And So It Begins

Hello all,

The rainy season is upon us. It came suddenly on Saturday, raining most of the day with a sunny couple of hours around noon. Saturday night brought heavy rain--all night. The rain continued with no sign of the sun on the Master's Day. Sunday night and Monday have been almost non-stop heavy rain. Duc tells me that the rain has been heavier than normal so far. The words "monsoon" and "torrential" are appropriate. Water is standing in the street at low places.

The rain (and lack of sunshine) poses two interesting challenges. The first is getting a taxi. As you can imagine, they are in much greater demand when it rains. Sometimes we have called for a taxi during a shower only to be told that they are too busy and will not take any more requests. The prospect of being "all dressed up with no place to go" from home is frustrating. The thought of being stranded at Big C with a cart of groceries and children does not sound like fun. But, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we are enjoying the cooler temperatures, and playdates in the rain!

The second challenge is getting our laundry dry. Hmmm, now that is going to be interesting. We have a small covered area where we can hang clothes on the "laundry porch." Right now, it is a pole suspended on two ribbons that are tied to rafters of the porch roof. When Tony returns, he will bring a large fan to the third floor. The extra wind should help with the clothes.

The rain has little effect on the traffic--motorbikes and bicycles have kept the street busy today. Most people wear plastic rain ponchos--some are soaked to the skin in their street clothes. The next 2-3 months will be a new experience for us--Duc tells me that sometimes they do not see the sun for over a month at a time. We may have to learn the hymn "Showers of Blessing" in school. :)

Even though the weather is so different here, I have decorated our school room with paper leaves of fall colors. Each month I am putting a "quotable quote" up on the wall, that is related to the month or season. These are "Mom's Maxims." I finished October's today....it is a picture of a tree, bent in the wind, with leaves flying in every direction. The quote says, "When you feel like you are losing your grip...Fall on Jesus!"

Grace and peace!

I just as well laugh

Let the violin music begin...

"A Piteous Ode to the Demise of a Cell Phone"

Though not always glad when it rang

To share this sure gives me a pang

My heart truly sank

When it dropped in the tank

And all I can say is, "Danang!"

With love and an appropriate sniffle or two,

Cindy

Ahhh, Friday night

Top: Bee with me in our kitchen. Bottom: We had dinner at our pastor's house Sunday night and they gave the girls a hamster! Here they are with our new addition, Genny (g as in "get").

Hello, all--

Hurray! Three whole weeks of homeschool are under our belts. We continue to have a great time. I have to brag on my girls a little. Today we had just started school when I received a call from Duc asking me to take care of an urgent matter with the webmaster. I had to make a call right away, so I left the girls doing some puzzle papers and went to the office, which is next door to the school room. Of course, the "quick call" took longer than I anticipated, so I was gone for 20-30 minutes. When I returned, the girls had finished the puzzle papers, and had gotten water color paints, brushes, paper, and all the necessary supplies. Anna Mei had cut "head and arm holes" in trash bags to make painting smocks and they all sat down and painted a couple of pictures. No arguments, no spills, no problems! They even cleaned up! Wow! What a happy way to start the day!

I thought of a few other interesting or amusing things about daily life here...

First, I am learning the days of the week, and months, how to say money amounts, etc. in Vietnamese. On the days and months, for the most part, if you know the numbers, it's easy. For days of the week, you put the word "tu" in front of the number of the day. Sunday is the exception. It is called "the master's day." Then Monday is "tu hai" (pronounced "too high"--hai is the word for the number 2), Tuesday is "tu ba" (ba is the word for 3) and so on. Isn't it interesting that even here, Sunday is different...the Master's day!

Secondly, I went to the bookstore of the barking cat today. It is on the third level of a building that will eventually have other businesses on the first two floors. Right now, there is construction on floors one and two. There are two narrow escalators as you enter the building. The left one goes up, the other side is down. The first time I visited the building, I thought the escalator was out of service because it was not moving, but after stepping on, it started its ascent. Today I realized there is a sensor as you step up to the escalator that turns it on when someone approaches, much like a motion detector. If no one is there, the escalator stops, thus saving electricity (I assume this is the reasoning for it).

