Here we go again!

This time it's Ella's turn to return to her birth country.  We leave for Vietnam in less than 12 hours.  The hardest part to get ready for the trip has been getting Hannah's schedule ready for the people who are keeping her.  Ella and I will arrive Friday night in Ho Chi Minh City.  We will visit around Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday and then Sunday head to the province were Ella spent the first 21 months of her life in the orphanage there.  We will visit the orphanage on Monday and have some other opportunities that day as well.  We return to Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday and then fly out to Myanmar for Ella's first mission trip.  She's a little anxious about that part, especially since she has to wear a skirt every day :)  We will meet up with our Associate Pastor to work with Hung Kee Paing there.  We partner with Hung Kee Paing as he pastors a church there and has taken many children who did not have homes.  Bruce will lead a Pastor's Conference and I will update all the children our church members sponsor there as well as lead some Bible studies.  Ella is taking an soccer ball to teach some soccer!  Please pray for us as we journey.  Pray for Ella's heart as she experiences so much in a short amount of time.  Pray for our safety and pray for Hannah as we are separated for 2 weeks!  May God be glorified in all that we do!  Susie

Exploring Today

So Mom slept horribly last night.  Not sure if I was too excited or what, but I hardly slept at all.  But we hopped out of bed and headed down to breakfast around 8:30am.  Hannah had a traditional Vietnamese breakfast - pho

I had eggs and both had wonderful fruit.  We love dragon fruit, and we were not sure what the fruit was in the middle.

Then we headed out to do a little exploring and shopping.  We headed toward the Ben Thanh market, but stopped at the Rex Hotel where I stayed when adopting both girls.  I almost didn't recognize it, because it had changed so much.  I'm putting a couple pics of it for my Vietnam adoption buddies to see the difference!

This is the outside from the corner...you can still the crown on the top.

This is inside the lobby...doesn't even look like the same place.

Here's Hannah at the entrance.  Amazing difference...but sort of sad to me too.

Then we looked at the mall that had opened on the other corner that was new when I adopted Ella.  It still looked the same.  Then we headed on down to the Ben Thanh market.  Yes, I still enjoy bartering with them...got a few good deals, but one girl tried to rip me off...she came way down, but I think I still paid too much.  Oh well.  It was fun.  Hannah loved looking at all the fish and coconuts.

Hannah bought some lychees which she loves to eat!

From the market we headed back to find the store where we had ao dais made in 2006.  We think we found it and Hannah and I both were measured for new Ao Dais.

We will pick them up on Friday.  Hannah's is a dark blue with lots of sequins.  Mine is burnt orange color.  I know they will be beautiful.  

Of course along the way, we are very careful crossing the streets as it is hit and miss with the motorcycles.  It is truly crazy!

Then we finally had a late lunch at the Lemongrass restaurant.  It was yummy!

It is hot and steamy and began to rain on our way back to the hotel.  We came to rest a little and make sure of the arrangements for our trip to Vinh Long.  The plan is to leave in the morning at 9am.  It's about a 3.5 hour drive south.  We should get there in time to grab lunch and check in to the Cuu Long hotel where Kim and I stayed back in 2002.  No other Dillon families have stayed there as they put everyone over in Can Tho.  Kim and I always affectionately called it the Lizard Motel!  Such memories.  Thomas who helped with Ella's adoption in 2006 has secured an appointment at the orphanage at 2pm.  We hope to shop at the market there and then on Thursday morning do a boat ride down the MeKong River and do a drive through some of the area where Hannah's birth mother lived and where she was born before we head back to Ho Chi Minh City.  I asked the lady at the hotel desk if the driver spoke English and she said "a little bit."  Sounds like fun!  She did give me a card and said if there were any problems to call here at the hotel and they would help with translation.  :)  So we're going to head out in a little bit to find dinner and explore a a little more, but we hope to get in bed early as I'm am wiped out.  Please pray for our safety as we travel and that this time in Vinh Long will be meaningful to Hannah.  We are hoping to get a little video of her at the orphanage.  Please pray for that special time.  Susie

Answered Prayers

Don't you love that smile!  She was so excited!  We arrived in Vietnam right on time, about 6:30pm.  It was already dark and that concerned me a little. But we made it through custom and found our luggage with no problem.  Changed a little money over to Dong and instantly became a millionaire!  Woo Hoo!  Then headed out to find a taxi.  Thomas who is affiliated with my adoption agency gave me 2 taxis companies to look for and found one immediately.  I asked him how much in Dong and he told me and then I asked how much in US dollars.  When I got in the taxi, I checked to see if they were equal and they were not...but because of my handy dandy converter app, I called him on it and he took what I gave him :).  We arrived at the hotel by 7:45pm.  Now I booked the hotel from Trip Advisor, so I had no idea if they had my reservation or what kind of place it was except for what I read about it...it was nice for the price, safe, and close to the market...just what I was looking for.  We arrived and she had all my information and they have been very helpful and kind.  Room is small, but has everything we need.

