Home in the US

Home. We've been in Michigan for 12 days now - it's so refreshing!  We landed in Detroit one day ahead of our luggage, which didn't make it onto our connecting flight from Chicago to Detroit.  Our first stop after being picked up at the airport was to a Walmart for clean shirts and underwear and a few toiletries to get us through.  After traveling for 29 1/2 hours (including a 10 hour layover in Tokyo), shopping was the last thing we wanted to do.  Fortunately our luggage was delivered to us the next day.

We spent 4 days in the Detroit area visiting Doug's brothers and spending time with Rachel and her dog, Chim Po. Then it was a 5 hour drive to our home in Suttons Bay.  We can't express how wonderful it is to be in our own house, sleeping in our own comfortable bed - our backs are greatly relieved!  Cooking in a real kitchen again, with normal height counters, has been a joy.  The quiet of our farming community is wonderful - no cars, buses or honking horns, no street noise, no construction noise, no din from all the conversations going on in the school yard next door.  The only thing we hear is birds singing and the wind in the trees. On occasion, a car or two may pass by on our country road.

All our time in Vietnam and Doug never even got a cold. His asthma was not a problem even in polluted Hanoi.  But he caught a cold on the plane ride home which settled in his chest.  We arrived in Detroit Wednesday evening and on Saturday night he had the worst asthma attack of his life.  After having an inhalation treatment on Sunday morning - thanks to his sister-in-law who is an RN - we headed to Suttons Bay. We stopped at the urgent care clinic in Traverse City where Doug was given anti-biotics, steroids to heal his lungs and prescriptions for 2 kinds of inhalation therapy 3 times a day!  Within 24 hours he was breathing much easier.  We just think that Michigan simply took his breath away!

We're busy settling back into our house. BooBoo and Chloe, our cats, follow us around the house wanting to be picked up and petted. We are getting calls from neighbors, going out for walks on our country road and by the marina in the village, and having dinner out with friends.  We are also doing mundane things like doctor and dentist appointments and lucky Susan has a root canal scheduled later today.

We are enjoying these couple of weeks in peaceful Suttons Bay before we head out on our road trip to New York and New England to visit friends and Susan's family.  Here's Doug in our neighbor's cherry and apple orchard! 

It's really a joy to be back home for this short break. But we do miss the students in Hanoi, especially Ny, who has been in touch with us several times by email and once with Skype.  Please remember him in your quiet times, that he will stay connected to other believers while we are gone and continue to grow in his relationship with the Father. 

What was it Judy Garland said in the Wizard of Oz?..."There's no place like home!"

Doug & Susan's Top 10!

In about 2 weeks we'll be boarding a plane home for the summer. 40 years ago, some of us called 'em "Freedom Birds", and back home was "across the pond". It's a new time, but the excitement of seeing home is still the same! And there are at least 10 reasons for jubilation...so here we go ---

#10. No honking buses, cabs, cars, and motorbikes!

In Hanoi horns are used as a warning. "Honk, honk, I'm right beside you and I'm coming through!" It's either move over or ride on my front bumper. The beeping is constant and loud from 7am until about 10pm. Any vehicle with a horn has a voice in the traffic.

#9.  Michigan "Up-North" Fudge is so much better than any candy here!

Call me a "fudgie", I don't care. Just gimme some! Preferably chocolate with black cherries.

#8.  "Baby you can drive your car!"

Be forwarned, the Davenports are home and feelin' the need for speed!

#7.  Dogs are man's best friend...not lunch.

enuff said.

#6.  Walking on the sidewalk is normal and safe.

In Hanoi, the sidewalk is part parking lot, and also an extra lane in the road when traffic is heavy. (and traffic is always heavy.)

#5.  Going to the supermarket and not being stared at!

Many times our shopping cart is subject to inspection by old women and kids who can't believe we really eat that much food! I'm often tempted to lie and tell them I'm shopping for my whole village!  We buy in quantity and freeze meat - they shop every day.

#4.  Grade A American beef, steaks, hamburger, hot dogs. All cooked on the grill!

Guard your grill on July 4th, folks...I'm hungry and aiming to gain some weight (only Doug)!

#3.  Moomer's Ice Cream!

Voted Best in the U.S. and now a major part of my weight gaining regimen!

#2.  Leelanau County, Michigan.

It really is Paradise, after all!

#1.  Family, Friends, Pets and our favorite Flag on the front porch!

Love you all! Here we come.

The Heat is Back!

Well, we knew the heat would return sometime in May, but this week it arrived with a vengeance! Even our Vietnamese students are sweating and complaining - and they're supposed to be used to it. Right now as I write this, it is 102 degrees at 1:30 pm, but the 'Real Feel' according to Weather Underground is 114 degrees. (Real Feel measures humidity, sort of like the "wind chill factor" at home.)

