Do you know those times when you tell a story about an amazing time, event, or moment in your life and you just can't do it justice? You know that the "moment" was so much more awesome than what is coming out through your words, and the other person just doesn't comprehend how crazily awesome it was. They look at you like..."oh, that's nice", then they go about their business. That is often how I feel about the things that happen and the emotions that are invoked during our trips to Vietnam, but I guess "God moments" can sometimes only mean much to the person going through them. Tuesday held a few of these moments that I won't be able to do justice, but I'll try anyway.
We started off the day picking up 40 children, about 5 caregivers, and 10 of the nuns from the orphanage so we could all head to the first feeding of the week and then to the beach. All of them, coupled with our 17 people that were already on the bus, made for a very tight fit. There is something pretty amazing about hearing those little voices and laughter while driving through the beautiful country that is Vietnam. It didn't take long for the some of the kids to pull out their little bags and wrap the holes around their ears. See...these kids never ride in vehicles, so they get a little car sick. That is why the nuns give them each a little plastic grocery style sack to catch the...well, you know. The ride was extremely bumpy and winding because the location where we were doing the feeding was pretty remote. We actually had to end up parking the bus and walking about a mile to the feeding. I do believe God orchestrated it all this way for a couple of different reasons. It makes for a very surreal moment when you have to walk on a dirt road to a church located in a remote village in southeast Vietnam (this is one of those "moments" that I was talking about that I just can't do justice). It's hard to convey how different the smells are, the scenery, the homes, and the vegetation, not to mention the fact that you are are stranger in a foreign land on the other side of the world.
It never ceases to amaze me how the people we come in contact with at the feedings can be some of the most sincerely joyful people I've ever come in contact with. I could spend all day walking among these people, shaking hands, saying "Sin Chow", which means "hello" in Vietnamese. Withing the first five minutes of being there, Cheyenne was in tears. I know that doesn't surprise most of you, but it caught me by surprise because we had just gotten there. *(Here comes another one of those "God Moments") See, one of the first people Cheyenne met was a little old lady, who looked about 150 years old, and was positioned in the customary "Vietnamese squat". Her eyes were nearly squinted shut and she had this very uncomfortable look on her face, one that seemed to say that she was in pain. She grabbed Cheyenne's hand and wouldn't let go. She started talking to Cheyenne in Vietnamese, which of course, Cheyenne didn't understand a word of. So Cheyenne called Christine over to translate. Christine relays to Cheyenne that the woman's eyes are hurting her very badly and that she was asking Cheyenne to pray over her. So...Cheyenne then prays over the woman, in English of course, and tells the woman: "Chua chuc ban ahn" which is "God bless you" in Vietnamese. A smile comes over the woman's face, the pain seemingly disappearing, and she repeats "Chua chuc ban ahn". I don't think the smile left the woman's face the rest of the time we were there.
Needless to say, we had an awesome time at the feeding and it was so cool to see the kids at the orphanage serving the kids of this village. How crazy is that...we go to serve on a mission to the orphans, who turn around and go on mission to the feeding at the village, and we end up being the ones blessed the most. I love how God works!
After the feeding we had to walk back to the bus, which was parked in a field waiting for us to return. Being a pretty large bus, with about 50 people on it, sitting in a field that gets rain every couple of days, it's no wonder that we end up getting stuck. We then have to exit the bus so we could hopefully get unstuck, which didn't work. We weren't standing out there for 10 minutes when, low and behold, a large work truck...WITH A WINCH, comes driving up and helps pull us out. (Another "God moment" by the way) This may not sound all that crazy, but...we are in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, in Vietnam, where work trucks and winches, especially ones in working condition, are not common. And to add, how about the fact that he drove up to us, while we were on a secluded dirt road, and we didn't even have a way to call anyone!!! Ok...you just had to be there!
After all this, we finally made it to the beach with the kids. We ended up having a complete blast with the kids and one of the most amazing days ever. Again, something to be said about sitting on the coast of the South China Sea in Vietnam, with forty orphans having the time of their life in your presence. I have said it before, and I will say it a ton more...love has no language barrier.
We played games, swam, relaxed, and ate two meals while we were there. It was a day I will never forget.