After the bookstore, Linh and I made a stop at Big C to buy juice and tea. I had gotten some money from an ATM, but it only dispenses bills in one denomination. Since I wanted to give the girls an allowance when I returned home, I was looking to get some change. That turned into a major effort! Wherever you shop here, the clerk always asks for the most exact denominations that match the purchase. They do not like to give change. I have had more than one clerk grab my billfold out of my hands and look for a smaller denomination. When I asked if I could change a bill (and Linh and I asked at 4 places) the answer was no. In the end, we were able to get change at an arcade! It was great for the allowances, since the girls like the sound of the coins going into their banks.

So, in the end, I have to say it has been a very good day. Two very special "little things have made my heart especially light. The first is an email I received from Elizabeth (our 1st grader). Even when we are in the same room, she likes to type me notes! This one is a keeper. I copied the entire message here:
hi
mom i love you it is fun to be your kid

The second "little" heartwarmer happened after the girls had painted this morning. I took the pictures to the laundry porch to dry in the sun. I had intended to clip them to hangers to dry, but a couple were too wet and the paint was going to run. So, I clipped the top of the paper to one hanger and the bottom of the paper to another, so the paper laid flat, facing up. Anna Mei was helping me. She nodded in approval. "You know, Mom, I think you're pretty clever." I laughed, "Coming from you, Anna Mei, that is a very big compliment!"

Thank you, Lord, for these gifts.

Charles Dickens said, "It is no small thing when those who are so fresh from God love us."

Grace and peace!

PS I am happy to say that Anna Mei was well-behaved (for the most part) during my absence on the errands today. There was only one brief episode of frustration for Bee when Anna Mei discovered she could shoot rubberbands from the third floor balcony with enough accuracy to hit her sisters in the courtyard on the first floor. Of course, a couple shots from above and they simply moved inside, and that was the end of that.

Second Week of School!

We were blessed by a "care package" from the US--SEVERAL hairbrushes (no more disappointing shopping hunts!), Skittles, fruit roll-ups, other goodies and and American flag! I thought you might enjoy some pictures.

One of Elizabeth's favorite items is the play teeth--she has had a great time startling her sisters and friends with a toothy smile!

In science, we experimented with the effects of wing length on gliders. Above, Faith is getting ready for her glider to take off.

avail-Ability

Hello again!

It is getting late here, but with the house quiet, I found myself reading and writing in my journal. And that, of course, made me want to share my thoughts. But then, you're not really a "captive audience", because you can send me off into cyberspace without ever reading the message. Don't do it! Just kidding.

At the Danang International Fellowship yesterday, our pastor was speaking about the changing face of Danang. Many new hotels are being built along the beach line, with more scheduled for development. The pastor said that only a few years ago, any westerners in Danang were here for a very short time--a couple weeks at most, tourists or short-term missions. Now, there is a growing population of "foreigners" who are here for months or years. New industry brings all kinds of workers from construction oversight and management, to staff, to support businesses. And so, the focus of the church is changing as well. Vietnamese citizens are not allowed to attend the international church, and the church's outreach to them is severely curtailed. But, with the influx of international residents, it is a different story. So now, there is the challenge before us as the body of Christ to evangelize, disciple and minister to people from all over the world who are in Danang for a multitude of reasons. The pastor concluded his remarks with a challenge to pray about how we might reach out to the international community.

My first reaction was resistance. After all, isn't just about every person in the church already committed to various ministriee s? But, over the past 24 hours, my attitude has changed. One reason for the "resettting" of my mind is the fact that Dennis Kinlaw stepped all over my toes (again!) in his devotional book, "This Day With the Master." Two quotes hit me right between the eyes. The first is "It must be astounding to God that we carry on the ordinary business of life as if we were not sent ones."

