Bangkok

The reason this city gets a blog entry is a two hour layover.  Or one hour. Time and I don’t understand one another very well. OK, it isn’t that bad. The flight was delayed by an hour which actually happened so I wouldn’t totally stress out. I had booked the flights with 2 hours to spare in the change over but didn’t realize that I’d need to go through immigration, baggage claim, customs, check-in and security before getting to the gate. Yikes!! That was a question I didn’t even know to ask.
I landed right on time in Bangkok at 5:30-ish then went to immigration and baggage claim. Lauren and I had the same flight, so that was fun. We collected our bags and said our goodbyes. She was off to Perth, Australia and I to Hat Yai, Thailand. With trolley in tow, I began looking for the check in counters. Unfortunately I walked past the ‘travelator’ (a moving sidewalk that is at a pretty steep incline) twice but some kind folks pointed me in the right direction. Naturally, my airline check-in counter was at the back end of beyond!
At check-in, I saw that my flight was delayed an hour and boy, was I grateful. It’s just one of many details that God takes care of for me. He knows when I’ll arrive and depart. He knows which planes are running late and on time. He knows the weather conditions and everything. Even though I know He’s got it all under control, I still pretty much talk to Him constantly. Just to keep the lines open.
So here I sit in my gate and have 30 minutes before boarding. Isn’t He great?

Of motorbikes and bugs

Today I had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting with Sue Lloyd, of Inner Change. She is the coworker of a son of a friend of mine…lol. Her work focuses on marginalized peoples and poverty alleviation through one on one relationships. While not ignoring outcomes, Inner Change strives to achieve the goal of bringing people to Christ by integrating with a host culture through the vehicle of human relationships. This model for this culturally sensitive humanitarian approach is actually the life of Christ. He was able to affect a tremendous amount of change one life at a time.
Sue has been in Cambodia for about 10 years and feels quite Khmer herself. She picked me up at my hotel and we began a grand adventure through the city in a ‘tuk tuk’, a motorized bike with a trailer type carriage attached to the back. Let me tell you that riding through town is a faith adventure right there! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. We hadn’t really talked about how much time she had or what we would do. I came to find out that that is the Cambodian way. Schedules, lists and counting is my American culture. Who knew?
We went to a popular market on the south end of town and shopped a little. She was very patient as I chose several things and discussed a more reasonable price with the shopkeepers. She insisted that she was very happy to see me having fun in ‘her’ country. I confessed that I’m not much of a shopper and was pretty overloaded already so she suggested we get a drink. There were several food stalls in the market. Now, before coming on this trip, I had been instructed to pretty much eat and drink whatever my hosts feed me and that’s it. No eating on the street, in the market, basically, no eating anywhere ‘strange.’ Hello! Why are we in a foreign country?? Anyway, she took me to a place she goes to a lot and we had fresh juice. She had orange juice which was squeezed right in front of us. I had carrot/ginger juice, also made right in front of me. It was so yummy. The she ordered some common dish of Cambodia but I can’t think of the name of it. I’ll look it up later. It looked like worms with vegetables, but she assured me worms are only for snacks, not for meals. The wormy looking stuff was noodles. I was game for a try so she ordered us up some lunch and we had a great chat.
Lunch was so wonderful. I admit that sweating it out in the market, eating weird food and drinking fresh carrot juice in a developing country is the kind of thing that just makes me very happy. After a bit, she took me to a spa for a massage. There are a million massage places there and they are veeeery inexpensive: $10-20 for one hour. You can find it for less, but they aren’t as clean and nice. The spa had a very soothing feel to it and smelled wonderful. I’ll tell you that when you aren’t smelling the aroma of a developing country in Cambodia, the fragrances are beautiful: jasmine, lemon grass, ginger and so much more. Of course, out on the street there’s mud, urine, animals, sweat, rotting trash and also so much more! I love all of it.
Feeling very relaxed, we got back in the tuk-tuk she had hired for the day and went to explore the riverfront. She patiently answered all my questions about her work and the country of Cambodia. I learned so much. It was much better than reading it in a book or watching a lecture. We dropped into a coffee shop for iced milk coffee, which was basically sweetened condensed milk in espresso with ice. Oh, yum! Then she showed me a stand where a vendor was selling various insects. (see previous post!) It was fun to try the tarantula, then pass the other items on to our driver. Actually, it tasted pretty good although obviously the fact that I was putting a scary spider into my MOUTH was pretty intense.
By the time Sue took me back to the hotel, I felt thoroughly Cambodian-ized. Ahhhhh!

