The Neverending Adventure

 September 26, 2024

Each day is an adventure for us here, and if we're not too tired then we usually enjoy it!

This week we've been working on a Family Home Evening lesson for tomorrow all about eternal families. We've got a sweet power point to show, along with a few other things. It should be fun!

Our adventure yesterday was to figure out how to call a Family Medical Clinic and make an appointment for our Japanese Encephalitis vaccinations. (Yes, simply making a phone call in Vietnam is an adventure for us.)  This was the furthest Grab ride we've gone on: distance about 7 miles; time to destination about 40 minutes. And when the driver let us out and pointed to where we should go, there was no way through a fence there and he had gone. We weren't sure of the address and couldn't see the clinic, so we asked a guard who was close by (don't ask me what he was guarding; there were a few guards stationed about 300 feet apart along the street). This person puzzled over the address and pointed us down the road and across a VERY busy street. We started walking, still figuring out the map, and the 2nd guard came up to help us and he looked at the address. He pointed us further down the street, but on the same side of the road. We were still studying the map and Allen figured out where we were; we started walking back the way we had come, past the two guards, past the original drop off place where the driver had let us out, and 100 feet further down the street...and there we were!   :)  Yep, it can be a confusing place!

Vaccinations completed, we decided to go explore. It was a very interesting walk past shops and shops and more shops. At one point in Vietnam's history these streets must have looked really nice, as the sidewalks were laid with concrete tiles. We found some beautiful ao dai (ow zye, long shirts) in a few shops. These are long split skirts that reach the ground and are split up to the hip; you would need to wear pants underneath. There are some very beautiful ones and I've been told that I should get one made for me before I go home. 

There are so many shops! Many of them are small and cluttered, and the sidewalks are crowded with scooters. Many of the shops offer foods of all kinds, and I wish that Vietnam was a place where you could trust the food and water at these places. We don't. We walked down an alley that was like a farmer's market and was filled with all kinds of produce but again, we wouldn't dare eat anything right there and we didn't want to carry anything home to wash it.

We were walking along the very busy street and saw what looked to be a very old pagoda across the street. Of course, we had to investigate and so we took our first trip across a scary street! It's not true that you are supposed to ignore traffic, you just have to work with it so they don't hit you or honk at you. Success! We're alive! But the pagoda was under construction and there wasn't anything much to see.

Those scooters can carry some interesting bundles!

 We walked about 1 1/2 miles and arrived at the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, which is a very large place in Hanoi. There is also a museum in the big square there, but it was about to close so we didn't get to go inside. We called for a Grab car to come get us and tried to figure out where it said the pick up point was. It was all very confusing and the driver called us twice, to no avail because we didn't know a word he said. He finally arrived and we gratefully rode back to our apartment.

We've done a lot of shopping here, much to Allen's dismay, but it's only been for the necessities of living in a new country. Our major finds today were Japanese curry in one store and peanut butter in another! Oh blessed day! 

Tonight was English conversation class and there was a very large group of around 38 people, plus the missionaries. It's fun to see how seriously the people work at English, as it will improve their future and give them many more opportunities than they would have without it.

The missionaries are very eager to help us with our shopping or learning the language, and it's fun to interact with them. I'll be sad when this transfer ends and we get new missionaries! I've had my first sick missionary to help, and he didn't need much more than encouragement and a little advice. May they all be an non-urgent has he was!! Please!!

This was the way we spent our first official p-day...

(Watching the missionaries bowl...)

And we're still trying to figure out what's good to eat...

Note: if any of you know how to move pictures around on blogspot.com, let me know! I'd like these to be easier to see and easier to include.

Now it's 9/27/24. I miss: my dryer, my bike, drinking water from the faucet, more cupboards(!), ocean views, English spoken on the streets, and most of all... my kids and grandkids! It must be important to be on a mission or I wouldn't be here! :) 

Love to you all!