What? Me???? Astound God with my world marching on, oblivious to what He might be saying to me about my city, my neighborhood, my neighbor? The second quote hit me even harder: "We can have a nice postion and a respectable reputation as a Christian, and yet never be available to the Christ whose name we bear." Ouch. Years ago, there was a family member who always spoke with sympathy, kindness and profuse offers of as sistance. But whenever actually called upon, this dear soul quickly backed off. There was always a multitude of good reasons why she couldn't, shouldn't and wouldn't actually do anything. Her words were all compassion, but if action cost her anything at all, the price was too high. In the end, it became kind of an inside joke in the family. Her statements of "Call me if I can do anything" were met with rolling eyes and a suppressed giggle. Everyone knew never to really ask.

In His wisdom and compassion, every now and then (or more often, if we listen), God actually opens our eyes to His work. As Henry Blackaby says in his classic "Experiencing God," the revelation of God's working is His invitation for us to join Him in it. Maybe He places a lingering concern on our hearts, or inspires us with an idea that will bless, encourage or minister to someone. Maybe we feel a desire to do something great for His kingdom, or to be more than we are today for His glory. Does He find me available?

That word--available--really captured my interest. I couldn't help but think when I avail myself of all that He offers me--grace, strength, wisdom, love, etc.--then, and only then, am I able to fulfill His call.So, I prayed tonight, "Lord, I am Yours. Whatever You want for me, or from me; however You would use me, or not; in whatever way I can serve You, live for You, or die (to this world or myself) for You--I want to be available."May you experience a new, higher level of ability than you thought possible as you avail yourself of all that He has for you!

Grace and peace from His righteous and tender hand.

Moon Festival

Top: Elizabeth and Anna Mei with the lanterns at the Big C shopping center. Middle: The unicorn enters Mr. Bo's house. Bottom: Sharing treats with Mr. Bo. Linh and Sally are at the far left.

Hello, all--

We have learned some things about Vietnamese culture this week. There are three major holidays: the New Year, a festival in May, and the Moon Festival in Septembter. Of the three, the Moon Festival is the one most geared for children. There are traditionally gifts, a special moon cake, lanterns and a lot of dancing in the streets--nightly neighborhood parades, of sorts, with large costumed animals. The costumes are reminiscent of the large dragon heads with a long piece of fabric for the body that people stand beneath. But, in Vietnam, the most common animal is the unicorn, which looks remarkably like the dragon costume, except they have put a horn on the top of the head. (Personally, I think that the costume is made in (or at least the design comes from) China, but the Vietnamese historically are not friendly with the Chinese, so they changed it a little.

Any way, back to the moon festival. There have been sales in all the stores and paper lanterns with children's cartoon characters displayed everywhere. Yesterday, after church, I took the girls to a fast food eatery at the Big C center. The restaurant gave lanterns to all the children, so the girls were happy to receive them! Later, Mr. Bo told us that he had arranged for one of the "unicorn dance troupes" to come to his house at 7pm so our girls could experience the Moon Festival. The girls were VERY excited and at 7, here they came. The dance group consisted of about 8 young adults. Five of them manned the unicorn--one on the head, and two partners of two that would switch off on the body--the hottest job. Then, there were two helpers who wore colorful masks and carried fans. I think their purpose was really to make sure no one in the crowd got out of hand with the unicorn. The group is accompanied by a drummer (the large drum resembled small timpani and he beat it with mallets). The unicorn went in a large circle of the courtyard, into Mr. Bo's living room and back out into the courtyard. Because the front of the house is mostly pane windows, visibility everywhere was good, which was appreciated by the large crowd from the neighborhood that gathered in the courtyard and at the gate. The drummer kept the rhythm going and the unicorn danced...and danced...and danced. Frequently, the three "unicorn head and body" dancers would somehow stack themselves so that the unicorn could stand upright. It was hot just being in the crowd watching--it had to be unbearable under that costume. After the dance, everyone left, but a processional continued down the street after another "unicorn" dancer. Mr. Bo invited us to stay for refreshments. His wife is away in Saigon with their daughter who is starting college there. Mr. Bo is like a lot of men who depend on their wives for the flair of entertaining, so he skipped the traditional moon cakes and served the girls' favorite treat: Oreo cookies! We enjoyed them with ice water. Duc and Linh came with their daughter Sally (who was terrified of the unicorn) and another English-speaking couple was there, so we were all able to communicate.

