Almost Ready to Go

We have 1 hour and 45 minutes to finish packing.  It's always close, but it's so much easier to pack for the tropics than for cold weather.  We picked up a Flip video camera at Best Buy last night.  I'm not much of a camcorder person, but the other day David Sedaris read one of his stories on This American Life while I drove to Costco.  It was about how his mother always hated and avoided video cameras.  A few years after she died, his aunt gave them an old home movie.  At the very end, they found 15 seconds of his mother before she made a face at the camera and disappeared.  He and his sisters kept replaying that segment all afternoon. 

If all we only record 15 seconds of our trip, the Flip camera will be worth it.

Trip Prep

Saturday, we checked out over 20 books from the library to read on our trip.  Last night we watched documentaries on the Vietnam War that Andrew downloaded from the internet.  It helped to have maps of Vietnam to refer to from some of the books we checked out. 

Andrew's father fought in Vietnam.  Snipers wiped out almost his entire platoon.  Only Andrew's father and his friend survived. 

There's so much to do before our flight.  I imagine we'll be up all night the night before.

Mom, Dad and Angel Made it to Vietnam

Here's an excerpt from Angel's email:

We have made it to Vietnam safely! The flying felt like it took forever though. We were stopped for awhile in Hong Kong because it was raining so hard. When we arrived we were met by the pastor from Deland and his fiance, and another man that Grandma and Granddaddy know. It is soooo hot. I don't think that I will ever complain about Florida heat again! We got to the hotel around 1:30 AM, and fell right asleep. My room is very cute and big. I skipped breakfast this morning to sleep in. Then Grandma and I ưent to eat around the corner. Grandma wa surprised that I ate everything! The man that sat by us knew English too! Then we went shopping and had to cross streets, that was so scary.

Houses I Remember

Actually, I don't remember this house because I wasn't even born yet. But I've heard so much about it that I feel like I lived there.  It's the house in Dalat that Donna fell from and broke her leg when she was 3.

Is this what she was doing when she fell?  I'm hoping she and Deanna and Mom and Dad will write their memories of this story.  It's such a part of our family history.

Planning Our Trip

A week ago Saturday, we had our final Vietnamese exam. It's great to have our weekends back. She gave us bonus points just for showing up to take the test, so hopefully we passed! This past Tuesday, I visited a travel agent that our teacher recommended to get our visas.

Now we need to figure out what we want to see and do in Vietnam. Tonight we looked at a map of the country and googled a few 12-day itineraries. It's tough because we want to balance seeing as much as we can with feeling relaxed.

Looking at the map, I see that Da Nang is further north than Quang Ngai. Mom and Dad left the Southern Baptist Mission to move to Quang Ngai. I thought it was because the mission didn't want them to go to a city so far north, but there were always Southern Baptist missionaries in Da Nang. Dad has always said that the people of Quang Ngai province are very tough and that the generals of the North came from this province. So maybe it just wasn't as safe. Also, I didn't realize that China Beach was in Da Nang.

Dual Citizenship?

Today in class we had to work with partners. My partner asked me in Vietnamese where I was from, and I answered "Vietnam." So he asked in English, "Do you have dual citizenship?" and I said, "No, I don't, but I really need to find out why my dad took us to the US Embassy in Manila when I was in 4th grade, and what I did when I raised my right hand there."

That's the problem with my memory--lost of gaps. My best friend is always reminding me of things I did or said that I have no recollection of. And that's one of my biggest reasons for starting this blog. I want to record what I do remember and get my family to fill in the rest.

In the Hands of God

We leave for Vietnam in 46 days. I cannot believe how soon that is. Last night I was talking about Vietnam and getting my passport and Tabi said, "I can't believe that you are actually going to Vietnam." Part of me can't believe it either. I often struggle with wondering what I can do for God right now. I am only 15 and sometimes it feels as though I must wait until I'm 25 to do something for Jesus. My greatest hope is that going on this trip will allow me to experience the joy that you receive when you are doing something for Jesus. I don't know the details of what I will be doing in Vietnam, I don't know what flight I'm going on, or how I'm going to expedite my passport...there are so many things about this trip that I'm unsure of. I'm usually a person who has everything planned months in advance, but not this trip. For me, this trip is in the hands of God. Everything about this trip, from the dates, what to bring, where to go, the plane ride home...everything, is all being given to God. And it's funny, because while I usually get stuff done so far in advance, I am always freaking out about the details. But with this trip, I am completely relaxed. Maybe it is because I know for sure that this is what God wants me to do; right at this time in my life.

Isaiah 40:31
Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.