Yesterday, after a blistering hot day of painting out at the Dai Loc orphanage, we headed back to Danang on motorbikes. Unlike the ride up to Dai Loc (if it hadn't been for my sunscreen I would have come out looking like a cherry), it rained. Altogether 6 of us were travelling from Dai Loc to Danang and there were only two bikes. I rode with Duc, my closest friend in Vietnam, and his 3 year old daughter Sally. Duc drove and I sat behind him cradling the little girl. Boy, what an uncomfortable ride.
Soon after taking off (around 5:45) I remembered my English class at 6:30. We still had an hour's drive ahead of us and no supper in our tummies--I had to cancel class.
I somehow was able to hold onto Sally with one arm and slide my hand into my pocket to pull out my phone. I started texting away.
After disappointing my students with my short text message, I clung onto Sally as we weaved in and out of traffic, dodging motorbikes, trucks, and large buses racing to get home. In the midst of all the madness God was able to show me something. I felt like He was telling me to look around at everything He had made. I noticed the rice fields full of water, stretching for what seemed like miles 'till they reached the mountains where the sun was setting for the day. Ahead of us there was a full rainbow, dark clouds rolling close behind. How great is our God?
Where I live back in the States there are many views that rival the ones I see in Vietnam, but I don't always take the time to see them. Yesterday, God slowed me down and reminded me of the miracle of His creation. Maybe He wants to do the same for you. Maybe there are miracles all around you that you don't take the time to appreciate...and praise God for.
After all these things, I looked down at my little companion and noticed another miracle. Little Sally had fallen asleep in my arms...in the rain...on a motorcycle...on the winding roads of Vietnam.
Enoch
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Praises
As I write, I am sitting in the shade outside of "Big C", a supermarket in downtown Danang. The bus to Dai Loc stops here, though its schedule is still somewhat of a mystery to us.
We've been back and forth between Danang and Dai Loc a lot lately because of the orphanage renovations. The rooms are coming along--the cracks and holes have been repaired in several rooms. Many of the rooms and some of the shutters have been sanded and painted. I can't wait to see the finished product!
A few days ago when Duc and I were in Dai Loc to purchase paint and supplies we discovered that
one of the children was sick. She was in bed with a high fever and couldn't open her eyes; when asked a question, her responses were mumbled and weak. We were very concerned. The caregiver explained that she had started to run a high fever the previous day and had been taken to the hospital. The doctor said that the girl had a "super virus" and that no medicine was available other than fever reducers. Many in Danang have been sick with this particular virus and their fevers are lasting for 7-10 days.
To make things worse, this is finals week for the children. There is no way to reschedule final exams. If you do not take the tests, you fail and have to repeat the grade.
Duc said something to the caregiver and asked if I wanted to pray. Quietly, we brought the girl's needs before our Father. A short time later we returned to Danang.
The next day as Enoch, Duc, and I prepared to leave for Dai Loc we grabbed a box from the US. A while back, an individual in the US had seen the pictures of the children in Dai Loc and felt compelled to send a gift to one particular girl. Duc looked at the name on the box and laughed in surprise--it was for the girl with the fever!
Another surprise was in store for us when we reached Dai Loc. The sweet girl who a day before had been incoherent was on her feet laughing and playing with the other children. The fever that doctors said would last for a week was gone two days after it had begun.
We serve a God who cares about our every need--a God who delights in meeting our requests and blessing us with abundantly more than we dare to ask.
We've been back and forth between Danang and Dai Loc a lot lately because of the orphanage renovations. The rooms are coming along--the cracks and holes have been repaired in several rooms. Many of the rooms and some of the shutters have been sanded and painted. I can't wait to see the finished product!
A few days ago when Duc and I were in Dai Loc to purchase paint and supplies we discovered that
one of the children was sick. She was in bed with a high fever and couldn't open her eyes; when asked a question, her responses were mumbled and weak. We were very concerned. The caregiver explained that she had started to run a high fever the previous day and had been taken to the hospital. The doctor said that the girl had a "super virus" and that no medicine was available other than fever reducers. Many in Danang have been sick with this particular virus and their fevers are lasting for 7-10 days.To make things worse, this is finals week for the children. There is no way to reschedule final exams. If you do not take the tests, you fail and have to repeat the grade.
Duc said something to the caregiver and asked if I wanted to pray. Quietly, we brought the girl's needs before our Father. A short time later we returned to Danang.
The next day as Enoch, Duc, and I prepared to leave for Dai Loc we grabbed a box from the US. A while back, an individual in the US had seen the pictures of the children in Dai Loc and felt compelled to send a gift to one particular girl. Duc looked at the name on the box and laughed in surprise--it was for the girl with the fever!
Another surprise was in store for us when we reached Dai Loc. The sweet girl who a day before had been incoherent was on her feet laughing and playing with the other children. The fever that doctors said would last for a week was gone two days after it had begun.
We serve a God who cares about our every need--a God who delights in meeting our requests and blessing us with abundantly more than we dare to ask.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Catching Up
A lot has happened during the last week or so! Here's a summary:
Recently, the Orphan Voice staff have been practicing the sign language for a powerful worship song. A total of 12 of us, both American and Vietnamese, performed at a deaf conference last Sunday. It was wonderful.
A few days ago, Tony, Enoch, Duc and I took a 9 hour motorbike ride into the mountains. The purpose of the trip was to meet with officials in two different districts to discuss starting a new orphanage and possible outreach projects in
the future. The meetings were fruitful and the trip--wow! We passed through fields of Vietnamese in traditional dress working in the rice, some of them plowing the fields with water buffalo. Then, as we wound our way through the mountians we drove through dense tropical foliage. The views were amazing--beautiful rivers, striking rock formations, really neat. We came home sore and sunburned--but happy.
Yesterday, we had class with the children at the Dai Loc orphanage. A volunteer from Australia went with Enoch and myself to model some teaching techniques, and we learned so much from her. It was a blessing.
I've been working on getting patterns for murals. Next week, we're going to start renovating some of the rooms in the Dai Loc orphanage. We will add color to the rooms by painting and adding a mural to one of the four walls in each room. We're gonna use a projector to trace the pattern. I can't wait to get started!
Well, it is Sunday morning here so I have to run. Thank you all for everything.
Love,
Marissa
A few days ago, Tony, Enoch, Duc and I took a 9 hour motorbike ride into the mountains. The purpose of the trip was to meet with officials in two different districts to discuss starting a new orphanage and possible outreach projects in
the future. The meetings were fruitful and the trip--wow! We passed through fields of Vietnamese in traditional dress working in the rice, some of them plowing the fields with water buffalo. Then, as we wound our way through the mountians we drove through dense tropical foliage. The views were amazing--beautiful rivers, striking rock formations, really neat. We came home sore and sunburned--but happy.Yesterday, we had class with the children at the Dai Loc orphanage. A volunteer from Australia went with Enoch and myself to model some teaching techniques, and we learned so much from her. It was a blessing.
I've been working on getting patterns for murals. Next week, we're going to start renovating some of the rooms in the Dai Loc orphanage. We will add color to the rooms by painting and adding a mural to one of the four walls in each room. We're gonna use a projector to trace the pattern. I can't wait to get started!
Well, it is Sunday morning here so I have to run. Thank you all for everything.
Love,
Marissa
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