In Saigon

Hey all my loyal readers.

I feel bad, because I've been in 'Nam for 5 or so days without a peep. I've been fairly busy though. When we first got in to Saigon, after a layover in Taipei, we dove right in to the bustling chaos that is Ho Chi Minh city. The most memorable aspect of this city has to be the motorbikes. There are so many that the occasional actual car looks strange. The streets are filled with zooming, swerving, and constantly honking motorbikes. And if that sounds crazy, then try thinking about crossing the street, which we constantly have to do.

It's funny how well we adapt to new situations. Five days in and we already have favorite food places. Our choice coffee shop for cafe sua da, which is right across the street from us, knows what we want as soon as we stroll in (which is good because the less sign language we have to do the better). This street that we live on feels a bit more like a home away from home every day. And still, our adaptation is short lived. We leave for Da Nang on monday, where we'll be staying for a month and where there will be hopefully more reliable internet. Not that this internet cafe is that bad, but i tend to hurry when i've to pay for my time, even if that time is incredibly cheap.

Hopefully once I'm in Da Nang i can give you all some better bloggage, and fill you in on all the great happenings down here in Vietnam! Thanks for your prayers, adoration, and gentle reading-
from the future-
Chris

Prologue

It's May 19th, 2009. I'm sitting in my living room before rushing off to take care of the last minute packing purchases (If saying "last minute" makes it sound like I only have a little left to go, I only wish that were so). I and my team of 9 other APU students leave for Vietnam in a mere 4 days.

To think that this whole adventure started with casual conversation, well, that actually sounds about right. The grandest and most changing events all begin with something small. I'm sure if that wasn't the case many people would bail at the first sign of epic. Can't really say I'd be that different. But this started off small. I had MAS (ministry and service) credits to fill, and I was friends with Kristen, who had gone to Vietnam last year and was leading the team this time around. She mentioned the processes of forming a team, and I'd ask about details here and there. Slowly my interest rose. I'm always looking for new ways to prove my desire to teach as a real passion, and teaching in Vietnam sounded surreal. And the seed was planted then.

That was 7 months ago. The time between then and now stretched on forever yet sped forward without remorse. I interviewed with Tyler (the other leader, and my fellow [read: only other] guy on the trip) and Kristen, was accepted to the team, and met all the rest of our star crossed group.
The picture is a little small, so in a circle from the left- (Top) Kristen, Mya, Tyler, Me, Faryn, Amanda (Bottom) Jessica, Kristin, Sally, and Marissa. It may seem odd that Tyler and I are the only guys, but anyone knowing APU would understand- we're outnumbered there. Even so, it was surprising how well everyone got along, even in the first meeting. That didn't change as the weeks went on. Our weekly monday (late) night meetings became a sort of beacon, and I looked forward to catching up with everyone after the long week.

And the weeks went by, and by and by. I balanced school, love, and Vietnam like an amateur juggler, and usually slipped in one place or the other. Still, God was forgiving enough, and my survival in this last semester is proof enough of that.

And if you're reading this, for some reason you've seen this through with me too. and I hope to help you see the rest of my journey. It's weird that the months behind me all lead up to this one month that's ahead of me. But I've a feeling that this small time will last a lifetime in memories and lessons both learned and taught.

Thus- welcome to this, my travel blog. Next post- via vietnam!