February 2012
2 posts
drawing a blank.
i have this dream. this dream where i am this brilliant writer and i say things that are profound and brilliant and in a way that isn’t cheesy. i want to write about my work here in a way that connects you to it, in a way where you read it and want to sell everything you have and come to vietnam. i guess what i’m saying is that i want something i do to motivate you to come here....
January 2012
2 posts
happy accidents.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve been watching too much British television (Downton Abbey, anyone?) but I really enjoy the phrase “happy accident”. It conjures up some sort of delightful thing that happened by chance, something that you weren’t expecting, and that perhaps could have been seen as a problem. Today, for instance, I had one of those moments while trying to use up lots of...
"be whatever you want to be!"
as a product of my culture, especially of my own country’s education system, i have heard this line too many times to count. as we grow up and begin to “discover who we are”, this is what we are told - you can be anything you set your mind to, you can do anything if you try hard enough.
this is a lie. a big, fat, ridiculous lie.
we were all created to do something fantastic....
December 2011
2 posts
Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Goodnight
Tonight is Christmas Eve. The streets are packed tonight with Santa’s. Numerous vendors are selling giant balloons shaped like Kris Kringle. As my students told me, Santa in Vietnam is very thin and rides a bike (obviously. why would he need a sleigh here?), so the streets also contain many men riding around in red suits and fake beards. It is also one of the busiest nights of the year,...
“In a profound way, our intentionality is a key ingredient in determining whether...”
– Elizabeth Dryer
November 2011
2 posts
overflowing.
man, life has been full the past month. we celebrated halloween with our english club, visited a team about 50 miles north of hanoi (in a city called thai nguyen), and then i went to beijing for a weekend with other team leaders from china. it has been so full, but so good. for me, it was particularly refreshing to be with good friends. i also was able to go to ikea and starbucks. it was...
October 2011
1 post
Lost and Found
3 years ago, in California, I was shopping with a Vietnamese girl that I had been mentoring. I bought these fantastic earrings - big silver leaves, held together to make a diamond shape. I loved them. Despite the fact that they were huge and quite bold, I wore them almost every day. They would break, and I would attempt to fix them. Before I left for Vietnam, they finally met their demise....
September 2011
1 post
we are family.
today marks the end of my 7th week being back in asia. the past 7 weeks have been pretty awesome. since returning to hanoi 3 weeks ago, i have kept really busy, settled in to life back at LMX, getting my team acquainted with the city, etc. As I returned for a second year, I had lots of expectations - that it would be easier, that i would understand culture better, that things wouldn’t be...
August 2011
1 post
He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.
Well, I have been in Beijing for just under three weeks now, and in one week I will be back in Hanoi. I can’t believe how fast this time has gone. I have loved, loved, LOVED being in Beijing. It has been such a blessing to do training all together, to get to know all the other team leaders, and to hang out in Beijing, which is a super fun city :) My team is SO great. I love each of...
July 2011
3 posts
his power is perfected in weakness.
Sometimes, I think I am the WRONG person to call to Asia. I found out yesterday that my visa for China wasn’t completed, and that I would need to change my flight. Also my visa for Vietnam was never processed. The new ticket is with an airline that charges $70 to check 2 bags, AND I’m already struggling with how to make them both 50 pounds, as opposed to the 70 pounds I was used to...
cheers to the friendships, well worn in, that time...
I leave for Beijing in just six days. I can’t believe it - what a whirlwind of a summer. I have been so privileged to see so many people and go so many places. In all the places I’ve been, the Father has reminded me that I am dearly loved by so many people. I have been overwhelmed by the deep relationships that I have. Because I lived in California, I didn’t get to see many...
Bones.
You can take my dry bones Breathe life into this skin You called me by name Raised me to life again You can calm the oceans Speak peace into my soul Take me as I am Awaken my heart to beat again You move in the unseen You set the captives free As I stand and sing You’re breaking the chains off me
June 2011
1 post
Back in CA!
I arrived in LA yesterday after 24 hours of travel. I actually had a very smooth trip. We had a 10-hour layover in Tokyo, so instead of waiting at the airport we booked a hostel nearby and explored the surroundings. Narita is actually quite far from the city, so it was very interesting to see what the Japanese countryside looked like. It was fun spending those last hours with my teammates, and...
May 2011
1 post
how do they stay so thin?
H: Hello Lindsey! Come in, take a seat
Me: Hi Mrs. H. Here is the paper you asked for.
H: Oh thank you. (Reaches under her desk to unveil a giant bag of bananas). Would you like some bananas?
Me: Uh...ok, I'll take two.
