One more time I was in a place I had never been before. All within a couple hours of Danang. After all these trips bouncing along roads in the vans I thought I had covered most of the areas near Danang. Not so! Today’s area was lush green offset by piles of hardened mud. The mud is leftover from the Typhoon.

  Well we finally arrived. There were well over a 100 children waiting for us. Our gift… was a small pack of material for new uniforms. I looked at Tam and said tell me again why this is an important gift for children. You see from “my world” it’s toys, Candy, electronics or at least balls and bats. When I was young clothes were a not a welcome gift, but material???

  She went on to tell me how many had lost their uniforms in the flood. And when she was here for the relief efforts she saw many uniforms had patches covering the holes or we so worn you could almost see through them. Okay I said, but inside I felt a sense of disappointment. Sorta like the feeling I had when I was a kid, expecting a bike and getting pajamas for Christmas.

   Well these kids were excited. I don’t get it. I really don’t. How far is my sense of what is important in life that I get caught so flat footed? How can I be so off the mark? The kids waited in the sun. Listened to the politicians speeches and then I got to share with them. Me still wishing we had brought MORE STUFF!

  But I began telling them to not let anyone tell them they are too young. Next thing I knew the kids broke out of their lines to get closer to hear the interpreter. I shared that in their hearts are dreams. Dreams that will not only change their lives, but impact the lives of those around them and yes their nations. To begin preparing for those dreams now, for them to take studying seriously. When finished the kids clapped real loud.

I don’t get it. Is the material just a reason to come out and share with children to dream? To work hard, prepare now to fulfill their dreams? I wish you could have been there to see what I believe God wanted them to hear today. It really caught me off guard. Yes so many trips later I am realizing how much I have to learn!

 Our next stop was for lunch with 2 girls we saw grow up at another orphanage Hoi Mai. Phuc and Linh. They are currently going to college studying tourism.  They had asked to meet. In am email they said they had things to tell me.  I thought there must be needs. We ate lunch still nothing. I asked and they smiled and said we just want to know how you and your family are. Here is that relational thing again. 

  What breaks my heart as I type this is they wanted to come back to the hotel. To learn for the school. See the grounds etc. But I think what they wanted was to hang out. Be relational. But I thought I have work to do… Missed opportunity?  I think so, but I will learn. Keep me to it?

The evening was finished off with taking the children of Hai Chau out for Ice cream! That is always a joy. So good to see “MY” kids. So much so that it chokes me up thinking about them and their jockeying for positions for their hugs. Their unbridled laughs and yes their hugs. And I will write more of our “night out” later.  

 I look for those quality moments but more and more I am learning (albeit slowly) that it takes quantity time to find those quality times. Yes it is the time that we all need to build what we all look for, deep and meaningful relationships!

  Thank you for your notes of encouragement. They give me more then you can ever guess. I find encouragement and strength to keep going! God Bless you!

><((((º>  BBlessed