not the usual fare...

I was picking out a little snack to try when this English fellow came up to see what it was about. He asked if I was really going to eat the spider and after I said yes, he wanted to try it too. We did the "1...2...3...go!" method and you can see from the picture, he wanted to make sure I was all in! It was pretty funny. Can't say I'd make a daily habit of eating bugs, but if you're hungry, they're a pretty cheap and available source of protein.

Can you really put a day like today into words?

Early this morning, we met with several members of the therapy and education community for a panel discussion regarding services for speech pathology in Cambodia. Dr. Smith was the engineer behind the event, having invited a representative of social services who works in cooperation with the minister of health, a founder of a nationally operated NGO, volunteer speech and language therapists from the UK, a speech pathologist from Australia and the director of special education at a local school for children with intellectual delay.
The premise for coming to Vietnam and Cambodia was to extend a hand and establish a relationship with countries for which the field of speech pathology is young. In preparation for our arrival to both countries, our team realized that no national speech pathologists existed. Naturally, that changed our perspective on what to expect in the dialogue that we were to have with the healthcare professionals. Each of us, as American speech pathologists, are intimately familiar with the need to educate doctors, nurses, teachers and the community regarding the role of the speech pathologist: our scope of practice and the impact we can have for people with communication and swallowing disorders. We were met with quite a surprise in Vietnam when we heard the progress that the programs in place had made. It was astounding! However, Vietnam is in a completely different situation than Cambodia and I admit that I had a different (lesser) expectation for the program in Cambodia.
Happily, a sturdy groundwork is being laid in this country by a few tireless workers who have thrown their lives into the service of others. The level of professionalism, expertise and determination is inspiring. Our ‘panel discussion’ was actually a series of presentations by the invited guests, including one the delegates from our team. Catherine Moore presented an excellent summary of the field of speech pathology in the United States. Our delegate leader, Dr. Alex Johnson made a short introduction to our team and People to People, including our common goal of increasing the relationship between providers in the countries of Cambodia and the States. Hun Touch is the special education director at a school serving children with intellectual disabilities. His application of visual aids, sensory integration, inclusion and integration in the classroom was similar to what we work toward school settings in the states. Further, he has seen the need for a holistic approach to the education of these kids, acknowledging their need for support not only in the classroom, but socially and vocationally. He’s developed a project, The Rabbit Café, where older teens and adults with disabilities can create and sell food, coffee and souveniers with the end goal of being independent in their community. Kong Vichetra is the director of Komar Pikar, a foundation which seeks to coordinate services and advocate for children with special needs. As Touch described, Vichetra works at governmental and legislative level, while Touch works at the grassroots level. What an incredible partnership by these two Khmer men.
Volunteers in the field of communication disorders to Cambodia are frequent. Currently, there is a group of recent graduates from London who are participating in a special project evaluating service delivery issues in Cambodia. There is also an Australian speech pathologist who has committed to living in country for one year and is treating individual children as well as training the teachers who work with them and developing a daily living skills curriculum for adolescents and adults with disabilities. In additition to Dr. Smith, an audiologist is here in the country and has pioneered the effort in his field, within a project called All Ears Cambodia. He sees thousands of people annually, evaluating and providing teaching regarding hearing, ear health, as well as dispensing hearing aids.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace is a collection of opulent buildings located on the riverfront. The ornate gold structures and grounds are a stark contrast to the surrounding poverty. The palace was built by the French in 1866 and is the home of the royal family, who happened to be home today (although he didn’t come out for a chat—boo).
The surrounding gardens are beautiful with sculpted topiaries, flowering trees and various statues of Hindu gods throughout. Cambodian belief is based in Theravada Buddism, which is infused with Hinduism. It is impossible to walk two steps without being surrounded by Hindu gods. The landscape is filled with temples and statues or images of them. Incense burns at the base of these icons and many people bring gifts of food and flowers. The hopelessness of worshipping these false deities is dense and overshadows the beauty of the surroundings. It’s hard for me to see the beauty of carvings and statues that represent the desperate attempt of man to appease a spirit and somehow gain acceptance.
Within the Royal Palace grounds is the Silver Pagoda, so named for its floor of 5000 silver tiles. Unfortunately, the tiles were almost entirely covered with carpeting and the visible tiles were in a pathetic state of disrepair. The crowded pagoda was filled with images of Budda, including one of solid gold weighing over 200 pounds and encrusted with over 2000 diamonds.
You can tell from this writing that visiting temples depresses me. I’m trying to keep it in the perspective of learning the culture of these beautiful people. But all I see is the hopelessness of a people who don’t know the reality of the grace of Jesus.

