I can’t figure out why some photos get turned sideways. If you are on-line, you should just be able to click a picture to expand it. First photo is the lady in the alley near the hotel, then two of the Hanoi Hilton and the last of my day’s last Grab Bike driver.
18 August – Most mornings Hanoi is blanketed in haze, but today it was clear and sunny, for which I was grateful because I was going to be out most of the day, planning to use grab bikes (motorbike taxis) for transportation and not relishing the thought of such a ride in the rain. I planned to visit a couple of travel agencies to find one to book the trip I want to take to Angkor Wat the first weekend in SeptEmber. That Sunday in the Vietnamese National Day and there is no school that Monday. Two of the agencies looked from my guide book to be in the French Quarter, which I wanted to visit in any case. Many days when I leave the hotel there is an older woman in the small alley I have to walk to reach the main road. She is usually clearing detritus from the dirty alley with her bare hands and moves aside to let me pass. She always greets me with a smile and a nod. This morning the alley was choked with the items she had gathered and she tried to let me pass, but I decided to walk around a short block so she did not have to move. With gestures I asked her permission to take her photo and she nodded her agreement. Then I caught a Grab Bike. I gave the driver the address of my destination and he asked a fee of 50VNDong, about $2.50. I handed him a 100 VND bill and he tried to short change me by handing back 40. I insistently gestured that he owed me another ten and he finally relented, handing over the balance. He drove the same route I had walked two weeks ago and I marveled to see how far I had actually walked. I wondered if he were regretting not having asked more, because he stopped part way in the wrong street at the wrong address and asked me to get off the bike. I refused, and showed him again the address of my destination. He had to ask directions from a nearby officer, then drove another mile or two, where he stopped again and asked me to get off. The road ahead had been blocked so I had no choice. I stepped into the nearby Singapore Airlines office to ask directions and found the driver could simply have turned at the corner and he would have ended up where I had to walk. But, I needed the exercise.
I was surprised to find that I was at the lake in the Old Quarter where another teacher and I had been last Saturday and not in the French Quarter at all. I asked directions again and walked about a mile till I came to the VN Visitor Center, allegedly a good source of maps and tours. As a visitor center it left much to be desired. I asked for and was given a small Hanoi map showing just a portion of the city, and I was told that the center does not plan tours except for air travel. So, I asked directions to the second agency I wanted to visit, which was half way around the lake. Part way there I decided to skip that and go on to the highly-recommended Buffalo Travel Agency – which decision took me the rest of the way around the lake, the same circuit I had made the previous weekwith mynteacher friend. At the end of this route I came to the small theater with a performance of Lotus Water Puppets, whatever they are. But I was curious about them and thought I would try to see the show. Last week my friend and I had strolled all the way around the lake but arrived at the little theater too late for the last puppet performance, and today the first one was not until 1730. It was only about 1100. It had begun to rain so I pulled out my ever-present umbrella and continued down Ba Trieu street looking for number 70/72. Several blocks along I found #68 to be an apparently abandoned building and #74 was a parking garage. There was no building with the #s 70/72 on it but a bank where those numbers should have been. I continued walking until I was sure I had passed the right address so I U-turned and walked back … still no obvious right place. With the rain the humidity had climbed. I decided to go into the bank, which was air conditioned, and I lucked out. Reading the tenant board I discovered Buffalo Travel was on the 9th floor. Right across from the elevators was a clean restroom, which I had been thinking I might soon need. Up to floor 9 and with even more luck I found the travel office open, if sparsely staffed on a Saturday afternoon. A young woman speaking passable English confirmed that the agency can arrange the Angkor Wat trip I want, and told me the booking agents would not be back in until Monday. She asked if I could come back then and after an exchange of information she gave me the booking agent’s name and Whatsapp number, taking mine in exchange, and promising I would hear from Ms. Thuy in a few days. (Whatsapp in an application through which one can send msgs and make free calls anywhere in the world if it is installed on mutual I-phones. I was told before I left home that is a universal means of communication throughout Asia and I had installed it on my new phone.) When I left, the young woman escorted me to the first floor door to be sure it wasn’t locked. Kudos for her customer service.
Consulting my map I saw that the Hanoi Hilton prison was only a few blocks away so I walked to it, able to put my umbrella away as the rain had stopped. For some reason I had believed the prison was somewhere in the middle of a jungle, but there it was, right in the city. After that I decided to visit the John McCain memorial and caught another grab bike. I had not known that when McCain bailed out of his plane he had landed in a large lake in the northwestern part of Hanoi. The memorial is at the side of that lake. The grab bike driver asked 30 VND, about $1.50, and we were off. Unfortunately, my guide book had the memorial mislocated – on the wrong side of the street with a barrier in the middle – and we could not find it. So I asked the driver to take me back to the hotel, and en route, after a U-turn, we passed the memorial. I would still like to see it, and would willingly venture to pay another 60 VND for the return trip. That ca. $3.00 is what the driver charged me to go back to the hotel. And I was after all not able to escape a grab bike ride in the rain, which had started up again. I noticed that among the thin plastic rain covers motorbike riders wear there was one model with a hood fore and aft so a pillion rider coild share the same cover. But what the heck, the ride in the rain was only water and it wasn’t raining very hard.
Has the Lord given you a heart to serve Him through cross-cultural ministry? Serving with SAMS could be God’s answer to that prayer. Do you have questions about becoming a long-term missionary? Here are some answers:
Q: How long can I serve?
A: SAMS missionaries can serve anywhere from 1 year to career.
Q: Are there age limitations?
A: As long as health permits SAMS missionaries can be from 19 to 100 years old.
Q: How do I know when I am called?
A: SAMS is here to help you with that very important question. We will provide you with resources, an inquirers conference, and suggestions for your home church, all to help you know how God is leading.
Q: How long does it take to become a missionary?
A: Usually, it takes about 18 months from the time you enquire until you begin language school.
Q: Are SAMS missionaries employed by SAMS?
A: Yes, but all our SAMS missionaries must raise their own support. SAMS provides a budget and, of course, lots of training and support in finding prayer and financial partners.
Q: Who does SAMS send?
SAMS sends those of the Anglican Tradition who are willing to work under the authority of Anglican Bishops around the world.
Q: Does SAMS provide benefits?
A: Yes, benefits such as life insurance, health insurance, children’s educational benefits, and retirement funds are all a part of a SAMS missionary budget.
Q: What part does my church play in this?
A: SAMS exists to help local congregations send missionaries. Your local church will help you discern how God is leading. SAMS requires the participation of the local church in each missionary’s application and sending.
Q: How do I become a missionary?
Most start by phoning or emailing SAMS and then filling out a lengthy application. From there SAMS may invite you to a discernment conference. All SAMS missionaries must undergo several interviews including a psychological evaluation and theological evaluation. After approval of your application, you become a SAMS candidate. Candidates are in the process of raising support and receiving individualized training. After support is raised a candidate becomes a missionary and language and cultural training begins. Language training can take up to a year and then a missionary begins ministry.
Q: What if I am not sure that God is calling me?
Pray! SAMS is here to help you discern, but prayer is the key! Learn more about SAMS short-term opportunities.
In building the Body of Christ, Christians have historically established institutions of higher learning, which have had a great impact on the course of civilization. With Western educational institutions moving away from their Christian foundations, and other schools with no historic ties to Christianity coming to prominence, the opportunities for the gospel to impact governments and cultures are greatly diminished. As you send your children back to school in the upcoming weeks or perhaps start school yourself, are you thinking about the great need for Christian education to help shape the minds and hearts of tomorrow’s global leaders? Many SAMS Missionaries are rising to the challenge to bring others to Christ through educational ministry, and you can help, too.
The Society’s commitment to education is unwavering. God is at work through our missionaries to build the body of Christ through education. This comes in many forms, ranging from teaching in a children’s Christian school in Chile to training community health promoters in the Dominican Republic. We encourage you to visit to get acquainted with all of our missionaries and discover the ways they are involved with education.
Since the early days of the church, the Body of Christ has reached out to children and youth without families, taking on the responsibility of raising them and providing for their education. Christian missionaries continued that tradition by establishing orphanages and children’s homes throughout the world, and the need to care for children without families—or with families who cannot afford to support them—is larger than ever. Teaching young children has always been part of the Church’s mission. Providing a solid education grounded in the Gospel gives many young disciples a solid start.
As a missionary society, SAMS is interested in building up the whole Body of Christ. But as an Anglican missionary society, SAMS is committed to the building and strengthening of Anglican churches and dioceses around the globe. With the increasing importance of the Global South in Christianity in general and Anglicanism in particular, SAMS wants to help Anglican leaders throughout the world have the educational tools they need for effective ministry. While social outreach never replaces the proclamation of the Gospel in building up the Body of Christ, the two go hand in hand. James 2:14-17 speaks of the “works” needed to put “faith,” into action, including giving “things needed for the body.” Addressing social needs is a part of the Gospel that SAMS does not forget. Equipping local people to reach out to others in difficult or even horrific circumstances is considered a high calling by SAMS.
How can you help?
The first thing you can do is PRAY, especially for SAMS missionaries who helping to form the Godly character of young people through the education of the whole person. People who have been called to educate young people in the ways of the Lord certainly need prayer and other support, too. SAMS will help you connect to a missionary who is involved in educating young people.
Your praying, giving, and practical support will help those who are already ministering or it will help raise up new SAMS missionaries enabling the church to SEND many more laborers for the ripe harvest.
GIVE financially to help missionary teachers and their schools.
GO! There are many opportunities to teach young people and to use Teaching English as a Second Language in reaching people for Christ. If the Lord is calling you to missionary service, we have a place for you. Consider serving as a career missionary or as a Bridger from a month up to one year. If you are interested in putting together a short-term mission team [create a hyperlink] to come alongside missionaries who are teaching, SAMS can connect youin a variety of ways to fulfill God’s calling of you and your church.
In early June, a sweet puppy, about seven months old, decided that he needed to come live with me. He had spent the weekend going to various homes, shopping for a human, and when he landed on me, he decided he was home. I told him that I’m not a dog person, and that did not deter him. He hung around for three days, even without food, accompanying me to chapel in the morning. That’s when I decided to make things official by getting him his shots, getting a collar, a lead, and food, and a name: Tucker, in honor of the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology. I wish I could take credit for his name, but I am simply not that creative.
Naturally, word spread quickly about Tucker. A number of the students were reluctant to enter my office when he was there, and since that is where they robe for services, this was a challenge until he was tethered at home. However, everyone seemed pleased that I once again had a pet.
After a staff meeting, someone asked how Tucker was. A lecturer who’d not heard about him looked at me incredulously, and asked, “Jessica, is this true? Did the Lord bring this dog to you? He brought you a dog to care for you? Right to your door. Isn’t that WONDERFUL?” And she was truly amazed.
I must confess, at that moment, I shared neither her incredulity nor her amazement. Tucker was not taking care of me. I was trying to adjust to being a dog person, getting him into a schedule, ensuring that he was able to expend his puppy energy before he completely dug up all the grass in my compound, and trying to ensure that he was a civilized dog who would let me sleep through the night.
As it turns out, Tucker was born just outside one of UCU’s gates, and his mom brought the puppies inside in hopes of finding food. We have many feral animals running around, and to keep their population at bay, poison is often placed in the compost heaps. This befell Tucker’s mom and siblings, but not Tucker. Somehow he survived, and for several months, managed to eke out a living, mostly staying around the library.
I don’t know what prompted him to find a human. I don’t know how he adapted fairly well to domestic life. He loved his walks, especially in the morning with Doreen, my househelp. He hated the harness I bought him, but it made him be a bit more civilized, something of import that I tried to convey to him.
