New Orleans and Shoes

I definitely enjoyed my time at the J-squad renunion in New Orleans. Most of my old mission teammates were there and it was really great to see them all again especially as we have all returned to much different lives and roles than we played on the field together. It's as if we can see a more complete version of each person since we can see more of the "normal" lives of each.

Just a great time! I enjoyed good food, Jazz  music, and wonderful fellowship. It felt like a debrief on the mission field all over again as we scrambled around to visit with all our friends. (No buddy system this time which worked great for that time I just had to find the restaurant that Alesha and I went to last time we were there!

J-squad in NOLÀ!

I got back later in the evening and spent the whole next day burning the woods for work. After work, I finally got to pick Jade up from boarding. It was so long without her... And she let me know it. She ignores every rule we had about jumping and bopped me hard in the mouth... But I didn't care... I missed her too!

I have started running some mornings with friends at the highschool track. One friend left me a box on my car and my poor little 5am brain didn't process it until I got back home and opened it. It was a brand new pair of beautiful purple running shoes! My heart bursted! I could have cried! I wrote to her that I was so joyed and couldn't thank her enough and asked why she did it. She told me that God had prompted her to buy the shoes for me a few weeks ago.

I was blown away! Not only was I grateful to my friend for listening and the goodness that followed, but I was also grateful to God for telling her to do it! Because she followed through, I was able to have a reminder of God's provision (in the physical as well as relationships), goodness, and desire to give us those little loving moments.

I had a great God moment over a pair of shoes! I can't wait to see how He will meet me next.

O'ahu Living

Being in Hawaii with a local is awesome. I think I am seeing and doing things I wouldn't as a tourist. After stepping off the plane, my friend Kai met me with a Lei...which was something I always saw on TV and of course was overjoyed to get.

We have been to a couple different beaches, and some local eateries, as well as hikes. I got the most helpful spontaneous body-boarding lesson with her dad and caught some awesome waves that I could have never done in the Atlantic.

Also, the Honolulu marathon passes by the house at mile 22 so I have decided to take on the most run road in America and finish the last 4 miles on diamondhead volcano with team "Yoloha", (all of us former missionaries and Kai's sister).

It's really good to be here.

Coming to You from Vietnam!

I got to Skype my friend Jill last night, and she asked me where in the world I was, because she said that she couldn't keep up with me.  I told her, I couldn't even keep up with me.  During this "down time" in Vietnam, I am so busy trying to plan out Belize and not get scammed here that I don't really think I am resting much.

I did enjoy a cruise through Halong Bay which was magnificent.  And met a couple on the boat that let me practice my Spanish with them before I have to get to using it again in Belize.  The wife was from Iowa and the husband, Colombia.  They were so kind and even suggested a better Hotel for my last couple nights.  And believe me, the switch was well worth the stress of switching.  I was upgraded to a deluxe room free of charge and they even have a real shower with hot water.

The trying not to get scammed thing is hard though.  Already I have had my card scanned multiple times for a single purchase and I also had an incident with a shoe-man.  I was walking down the street and the man comes running after me yelling for me to stop and pointing at my feet.  I thought, "OH dear me! I stepped on something important".  And I stopped.  At that point, he pulls off my shoe and begins gluing the loose parts back on.  I told him to stop.  He said "don't worry."  I said, "Stop it.  NO!  I will not pay you money.  Stop."  And he keeps saying, "don't worry."  I protest for about 2 more minutes as he sews up the sole.  I keep saying, "No!  I will not pay."  Finally, he gives it back and demands the equivalent of $10USD.  And I told him very firmly that I never wanted my shoes sown and that I told him no, but he just wasn't listening.  He began to argue with me again.  I said NO! Then I ran away....haha.

After running off, I dipped into massage parlor to lose the guy and relieve some stress.  I just need to wear nicer shoes and maybe he won't recognize me when I go back out tonight to the walking food tour and water puppet show.  Until then, I think I will just rest in my very very comfy bed.  Thank you Hanoi Holiday Gold!  :-)

Halong Bay:  View from my Cabin Window early morning.