We unpacked and headed down to the desk to ask some questions and look around.  Didn't want to venture far since it was getting late and was dark.  The lady at the desk gave us a map and told us where there were things to eat, so off we went.  The traffic is as crazy as we remembered.  Motorcycles everywhere and they park on the sidewalks which makes it a little wild to walk.  But we made it around 2 blocks and saw lots of restaurants we were interested in.  Right across from the hotel is a little cupcake place and so we stopped back in there for a night treat and headed to our room.  The lady at the desk had already checked on a price for us to go to Vinh Long on Wednesday.  We will confirm that tomorrow.  But for a driver to take us the 3.5 - 4 hour drive, spend one night, take us around Vinh Long was about what I was expecting.  I just need to make sure the driver speaks some English.  Pray we get that right driver and company.  So tomorrow we will go exploring and head to the Ben Thanh Market.  We can hardly wait!  We're about ready for bed.  We are 11 hours ahead of NC.  So it's 10:50am there and 9:50pm here.   So far our prayers have been answered!  Continue to pray for our health and safety.  And pray for an amazing time for my Hannah Banana!

Ready, Set, Go!

We had an amazing time in Yangon, Myanmar.  It is a beautiful country with beautiful people.  We did a little sightseeing to get a feel for the city including the market and Sule Pagoda, which is the Buddhist Temple in the center of Yangon.  It was quite elaborate and covered with pure gold.  Buddhism makes up 90% of the people here in Myanmar.  We spent the other 2 days at the Victory Christian Orphanage which also is the Grace Christian Mission.  A man named Hung Kee Paing and his wife live there with their 2 children and 12 orphans.  He is a strong Evangelist, even witnessing to the taxi driver on his way home last night.  They do not have much but they pray that God will provide.  Hung Kee Paing grew up worshipping nature (Animism) and became a Christian at the age of 16.  He has a Bachelor degree and a divinity degree and started the church there in his home.  He is from the Dialand area and continues to go back there to share his faith.  In 2008, a cyclone (Nargis) hit and he and his wife lost their rental house.  They spent 16 days homeless, so he knows how it feels to not have a home.  He wants to help children in the same circumstance.  He started with 6 children and now has 12.  They do not have much…the children sleep on mats, there is no refrigerator or stove, but they have cared for the children.  We are planning to help.  (Here's Hannah receiving a gift from Hung Kee Paing)

So this morning we headed to the airport.  There were no flights out to Vietnam from Myanmar until tomorrow, so we flew from Yangon to Kuala, Lumpur.  The excitement started to build.  Once there, we transferred to a different terminal to fly on to Ho Chi Minh City.  We will arrive there in 48 minutes.  It will be about 6:30pm when we arrive.  We are praying for daylight and that our luggage will be there as well.  We then have to find a taxi (I have 2 different names to look for) and give them our hotel address.  I’m a little nervous, but I think our excitement will carry us through.  Hannah has done beautifully so far on the trip.  We have had many experiences all ready…like the first night when 4 of us climbed into the taxi and she had to sit on Hung Kee Paing’s wife’s lap.  She didn’t know her, but she did it.  She has embraced the food and tried most everything (If you know Hannah, I know that doesn’t surprise you.)  Obviously we have had many stares from people.  An Asian girl with an American causes lots of attention.  She mostly gets asked if she speaks Vietnamese, which she doesn’t.  Most Asians don’t like that, but Hannah has enough trouble with school.  But we’re prepared for that.  We plan to just explore tomorrow and then head to Vinh Long on Wednesday.  Pray I can find the right travel agent to get us a trusting driver who speaks some English and knows Vinh Long.  I know that is a long shot, but I know our God can provide.  We are still in awe that we are on the plan about to land in Vietnam.  We thanked God and I have tears right now.  I really never thought this would be possible.  We know that God ordained this trip and we plan to make the most of it.  Again, thank you to those who have prayed and helped financially.  God is at work in Hannah’s life, and mine also.  I was reminded of several things while in Myanmar.  I am ready to help the least of these, but through it all, I am learning as well.  God is good! (Here's Hannah and I at the airport in Kuala Lumpur...Ready to go!)

Hard to Believe

This summer my girls and I went to Vietnam Camp sponsored by my Adoption Agency.  I heard again that this best time to take your adoptive child on a birth land tour was between the ages of 8 and 10.  Hannah is now 11 and as I continue to pay off my debt, I knew there was no way we could afford to head off to Vietnam.  We had been praying about it as a family and now in less than 12 hours, Hannah and I will step on a plane to begin an amazing journey together...one that only God could have designed.  We're first heading on a mission trip together...to Myanmar to look over an orphanage that our church hoping to partner with as we begin an Orphan Ministry at our church.  As I looked at the map, I realized how close to Vietnam we would be...too close not to go on to Vietnam and take Hannah with me.  Friends and family gave so generously to pay for Hannah's ticket.  I must say, she is just as excited about going on a mission trip with Mom as she is to visit her birth country.

We covet your prayers.  I know that the trip will be life changing for Hannah as she shares her faith in Jesus Christ with the orphans in Myanmar and then as we explore together her country of birth.  We plan to return to Vinh Long and see the area where she was born and return to her orphanage.  She can hardly wait to eat the food.  I'm a little nervous about traveling with my child, but I know God has ordained this trip and we are trusting in Him to take care of us and bring us back to Ella who has been so understanding of Hannah and I going on this trip.  She even wrote a note to Hannah telling her how much she loved her and would pray for her safety.  We so pray that Ella and I will get to take this trip when she is 11.

So journey with us as we see what God has in store for us! Susie