Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Celebrating 26 Years In Vietnam

Yesterday I celebrated my 26th birthday in Vietnam. Reflecting back on yesterday's events, I can say that my friends here truly went above and beyond to ensure that my birthday here was extra special. My translator and her mother made me a birthday cake, I ate some of my favorite Vietnamese food at a local restaurant and sang the night away at a Vietnamese kareoke joint. Not to mention the beautiful flowers and presents I received from my friends.

While ringing in my 26th year here definitely makes me miss being with those I care about most at home, last night, as I was surrounded by my newfound Vietnamese friends of a couple months, I could't help but feel incredibly blessed and fortunate to have developed such great connections in the short time since I've been in Hue.

I can only wait to see what unfolds in the coming weeks and months as my friendships deepend and I continue to meet new people.




Sunday, April 18, 2010

Blessings in the Storm

Have you ever had one of those weeks in which case a lot of things seemed to go wrong, one thing after another, kind of like a snowball effect? Well, I am just wrapping up one of those weeks and am very happy to be coming out of the tail end of the storm rather than just beginning it.

Last Friday night, I had the unfortunate experience of having several of my electric devices taken from my home. I was very upset and disturbed by the occurence, but man, God is so good. He knew just what I needed during this particular tragedy and provided me with the support, friendships, resources and strength I needed at just the right time. I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am for the incredible people I have in my life here who reached out to support me during the police visits, helping me search for another place to life, etc, etc.

Then a few days later, I caught a bad flu virus (probably from the lack of sleep and maximum stress) and God stepped right in again to provide me with the support I needed to get through the situation in the form of wonderful friends. My friends brought me meals, took me to the doctor, provided me with flowers, and the list goes on and on.

While I am certainly not glad that any of these unfortunate situations occurred, I am thankful that God used this opportunity to remind me yet again that He is sovreign, in control and will provide for my every need.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

International Fireworks Festival

Last weekend I traveled to the industrial city of Da Nang with some friends for the international fireworks festival. While there I had the opportunity to experience the major sights of the town including the beach and the city's famous pagoda as well as an array of restaurants. The firework displays were pretty cool as it was a competition and we were able to see the presentations of Vietnam, Japan and Portugal on Saturday night (with most of the other residents of Da Nang and the surrounding areas!).

It was nice to see a new Vietnamese city, but my visit to Da Nang definitely made me appreciate the beautiful city of Hue, my home for the next ten months, with its peaceful feeling and delicious variety of foods.

Below are some picture highlights from the trip: