So I found a wireless hotspot at lunch today and thought I would update you while I can.

I have TONS of great pictures that I will upload tomorrow (our tomorrow – it will be tonight or tomorrow night for you, depending on the time of day I am able to post).

We are having a great experience.  We’ve set up two computer labs and begun to build several relationships as a result.  We were invited to coffee last night by several teachers, the assistant principal and principal from yesterday’s school.  They actually invited us to go drinking, but we convinced them that coffee (or caffiene) is the evangelical drug of choice and they capitualated.

We talked about our lives and their lives for quite some time.  It was great.

More later and lots of pictures coming.  Thanks for your prayers – they are working.

We’ve made it to the hotel in Hanoi for changing clothes, showering and then to eat, walk and shopping prior to the train ride.

In truth, we are not yet done traveling.  We get on the train to SaPa tonight and ride 9 hours to Lao Cai Province and then another hour to SaPa where we will head straight out to San Sa Ho School to install the Computer Lab and build our first relationships there.

We will be focusing on that school for many years in hopes of building long term relationships through which we can share deep things of life.  I am unsure of our internet connectivity in SaPa – well, I’m sure there are sporadic connections to internet cafe’s, but that is about it.

All of that is to say that I will update ASAP.

I have to say, jet lag is worse coming over this time.  Last time, I didn’t have significant jet lag until I went home.  We’re all struggling here this time.  Just keep moving and pray for a good night’s sleep on the train.  That’s what I keep telling folks, anyway.

We are on layover in Taipei, Taiwan.  All are safe and the longest leg of our journey – 14 hours over the Pacific – is done.

Don’t have time for much and no pictures right now, but hopefully I’ll have time for some this evening.

Suffice it to say, all are well and are in good spirits before we go to Hanoi.

Hey, we’re waiting at LAX and our plane just pulled up.  It’s huge.  The engine on this thing is at least 20 feet tall.  Probably more.

Anyway, I just wanted to update you as to how we are.  If you’re in Tulsa or the rest of the midwest, you’ll probably wake up to find this and we’ll be over Alaska.  Yeah.  We fly over Alaska.  I think it has something to do with avoiding the jet stream.  But honestly I have no idea.

So, we’re tired and thirsty and looking forward to sleeping on the next flight, which is 14 hours long.

Emily is punchy.  She’s running on adrenaline, which is fun.  The boys had never flown before today and are freaking out at how big the plane is.  It’s fun.

So, here are a few pics I snapped on the way.  I hope you enjoy.

I’ll update you when I am able.

(Click on a thumbnail to enlarge the picture)

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You can see these and other pictures on my photoblog or flickr.

You can see related posts on the Vietnam page.

Leaving today for Vietnam.  We do have some retired church members who are also neighbors who will keep an eye on our house, for all those who are worried that I am announcing our absence to the world.

We fly to DFW, LA, TaiPei and Hanoi.  Aftter a shower, change of clothes, meal and a stretch of the legs, we board a sleeper car train to SaPa.  When we get off the train, we start the work at San Sa Ho school.  It takes about 36 hours to get to Hanoi and we’ll be in Sapa about 18 hours after that.

Last year I blogged regularly our trip, but the internet connectivity has changed.  As I am able to update, upload pictures, etc. I will.  Keep checking back.

You can surf through a list of articles on the Vietnam page.

In the rural mountains of Lao Cai Province, near the China border, there are schools serving ethnic minorities that live on neighboring farms.  The pictures above are from last year’s trip where we saw Forefront Church out of Virginia installing a computer lab, a water filtration system which will be used by the region and building relationships with the kids through sports at Ta Phin School.

This year we will be installing a computer lab and building relationships at San Sa Ho.  I hope that next year we can install a water filtration system. Though the cost for that is much greater, it will affect so many more people.  We will be adopting this particular school in hopes of building long term relationships and making a cumulative impact in their lives over many years.

The computer lab (consisting of two computers and a printer) will be the first computers these kids will ever see, most likely.  As the government brings connectivity out to the school, they will go from being exposed to the mountains of rural north Vietnam to being exposed to the whole world.  It is a giant leap that we are able to help provide and a privilige to do so.

Please remember to pray for the children and families of San Sa Ho.

One of the most important values the nation of Vietnam has is education.  They are working hard to improve the entire education system from top to bottom.  One of the ways that we are partnering with them in this is to bring specialists in to teach at the University of Hanoi.  I’m just a bit proud to say that my wife, Bonnie, is particularly qualified to help here, having just earned her Master’s in Education Administration.  She currently serves as a Curriculum Resource Instructor in a local school and will be teaching education concepts and techniques for two days in their Dept. of Education – both teachers and students will attend.

The picture above is from last year’s trip where two Social workers from Northwood Church taught a two day seminar in their expertise.

One of the things we will be doing in Vietnam next week is working at two orphanages.  The picture above was taken by me last year and you can see that there is not much for an abandoned child to hope for.  These babies are in a crib on cardboard just as a babysitting tool so that they do not have to be watched, since there is not enough help to go around.

We are going to work on some basic improvements at both orphanages and possibly even make room for a vegatable garden at one place.  Anything we can do to make their lives better, no matter how basic, is a vast improvement.

click on logo for IVM page

Subtitled:  Guess that author…

Only an Institutional mind could conceive that the Mission of God would be fulfilled by the work of a denomination.  It can not, therefore it will not.

To the extent that any organization helps its participants, be it the local church facilitating the individual’s missional life or the various levels of denomination facilitating the church facilitating the individual’s missional life, then it is beneficial.

When that organization exists to duplicate the work of the church or, God forbid, that it should deviate so far as to simply seek its own survival, it should be flung as far as possible from the those pursuing the call of God to disciple the nations, for it will only impede their progress.

The story of Captain Rider:

David Rider from The Austin Stone on Vimeo.