Our time with Tram, not to mention Truc Mai, Nungh, Oahn, and all the others, has been amazing. It is almost like we never left. Tram is no doubt our child. She may live on the other side of the world, in a country that is closed to adoption from the United States, and baptized into the Catholic religion, which they say causes her not to be adoptable to a non-Catholic family. But we know God is bigger. He can and will soften hearts along with open the doors that need to be opened for her to legally be ours. The Lord keeps on reaffirming it. She knows it too. There is a certain comfortableness that she has when she is with us that we can't explain. She gets bummed out when we have to leave every night, and so do we, because she hasn't been able to stay the night with us like last time. It stinks, but unfortunately we have to follow the rules. The three big girls, including Tram, will be able to stay the night with us Friday night, our last night in Lagi. We can't wait.
One of the many things The Lord has been revealing to me during this trip is that humans, regardless of where we live or what nationality we are, are not all that much different. We may live in different countries, speak a different language, look a tiny bit different, or even have a taste for different foods. But, we all still like to laugh, kids still like to play, we all bleed, we each have feelings, we all hurt at times, we each need hugs, we need to feel loved, we were all created for one reason, we will all meet our maker one day, and Jesus Christ died for EACH AND EVERYONE OF US!!! I am so thankful that I was ADOPTED by Him, and for that, I owe Him my life. Besides, having experienced the true fullness of life that can only be found in Him, how could I settle for anything less. Looking forward to what He has planned for the future!
All for Him,
Kevin
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Monday
Good Morning from Vietnam! Today is Wednesday morning and I need to get you caught up with the events of the last two days. Monday morning we took a 5 hour bus ride to LaGi, where our orphanage is located. We arrived around 2 pm but we couldn't go to the orphanage until 3. Driving by the orphanage but not being able to go in was like torture!!!! We went to the hotel to drop off our things and freshen up. At 3, we went back to the orphanage. When the kids saw our bus pulling up they all ran to the balcony and started waving at us! They were just as excited as we were! My family spotted Tram and began waving like lunatics! When she spotted Kevin, her face beamed and she pointed and said, "My dad!" Talk about bringing tears to your eyes and melting your heart. My girls and Kevin were off of the bus faster than I was. (I was trying to get a hold of my emotions.) They ran in and Tram ran down the stairs. She hid and then jumped out as they passed by. She proceeded to do the same thing when I came in. She is such a mess, she keeps us laughing and smiling. She hugged all of us and then wanted our I-phone to play on. While she played on Kevin's phone, Jaycie went to see Bao Yen. Bao Yen is the sweet baby girl that Jaycie fell in love with last summer. She had to have 2 surgeries on her head after we left and it broke Jaycie's heart that she couldn't be there with her. She is now 4 1/2 months old and a healthy baby girl. PRAISE GOD!
While Tram was on the phone, Macey and I went in search of Oanh. Oanh is our other sponsor child that is almost 3 years old. Oanh is so funny. When we first arrive at the orphanage she is always terrified of us. As the first day goes by she warms up and by the second day she is like a little tree monkey, she won't let go of you. Her little raspy laugh is music to our ears. Macey was the first of us to win her over this time. She sat with Macey for at least an hour and Macey was on cloud 9! Later in the evening I was able to hold her too. :) Around 4:00 some of the team members walked to pick up the big kids from school. Kevin was with Tram, Jaycie was with Bao Yen, and Macey was with Oanh so I decided to go. When we arrived at the school, the school was have a ceremony in the court yard for their teachers and students. (Tuesday was teacher appreciation day.) As soon as we arrived, all of the children, about 200 students, turned and started waving at us. As a teacher, I almost died! I felt so bad that we were disrupting this ceremony. Finally, the kids calmed down and started paying attention. What a relief!!! Our kids were so happy to see us! We walked our kids home and they were so proud that we were there. Most of the time, the nuns pick them up but on Monday they were able to say that their "American families" were there to get them. Of course, as we left we had a huge crowd around us. Our kids grabbed our hands and beamed! I loved every minute! We were only able to stay at the orphanage until 6:00. We asked if the older 3 girls could spend the night but Sister Mai said we had wait until Friday. I think Tram was expecting to spend the night with us, like she did last summer, so she was sad when we left. We gave her big hugs and kisses and told her that we loved her and would be back in the morning. We finally got a sweet smile from her.