Phnom Penh September 21, 2009

We rose early this morning to catch a flight from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where our People to People tour will close in four days. Upon our arrival, we checked into Raffles Hotel Le Royal and were welcomed into a conference room for our first professional activity. Dr. Alice Smith, PhD, CCC-SLP presented an informative lecture/powerpoint on “Cultural and Poverty Influences on Healthcare in Cambodia.” It was a great introduction to the country’s current situation regarding medical care, geography, people, disease, disabilities and conditions and societal beliefs. Having that information was enormously helpful in understanding how to approach the problem of the lack of speech pathology services in Cambodia.
It may be tempting as Americans to see a problem within a developing country and want to reproduce our solution for that culture. However, understanding the fabric of the culture facilitates the ability to meet felt needs rather than perceived needs. For example, Cambodian healthcare is characterized by the belief in kharma and the use of Khmer healers “Kru-kmai” to diagnose and treat illness. It is generally accepted that the Kru-kmai is able to treat any illness, therefore casting suspicion or non-acceptance on concepts in Western medicine. Simply providing Western solutions will not necessarily meet the needs of the people most effectively.
Dr. Smith has been in Cambodia for 8 months of the year since 2001. She is pioneering the field of speech pathology in this country. Tomorrow, we will have the opportunity to visit with her further and hopefully understand the framework for her work.

Angkor Wat

"Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat), is a Hindu temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat)

We toured this interesting temple complex this morning. Our knowlegeable tour guide told us the history behind the temple, including the fact that this temple is built facing west (rather than east, as most Hindu temples) and that the bas-reliefs that cover the walls are in counter-clockwise direction (also opposite of most Hindu temples). These facts lend to the notion that perhaps the king had Angkor Wat built as his funerary grounds. A jar was found in the uppermost tower that may have been where the king's remains were kept, however, it is not known as a fact.

The vast number of bas-reliefs is intriguing as is their complexity and uniformity. To think that this structure was constructed in ancient times without the aid of machinery is mind boggling. It is suggested that over 3000 slaves participated in it's construction.

Statues of Hindu gods are presently kept in the temple and continue to be worshipped, as is Budda. Incense burns continually and worshippers offer their gifts at the foot of these gods, while asking for their desires to be granted.

That the environment is highly charged spiritually is an understatement. It is intriguing and heartbreaking to see the extensiveness of desperation for humanity to seek spiritual approval. Acts 17:27 tells us that we are created to seek Him and that He is not far from each of us. What a sweet comfort! We are worshippers, whether we think ourselves 'religious' or not. Each one of us worships someone or something. The futility in offering gifts and sacrifices to a piece of stone is suffocatingly heartbreaking. May God stir each of our hearts in gratitude for His gentle affection for us in that He died that we might live. May our lives demonstrate His truth to those who live in darkness.

