itinerary and training reflections

Training is over!
I'm letting out a sigh of relief, having some time to relax and wind down, followed by a deep breath in to get ready for departure next Tuesday. There's been so much buildup and talk until this point. Now Vietnam is only a few days away.

Here is our team's flight itinerary:
(local times given)
Depart LAX August 23, 1:15 am: China Airlines flight #7 to Taipei
Arrive in Taipei August 24, 5:30 am
Depart August 24, 7:30 am: Vietnam Airlines flight #0925
Arrive in Hanoi 9:30 am
Depart 11:45 am: Vietnam Airlines flight #0315
Arrive in Da Nang 1:00 pm.

In Da Nang, our school administrator and host, Hai Huynh, will pick us up and help us get settled into the house the four of us will be sharing for the year. Hopefully we will have until the following Wednesday (Aug 30th) before we start teaching.


(Left: leading music for our final commencement ceremony and worship service)

Our evening teaching practicum concluded last week with a fiesta and some wonderful hispanic food and hospitality. Our students thanked us for our time and energy; we thanked them for giving us the opportunity to practice our teaching.

Last Saturday I went on an all-day hike into the Santa Anitas. We found some beautiful waterfalls and pools to cool off, and spent the time in between on dusty trails, seeing grouse and lizards and rabbits.

Thinking back over training, it's been a real whilrwind of a time. I feel as ready as I could expect to be for adjusting to a new culture, teaching English as a foreign language, and living with a team, but I know that preparations in this setting can only go so far. At this point, what I'm ready for is to find out myself.

The first few weeks of training were the heavy ones; these last few have been the reward. And while the atmosphere at training can't help but feel artificial and set apart from the real world, It's been a real privilege to get to know the other teachers and especially to hear their stories of getting to this point in their lives. I've gotten to know dynamic families with young children, older men whom I respect and appreciate, and peers with whom I share the same youthfull struggles and curiosities. What a sense of common purpose has developed between us all! As much as I am eager to be overseas, leaving this larger community behind will add another layer of difficulty to the transition.

In small groups for "manuscript study" (an inductive Bible study method) we just fininshed up the book of Philippians. I'll sign off with these verses that have been ringing in my ears:

Philippians 2:5-11
Your atitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is lord,
to the glory of God the Father.