December 26th (Week 2 Vietnam)

Merry Christmas everyone. We spent the first few days getting to know our neighbourhood and took a trip out to the two universities where we will be teaching English. The first university arranged a welcome meeting for us. We went onto a stage and introduced ourselves one by one. I was so proud of Ryan, he was loud and clear. The most popular people (most selfie requests) are Dan (6’8”), Jemma (hmmm) and Noah (awesome, cute baby). I didn't get one selfie request. We played a name game so the students could learn our names and where we are from. Jenny led this using the ‘declare’ format from Burnett. We would ask a question about a team member, if the answer was true you put your hands on your head. If false you put your hands on your behind. If you get the answer wrong you sit down. The last person (or people) standing is the winner. We had 30 prizes from the university to give away.

The students then sang some Karaoke for us and a couple even did a dance. Overall it was a very fun time and we look forward to starting ‘work’ next week. All of us will be teaching or helping on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for a couple hours per day plus about an hour each way commute time.

Three evenings per week there is an English speaking club where five of us will help the students improve their english skills. We met the 20 students and they range from ‘speaking better than what I do’ to beginner.

Our calendar also includes some time at a drug rehab, orphanage and a 4 day pastors conference where we will help with leadership skills.

On Christmas Eve we looked after some kids while their parents attended church. We had no idea how many kids would be there so we had prepared some stations activities for them to do, planning on 50 to 100 kids. We prepared face painting, a little paper heart craft, 5 beads on a bracelet and a game with a beach ball. When the kids just kept piling in we realized that we would have to change our game plan. We estimate that e had over 200 in one tiny little room. Jenny did great getting the kids to calm down through an interpreter and we managed to survive the evening.

On Christmas Day we went to the market early to buy veggies. We were able to find a turkey at a supermarket and Andy did a great job cooking the bird. Kim baked bread, Ragnhild made a delicious soup and the gravy and we cooked the veggies. Meghan, Natasha, Gwen and Rahel made a delicious fruit desert with whipped cream. I thought we ate well in Kona!
Overall it's been a great week.

Jenny leading our group at the University 

Our university class

Our team and Yen, our interpreter

Christmas Eve. No problem, we can handle this.

Face painting before the flood of people

A local lady

The local neighbourhood

The parachute was a hit. I'm surprised it didn't rip!

Sitting for the puppet show

Goliath introduces himself

Kids are still spilling in from the back

Christmas Dinner. Dan doing a selfie.

December 20th (Week 1 Vietnam)

We made it! We are in our LUXURY apartment here in Hanoi. We had a seamless, awesome journey from Kona. We flew the whole way on Korean Airlines. Kona to Honolulu, Honolulu 9hrs to Tokyo where we spent the night. 
Some of the team popped in to Tokyo, a 2hr drive away but we stayed out at the airport hotel. The next morning we flew to Seoul, Korea and then the final 5hr flight to Hanoi.

We arrived at midnight after absorbing an +18hr time difference. Ryan helped us with priority boarding the entire way. We were seated before the first class passengers. Way to go Ryan. Did I mention that he wiped out again on Wednesday morning, the day before we left Kona? It rained pretty hard and Ryan’s crutch slipped out from under him on a wooden walkway next to Ryan’s school. He was hurt pretty bad. it looked like he had broken his toe. Of course it was the second day he was wearing regular shoes and not his ‘boot’. It turned out to be a sprain. His foot is swollen again.

Our apartments are brand new, never been used. All 15 of us are in the same building with a Pho restaurant on the ground floor. Apparently the furniture and appliances were  delivered this week. We had our first Pho soup (pronounced fur without the ‘r’ sound).

First impressions. When we stepped outside the airport I thought there had been a forest fire. It was so smoky. It turns out the entire city is like this all the time.

Korean Airlines are great

Narita Airport, Tokyo (Hi Mai!!)

Narita Airport sunrise through a dirty hotel window

Hotel Convenience Store

This sushi was 1000 Yen (just under $10USD). Delicious!

Pot noodles $1

Our landlady welcomes us to our apartment in Hanoi

Our first Pho lunch, Hanoi.

'all kinds of stuff!'

Our apartment is the orange building on the left. We are on the third floor.

View from our apartment. Yes that is a ferris wheel and rollercoaster!

Our kitchen

Living room

One of two bedrooms

December 13th (Week 11)

Four days to departure! There are lots of celebration parties going on. We had a barbecue at the beach on Friday evening to celebrate the end of our work duty. It was a beautiful evening, sun was setting, lots of great friends.

Last night we had a ‘love feast’. A special, dress up dinner for our class at the Go Centre, the place that we clean every day as part of our work duty. Anyone with a talent was asked to prepare something for the evening. Jimi and I did a 'road trip' skit. Our wives poked their arms through our sleeves and our hands became our feet. Very funny when Jenny put sunglasses on my face and fed me apple sauce.

