Dog

The last week that I was in Vietnam was one of the highlights of my trip. For safety reasons I'm not going to say where I was or who I was working with, but I will say that it was amazing. I had the chance to go to a three different drug rehab centers for where all they use is the Fathers word, worship, and the encouragement/ fellowship of each other to get clean. It's an amazing ministry, and I feel honored to have been exposed to it. I was able to sit with the men and hear their hearts and struggles. I was able to talk to them about my own experience with friends that struggle with drug addictions. The men even gave me advice on how to help my friends. It was so sweet and dear. It still blows my mind to think that these were some of the most dangerous men in Vietnam, and noww the Lord has filled them with such compassion and a heart to serve and love. They treated me with respect, and being a Brother in the word, they truly treated me like a sister. As one of my friends said , "It's hard just walking on the streets because guys look at me like I'm a piece of meat, but when I come across a believer it's so different. They respect me not only with their actions, but with their eyes."

The second rehab center I went to was an experience I will never forget. It started off with a long restful nap on the bamboo mat. I was woken up to someone informing me that dinner was ready. It smelled wonderful. Once we set the food on the floor we all sat in a circle and dug in. I asked what kind of meat we were eating and I was informed it was "baby cow". Seeing as how all 10 of the other Vietnamese people agreed I didn't think twice about it. After taking my first bite I looked around to see if anyone was watching and then spit it out in my napkin. It was terrible. I couldn't understand why it tasted so bad. I eventually had to eat it, because people kept putting the "best pieces" in my bowl. I remember asking the chef, who was sitting right across from me, "Wow, this is so good. Where did you learn to make this?" His response was, "Prison." I immediately started laughing and said, "Thats awesome." I also started getting really curious because everyone was speaking in Vietnamese and no one was translating what was going on. Everyone looked really suspicious. That's when I started to wonder if I was really eating baby cow.

After dinner we were informed to go outside for some fruit. I was the first to walk outside, but not the first to see what was waiting for us on the table. I was looking at Bekah who was screaming and yelling, "WHAT IS IT??? TELL MEEEE!!!" When I turned around a saw a dog head on a platter in the middle of all the fruit. We had been tricked. After about 10min. of looking at the dog head I started feeling so sick. I kept telling the guys that they needed to take it awa,y or I was going to hurl. They thought it was so funny. I'm pretty sure that they have the whole dinner on video. I guess it was kind of funny now that it's over.

Leaving Vietnam was terrible. I started crying while we were driving to the airport and I didn't stop until we arrived in Japan. Saying good-bye to such dear friends was so incredibly hard. When I actually had to say good-bye my dear friends just cried with me. Leaving Vietnam this past trip was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Once I got on the plane and started to soar down the runway, I weeped. I weeped the whole way to Japan and Rebekah just held me. The sweet flight attendant ended up bringing me about 10 bags of peanuts in hopes of helping me feel better ha. At one point she even sat on the ground and was just rubbing my back. It was so sweet. Once I got to Japan I slept the entire 12 hours that we were in that airport. I don't know when I'm going back, but I know it wont be long. Vietnam is home, and Cambodia is a new place that is heavy on my heart. I already find myself researching language schools and social work jobs.