H: (hands me ten bananas)
Me: (surprised) Oh, thank you. See you later.
H: Wait, would you like some corn?
Me: Oh, no thank you.
H: Ok. Here, do you want some fruit with salt? Very delicious.
Me: No thank you, I'm very full, I just ate breakfast.
H: OK, please take some cake before you go.
April 2011
1 post
my grandmother's jewelry.
last saturday, i called my dad after realizing i hadn’t talked to him in a few weeks. he said he was on the way to the hospital, that my grandmother had something wrong with her pancreas, but that it wasn’t too serious. he didn’t sound worried, so i wasn’t worried either. tuesday morning, i was just waking up when i got a call from my dad. before i answered, i knew why...
March 2011
2 posts
it crept in without notice.
Today, a good friend and I were talking about some things that were bothering us. We had a real, honest, raw conversation about how we could be better friends toward each other. For both of us it opened some wounds and exposed sins that we need to take before the Father.
For me though, there was one thing that was unexpected. The last thing she mentioned was that she was happy, for the most...
the new normal.
The past two weeks, at 11:30 AM on Friday, our water turns off. It is off for exactly 24 hours. This has not been announced to us, we have just noticed this pattern. Our water occasionally turns off at random, for anywhere from a few hours to as much as 4 days. Since it is not something I can anticipate, I sometimes end up with a pile of dirty dishes due to lack of water (and probably a little...
February 2011
2 posts
A Very Vietnamese Story
I had my students write a crime story for a vocabulary assignment, and one group handed in the most Vietnamese story I could ever imagine. Here it is:
“4 years ago, in a small town, there was a poor family. They worked very hard but they were still poor. They didn’t have enough money to pay for the bills, the children had no education. They were really poor. They didn’t...
not homesick, just informing.
i know that you all have probably wondered what has been going on with me since the last time i posted, which was christmas. well, here is a bulleted list:
travelled with my team to ninh binh, which was awesome. motorbiked through spectacular hills, took a boat to some hotsprings, and rang in 2011 by going to bed at 11 PM.
i finshed my first 6 months of teaching in vietnam.
just got back from...
December 2010
4 posts
Merry Christmas!
This is such an interesting season when you are in a different country. The cultural aspect of this season is really close to my heart, and I know that seems strange, considering why I’m here. I find myself wanting to be in a warm house, with a giant glittering tree, a fire in the fire place, exchanging gifts with my family. I want to attend a hilarious Christmas party with my friends...
life in asia is hilarious and often ridiculous. one of my favorite things is bathrooms. my bathroom is what we like to call a shoilet. it is a huge tiled room, with a toilet on one side, and a drain next to it. in the middle is a shower head. closest to the door is a sink and mirror. there is no shower curtain. you just take a shower in the middle of the bathroom and the water drains. its...
impossible love.
love.
when i hear this word, things like happiness, joy, bliss, joyful service, smiles, sweet times, and enjoying other people come to mind. generally, my view of love is really positive. it goes hand in hand with positive experiences. i’ve never really been in a situation where loving someone is not enjoyable.
as a believer, i always point to the Son as the perfect example of love....
November 2010
1 post
thanks, mom.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but you wouldn’t know it. Obviously, people in Vietnam do not celebrate a distinctly American holiday, so for most people, it’s just a normal day. I am teaching about Thanksgiving in my classes today and tomorrow, and it is actually a lot of fun. We are going to learn about the Macy’s Parade, the Presidential Turkey Pardon, and, of course, traditional...
October 2010
4 posts
How to Call Someone Fat in Asia
Teammate: What is this?
Teacher: It's like a grapefruit. Good for overweight people.
Teammate: Oh, ok.
Teacher (to me): You should have some.
hope.
the past month, i’ve been studying john’s first letter with my team. we were discussing love, so we turned to paul’s first letter to the corinthians. this verse jumped out at me:
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
i absolutely LOVE this verse. i love the way it sounds,...
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power...”
– Paul
2 months in, and already...
the question has been posed, “what are your plans for next year?”
when they asked me to commit for 2 years, i said no. i didn’t know why. i still don’t. i felt sure this was what the father wanted me to do. yet, in my mind, i always assumed it would be longer. the past 2 months, while they have been filled with challenges, have been wonderful. i love life in vietnam....
1.000 năm Thăng Long - Hà Nội
Today is October 1. Today, a ten-day celebration, culminating on 10-10-10 (heyo!), will begin. It is a celebration of 1000 years of Hanoi. Two days ago, I went to the city center (Hoan Kiem Lake - aka “lake of the restored sword”), and it was nuts. Stages everywhere, laser beams coming out of the lake, fog machines (?!? defintiely the most puzzling)…it was just insanity....