Siem Reap

We arrived in Siem Reap early this evening to be met by a kind tour guide, Phalla, who led us to a resort hotel that surely resembles the garden of Eden. As we stepped off of the bus, a sweet fragrance filled the air and a group of traditional dancers and musicians welcomed us to this unusual country.

Cambodia is 95% Buddist. Statues of 'gods' are everywhere, which I thought was Hindu...I'll have to learn more. The stark contrast of Vietnam's godlessness to Cambodia's pervasive Buddism is powerful. I can feel it just stepping off the plane. The world of spiritual warfare is truly more real than the physical surroundings of our temporary home. There is an emptiness, almost a void, in Vietnam whereas in Cambodia it is a thick blanket of ...yuck. It's hard to pinpoint, but that's the feeling. Join me the next four days as I pray and worship in this place. May the light of the Lord Jesus shine in this darkness that His name might be glorified in all the earth!

Mekong Delta

Drenched in sweat from the high heat and humidity, I left the park to get ready to go to our day on Mekong Delta. About two hours from our hotel, we boarded boats and cruised up and down the river. We stopped at an island (Dragon Island?) and had the wonderful opportunity to interact closely with the rural people living there.
Of course, tourism helps to support them and part of that involves candy making with the locally grown coconuts. It was a fascinating process to watch as the coconut was peeled, shredded, boiled to a paste over a fire then cooled into a taffy-like candy. We commenced with a half mile walk on the island during which time we stopped at a beekeeper’s place for honey tea and the exciting experience of draping a python around our necks. Oh, yes.
The homes on the island were very simple, usually one room. The walls and roof were thatched coconut palm leaves, the floor was dirt. There were a few more modern style homes, but just a very few. Most of the homes have an outdoor cooking pit, free roaming animals and are completely open to the weather. Even with this level of simplicity, homemakers sweep the dirt, grow beautiful flowers and trees and keep their homes hospitable. I had the pleasure to meet a sweet woman who told me she had seven children. She was surprised when I showed her pictures of my children and let her know we had something in common in our large families! Her home was very simple and about the same size as the hotel room I am sitting in at this moment. It reminded me that one can always live with less and thrive.
Hammocks are commonplace here. On our trip down to the river, we saw outdoor restaurants with hammocks all around the borders of the shop. Our guide told us these are ‘coffee and hammock’ shops where travelers can stop for coffee and a nap. What a great idea! Yet another element of Vietnamese culture I would be more than willing to adopt!
Our visit to Dragon Island ended with a sampan ride off the island. It was quite an experience. Many of us recalled our soldiers and their duty to slog through the rainy wetlands with the dense tropical growth. We boarded our larger boats and returned to the mainland and then to the hotel.
A group of us returned to Ben Thahn market where I bought even more stuff. Then, I really wanted to strike out on my own and explore the city. Not a particularly wise move, I admit. Never theless…I walked just a bit away from the market in search of an internet café. Happily, I have discovered that if you get brave and starting talking to enough people, eventually you will find some kind soul who speaks English. I strategically looked for teenagers to tell me where I could get some free wi-fi. It worked! A sweet young lady who was setting up her booth to sell in the night market confided in me that if I bought a coffee at a shop across from her booth, I’d be in range for wi-fi from a nearby business. “I do it every night!” she whispered conspiratorily. Now, maybe she was being clever, but in any case, I enjoyed the coffee tremendously (thick, sweet milk in the bottom of a slender glass with strong, strong coffee poured on top as a second layer) and was happy to check in with the world.
When I returned to the hotel (after risking my life crossing the road!!), I joined several of the team in the lounge. I wasn’t too hungry but decided to order Pho, a national dish of noodles, broth and chicken or beef in honor of my sister, Alicia. I was not a little surprised to see the waitress coming toward me carrying a mixing bowl full of soup! It was delicious and I enjoyed it very much.
There was a band playing oldies from the 60s and 70s …really loud! Our pathetic efforts to understand each other’s conversation kept us in stitches as we commiserated with our communication disordered clients in that moment! Hours of laughter later, here I sit journaling the day with my eyes crossing from fatigue. Tomorrow we head to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Exercise in the Park