Back at the hotel, we prepared witnessing bracelets for our feeding on Tuesday morning and then went to bed. It is now 5:25 am and I need to start getting ready for our day. I will have to get you caught up on Tuesday later. Please be in prayer for our team, the children at the orphanage, the nuns, the caregivers, and the people in Vietnam. Thank you so much for your prayers!
Cheyenne
While Tram was on the phone, Macey and I went in search of Oanh. Oanh is our other sponsor child that is almost 3 years old. Oanh is so funny. When we first arrive at the orphanage she is always terrified of us. As the first day goes by she warms up and by the second day she is like a little tree monkey, she won't let go of you. Her little raspy laugh is music to our ears. Macey was the first of us to win her over this time. She sat with Macey for at least an hour and Macey was on cloud 9! Later in the evening I was able to hold her too. :) Around 4:00 some of the team members walked to pick up the big kids from school. Kevin was with Tram, Jaycie was with Bao Yen, and Macey was with Oanh so I decided to go. When we arrived at the school, the school was have a ceremony in the court yard for their teachers and students. (Tuesday was teacher appreciation day.) As soon as we arrived, all of the children, about 200 students, turned and started waving at us. As a teacher, I almost died! I felt so bad that we were disrupting this ceremony. Finally, the kids calmed down and started paying attention. What a relief!!! Our kids were so happy to see us! We walked our kids home and they were so proud that we were there. Most of the time, the nuns pick them up but on Monday they were able to say that their "American families" were there to get them. Of course, as we left we had a huge crowd around us. Our kids grabbed our hands and beamed! I loved every minute! We were only able to stay at the orphanage until 6:00. We asked if the older 3 girls could spend the night but Sister Mai said we had wait until Friday. I think Tram was expecting to spend the night with us, like she did last summer, so she was sad when we left. We gave her big hugs and kisses and told her that we loved her and would be back in the morning. We finally got a sweet smile from her.
Back at the hotel, we prepared witnessing bracelets for our feeding on Tuesday morning and then went to bed. It is now 5:25 am and I need to start getting ready for our day. I will have to get you caught up on Tuesday later. Please be in prayer for our team, the children at the orphanage, the nuns, the caregivers, and the people in Vietnam. Thank you so much for your prayers!
Cheyenne
Monday, November 19, 2012
Well, we are two days into our trip and the Lord never ceases to amaze. I often have this feeling, when being involved in His work, that I have to "perform". But He keeps reminding me these days that I actually don't have anything to contribute and that it is He that will be the one to orchestrate it all. I feel Him telling me to give all control to Him and He will use me as an instrument to carry out His work. It does seem that the more I move over and let Him take the reigns, He moves in ways where only He can be given the glory. His story...not mine!
On Sunday we started off our day by visiting a government ran orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City which is home to over 580 disabled children. While there, we were able to feed and play with many of the children. I was blown away when a little boy named Nam totally remembered us and was full of laughter and smiles just like before. Immediately he started singing a song that we had made up last time we were there. Then we joined in nearly an hours worth of "Jingle Bells" together. I don't think I have ever enjoyed singing that song so much before in my life. It further emphasizes the fact that there is no language barrier when love is involved.
Later, we were able to meet an elderly America man and his wife on the elevator at the hotel, only later to find out that he was born a missionary kid in Vietnam, is very fluent in Vietnamese, and at the age of 80, still travels around speaking at churches and leading pastor conferences in Vietnam. This morning, I had the privilege to pray with him and his family. I left very inspired by his commitment to spreading the Gospel, especially at an age when, by worldly standards, he has the "right" to be sitting in a retirement community playing scrabble. Simply amazing to see how the Lord is working all over this world!
Then we headed over to the market, where the little girls, Nha and Hang work. These girls have a special place in our heart and are in our prayers regularly. They are at the market basically ALL DAY LONG, seven days a week, from what we can tell. They walk around and sell fans to the tourists. They know English probably better than anyone else we have met in Vietnam. We bring them Barbie dolls and clothing for their dolls each time we come. It was so cool to see Nha spot Cheyenne from across the street and come running with open arms. We would swoop them up as ours too if we had the chance!!!
