Parents Leaving and Friendships Beginning

Catching fish outside of a restaurant in Danang

After our trip to Danang and two more days in Ho Chi Minh City, my parents headed back home to the states. I had a blast with them though, seeing the ancient site of My Son and getting clothes tailored in Hoi An. It was definitely a refreshing and much needed time spent with my parents. I was so fortunate that they were able to come see the amazingness of where I live.

One of the temples the Chamba people built in the earlier centuries

Our beautiful hotel in Danang

Yesterday was Halloween and it was definitely a new experience celebrating in a different country. I had talked with my two children’s classes before the actual holiday and asked if they did anything special. One girl out of around 20 students said she will be going to her grandma’s house while the rest of the students said they didn’t celebrate. I even got a shocker ….they don’t even like candy! However, they sure had fun the morning of Halloween when our school staff dressed up as ghosts and came into the classroom passing out candy. My first class was crazier than my second and hardly any learning took place…thanks goodness for spontaneous Halloween games!

A student from my second class was waiting outside when my first class was trying to sneak out to visit the haunted house, he commented, “Miss Erica, I don’t think there will be much learning today.” How cute! I agreed though. My second class was much better at staying focused until someone came in with an announcement saying that we would be visiting the haunted house created upstairs. That’s when all heck broke loose with cheering and some screaming…I guess they were practicing their horror screams. When the big moment finally came my students flew upstairs to a darkened room with the ghosts wandering about. The students got masks and ran around the room until they were told to sit and watch a slide show with scary pictures. Too bad the bell rang before they finished because the kids were no longer focused on the Halloween party. It was definitely an interesting day to say the least and I normally would not have chosen to spend my Halloween that way but knowing the kids had a blast was satisfying enough. The day continued with a 3 hour long meeting in another district and a night class!

Some of my students. So cute!

Today Carolyn and I attended fellowship and had a delicious lunch with some of the girls. When we got back we met with a girl Carolyn had met at a coffee shop. She had told us she wanted to take us to her house so we agreed, thinking it couldn’t be that far…right? We ended up taking an hour bus ride outside of our district into another district that you could tell was definitely worse off but oh how it was beautiful. It was a small little village where families live on the next plot of land. The path to our friends house was a small, pebbly road with rice growing in the water on both sides. Trees with every type of fruit also grew along the banks.

Men working in the fields

When we got to her house, we were treated like we were celebrities. They served us soda and an endless amount of pears, watermelon, bananas and oranges. We then were taken on a tour around the house. On this tour, more fruit was picked and consumed. We also got to experience fishing in a whole new way with a bamboo poll and net. Although we did not have any success, we enjoyed trying. Once back at their house, we were presented with more gifts! We received a cactus and a water plant to take back to our apartment!

They put this poll out in the water with a net below to scoop up fish

Apart from the hospitability we have seen from others in our district, I have never seen such giving people. How many people would pick the only fruit on their trees to give to people they have just met? Even though many people would considered them “poor”, this family lived in a beautiful village and had, what it seemed like, a very loving family. If they were willing to give us, strangers, everything from their land, what would they not do for their own family? Continue to lift up our friendship with this girl…she already has a servants heart, why not pr*y that it can be use to serve Him?

Our new friend, Oanh!

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