September 2010
5 posts
the little things.
waking up to the sound of the banging drum (time for school), but being able to go back to sleep.
a quiet morning, making pancakes, eating homemade apple sauce, drinking old coffee, reading a good book.
talking to a good friend from home, getting a glimpse of my Father’s character in the Psalms, confessing my heart to Him.
wind rustling the trees, thunder rolling, cool temperatures, rain...
bad asia day.
today, i had a “bad asia day.”
it all started with lunch. i ordered a ham and cheese sandwich. when i got my sandwich, there was no cheese. i pointed it out. the waitress lifted the bread and pointed to what was obviously mayonnaise (side note: i loathe mayonnaise). she said that was cheese. i said no, it was mayonnaise. she said it was melted cheese. i again said it...
Watch
don't let the bed bugs bite.
Most of you who know me are aware that there are a few things that make me get quite squeamish. One of those things is the idea of something crawling on me while I’m sleeping. It makes my stomach turn and my skin crawl. Its actually something that I fear in a huge way.
Two nights ago, I went to get in bed, and noticed there were these little dead bugs all over my bed. I was really...
right now, I’m on a bus, driving to a resort about an hour outside of Hanoi. the red river is to my right and left. up
ahead there are rice paddies and tall, skinny homes. Some point soon, I’m sure, we will pass a grave yard, with smoke from incense rising. there are palm trees, marshes, and the occasional water buffalo.
I love this place. and it’s not really something I can...
August 2010
3 posts
“Whenever you love anything inordinately, no matter how tiny it may be, it still...”
– Thomas a’ Kempis
longing for the familiar.
today has been a hard day. actually, it has been a hard past few days. i’m not even sure i know how to put my finger on it. i think maybe its that i feel incompetent. i can barely say hello, i don’t like the food, and today i was told my shorts were too short. none of those things are earth shattering, but when everything combines, it just makes you collapse. i just want something...
July 2010
2 posts
Day Four.
I am trying to put words to my feelings, and at the moment I’m really struggling. There are many things I can say, and my heart has been broken for this place multiple times, for different things.
For everyone who told me that crossing the street was a surreal experience, you were RIGHT. its definitely terrifying, but there something so beautiful in the chaos. there are motor bikes...
i'm here.
well, i made it to hanoi. currently eating an unripe banana, and sad that my yogurt isn’t quite thin enough to be drunk with a straw. so far, nothing too crazy, except that there are two caged monkeys outside of the guest house i am staying in. its not for tourists; they are caged inside a gated community that houses mostly expats. and also they are apparently quite mean. i can’t...
June 2010
2 posts
december, 2006.
“every time i see a VTF license plate (which is a lot..so weird.) i ALWAYS say “i need to go to vietnam.” everytime, i think that. and sometimes i don’t realize it. i caught myselft thinking it today. it can’t be for no reason.”
sooo crazy.
May 2010
3 posts
the smell of summer on my porch.
i was walking from my car to the front door of my house, and right when i got to the stoop, i smelled something - i’m not sure what exactly, a flower of some kind - but i knew what it meant. summer. it was the smell of summer.
summer always brings all sorts of anticipation for me. i have the fondest memories of the summer time. the past three summers have been the most beautiful of my...
people i love, #1.
this post is dedicated to the lovely tanya hedberg.
i met tanya when i served in china almost 5 years ago. we have remained close friends every since. tanya will play the trumpet anywhere, for anyone, including a street corner in the dirtiest city in china, or over skype when a friend is feeling sad. she is also hilarious. she lives life to the fullest, and is always up for...
the little things.
yesterday i was driving to panera to do some homework. i looked to my right and instantly recognized that the car was that of my friends jacob and sarah - the gray paint contrasting to the mostly white car gives it away. we rolled down the windows to say hi. it was nice because i love them immensely.
i went to class, and was on my way home around 10. i got off the freeway, and i stopped at...
April 2010
5 posts
The Question Words.
So, a lot of people have asked me a number of questions, and since I don’t have time to answer them all individually, I figured I’d write a little blog to let people know a little more.
Where are you going?
I’m going to Hanoi, Vietnam. Vietnam is a country in SE Asia, with about 80 Million people. Its a long, thin country (at one of the thinnest points, only 50 miles separate...
aware.
1. Kyrgyzstan (warning: this one has some rather disturbing images)
2. Thailand
3. Sudan
the world is crazy, and we should pray.
if you ever wanted squirrel underwear... →
this site has them…and so many more amazing, ridiculous, awesome things.