There was a stunning, white full-moon. It reminded me of the Chinese thought of the moon bringing us close to the ones we love, no matter how far away they happen to be, because the same moon shines on us all. Of course, that made me think of Jillian and Tony. It was a spectacular moon--a perfect ball of shimmering white silk. I hope you also can enjoy some moonlight. Moreover, I hope you will be moonlight to someone else--a reflector of the bright light of the Son!

Grace and peace.

Bee's American Food

Above: Faith and Joy show off their "Creation Books."

Hello, all--

We have officially completed our first week of homeschool. Yea! It was a good week--and today our literature books arrived from Sonlight curriculum! It was like Christmas--the girls were SO excited to have some new books. They are good ones, too! Anna Mei scooped up a biography of Helen Keller and has been reading it with great interest. Elizabeth is still looking over every book very carefully to choose the first one to read. We will begin "Cheaper By the Dozen" at bedtime tonight. Other school news: Elizabeth made a 92 on her first spelling test of the 1st grade, and Anna Mei scored 105 (thanks to correctly spelling the bonus word, "invention"). Also, we completed "Creation Books" since we studied the Creation account this week. When hers was finished, I told the girls they could share the books and tell how God made the earth and everything in it. Joy was very excited. "I'm going to tell everybody," she said.

Our lunch the past two days has been very interesting. When Marissa and Enoch left for their visit to the US, they blessed us with some special treats--one of which was a jar of Orville Redenbacher popcorn. It didn't take long for Bee to notice it on the shelf and start investigating popcorn. Yesterday, when we entered the kitchen, there was a plate of popcorn on the table, along with 2 french bread loaves and a soup-bowl of salty ham cooked in it's own flavored juices. That was lunch. The girls were completely thrilled: popcorn!!!! Most of the kernels had a little black on them--I'm not sure how much oil she used, if any. Also, she communicated to me that the popping took her completely by surprise and she almost dove under the table for cover when it began! She was laughing about it, making motions with her hands in every direction: "pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!" I think she thought to grab a lid and cover the pot before too long. It didn't scare her too much--today's lunch was an exact repeat--except the kernels were not scorched. I won't complain about the meat--afterall, since she discovered that I really like fish, she has fixed a single portion for me every night for supper. Bless that woman's heart. She also knows that Anna Mei and Elizabeth have a special love of white rice with soy sauce, so there is always an ample supply. Joy and Faith like any meal that ends with watermelon, so they are not hard to please, either.

I took the girls to Big C this afternoon to celebrate the end of the first week of school. We needed to make a stop by an ATM or the bank. Bee went with us. We inadvertently walked into the wrong bank. I realized our mistake and turned to go, but the tellers had caught sight of Elizabeth's hair and said something to Bee, who summoned us all back into the bank. The guard took Elizabeth behind the counter so all the tellers could pinch Elizabeth's cheeks and touch her blond hair. They gave her candy, so she was agreeable to the whole thing.

I have been practicing the little bit I know of Vietnamese. The first phrase I learned when we first came here was "thank you." Yesterday, I finally learned how to say, "You're welcome." When I whipped that one out on Bee, she looked surprised that I said it, then she smiled big. "Ooooooooooooo, Mommy" she said in her high pitched voice, shaking my waist with her hands (her gesture of endearment). She always calls me "mommy" because of hearing the girls say it so much.

Today, I said, "Father, make my first word to You every day, "Thank You." Thank You, thank You, thank You for every blessing, every grace, every opportunity, every ounce of strength, every ray of hope, every breath, every call of "Mommy!!!!", every responsibility, every demand on my time, every challenge that drives me to You..."

I hope you find as much to be thankful for today. God is good. All the time.Grace and peace!