For some reason I keep waking up at 4 a.m. and today was no exception. I decided to get dressed at go to the park for exercise, along with hundreds of others, during the hour before sunrise. What an experience! The park is long and narrow with a walkway surrounding it as well as one dividing it. Park benches are abundant and people of all ages walk, run, exercise or laze on their motorbike prior to the beginning of their workday.
My heart is so taken with these people and their culture. They are so loved by God and He is so near to them! Yet, the majority of Vietnamese do not consider themselves ‘religious.’ They practice ancestral worship and for the most part seem to rely on ‘karma’ or good luck to have a happy life. I decided to prayer walk the park, worshipping the one, true God and praying for the people of Vietnam. I prayed that they would hunger and thirst after Him as they hunger and thirst for knowledge. I prayed that the eyes of their heart would be opened that they might see the truth in Jesus. My heart breaks to think of these beautiful people without the hope of eternal life in Him.
I joined a group of older women and men as they participated in group exercise with a long pole. It was primarily stretching, twisting and bending. Oh, did they have fun watching me! I think I did pretty well to keep up, but the whole concept of exercising in view of the entire city was new to me and their pointing and laughing didn’t do much to help my reticence!! After exercise, I had the privilege to chat (haha) with some of them. Thankfully, an English teacher happened upon our floundering attempt to communicate. She was a kind woman who shared part of her story with me. Her two adult daughters support her by working abroad. She tutors students in English in her home (and was reluctant to tell me about her profession as her skills were a bit rough). We laughed through a nice chat and then said our good byes: hers in English, mine in Vietnamese…sort of.

First Professional Day

Yesterday we spent the entire day meeting with healthcare professionals and educators. It was a full day, to say the least. I'll expound further when I have more battery life ...but suffice it to say in the end, I was overwhelmed.

The grace, initiative, self-motivation, compassion, energy and strength of the Vietnamese people absolutely took my breath away. Every small suggestion we offered was met with such gratitude. They humbly presented the programs they are involved in and we requested they identify areas of need. Neither professionals nor lay persons were looking for a 'hand out', but rather a 'hand up'. They desperately desire training, resources, an understanding of where to uncover resources and a collaborative relationship to facilitate the growth of speech pathology services in their country.

Amazing.

Ben Thanh Market

In the midst of hosts of street vendors hawking everything from spa services to art to food, there is the granddaddy of markets: Ben Thanh. It is absolutely huge and houses clothing, fabric, jewelry, meats and seafood, gifts/accessories and more than I can begin to list.
The enthusiastic (read: aggressive) sales people are quite friendly and it was terribly fun to bargain with them on selected items. They seemed kind of annoyed to do it, but It was part of the game. Too bad we can’t run that number at Dillards. Wouldn’t that be great? Just offer half for an item and see what happens? *sigh*
The bright and colorful fabrics were an artistic backdrop to the open, smiling faces of the local people. The pungent fragrance of dried shrimp, fresh fish, cooking noodles and various meats was inescapable. Grains and rices were piled high in neat order as were coffees, teas and beans.
By the end of my and my friends’ time there, we had successfully scored some great bargains. The winner was my friend Krista, who purchased three gorgeous formal gowns for a total of $50. (Have to say that as a size 4, she wore a ‘large’---lol!!! Have I mentioned how tiny the people are here?

Safely Arrived

Time travel quirks aside, I have happily arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, survived immigration, baggage and customs. Shortly after my arrival, two other women with my group arrived and we took a car together to a nearby guesthouse.

I'll try not to say this too much but ...I LOVE traveling! The plane lands and whatever country I'm in seems like home. The sights, smells, crowds and various oddities are endearing, no matter the place. My ancestral history of itinerant ministers has surely been woven deep into my fabric!

