Plans Changed

Hi friends,

So despite the fact that I had planned and prepared to go to Vietnam and meet up with my sister it didn't work out. I had made my plans but the Father reminds us "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Everything was ready for me to go. My lesson plans were done, my sub plans were written, my plane ticket was bought, and hotel reservations were made. There was just one small detail I forgot in all of it. I arrived at the airport on Wednesday, sat and waited until I could check in. Finally, I walked up to the counter where the guy behind the desk informed me that I could not go to Vietnam without a visa. I had forgotten to check into the visa process in all my other planning. Apparently, you need to apply to the embassy ahead of time and can't just get a visa on arrival. Can't even get on the plane without a visa.

I was crushed.

I had come so close but could not go and would not get to see my sister. However, since I had already taken days off and arranged for a sub, I decided to take advantage of it. I bought a ticket to Batam to visit a really good friend of mine who is living there right now. We spent time at Telunas Beach where she is working right now. We relaxed and chatted lots. It was good to reconnect. We swam and ate good food and kayaked and slept. The last night we layed on the dock and looked at the stars (trying to figure out the constalations in the southern hemisphere... quite hard when you've grown up looking at totally different ones). Then one of the Ibus who works there took us shrimping. She showed us how to catch the shrimp with this long fork like thing and a bright light (to shine on them in the dark). She laughed at us the whole time as we attempted it. She would point out the shrimp to us and all we had to do was stab them, but they just kept escaping before we got to them. She told us we were good at it, but we were not.

I came back refreshed and re-energized which is what I had been hoping and praying for. God answers our prayers in many unexpected ways. And through it all I was reminded that the Father knows how to give good gifts to His children, even when we initially don't think they are good and we are filled with disappointment.

I didn't take very many pictures but here are a few:

Me and my friend Jennie in the boat on the way to Telunas

A fisherman passes us by

In the boat on the way to the isolated resort

So peaceful