Precious Days

Hello, all--We have had our third day of homeschool--what a treat! It has reminded me one of the reasons we homeschooled in the first place. I love it! It is a joy to watch the girls learn and experience it with them. Here is a "snapshot" of some of the funny moments of our day:

In our science curriculum (published by Apologia) we are studying birds. Today we were talking about the concept of "lift" that allows birds to fly. There was an experiment for us to do to illustrate the idea that if more pressure is below the wing than above, the result is "lift." The experiment utilized a full cup of water with a short straw in it. With a longer straw angled up at the short one, we blew air across the top of the short straw. The result is a small spray of water coming out of the short straw. The girls found this amazing and there were gales of laughter as they took turns standing on the other side of the cup so they could be "spritzed" in the face. Anna Mei was laughing so hard that she could hardly blow on the straw when it was her turn. (If you want full details on how to do the experiment, email me).

Yesterday, Elizabeth lost a tooth on the bottom row of teeth (that's her in the picture above). At lunch today, she discovered that she can expel a watermelon seed through the open space. That set off another round of laughter. Let's just say she's a pretty good aim.

Also at lunch, Elizabeth announced to Joy: "Joy, in heaven you will get a crown." Joy's eyes perked up. "Girls," I said, "do you know what we will do with our crowns. We will throw them at the feet of Jesus in worship." There was a pondering moment of silence before they burst into laughter. "No way, Mommy! Jesus wouldn't want us to throw a crown on His feet!" Then, Elizabeth got serious for a moment, "Can't we keep the crowns?" I said, "Hmmmm, if you want to." I am confidant that when the time comes, Elizabeth will be at the front of the line for crown casting. Until then, I had to smile as I imagined Elizabeth and Joy (crown-lovers extraordinaire) fighting tooth and nail with a couple of angels to keep their crowns.

For our first memory verse of the year, I chose 2 Timothy 2:24 "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone..."

Anna Mei and Elizabeth can already rattle it off at break neck speed--they have had a lot of practice since at the first hint of a disagreement, I have them say the verse.

It is days like this that make motherhood such special joy. We are enjoying being together.

I had my first Vietnamese lesson. I can now say, "Hello, how are you?" and "I am fine, thank you." At least I can say this in most situations. It turns out their are about 12 different personal pronouns to ask or answer such a question. The correct pronoun (for "I" or "you") depends on your gender, age, and relationship to the other person (including their age and gender). And that doesn't even begin to talk about the five different tonal marks that can change the meaning of a word that is spelled exactly the same as another, except for a dot under one of the letters. Sound complicated? Good. Then I am not alone! I definitely want to practice, practice, practice!

I hope you find some humorous surprises in your day!

Grace and peace!

First Day of School

Hello, all--

Well, the subject line says it all. My life over the past few days has centered on school! But, we began this morning. Our books have still not arrived, so I spent most of the weekend online looking at worksheets. It is amazing how many good resources there are. It is not difficult (afterall, our girls are only in K, 1st grade and 3rd grade--Jillian is doing school in the States right now with our adopted Grandmom) but it is very time consuming. I kept the printer and the laminator busy, busy, busy!

There are so many things about daily life I wanted to share. I realized the other day that I am almost getting used to attracting a large crowd at the Big C shopping center (or anywhere else we go). The other night, I was there with the girls letting them pick out some school supplies and, by the time we left the store, we had a following of at least 20 people watching our every move. Elizabeth is glad to get out of there with all her hair still attached to her head.

Duc and Linh wanted us to see a movie with them here. Tickets for any show are $2 each. At the theater, you sit in assigned seats, but you choose the row and seat numbers when you purchase the tickets. Row F or G is good--not too close or too far back. Any way, the large screen was a little frightening for Duc and Linh--it turns out they had never been to a movie theater before. I'm not sure they will go again--it was just almost overwhelming for them.

Anna Mei has lost her other front tooth. She and Elizabeth are thoroughly enjoying their sewing kits. Tonight, she found a skirt that had a small hole in it. "It's okay, Mom. I can fix it," she said, "I'm the sew-inator." I never know what she will think of, but it keeps me smiling. The other day, she said she was going to write a song for her dad's return. The title is "There's a Whistle in My Kiss for You." She's been working on it some.