Tucker never recovered from his embarrassment and the indignity of wearing a harness for his walks. When he saw the harness come out, he’d come stand next to me, and then immediately put his ears back. It was hysterical.
As time marched on, we fell into a good rhythm, I think, and I began to see myself as a dog owner, though I was rather stressed about who would care for Tucker when I went on leave.
On August 1, I went to get him his third collar (since he stretched out the first two trying to get off the lead to explore: ahem), as well as a bone and some toys. When I left, he was happy in the compound with Doreen and the gardener. When I returned, I showed him the new collar, and he was ridiculously happy about it, silly boy. He was happy about the new bone. Then I prepared to sit down to work, and I heard Doreen ask, “Tucker?” He had collapsed.
I called the vet, who I’m sure knew he had been poisoned by what I told him, but Tucker kept fighting, and I asked him to come. He arrived just before Tucker died. It was horrible and awful, yet I’m so glad that I was able to be home with him, and that the vet came, even if it was useless. I felt better having him to talk to.
And after everything and Tucker was buried, Doreen and I sat down and cried. I told her how much Tucker loved her, and how much I appreciated that she loved Tucker, and she said, “You loved him too. You bought him all those things” (the collars and bones, I suppose).
And then I realized she was right. I did come to adore Tucker, and pretty quickly. I came to agree with my colleague that the Lord did provide Tucker to care for me. He brought him right to my door. I don’t know why, and as much as I am still struggling with the grief of his abrupt death, I am grateful that the Lord saw fit to bring Tucker into my life. He taught me to stop and smell the roses (and the avocados on the ground and whatever else he wanted to smell). He got me out for evening walks, which we both enjoyed immensely, and then I wondered why it’s taken me six years to do. He was not deterred by my constant reminders that we would not be chasing squirrels, monkeys, chickens, or cats. He was very quick to make friends, and found very few people he did not like. I loved how open his heart was. Maybe that was the biggest lesson the Lord was trying to teach me: to be as open and embracing as he was.
Don’t know why some photos are sideways and one upside down. This is how people in Hanoi catch their rest .. on a park bench, at school after lunch, on their motorbikes, in a hammock slung across the sidewalk or in the front seat of their taxicab … don’t know where that last photo went!
I have been staying after school to help score the tests the students take at the completion of each unit. One of the teachers kept asking why I kept asking for things to do, and I said I wanted to help. So, they asked me to lead the morning devotional tomorrow, based on one of the students’ memorization verses from Proberbs 11, and Pastor Thai, who on Monday began telling the story of Joseph and his brothers, asked me to finish the story at next Monday’s devotional hour. I wondered how I would handle the portion about Joseph and Potafer’s wife? Then I said I was leaving for the day before they asked me to do somethig else.
For the last two days I have been able to take small groups of advanced students aside for an hour of conversation. I do this with five different groups, for an hour each. I encourage the students to talk about themselves, their families and so forth, and I tell them about mine. It is surprising how many of them do not know what their fathers do for work, though several fathers are doctors or pastors, and several mothers are dentists or business women. I spend an hour each morning with the Bluebird class, 3-5 year olds, who have almost no English, except for one little guy who is a quick study and alresdy has some words. Working with them, and trying to hold their attention, is like pulling teeth or, better said, herding cats. Nguyen Anh, their teacher, usually just plays with them and does not do a lot of English training, but she and I are working out a way to give these children some understanding and basic vocabulary. They are all so cute that, as my mom used to say, I could eat them up with a little salt.
The Eagle class (advanced students) numbers twenty and six more new students are scheduled to join the Eagles in the next few weeks. It’s strenuous work for the teachers who are always running around to answer one student’s questions or another’s. I rarely have time to sit down except to eat lunch, perhaps making up in part for not being able to do my usual two-mile morning run. Some teachers have calculated that they walk over two kilometers just around the classroom, and I believe it!
on-line, you should just be able to click a picture to expand it. First photo is the lady in the alley near the hotel, then two of the Hanoi Hilton and the last of my day’s last Grab Bike driver.