Doug is giving a writing exam right now, up on the sixth floor of the school next door. He'll be drenched with sweat and "wiped out" tired when he comes home at 3 pm.  Thank God for our air conditioned rooms.  We generally just stay indoors on days like this; it's too hot to do anything else.

This morning at 9 am we walked to the outdoor market to buy fruit and vegetables, it was already in the 90's, but the humidity seemed less than the last couple of days.  All the stalls are under cover and in the shade, but shopping is still a 'sweaty' experience. You can imagine what the open air meat counters look (and smell) like! (No, we do not buy our meat here!)

Later tonight I'll make dinner in our common kitchen area, using the 2 burner stove. There is only a fan in there so cooking is a real challenge in weather like this.  But I'm fortunate, I can go back to my nice comfortable room to enjoy our meal. Most people here don't have air conditioning; the lucky ones have fans.

We're counting down the days! Soon we'll be enjoying much more comfortable summer days in Michigan!

A Weekend of Fun & Fellowship

This past week our combined schedules of classes and meetings was as maxxed out as your Visa card! It was crazy busy, commitments every day and plans 4 nights out of 5.  So, we just wanted to yell, "TGIF!" when Friday came. But a friend changed those plans by giving us tickets to...ta da...the Hanoi Opera House, for a piano recital celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Chopin! A family emergency prevented him from joining us, so we took our young student along. (Among his other talents, he also plays the piano!).  It turned out to be a wonderful evening, full of good music and images of  Hanoi in years gone by.

The Opera House was built by the French in 1911; it's small but very impressive, an intimate sized concert hall full of old world charm. The Nha Lon (Opera House) is located in the old French Quarter of Hanoi, a district very reminiscent of Paris.

A group of accomplished young musicians from the Viet Nam Academy of Music performed selections of Chopin's music to the delight of the small audience. It was a terrific evening and our young friend was enthralled! Never had he seen such a magnificent building, or been to a concert like this one.

On Saturday we went with another Vietnamese friend to the Ho Chi Minh Museum and Mausoleum.  This young lady has graciously been our tour guide as we've visited many sites in Hanoi.  It's really a treat to visit historical places with a native and get their perspective. 

First, we waited in line for about 45 minutes to do a 2 minute walk through by HCM's remains in the mausoleum. An elite military unit acts as permanent guardians of this tribute to the nation's first president.

Next, we visited the museum, another massive structure dedicated to the memory of HCM. It's a museum in the round; as you circle the exhibits on a self guiding walkway, you are directed to exhibits from Ho's life as a young man, through the colonial period, and finally, the American War (as it's known here). The museum is clearly a tribute to the deeds of the man; one might say, significantly moreso than those of the people.

As I walked by an exhibit featuring some captured weapons, and pieces of a B-52 shot down during the Christmas 1972 airstrikes, I watched the faces of the locals, especially the young people. Some of them were watching me just as intently.

These monuments are coldly impressive, though historically interesting. But the overwhelming power of  personality is evident everywhere. It left us with a renewed sense of why we are here. As for the more recent exhibits, Doug is still processing his reaction.

On Sunday we enjoyed a great lunch and fellowship with a couple from Australia who also attend Hanoi International Fellowship.  The wife is studying for her TEFL certificate and wanted to talk with Doug, to get some pointers.  She needs to observe a foreigner teaching English, so they scheduled a visit to two of his classes. After lunch, we all headed over to HIF for a 3:00 pm service. By the way, our young friend from the Opera story is now regularly accompanying us on Sunday!  Keep that in your hearts! 

As we count down to our June 15 flight home, it seems that life has accelerated - so much to do before we head home for the summer!  And yet,  through it all,  we are experiencing His blessings from so many new friends. And we are encouraged and overjoyed by our relationships with our students.

Can't wait to see so many of you this summer. Thanks for all your support!

The Bay of the Descending Dragon

Ha Long Bay is an internationally acclaimed Natural World Heritage site, so designated by UNESCO. The name Ha Long means "descending dragon" and refers to a mythical story from which the Bay gets its name. Xiao San, a Chinese poet, wrote, "If you have not visited Ha Long, you have not been to Viet Nam."

Well, Susan and I have now officially been to Viet Nam! It's a 600 sq. mi. waterway containing almost 2,000 islands of various sizes, comprised mostly of stone. The larger islets feature amazing limestone caves and grottoes; the scenery is breathtaking.