Bee invited us to go to her Vietnamese church with her yesterday. Getting ready was interesting. Bee spent the night and the next morning, she brought me the outfit she wanted me to wear--right down to the shoes. She also, made her opinions known when the girls were choosing their clothes. The people at the church were very welcoming. Many of the songs are hymns that we know, so we are able to sing along, even though they were singing in Vietnamese. Other than that, the service was an exercise in endurance for me. It was hot, both twins wanted to sit on me, and of course we could not understand anything that was said. But, meeting the pastor after the service was a treat, he and his family were so kind. His 15-year-old son was the pianist. That young man is very gifted, the accompaniment was outstanding. I was surprised to learn his age.

I was reading a verse in Matthew, I think, where Jesus says, "Receive the Holy Spirit." I found it interesting-- He did not say, "Beg, plead, search for, figure out, the Holy Spirit. Simply receive. I am so thankful that, with all the work there is to do in daily life, the Lord invites me to simply receive the One I need in order to have what I need to accomplish the task at hand. For me, it means to stop, take a deep breath, remember Whose I am, acknowledge the Kingdom rule under which I live, and let Him come in and fill every dry or worried or harried or frustrated place in my being. He is always faithful.

May you receive all you need from Him today.

Wonderful Cross, Beautiful Savior

NI began this message early this morning in praise. My heart is not as free now. I just learned from Tony that our tenants moved out and stole the furniture that they had committed to buy, but never paid for. I had been preparing myself for this news (at least I thought I had), but the confirmation that what we feared might happen actually has...well, it took the wind out of my sails. I am reminding myself that these are only "things"--afterall, weren't we going to sell them? But I had imagined the house with them in it.... Here is how I am looking at it: I will not let my feelings decorate my heart and throw a humdinger of a pity party. There are much more important things in life. Pray for us...especially for Tony, as he is left alone to pick up the pieces at the house. He has many things he needs to do for our work here, so I do not want this to take up too much of his time, or energy. Now, with that said, I feel much freer and my heart is able to get back to what I had begun earlier today.

I was reading about the reality of communion (in Dennis Kinlaw's devotional). He talks about how Jesus gave His life so we would be able to lay ours down as well. A few months back, Tony shared with our home group that in Jesus' promise to send the Holy Spirit, the word we read as "witnesses" ("...and you shall be my witnesses") is the word "martyr." We talked about the necessity of the Holy Spirit's empowerment in dying to ourselves and to this world. Without Him, we are unable to do it. Again, we die to live. That got me thinking about the cross. It is such a seeming contradiction--the object that brought suffering and death to my Savior is a symbol of hope, help and life all over the world. The cross is a fountain of forgiveness and an altar of sacrifice. It is where we surrender all, and where we find victory. Kneeling at the cross, we die to an old life and rise to a new one. Oh, blessed cross of Jesus!With this being the "first Sunday" of the month, I know many churches will share communion. If you are invited to the Lord's table this Sunday, I pray that you will indeed know the reality of Communion--not just the symbols of the bread and juice/wine, but the life (and death) that you are embracing and proclaiming to be your own. Kinlaw writes, "We must let Christ's life possess us so that we can be the temple of Christ and not the temple of self-interest." Ouch. Death is not easy, or pretty, or comfortable, or glib. It does not "just happen." It is a choice. A life layed down. A will subdued and humbled. And there is the paradox. The life we receive is far more joyous than the one we give. The surrendered will knows a joy that a self-sufficient one cannot. Thank you for the cross, Lord...

Here are the words to a song that really ministers to me. It is called "In Christ Alone." The final verse encourages me so much. If you like, there is a great video featuring this song at this site: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8welVgKX8Qo Amen and amen.
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ev er pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Grace and peace to you in His wonderful Name!

Saw What They Wanted, Blind to What They Needed

I wanted to share something that the Lord has been stirring in my heart for a couple of days now. I will get to that in a moment. But first..."Good morning, Vietnam!" I always wanted to say that--somehow it loses it's comedic appeal in print. Oh well, I tried.