That evening, we decided, at the last minute, to head to the night market instead of going up to bed. On the walk over there, you pass through a large concreted area where people hang out playing with their kids and sitting around talking. As we were passing through, a group of college aged kids spotted our daughters and commented "what beautiful girls" (in a very nice way). Instead of walking by and not really saying anything, which I was at first inclined to do, something told me to walk over and introduce myself. When I did, they seemed very "taken aback" at first. But then the conversations started and they opened up almost immediately. Next thing we knew, we were each surrounded by four or five people just wanting to stay and talk with us. They were amazed that we Americans would stop and talk them instead of just passing by. When we told them what we were doing here in their country, they were so appreciative of our love for their country and their people. They just want to sit and talk so they can practice their English and learn more about our country. When I told them that we were Christians and that we want to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they looked at me in bewilderment, not out of ridicule, but purely because they didn't know what a Christian was or who Jesus Christ is. We traded email addresses and will hopefully be getting back together with all of them later this week over coffee in HCMC. I know it was the Lord telling me "I will open doors for you to spread My Good News while you are here". There is no doubt in my mind that it was no chance meeting between our little family from Rockwall, Texas and these young adults who are so willing and eager just to talk with us.
There is so much more I want to write, but it will have to wait til tomorrow, as my eyes are literally crossing. All I know is that I am so excited to be a part of His story, which is undoubtedly the greatest love story of all time. I cannot wait to see what He has for us in the future. There is no doubt in my mind that he will completely blow my mind and do things that ONLY He could orchestrate. So thankful to be on His team!!!
All for Him,
Kevin
On Sunday we started off our day by visiting a government ran orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City which is home to over 580 disabled children. While there, we were able to feed and play with many of the children. I was blown away when a little boy named Nam totally remembered us and was full of laughter and smiles just like before. Immediately he started singing a song that we had made up last time we were there. Then we joined in nearly an hours worth of "Jingle Bells" together. I don't think I have ever enjoyed singing that song so much before in my life. It further emphasizes the fact that there is no language barrier when love is involved.
Later, we were able to meet an elderly America man and his wife on the elevator at the hotel, only later to find out that he was born a missionary kid in Vietnam, is very fluent in Vietnamese, and at the age of 80, still travels around speaking at churches and leading pastor conferences in Vietnam. This morning, I had the privilege to pray with him and his family. I left very inspired by his commitment to spreading the Gospel, especially at an age when, by worldly standards, he has the "right" to be sitting in a retirement community playing scrabble. Simply amazing to see how the Lord is working all over this world!
Then we headed over to the market, where the little girls, Nha and Hang work. These girls have a special place in our heart and are in our prayers regularly. They are at the market basically ALL DAY LONG, seven days a week, from what we can tell. They walk around and sell fans to the tourists. They know English probably better than anyone else we have met in Vietnam. We bring them Barbie dolls and clothing for their dolls each time we come. It was so cool to see Nha spot Cheyenne from across the street and come running with open arms. We would swoop them up as ours too if we had the chance!!!
That evening, we decided, at the last minute, to head to the night market instead of going up to bed. On the walk over there, you pass through a large concreted area where people hang out playing with their kids and sitting around talking. As we were passing through, a group of college aged kids spotted our daughters and commented "what beautiful girls" (in a very nice way). Instead of walking by and not really saying anything, which I was at first inclined to do, something told me to walk over and introduce myself. When I did, they seemed very "taken aback" at first. But then the conversations started and they opened up almost immediately. Next thing we knew, we were each surrounded by four or five people just wanting to stay and talk with us. They were amazed that we Americans would stop and talk them instead of just passing by. When we told them what we were doing here in their country, they were so appreciative of our love for their country and their people. They just want to sit and talk so they can practice their English and learn more about our country. When I told them that we were Christians and that we want to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they looked at me in bewilderment, not out of ridicule, but purely because they didn't know what a Christian was or who Jesus Christ is. We traded email addresses and will hopefully be getting back together with all of them later this week over coffee in HCMC. I know it was the Lord telling me "I will open doors for you to spread My Good News while you are here". There is no doubt in my mind that it was no chance meeting between our little family from Rockwall, Texas and these young adults who are so willing and eager just to talk with us.
