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Man, I am loving it here with the pastors and leaders. All 3 of my sessions today seemed to connect. That is due in no small part to the translator, a young woman named Bella. She does a brilliant job, and the translation from English to Vietnamese is seamless. After the delicious lunch, everyone took a nap for about an hour on mats on the floor. They set up a couple of cots for us. It was very nice.

When the first afternoon session began, someone brought me a coconut with a straw in it. It was quite refreshing.

Tomorrow’s the final day. I’ll let you how it goes.

Thanks so much for the prayers.

Here’s a pic of the coconut

Well, I am halfway through the final leg of this long trip. Before I know it, it’ll be time to head for home.

I am thoroughly enjoying the experience of teaching through the book of Nehemiah at this conference. I have never had a group of people take so many notes throughout the classes. One woman excitedly came up to me during a break and did her best to let me know how much she is getting from the sessions. She showed me her book of notes and I was pretty amazed at how extensive they were. She said that she is a missionary throughout Southeast Asian countries. What a great blessing to meet her.

We were invited to have lunch with the leader and executive council of the denomination. It was a truly wonderful experience. And, the homemade Vietnamese cuisine for lunch each day continues to exceed my expectations!

The pastor here with me from Texas has been to Vietnam once before: that was back in 1970, so you can probably correctly guess why he was here. It is a real adventure each evening as we head out to find a place to eat dinner. It really is impossible for me to describe what it is like to experience the sensory overload of the thousands of motorbikes, people from all over the world, aromas from all the open-air restaurants, and the challenge of crossing the boulevards. Every time we make it to the other side, I feel an exhilaration that must be similar to how people feel who successfully walk across a bed of hot coals! Wild!

I will not be posting any photos of the people at the conference. I’ll show some when I return.

Keep praying, please.

Love to you all.

Had a great day today! We were picked up at 8 AM and driven to the site of the pastor’s school. It was about 20-30 minutes from the hotel. It is a church building/denominational headquarters, and we had our sessions in a small lecture hall, with about 45 men and women in attendance. I taught the first 55-minute session, an introduction to the book of Nehemiah, and the young lady who translated was very easy to work with.

As I did at the conference in Nepal, I asked a few of them to tell about themselves. I did learn that the biggest challenge they do face is no longer persecution, though it was at a time not that long ago. There are other issues they face that have to do with being unable to do all they need to do as pastors. Anyway, the lecture hall was very comfortable (air conditioned!) and all 3 of my teaching sessions went very smoothly. I felt great and really enjoyed the experience. They fed us a delicious lunch of Vietnamese food and also gave us fresh papaya  and other fruit between sessions. They were all very kind and gracious. I am looking forward to the rest of the week.

On the ride back, we learned that the pastor who drove us was once jailed for a year because of his Christian faith. That was 20 years ago. He continues to pastor a couple of churches where he lives.

We walked down the street and found a place for dinner, sitting outside and enjoying the bustling activity of the city. The food here is so inexpensive. Like yesterday’s dinner, it cost us each about $3.00. I had skewered beef and vegetables and a beverage. Very nice!

Thanks for the prayers!

love to you all.