Yesterday was a national holiday here. I asked Linh what it was about, and she smiled sweetly and said, "It is like our national day when Ho Chi Minh pushed back the American invaders." (deep breath) Okay. So, I decided that the girls and I would stay at home. (Let me say that we have NOT experienced any kind of anti-American sentiment here--doesn't mean it is not to be found, just means that we have not seen or felt it, so do not worry--everyone has been "playing nice.") Mr. Bo displayed his Vietnamese flag at the front gate. It is odd to see any flag other than the Stars and Stripes displayed so prominantly. Hmmmm, maybe I'll have Tony bring back an American flag for our classroom.

Something rather humorous (at least to me) happened this morning when Bee arrived. She was telling me something about sleeping, but I wasn't quite getting it (with my "no Vietnamese" and her "no English"--we get along at communicating remarkably well, but sometimes it takes quite a bit of pantomime!). Just then, Mrs. Bo came around the corner, so Bee told her the message. It was "Tomorrow night I am going to sleep at your house." I suppressed a giggle. What was that we were telling the girls about inviting themselves to spend the night with friends? Hmmm... It is sweet, really. I think they are worried about me and the girls with Tony and Jillian gone. Linh also said something about staying here a few nights.

Now, on to important matters. The other day I was reading 2 Kings 7. It is a remarkable story, I think. When Aram's army (Syria) attacked Samaria, the result was a famine in all Israel. Prices skyrocketed (a donkey's head sold for 80 shekels--doesn't that sound appetizing? and a pint of dove's dung went for 5 shekels--I won't even ask what that was for). Elisha received a message from the Lord that within 24 hours, prices would drop dramatically--a full measure of fine flour would be 1 shekel, as would be more than 4 bushels of barley--now we're talking!) The king's royal officer scoffed, saying that even if the windows of heaven were flung open, such a thing would be impossible. I'm sure he was thinking that such an event would require Aram's army to be instantaneously defeated with no losses to the conquerors.) Of course, the prophecy came true.How did God do it? He caused the Arameans to hear the approaching sound of a great army. Thinking that Israel's king had enlisted the help of powerful neighbors to help in the fight, the Arameans ran, abandoning their weapons, food, clothing, and animals.What really stood out to me is the way that Israel learned of their deliverance. This is how that happened...

Four lepers had been begging at the gate. They knew they were doomed. There was no food for anyone to share. They reasoned..."if we sit here, we starve. If we go into the city, we starve. Let's give ourselves up to the Arameans. Perhaps they will spare our lives. If not, we're as good as dead any way." And so, they approached the camp. They, of course, found it fully supplied with everything but people. After they ate and filled their pockets, they realized that they could be in serious trouble if they did not share this profound information, so they went back to the palace and became the unlikely heralds of this happy news.

Here is what I have been thinking... There are four lepers, perhaps signifying all the peoples of the earth (North, South, East, West--the four corners, so to speak).. The whole world is sick with sin, incurable, debillitating, progressively intrusive, desensitizing, scarring sin. Many people are like the lepers, resigned to the fact that they are doomed. They are hopeless--darned if they do, darned if they don't. So, like the lepers, they slink off to the enemy's camp. They try to "fit in"--or just find a life for themselves--it doesn't have to be a good life, just someplace to get by. Who can blame them, they reason, it's just the way things are. Surprisingly, what they expect at the camp, fear or capture, does not happen. God has been there ahead of them. He has prepared their way. When there is no help on any side, there is always help from above Like giddy children, they romp through the camp. Then, they become God's messengers of the fulfilled prophecy. Who would expect the news of this miraculous occurrence to be entrusted to four lepers who were waiting for death just the day before?And the result? Israel was spared conquest by the Arameans. The king cannot believe the news. He sends a "test group" to verify. The next verses are the most telling of all...there is not record of repentance, thanksgiving, celebration or worship. The smug royal official, so skeptical of God's ability to deliver His people, was trampled at the gate by the people running to the plunder (no restraint? "every man for himself? totally self-absorbed?). Famine still comes upon the land, this time sent directly from God's own hand. There is no further mention of the lepers.

