GREAT SCOTT! It worked!
I don't have much time to go as in-depth as I would prefer to...because I'm typing from the future. But before you can count the ways to say "I love you," let me tell yo-no. Allow me to show you just a glimpse of heaven on earth: not in an earth-shattering, sky-splitting, time-traveling way, but in the most human ways possible... After a rambunctious day of the meeting, learning, and understanding new stories that came with new faces, it was time to hit the hay for our pioneers. Personally, I had to drop off some supporter gifts for my family so as I stood bashfully on the steps of the Thien Thao hotel, waving my uncle's friend goodbye on his motor scooter, I spotted the dynamic duo in the window above. Jeremiah and PT were meeting up with Thai (who had made a cameo in the first early days of our arrival) and were deciding on a place to eat for dinner. Dinnertime at 10 pm came and went and I left a part of myself at that joint. A slice of life, my would-be life, laid strewn about on the metal table before me: rice dishes laden with char siu pork, stir-fried vegetables, etc. Fellowship shared with food between friends: what more could eternity offer? A whole lot more than my pinhole opinion, it soon seemed.
The morning dawn wafted through the windows, along with the blaring horns of scooters, again, and it came time for our team's first devotional together as a cohesive unit. We discovered about the woman at the well, the man who lay at the temple gate called Beautiful, and the comparisons between these two characters, a sense of longing for a world set apart. A people set apart. I speak to you, viewer, not as a physically set apart missionary but rather as a comrade in arms against the forces of evil, that we are that world set apart. A people set apart. A holy priesthood in which Christ Jesus has set aside plans for each one of us on this planet. The man who lay at the gate called Beautiful had been carried out and begged for years, including the years that Jesus passed him, and yet was not healed. Not until Peter and John, who commanded him, "Look at me!" and healed him through the power of God. (Acts 3) I wondered, "Why didn't Jesus heal hi- OH WAIT. Does this mean Jesus saw the future and knew that Peter and John would be that instrument that God would utilize in the future?" 0_0 W h o k n o w s ?
But the Lord's timing and our willingness to serve go hand in hand. And with that, take my metaphorical hand and join me in walking with the children, along the cobbled stone steps, the broken tiles, and the occasional turd, as we embark on an adventure to buy shoes! ----------------------------------------------------------
Yo, it was a GRAND day. The sun was beaming through a curtain of grey, the bikes wanted to form a coalition and run us all over, and the children, oh the children. They could not be happier to see their new shoes in hand and plastic bags on their feet (because obviously we didn't have trial socks for 45 kids: 35 boys and 10 girls)! Our time with them soon drew to a close as we parted ways at the restaurant, with bursting bellies and full hearts. It was time to return to home base, for our quest of the day had not been yet fulfilled. Later that day, amidst a flurry of rushed packing, last minute supplies, and yah boy trying to make sure you guys get full coverage of what's going on, we were en route to the church that we would be spending time with for the weekend RETREAT. PRAISE WAS LIT. There was a hymn about the psalm "how the deer panteth for the water" and I always enjoyed animal imagery: makes my world feel more connected. The games were super fun! There was this one game where you link hands in a circle and there is a footstool in the middle. The objective: rip someone's arms off in the process of getting one of the combatants to touch said stool. Needless to say, our game became quite boisterous as chairs were added, fingers were strained and things got REALLY spicy when girls were added into the fray. When I played, apparently I did some weird crab walk over the stool and still managed to stay upright .-.
As the telltale signs of the evening began mewing at our door, (at one point, a kitten with a tufted tail, kinda like a poodle's) it was time for bed and well timed too because our wake up time to get to the bus was 6 am. Goodnight viewers GGGOOOOODDDD MORNING VIETNAM We are well on our way to the retreat site as I type and boy, it is ONE FINE DAY. Not a sun in sight, clouds blanketing the horizon like a gargantuan Q-tip, our bus sang praise songs and shared pork buns with each other in high anticipation of the trip. With that, I think I'm going to knock out a couple Z's before we will be disembarking in a couple hours. Hopefully, this weekend will be fruitful: filled with the Spirit working in ways to bring us to our knees in worship, prompting the Gospel in all our thoughts, words, actions, and habits.
Vietnam Forever,
Justin H. Nguyen