Each week’s lecturer is better than the previous week. This week we had one of the worlds leading mission strategists. He has his finger on the pulse of what is going on, where the needs are and where the threats are. The Joshua Project has a great website that tracks who the unreached people are in the world. We learned that wherever Christianity goes health and prosperity follows.

Fred had some amazing stories of God working through crises like the tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004 and right now in Iraq, Iran and Syria.

We had a great day at the beach today. Ryan played in the surf and has been hobbling around today without his boot. He is a bit hesitant about putting any weight on his heel. I want him walking and ready for our 24hrs in Tokyo! Here is a reminder of our travel plans. We fly on Dec 17th Kona to Honolulu where we pick up our flight to Tokyo. We will overnight in Japan and then fly on to Seoul, Korea (Korean Airlines’ hub) and from there just a few hours on to Hanoi, Vietnam. By this time next week the kids will be world travellers!

Please pray for safe travels, minimal delays and interruptions, no jet lag, good health and lots of energy as we hit the ground running helping out with Christmas celebrations in Hanoi.

Next blog entry will be from VIETNAM!

December 6th (Week 10)

11 days to departure. We just found out that our accommodation in Vietnam will be brand new 2 bedroom apartments with a rooftop meeting area and a Vietnamese restaurant on the ground floor. Awesome. There is a park right across from us and we overlook one of the lakes in Hanoi.

This week has been great. Another ‘corporate’ week meaning that the speaker presented to 600 students in the main Ohana court all week. Todd White is not what you expect when you think of a pastor. A self confessed drug addict his testimony tells how he was attempting to steal drugs by pretending to be a police officer when the ‘victim’ shot at him at point blank range all nine bullets missed him. He audibly heard Jesus tell him to stop what he was doing and follow him. Todd White Testimony

On Tuesday night we had some students come and talk about their experiences in the field. I wish this presentation had been recorded, it was very powerful. We heard from three people that introduced how they had started with the UofN and how they are now working in the field, specifically on the border of Syria in Jordan ministering to refugees.These people are fleeing for their lives from a very messed up country and are unable to work or even find places to sleep. There is a ton of humanitarian aid which is awesome but it is impossible to imagine what it would be like to have nothing but the shirt on your back.

I have to mention at this point that since we are going to a communist country we will have to be very careful what we put on the blog so it may be a little sanitized. Christianity is accepted and churches are allowed but open evangelism is not so we can only talk about our faith if it comes up in conversation. I may even change the settings on the blog to private so you can only access it by subscribing.

Thank you Catherine for your comments. If you are enjoying reading this let us know. We have no idea who is following us so send a short note of encouragement.
Last night our Vietnam team helped out the Salvation Army and collect for two hours at four locations around Kona. Then we went for Vietnamese food. Was that a good idea? We will be eating Pho for breakfast lunch and dinner for 8 weeks! Better now than after Vietnam.

November 29th (Week 9)

Happy US Thanksgiving!
This was a short week with Thanksgiving Day on Thursday followed by a four day weekend. We had a great worship service in the morning followed by a prayer walk around the 45 acre campus. I couldn't believe how big the property is. We walked for about an hour and a half, stopping occasionally to hear about the olympic sized swimming pool going here, new staff accommodation there, full size soccer field and stadium and on and on. Loren and Darlene Cunningham, the founders of YWAM back in 1955 walked with us and explained what was coming next. We then went up to the cafeteria where we were served a delicious turkey dinner complete with cranberry sauce, stuffing and mashed potatoes.

Three families splashed out and stayed one night at the Hilton and invited us up to enjoy the pool, slide, and mono rail. I pulled up to the reception to drop Ryan off (with his crutches) and the valet guy asked me for my keys. I tried to explain that I was just dropping off my disabled son when he said don't worry about the valet charge, its on the Hilton! Is that child exploitation? In my defence I didn't plan to get special favour but well, thanks to Ryan and thanks to the Hilton (it would have cost $30 to park)!

We rented a car for the weekend (first time in 9 weeks) and it feels great to be able to pop out and buy milk without scrounging a ride or waiting till Wednesday for the shuttle.

On Friday we drove up to the North of the Island and Saturday I went on a road trip with the ‘singles’ (my unattached class mates). We went to the southernmost point on Hawaii which is actually the southernmost point in the USA. We hiked 5km (each way) to green sand beach which was amazing. Massive waves and soft sand. After that we headed over to the volcano just in time for a hike on a lava lake before the sun went down. It was quite cool up on the volcano so I used my towel to keep warm (hence the superman cape). We had supper in Hilo and then took the one and a half hour drive over the top of the island back to Kona. Dan (from bathroom cleaning duty) was our trusty tour guide and driver.

13 'singles' and me at South Point

Green Sand Beach (the sand really is green!)

Loren Cunningham telling us about future plans for the campus.
He turned 80 this year  and is going strong.

Dan, Meghan, Tim, Sigrid and me on the lava lake called Iki Crater.

Thanksgiving Dinner for 1000

This may not look that appetizing but it was delicious!

Our trip to the Hilton

Christmas??

Our drive up to the north of the island. This photo does not do justice.