New Post #7

Another email from my friends in Vietnam("Yogi" and "Boo-Boo"), who are sharing the good news there still:

"Hello! I hope you had a good weekend!

Today after helping Hannah teach the children, we went out to eat snails and hot pot. They have an idiom in Vietnam that says something to the effect that “______ is as easy as eating snails.” They use it to say that something is really easy to do. The funny part? "Boo-Boo" and I have a really difficult time eating snails. They get stuck in the shells. It’s kind of embarrassing, but also funny that we have to use toothpicks to get the snails out of their shells. I guess that’s why we don’t use that idiom in America.

While we were with Hannah, she was telling me that her neighbor, who also happens to have his daughter in our kids class, is the Vice President of Foreign Affairs in our province. Hannah told me that he knows “many things” about us. I replied that I knew that because we had to fill out so many papers and turn in a lot of information in order to live in OUR CITY. Hannah replied that she didn’t mean that kind of information. She said that the gover*ment here is a lot different than in the United States and that they know many things about the people they allow to live here long term. I must have looked surprised because she quickly told me not to worry, that her neighbor, the official, likes us very much. In fact, he told her that many foreigners have applied to live in OUR CITY, but he will only allow the two of us to live here long term. He only allows other people to stay for around a month or so, but no one can else can live here long term.

I know that the only way we found favor with the gover*ment in OUR CITY is because of G*d’s working. It is His favor alone that has kept us here. We are so thankful.

Earlier this week, I invited David and a girl from fellowship to go to the new and only fast food restaurant in town. It just opened last week, and it is the only place in town that serves hamburgers and spaghetti. David ordered a hamburger, I ordered French fries, and we sat down to eat. The excitement in his eyes quickly turned to near horror as he took his first bite of hamburger. He had never eaten one before, and I don’t think that he will ever try one again. I felt so bad for him. I could tell he wanted to eat it to make me happy, but he just couldn’t. I told him not to worry, that I felt the same way when I ate a bird embryo here for the first time.

As we were driving home, he told me that his stomach was hungry for Vietnamese food. Maybe this experience will help him understand why we miss American food so much. I guess it’s all what you get used to! I included a photo of us standing in front of the Jollibee bee. Thanks for pr*ying for my health! I am feeling a lot better this week. I am glad that this four week illness is nearing its end. "Boo-Boo" seems to have picked up a slight cold, but other than that, we are healthy. Please pr*y for the other teachers in our organization. This is a time that people generally suffer the most with culture shock. Also, please remember our Vietnamese friends in your pr*yers. We are thankful for many opportunities that arise to share Him with them. Thanks for your pr*yers and support!"

Love,Yogi