There is so much more I want to write, but it will have to wait til tomorrow, as my eyes are literally crossing. All I know is that I am so excited to be a part of His story, which is undoubtedly the greatest love story of all time. I cannot wait to see what He has for us in the future. There is no doubt in my mind that he will completely blow my mind and do things that ONLY He could orchestrate. So thankful to be on His team!!!
All for Him,
Kevin
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Like A Kid On Christmas Eve
Well, here we are again....the night before we head back to Vietnam, and I am so amped up I don't know how I'll get to sleep tonight! I feel like I'm a six year old knowing that later on this evening, Santa will be plunging down my chimney with gobs of stuff that I've been waiting so patiently for. The crazy thing is though, I'm an almost 40 year old husband and father about to jump on a plane for nearly 20 hours and leave the comfort of my own home.
It has only been 4 months since we last returned from Vietnam, but for some reason it feels like it has been forever. When I think about how He has orchestrated this "beautiful wrecking" of life as I know it, it blows my mind. Only He can devise a plan that works in so many directions, across so many miles, and in so many hearts. I become excitedly nervous when I think of being back at the orphanage with those kids. My heart literally aches when I think of being able to give Tram a huge bear hug again. In a weird way, I feel that we are visiting home.
We have a team of 11 believers going on this trip, most of which I know personally, and others that I know will be like family by the end of next week. I could sit here and go into how WE have been affected and what has happened to OUR hearts, but it's not our story...it's HIS. It is His story about His unending grace, His unmeasurable love, and His amazing sovereignty. He is writing it all, and I, only by His grace, get to be a part of this chapter of it.
I truly believe that one of the reasons we love going so much is that He is undeniably present among the orphaned, the hungry, the sick, the disabled, and the lost. There is absolutely nothing like being used by Him in ways that is not "of me". The truth is, we bring nothing to this except for obedience and a willingness that only stems from a grateful heart. Gratitude for a salvation that stems from a love like no other and gratitude for a fullness of life that can only be found in Him.
I can not wait to see what He has in store for this trip, the people going, and the people we will come in contact with. Thank you to each of you that have prayed with us and for us. Thank you to those who have supported us financially and with unending encouragement. Thank you to those who have felt our pain of being away from Vietnam. Thank you to those that have listened to us babble on and on about Tram and the other orphans. Most of all....thank you to an amazing Savior who allows us broken people to be involved with His perfect plan!!!
All for Him,
Kevin
It has only been 4 months since we last returned from Vietnam, but for some reason it feels like it has been forever. When I think about how He has orchestrated this "beautiful wrecking" of life as I know it, it blows my mind. Only He can devise a plan that works in so many directions, across so many miles, and in so many hearts. I become excitedly nervous when I think of being back at the orphanage with those kids. My heart literally aches when I think of being able to give Tram a huge bear hug again. In a weird way, I feel that we are visiting home.
We have a team of 11 believers going on this trip, most of which I know personally, and others that I know will be like family by the end of next week. I could sit here and go into how WE have been affected and what has happened to OUR hearts, but it's not our story...it's HIS. It is His story about His unending grace, His unmeasurable love, and His amazing sovereignty. He is writing it all, and I, only by His grace, get to be a part of this chapter of it.
I truly believe that one of the reasons we love going so much is that He is undeniably present among the orphaned, the hungry, the sick, the disabled, and the lost. There is absolutely nothing like being used by Him in ways that is not "of me". The truth is, we bring nothing to this except for obedience and a willingness that only stems from a grateful heart. Gratitude for a salvation that stems from a love like no other and gratitude for a fullness of life that can only be found in Him.
I can not wait to see what He has in store for this trip, the people going, and the people we will come in contact with. Thank you to each of you that have prayed with us and for us. Thank you to those who have supported us financially and with unending encouragement. Thank you to those who have felt our pain of being away from Vietnam. Thank you to those that have listened to us babble on and on about Tram and the other orphans. Most of all....thank you to an amazing Savior who allows us broken people to be involved with His perfect plan!!!
