Off to Vietnam!

Today is the last day that the Vietnam team is spending here in Pasadena, CA. Yesterday (Sunday) we had a pretty good service in the morning, where we were given our ESL teacher certificates, and were pr*yed over and "sent" out. It was great. It was also the first time I had communion since leaving Texas. I really missed that.

This was a very busy summer. Training was intense, with lots of classes and work. I learned a great deal about teaching English, and feel well prepared for teaching overseas. On weekday evenings, we went to practice teaching at different sites. I went (along with the Vietnam team) to a local chrch, and taught mostly intermediate students. The last day of "practice" we had a party with food, and there we gave the students a certificate of completion, and an opportunity to display some of what they learned. Here is a picture of me and two of my students:





We have been spending a lot of time together as a team, making the most of our time here while we're still together. The North Africa team is already in their country, and the rest of the teams will slowly move to their countries during this week (although some get to go home for a while before going overseas). As for us, even when we get to Vietnam, we are still spread across the country in different cities. Here are some pictures of the team:




The entire team.



The Vietnam team (minus Erica)



My teammate in Da Nang this year is Jeremiah. He's a good guy with a good heart. We've learned a lot about each other so far during training (through team building activities and just hanging out) and I look forward to strengthening our relationship as the year progresses. I don't have a picture of just the two of us, but he has one (maybe more) in his website, if you're curious: Link


Tomorrow we head out to the airport at 9am, and leave for Vietnam at about 1pm. It's going to be intense. We will make a short stop in South Korea, then continue to Vietnam. We are scheduled to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) at about 10:40pm on August 18th. The Da Nang team will stay in Saigon for the night, and then fly to Da Nang at 2pm the next day.

It's incredibly exciting to have come this far. I'm sad about leaving friends and family, but I'm full of joy, and very thankful to our Father for making all of this happen. I can hardly believe I'm finally going to serve in Vietnam. My word of encouragement for you is that if the Father puts a calling in your heart, pursue it because He will follow through. He just calls for us to be obedient and to do His will, and He takes care of the rest.

Finally, I want to thank all of you who support me in pryr and financially. Thank you for your obedience to the Father, and for supporting His work in the world. I pr*y that He will bless you richly and abundantly. May He get all the honor and the praise.


My next post will most likely be after I arrive in Vietnam, whenever I have internet access (whether at home or at an internet cafe). See you on the other side!

Pedro