Is this a picture our world? Suffering people, sad, observing things getting worse and worse, feeling powerless and hopeless. But God...But GOD...BUT GOD...! Always ahead, making a way. It may be the unexpected, the improbable, the impossible...but He is able! My answer may come in the middle of the night and I just have not found out about it yet. My enemy's camp is emptied, waiting for me to celebrate in the spoils, if I will have the courage to face it. May I remember where my help comes from. Oh, Father, let me be quick to recognize your hand, expectant of your deliverance, instantaneous to thank you, faithful to declare Your goodness, ready to receive of Your abundant blessing because You can trust me to be Your vessel.

Grace and peace to you this day!

Our Challenging Adventure Begins

Tony, Jillian, Marissa and Enoch left yesterday for a trip to the US. There were plenty of hugs and tears, some howling--but I settled down eventually. Ha! Actually, the parting of the sisters was the most teary. But, all have recovered. Tony said in an email today that Jillian is doing well. Elizabeth and Anna Mei have rallied also and we have had a good day. The travellers spent the night in Hanoi, then flew to Hong Kong today. They will board a plane for the States tomorrow--actually two different planes, since Enoch and Marissa are on a different flight that Jillian and Tony.

Tony told me that this trip with Jillian reminded him of the first time he was alone with her in Hong Kong--it was nine years ago when he was bringing her home from China to introduce me to our first daughter! Both her ears were infected on that trip, so I trust she is having a better time on this go round (and Tony, too!).

A humorous incident here before they left...with the theft of Enoch and Marissa's computer a couple of weeks ago, our office was down to one laptop for any of us to use--working out computer time was tricky! Since Tony will need one while he is away, and I need one here, he purchased another computer last week. It is quite an ordeal to purchase a computer in Danang. The intitial visit takes about 2 hours to look, select a model, then try to get adequate specs, talk about programs, etc. I suspect, like Tony, many people are exasperated by the time they place an order, and leave with an appointment to come back and pick up the computer. Our experience is, at that appointment, the computer is not ready. It was closing time on Saturday night, so the manager offered to deliver it to our house on Sunday morning. They took all the address and phone information, and Tony left a copy of his US driver's license for ID. On Sunday morning, they called to confirm delivery--he knew right away it was the computer store--the manager addressed him as "Mr. Kentucky."

I have noticed that many people here wear clothing with English words or phras)es or even brand names. It is sometimes obvious that the apparel is Vietnamese made, masquerading as western, simply because of the spelling. I have a pair of flip flops that have the name Addsas (almost "Addidas"). Some of the shirts have encouraging or uplifting words or phrases. Yesterday I saw a young lady wearing a jacket with the word "Sencetive" on the back. I laughed because I thought of all the people I know who are "sensitive" to misspellings (did I just commit one?) Ha!

After our group left for the airport and things were quiet again...after supper, and baths (and showers for Faith and Elizabeth, who love to control the spray nozzle)...while the girls watched a "Peter Pan" DVD before bed...a thought tip-toed in my mind and settled until I noticed it: "Can I really do this? Can I be here in Vietnam with four little girls..without Jillian? Can I take care of them and nurture them and give them what they need without Tony being here? Can I keep up with the house, the daily expenses and record keeping, and get ready for school, and start language classes and .....?" Then, I picked up the nearest book--a daily devotional by Dallas Willard...and here is the Scripture for yesterday:

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8

What a sweet reminder. My Father knows what I need before I ask. Help is dispatched before I am aware of the need. He is my strength and my song, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.When you pray, know that we are well and happy. Pray for the Brewers on both sides of the world.

Grace and peace!

PS In reading back over this I was a little chagrined that I see "me, me, me"--I hope that you know that I feel honored and blessed to serve the Lord here. Life is good. God is gooder (hee hee). I am among the most blessed of women. God has granted me to marry the love of my life, and I have seen Tony lay down his life for me (and the girls) in so many ways every day. God has given us five beautiful, gifted, lively daughters--precious inside and out, and on top of it all, He has granted me the adventure of a lifetime--serving Him with all that I am, taking that, and making it more than I could give. I am rich with family and friends--more than that--brothers and sisters who will go the distance with us, pray faith-filled prayers, laugh, cry and wonder with me. I am not worried, or even uncomfortable. I am blessed and I am rejoicing. I wish the same for you.