All for Him,
Kevin
Friday, July 20, 2012
Our last day
It is 4:50am and I can't sleep. Today is our last day in Vietnam. I'm sorry that we haven't blogged for the past three days but we have been so busy and so tired. We have had so much fun doing food distributions, teaching English, taking the kids to the beach, and just loving on the kids. God is so good to let us be a part of this trip. Words can't describe the joy on these beautiful people's faces when you give them a food pack. I was asked to stay home from the last feeding to teach English but my team said the feeding was amazing. Minnie, one of our team members, speaks some Vietnamese and she is a nurse. She was checking out a child's eye that had been stabbed with a pencil a while back. The child's grandmother said that she had taken the child to the doctor but they couldn't do anything and she wanted to know if Minnie had medicine. Minnie told her that she didn't have medicine but that she would love to pray over her. Minnie, although Vietnamese, doesn't speak the language all of the time so she wasn't exactly sure how she was going to pray in Vietnamese so she said a quick prayer to the Lord to help her. She said as she started to pray she knew the Lord had taken over because the phrases and scripture that was coming out of her mouth was beautiful. She was saying things in Vietnamese that she had never said before. Isn't God amazing?! He cares so much for each and every one of us!!!
Yesterday, our Friday, we were all able to sit down with the head nun at the orphanage. I sat down by Kevin but the head nun patted the seat beside her so I moved. She then handed me a mug of beans. If you know me then you know I am a picky eater and I really didn't want to eat beans that were in some brown watery liquid with ice! I think she moved me beside her to get a little laugh. :) I did try them and they were very sweet. They were not as bad as I thought but I still wasn't a big fan. Anyways, she told us her plan for building a bigger orphanage that holds 200 children. She plans to have a garden for the children and a soccer field. She also told us how she plans on turning the current orphanage in to a kindergarten that teaches English. All of the kids will be able to attend but she will also open up the kindergarten to the children in the city. This will bring in money for the orphanage. We were able to visit the land and it was beautiful. We also visited the cemetery where she has buried about 19,000 aborted fetuses since 2006. If she did not bury these fetuses they would have been thrown in the trash. She also has buried many unkown soldiers that had to be moved from land that the government wanted and remains that no one claims. This nun has a huge heart for God and for her people. She is so inspiring!
After meeting with our team, the head nun asked to speak to our family. Once again she told Tram story in front of her. She told us how Tram says her mom doesn't love her and how Tram wants to be a teacher but that she can't because she doesn't learn like the other children. Seeing Tram get upset broke our hearts. At first I was mad and then I had to remember that this is their culture not ours. They are a culture that speaks how they feel or what they see is truth. Where as my culture sugar coats everything. I truly don't think she was trying to hurt or upset Tram. She was just speaking what she believes to be the truth. She also told us that she loves all of the kids but Tram is one of 2 that she loves the most. Unlike the last two trips, some of the things that she said led me to believe that she doesn't want us or won't allow us to adopt Tram but I know that if she is supposed to be home with us in America that she will be. God is so much bigger and has big plans for this beautiful little girl. She did say that if Tram studied hard that maybe she could be an exchange student. We told her how good Tram was with technology and she said she would try to get her some training. Maybe this is why God has put her in our hearts, to be her advocate. All I know that we are going to continue to love and pray for her. I rest in knowing that God loves her even more than we do and that whatever His will for her it will be perfect because it is His.
The head nun also said that she hoped my family could come and stay for a month and teach English. She said that we could stay in a hotel but that Tram could stay with us. This is a very smart lady! She wouldn't have to pay, as she does now, for an English teacher because she knows that we would do anything to have more time with Tram. I feel like it would be a win-win for everyone. I would get to teach and we would get to spend a lot of time with our sweet girl, two things that I love!!!
I do need to wrap this up because I need to get everyone up and packed. As I am typing this Tram woke up and is now watching Tom and Jerry! She has spent the last 3 nights with us and it has been amazing. I love watching her cuddle up next to Kevin. She loves him so much! She has been so happy this trip and we are all going to be so sad in a few hours when we have to say goodbye. Both of my girls have begged to stay but we can't. We were going to try to stay an extra week but we couldn't get flights back together. Maybe next summer we will be able to stay for 4-6 weeks. We will see what the Lord has planned. Please be in prayer for our team and for the kids as we leave. This is never easy for any of us.
