to Tet a time to be especially watchful against theft. One teenager we know had his own new jeans stolen from his clothes line at home while they were hanging out to dry!

Incense is everywhere, altars for ancestors are heavily decorated and supplied with food, money, and other valuables. It is not uncommon for people to build small fires on the side walks or roadside to burn items that are then "transported" to those already in the afterlife. Bicycles, clothing, furniture, even money--anything may be burned that a person thinks his departed loved ones may need.

For us, though, February's greatest event was not Tet. It was the opening of Promise House! Seven children arrived on February 23. Since then, the number has doubled, with more children expected over the next few months. Eventually, Promise House will be home to thirty children. The children come from tragic backgrounds of poverty, hardship, neglect, grief, and hunger. What a wonderful blessing to know they are now eating well, attending school and experiencing the nurturing love of dedicated caregivers.

You will be seeing more of these precious children on the blog!

Of course, when good things are happening, the enemy of our souls seems to get into gear as well. There have been so many challenges, mostly cultural and political. Daily life here sometimes seems to be similar to waltzing on a tightrope, without a net. Many have felt changes here. Some are having to leave, others are dealing with close scrutiny, many questions, investigations.

In the end, we entrust our lives and activities to hands stronger than our own, a mind abler than we can perceive, a heart of limitless compassion. And we find joy.

Grace and peace,

Cindy

Anna Mei's Day In Pictures

" Okay, Anna Mei, here is your math problem..."

"I'm thinking...I'm thinking...."

"It IS the right answer ?????? Whoa!"

A Busy Day

Jillian, Joy and Elizabeth transfer the food to the new refrigerator.
Can you tell we are excited?

Jillian, Joy and I say good-bye to our old model. Yea!

Hello, all—
It has been an eventful day.

First off, let me say that I am no longer taller than my refrigerator. There’s a new Panasonic in the kitchen now…415 liters in size (14.6 cubic feet). It is much larger than the old one, which lacked a separate freezer compartment and still had to be manually defrosted, creating a large puddle in the floor. The girls have thoroughly enjoyed the “playhouse” they made from the box. Tonight, four of them are sleeping in it. Jillian is the lone voice of sanity that opted for the bed. J

This evening, the three older girls (Jillian, Anna Mei and Elizabeth) and I began some formalized motherly chats about “becoming women.” Jillian has been looking forward to it for weeks now. Elizabeth begged me to let her join in; Anna Mei is alternately interested/not interested. When I told Elizabeth she could be “in the group”, she struck a pose and started singing, “I’m the Statue of Puberty.” Ha! We gathered in a cozy circle over hot tea, and began with Scriptures from Psalm 139 and 1 Corinthians 6. It was a good discussion and we will continue round 2 next week.

Riding with Tony on the motorbike today, I noticed that so many of the motorbikes do not have turn signals. It is customary here for the passenger on the back of the bike to provide the signals: you simply stick out your right or left arm (depending on the intended direction) and vigorously shake your hand.

Our household is turning into a band! Jillian received drums for Christmas. Joy and Faith are now taking piano (and loving it—Joy can play the melody of “Silent Night” with no mistakes), and Jillian, Anna Mei and Elizabeth have begun to learn to play the recorder in our music time. They are all doing well. I am loving it immensely!

Work is progressing quickly at Promise House, the new orphanage here in Danang. Looks like children will soon move in. Remember them. Their ages are 5-12, so the transition from all that they have known (even if it has been terrible deprivation) may be difficult and frightening for them. We are looking for ways to make it easier.

Related to Promise House…a great praise. Tony was interviewing someone for a job there, and during their discussion, the applicant joined the faith. Remember this young man also.

That pretty much covers our day here. It is night now. I am off to bed…if it is not raining in the morning, Jillian wants me to take a bike ride with her to the beach at about 5:45 am.

Tonight, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for this happy life.

Grace and peace,
Cindy