On Saturday we saw off our team mate Dawn at the Danang airport and returned to our house on 15 Le Dinh Ly street as the first time an incomplete team. Several of the office staff were there, along with Hai and Teresa, us, and a few of Dawn's friends. Saying our goodbyes to Dawn instantly sharpened my picture of departure on August 3rd. We clearly remember walking through the airport last August 24th and tasting Danang for the first time, loaded with our expectation.
Of the four of us only Nicky is returning here. Bryan will be going on to seminary in Nyack, NY. Dawn will be returning to Vietnam but to a different city to teach. Dawn will have a jam-packed summer of support raising and visiting relatives before we cross paths at training in Pasadena in August.
Another teacher with ESI and good friend, Heath Carelock, left Danang on Thursday.
But we have an addition: a teacher from Cananda, Sarah, has arrived with an independent contract to teach at Fisher's. She is our new house mate.
At our Danang International Fellowship this morning we were reminded that it is not often God's will to leave us in a comfortable groove for too long. Yes, it is true of this year.
I wish I could send you all a perfect impression of life here. No number of photos or souveniers or stories will be be sufficient. I wish I could keep a perfect impression for myself to open up every few months when the memories fade and run together. But God has created us to live and breathe for communication, and I know the continuing work of this experience will be revealed in my attempt at transmitting it to others and at ordering it in my own heart. I am constantly thankful that this IS a shared experience through all your prayer and support. As a solo adventure the lower points would be lower, and the joys would have few sharers.
Let me put in a word here for my team: that is, Nicky, Dawn and Bryan. I remember being asked, "So do you know these people who you are going to spemd the year with?" I FAR underestimated the amount of growth that would come from the team living, and the amount of support we would be to eachother. Up to arrival I had pictured this as "my time" in Vietnam. Now I can't think of it except as ours. There was a definite sadness in our goodbyes to Dawn, but the winning emotion was thankfulness and praise.
A lfew newsy things: Bryan and I are planning a six day trip to Saigon and Cambodia at the end of June. It will be a nice little together before Bryan leaves.
Friday was a new experience for all of us. Hai took us along with all the school staff to have a foot massage. We were surprised to find that our feet include our arms, shoulders, and scalp. And I've never had my feet soaked in a vibrating bucket of cinammon broth before.