Yesterday, our Friday, we were all able to sit down with the head nun at the orphanage. I sat down by Kevin but the head nun patted the seat beside her so I moved. She then handed me a mug of beans. If you know me then you know I am a picky eater and I really didn't want to eat beans that were in some brown watery liquid with ice! I think she moved me beside her to get a little laugh. :) I did try them and they were very sweet. They were not as bad as I thought but I still wasn't a big fan. Anyways, she told us her plan for building a bigger orphanage that holds 200 children. She plans to have a garden for the children and a soccer field. She also told us how she plans on turning the current orphanage in to a kindergarten that teaches English. All of the kids will be able to attend but she will also open up the kindergarten to the children in the city. This will bring in money for the orphanage. We were able to visit the land and it was beautiful. We also visited the cemetery where she has buried about 19,000 aborted fetuses since 2006. If she did not bury these fetuses they would have been thrown in the trash. She also has buried many unkown soldiers that had to be moved from land that the government wanted and remains that no one claims. This nun has a huge heart for God and for her people. She is so inspiring!
After meeting with our team, the head nun asked to speak to our family. Once again she told Tram story in front of her. She told us how Tram says her mom doesn't love her and how Tram wants to be a teacher but that she can't because she doesn't learn like the other children. Seeing Tram get upset broke our hearts. At first I was mad and then I had to remember that this is their culture not ours. They are a culture that speaks how they feel or what they see is truth. Where as my culture sugar coats everything. I truly don't think she was trying to hurt or upset Tram. She was just speaking what she believes to be the truth. She also told us that she loves all of the kids but Tram is one of 2 that she loves the most. Unlike the last two trips, some of the things that she said led me to believe that she doesn't want us or won't allow us to adopt Tram but I know that if she is supposed to be home with us in America that she will be. God is so much bigger and has big plans for this beautiful little girl. She did say that if Tram studied hard that maybe she could be an exchange student. We told her how good Tram was with technology and she said she would try to get her some training. Maybe this is why God has put her in our hearts, to be her advocate. All I know that we are going to continue to love and pray for her. I rest in knowing that God loves her even more than we do and that whatever His will for her it will be perfect because it is His.
The head nun also said that she hoped my family could come and stay for a month and teach English. She said that we could stay in a hotel but that Tram could stay with us. This is a very smart lady! She wouldn't have to pay, as she does now, for an English teacher because she knows that we would do anything to have more time with Tram. I feel like it would be a win-win for everyone. I would get to teach and we would get to spend a lot of time with our sweet girl, two things that I love!!!
I do need to wrap this up because I need to get everyone up and packed. As I am typing this Tram woke up and is now watching Tom and Jerry! She has spent the last 3 nights with us and it has been amazing. I love watching her cuddle up next to Kevin. She loves him so much! She has been so happy this trip and we are all going to be so sad in a few hours when we have to say goodbye. Both of my girls have begged to stay but we can't. We were going to try to stay an extra week but we couldn't get flights back together. Maybe next summer we will be able to stay for 4-6 weeks. We will see what the Lord has planned. Please be in prayer for our team and for the kids as we leave. This is never easy for any of us.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Amazing Day!
Yesterday we went to the special needs orphanage where the nuns speak Spanish. We had a great time loving on the kids. Seeing Jaycie, Macey and Kevin play and love on these kids melted my heart. I am so amazed by their compassion and love for others.
We finally made it to our orphanage around 4:00. When we got there, the kids put on a performance for us and as always they did a fabulous job. After the performance, we had dinner at the orphanage and we played with the kids for a short amount of time. Macey had really hard time when we had to leave because Tram seemed to be sad. This broke my heart! I hate seeing my girls upset.
We got up at 4:45 am this morning so we could be at the hospital by 6:00am. At the hospital, we gave the patients soup, sugar, condensed milk, and a small amount of money. We also passed out candy to the kids. After that, we had breakfast at the orphanage and played with the kids until about 10:30. At 10:30, we had the food distribution for the disabled and the poorest of the poor. We gave almost 200 people a 35lb bag of rice, a box of noodles, and money. This should last a family of 4 for 3-4 weeks. The joy and thankfulness that these people have is humbling! I can't imagine living in extreme poverty the way that these people do and having so much happiness. It just goes to show that stuff is not what gives you happiness. Only He can bring true joy to us.
