Sambo the Elephant

Here's someone we got to meet in Phnom Penh!

A religious studies tour of Ho Chi Minh

Here is a video recapping our visits to the Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic, and Muslim places of worship.

The video is really great and the imagery wonderful. Thank you Ben for pulling this together and sharing it here.

Saigon Religious Sites from Ben Stapley on Vimeo.

First lesson from Ho Chi Minh - Crossing the street

One thing that Ho Chi Minh is not lacking in is mopeds and scooters. There are literally thousands of them here. Unlike the US, they do not serve as leisure vehicles. These two wheeled rollers are used as delivery trucks (even for larger construction stuff!), mini vans (I've seen up to 5 people on 1!!), and bumper cars. They're in every lane, on the shoulder of the road, on the sidewalk, going with traffic, going against traffic, They are literally everywhere!

We quickly learned that to cross the street you just have to go! They don't stop, they don't wait, they don't nod an acknowledgment that you're there, they just flow around you.

The lesson to learn here is we are in a communal society and traffic flows like the blood of the city. It weaves, bends, adapts and flows like water through channels that sometimes overflow the banks and then returns.

So at each intersection, you take a deep breath, tuck your belongs close and step out. Pick a pace, and stroll across. If I lived here, I'd need anxiety meds ASAP!

Crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh from Matt Parks on Vimeo.

Wednesday June 1, 2011 6:02 pm Lancaster time / body time.

We’re now somewhere over the Bangle sea, quickly approaching Singapore. The flight from Germany here is a total of around 11+ hours. In three hours we will have been traveling for a total of 24 hours, and boy does my hinny say it’s been 24 hours!

But I don’t know of anything that could have been added to this trip to make it go better. The movies where good, the food amazing and plenty of it, Pearl and I were both able to rest and sleep and we each were able to get some serious work done on our laptops. Pearl is close to being done with a large paper for school and I’ve almost finished editing a wedding!! Both are huge stress relievers.

Even all the guess around us have been pleasant. All the kids have been perfect, and to our left is an older women who is from the states but now lives in Singapore with her husband. In front of her is a man with his family who visited the northeast USA for his daughters graduation. They both have eagerly shared their knowledge of Asia, Vietnam, the economy of Singapore, which apparently one of the 3 most expensive cities in the world to live (the other 2 according to them are Tokyo, London). They shared about where to shop, what to eat, and have in general appeared delighted to share about their home.

The captain just announced we have started our descent and should be arriving soon. The local time in Singapore is 6:50 am and my watch from home is saying it’s 6:14 PM.

Let the jet lag begin!

June 1, 2011 – 12:06 am

It’s either late at night, or early in the morning, I’m not really sure what time it is where we are but according to my laptop’s clock (which I believe is also where my body’s clock is) it’s late!

We’re on the plane, somewhere over the Atlantic. The screen in front says we’re 4:47 hours from Frankfort, 10972M high and a brisk -47 Degree’s C outside.

I pulled out my computer in the hopes of working on School work, but that’s not going to happen.

Sorry, this boys tired. Time for a movie and mindless staring.

Boarding!

I’m sitting on the cold floor with my back to the glass and our giant plane being prepped feet away. From this point of view I can see her in all her beauty, power, and size. She’s a big bird with engines the size of Volkswagens hanging like grapes from her arms. The windows have a small glow that’s starting to peek through the dimming evening light.

We load in a few minutes.

I turn my thoughts to God and confess I stepping out in faith as I board the plane, into another world, and I think my life will never be the same.

God please let us experience what you want us to know. May we joyfully walk with you through this journey. May every time we feel uncomfortable and are tempted to complain or disconnect be a prompt to remember the gift you’ve given us in this journey. May we learn and not neglect. Thank you for this gift, this experience. Please use it to shape our hearts.

Thank you for the family and friends who have thrown their arms around us and extended their wallets as well. You have reminded us how much we are loved by others and by you and have reminded us how involved in our lives you really are.

We love you, and we’re excited for what’s next.

It's really happening!

Today's the big day! I remember commenting after every meeting and IME class that, "I wish we were going right now!"...well, we are. We are going right now! In 1 hour and 15 minutes, I'll be on my way to JFK to board a double-decker plane! Please pray for safe travels and healthy bodies, minds, and spirits as we journey to the other side of the world!