Along with our new Australian "mate", Peter, and his driver, we boarded a small touring ship (which we had to ourselves for the day) and were off across the open bay into the mystical passages between the islands. For six hours we cruised gently along, passing close by many of the islands. At two, we landed to explore the caves. We even stopped at a floating fishing village to purchase fresh seafood, which was prepared for our on-board lunch by one of our crew. It was truly one of the most unique adventures we've ever enjoyed! "Thank you, Peter, for this wonderful gift!"

A writer, inspired by the beauty of Ha Long Bay and the islands, wrote, "It seems that before creating the World, God made sketches." Indeed, his handiwork is apparent everywhere you look. Click here to see more of the grandeur of Ha Long.

Retreats and More Treats!

The new pictures on the sidebar of our blog are from Ha Long Bay.  We were able to get away last weekend on a one-day adventure to this beautiful, peaceful area east of Hanoi, on the coast. But  Doug will write that story later. Today, I just want to share some things about life here, as this 2nd semester flys by.

We purchased our tickets to return to the States for our summer leave.  We leave Hanoi on June 16th and will have about 10 weeks at home before we leave on August 23rd to return to Hanoi for our last school year.  This semester has been busy and tiring; we are both looking forward to some time away from this noisy, busy city, especially as the hot summer weather begins.  We can't wait to enjoy the peace and quiet of our home in Suttons Bay!

Here's a couple of things that have been going on.  Shortly after Doug went on  the Men's Retreat, I was able to go on the HIF Women's Retreat at the same resort.  It's amazing what a short weekend away can do for your soul!  We had a wonderful speaker from Singapore, Celia Rawlins, who taught about patiently waiting in the transitions of your life.  She called it, "cocooning" - like when the caterpillar patiently waits to become a butterfly.  For those of you who know me, this is something I need to hear over and over again.

She said "waiting provides time and space for grace to happen".  Hmmm, you mean sometimes, when I rush in I'm losing out on grace?  

"Be still and know that I AM"

One of the gifts we all received was a silk scarf with butterflies on it, a reminder that sometimes it takes the "quiet, be still" times to really become what He has planned for you.  If you notice in the picture, we're all wearing our scarves of many colors.  Although you can't see mine, it was red.  But there's a story about how I got a red scarf.  Ask me about it when you see me this summer.

From many testimonies on the last day, it seems we all learned that we have many sisters here we can turn to when needed.  The weekend was filled with many moments of special fellowship and bonding for these women from so many different countries.  This was an important lesson for many of us, as it is easy to feel alone and isolated working in this foreign culture, so far away from family and friends.

Back in Hanoi, we've continued hosting our regular Tuesday night student group.  Some nights we simply talk about so many different things that are on their minds, such as school, family, their futures.  One night we baked brownies.  For many of them it was their first taste of a brownie.  And of course, we had glasses of cold milk to go with them; they loved it all!  They have asked if we can make more brownies next Tuesday. It's clear that they want to gobble up as many as they can before we leave!

Some Tuesdays they just want to have fun, taking pictures, laughing, and asking us questions about life in America.  We really enjoy our time with these kids, and the relationships we're building just keep getting stronger and stronger.  Please remember our "Tuesday Gang", and us too, when you are before the throne.

Coming Aside

It's been said that the Lord knew the secret of coming aside before one comes apart. Have you ever felt like one more frustration or disappointment would push you over the edge? Feeling that way today? During our first 8 months here, Susan and I have had our share of  "I'm outta here!" moments.  But the One who led us here hasn't yet given the order to leave.

A couple of weekends ago I attended a men's retreat with 45 guys from the Hanoi International Fellowship. It was held at the Tan Da Resort, about a 90 minute drive west into the countryside. In this peaceful oasis, away from the traffic, noise, and dirt of the city, we basked in the quiet. It was a time to be still and know His voice; a time to meet other men, all foreigners in Vietnam. We ate together, played volleyball, jogged, played tennis, biked around the grounds, got a massage or even a mud bath. Yeah, we chilled out big time!

Some years ago I spent 2 years in an organization that considered "retreat" to mean failure. They disdained the word, preferring to say rather that they were "advancing" to the rear! Well, sometimes stepping back is the best way to move forward.

The weekend was refreshing and renewing. I met guys I knew previously only by face. We enjoyed sitting  over dinner and talking about life and faith; that was a gift. The guest speaker stirred our imaginations and caused us to ponder on truth and chew it slowly. We saw the Champion of our hearts in a new way. We learned how He chose to live as a man just like us...never demanding His right to live out Who He really was and is.

So 45 guys from places like Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Korea, the Phillipines, Singapore, and the USA, discovered that where we live means so much less than Who lives in us!

Need a break? Give yourself a gift...step back from what's staring you in the face and take a deep breath. Find a friend or make a new one, and change direction. Look for the One who wants to talk to you. He'll show you a new way to go. Peace.