This afternoon when we went back to the orphanage, Christine asked if someone would volunteer to teacher the kindergarteners and the older girls English. I volunteered and I had a blast!!! John would translate for me when needed. We worked on the numbers 11-15 and reviewed 0-10. We had so much fun. We worked hard for about an hour. The kids were so encouraging of each other and they weren't afraid to try. Teaching these sweet kids today reminded me how much I love my job. Maybe next year I can come teach English at the orphanage all summer!! I will be teaching again on Thursday and I can't wait!
After our English session, we played with bubbles and balls. I love hearing the giggles of these kids! I wish I could bring every one these sweet children home with me but I know that the kids are loved and taken care of at the orphanage. You can see it in their precious smiles.
We are having so much fun with Tram. It is so good for all of us to be together. I am so thankful that God has allowed our family to come back to Vietnam. I thank you for your prayers and support!
Tomorrow we will be doing another food distribution and we are taking the kids to the beach! It should be a fabulous day!
Love,
Cheyenne
Tomorrow we will be doing another food distribution and we are taking the kids to the beach! It should be a fabulous day!
Love,
Cheyenne
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Going to be a short update tonight, VERY tired and starting early in the morning.
We are finally heading to Lagi in the morning after spending the day in Ho Chi Minh. We visited a government ran orphanage that is here in the city which is the home for over 400 disabled children, and another 200 children that are brought in and picked up on a daily basis by their parents (somewhat like a daycare).
It is truly heartbreaking to see what extreme disabilities some of these children have. Your heart cannot help but to hurt as you look into their eyes and realize that they will never experience the joys of life that we did as children and that our children do. Things that we take for granted, like eating meals out, riding a bicycle, playing a game of soccer, swimming in the summertime, and especially the love that a parent/child relationship should bear. But, while looking into their faces and seeing the smiles that even the slightest touch can bring, I recall that in Ephesians chapter 2, His word tells us that we are His masterpiece. Yes, even these disabled children who will never walk, eat on their own, or even talk, are His masterpiece, and He loves them tons more then I could ever imagine.
It is amazing to see the pure joy that hugs, tickles, and running around being goofy can bring to children. It reminds me how important it is to take time for the little stuff, because I am so thankful that I had those times as a child and that I am able to provide some for my children (although probably not enough:)). These children don't get that on a regular basis and because of that, my heart goes out to them. I especially had an awesome time with a little boy named Nam. His smiles and laughter made my day, and I hope that our time together brightened his. It is times like these when I realize how I shouldn't be sweating the small stuff, and that I need to spend more quality time just laughing and playing with my own children, because there are definitely ones all around the world that can't enjoy that pleasure.
Please pray for our team as we head for Lagi tomorrow. Please pray that His love will flow through us out onto all those that we come in contact with and that we will rest in His presence during it all.
All for Him,
Kevin
We are finally heading to Lagi in the morning after spending the day in Ho Chi Minh. We visited a government ran orphanage that is here in the city which is the home for over 400 disabled children, and another 200 children that are brought in and picked up on a daily basis by their parents (somewhat like a daycare).
It is truly heartbreaking to see what extreme disabilities some of these children have. Your heart cannot help but to hurt as you look into their eyes and realize that they will never experience the joys of life that we did as children and that our children do. Things that we take for granted, like eating meals out, riding a bicycle, playing a game of soccer, swimming in the summertime, and especially the love that a parent/child relationship should bear. But, while looking into their faces and seeing the smiles that even the slightest touch can bring, I recall that in Ephesians chapter 2, His word tells us that we are His masterpiece. Yes, even these disabled children who will never walk, eat on their own, or even talk, are His masterpiece, and He loves them tons more then I could ever imagine.
It is amazing to see the pure joy that hugs, tickles, and running around being goofy can bring to children. It reminds me how important it is to take time for the little stuff, because I am so thankful that I had those times as a child and that I am able to provide some for my children (although probably not enough:)). These children don't get that on a regular basis and because of that, my heart goes out to them. I especially had an awesome time with a little boy named Nam. His smiles and laughter made my day, and I hope that our time together brightened his. It is times like these when I realize how I shouldn't be sweating the small stuff, and that I need to spend more quality time just laughing and playing with my own children, because there are definitely ones all around the world that can't enjoy that pleasure.
Please pray for our team as we head for Lagi tomorrow. Please pray that His love will flow through us out onto all those that we come in contact with and that we will rest in His presence during it all.
All for Him,
Kevin
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