Off to sleep and hopefully some posts to come that are more than a direct result of being trapped in two days of time travel!

Confused no more

Maybe. I did discover that the flight is only thirteen hours and twenty seven minutes. Yay! There is a twelve hour time difference from home to destination. This confuses me as I’m not a numbers person. Not only am I not a numbers person, numbers throw me into instant confusion. Weird, but true. My computer is telling me that it is 8pm, although what that means, I do not know. Eight pm, where?

The airline has this lovely tracker map which pops up periodically to let you know how many miles you have flown and how many yet to go. It’s sort of the grown up and very cool answer to “Are we there yet?” It’s nifty and a bit disconcerting to see the little airplane picture suspended over miles of ocean.
I can report to being a good traveler thus far, drinking water and stretching periodically. I’ve had good little rest.

Time machine (September 14, afternoon)

I’ve just boarded a plane for a twenty-two-plus hour flight (I think) that will officially arrive in 7 hours. Just think: if I made a career of this kind of thing, I could cut my aging in half, right?

It’s 3pm central time right now. I left home at 5am to catch my 7:22 flight. Then I sprinted through Chicago to switch planes…sprinted through San Francisco to switch planes again. (So I’ve eaten a couple of granola bars since 4am. No wonder I’m hungry. :) ) Wonder when I’m getting in Hong Kong? I know what my ticket says, but I kinda wonder what my body will say. It will be 8am tomorrow central time…about 8pm in Hong Kong. I’m confused. Oh well.

Fun at the airport (September 14, later that morning)

Maybe someday luggage will come with a built in scale. You’d pack your stuff and a little scale would tell you when you have to stop! Wouldn’t that be great? My luggage doesn’t have that little scale. I originally packed in two medium sized bags, but gave up the duffle since it wouldn’t be able to double as a carry-on, if needed. I instead chose the largest and smallest cases of my set. When I started putting everything into the biggest suitcase, you KNOW it was heavy. My bathroom scale couldn’t read it well because it wouldn’t stay on (I know the feeling. Even suitcases don’t want to weigh!), but I did the best I could in estimating how much would be able to go in there. Since there was room to spare, I thought I might be ok.

Mom chauffeured me to the airport at o’dark thirty and there was plenty of time to check-in and officially weigh the bags in question. Sure enough, Mr. Big Bag needed to lose about 10 pounds. Thankfully, it was easier for him than for me! I shifted crayons, chocolate, books and cheese (yes, cheese) to the smaller bag and let Mr. Big carry all the light weight stuff. He was happier. United was happier. I was MUCH happier to not have to pay the extra $125 fee for exceeding the weight limit.

And so it begins… (September 14)

After checking multiple lists multiple times….packing, weighing, repacking….debating whether to go to bed early or stay up late….the trip is now underway!

Although generally an ‘anti-lister’, I confess to making a few lists in preparation for this trip. (My final list had as an entry: “check list again”!) My regular life keeps my brain full and I kinda worried about landing in another country without my glasses or something! In the end, my early preparations did pay off. I had applied for a visa early enough to actually reapply when I discovered I made a mistake on the first one. Happiness! (Actually, the happiness came when the visa arrived 5 days prior to take-off.) Another little oops was overcome when I discovered on Saturday night that I hadn’t booked a room for my first night’s arrival. Yeah, well… Having resolved that, I have a place to lay my head on my first night in Vietnam as well as my last night.

I bathed my little ones and got them all ready for bed last night before enjoying some extra snuggle time with them. I told them the story of Hezekiah and how God takes care of bigger things than we even ask for. We blessed each other, prayed and shared about ten gazillion hugs and kisses. Watching them fall asleep and knowing I wouldn’t get to tuck them in for two more weeks was really tough.

With my little ones asleep, my bags packed and a 4:15 wake-up call coming soon, I was heading to bed when I was met with “Oh, mom! You can’t go to bed yet!!” from two of my teenagers. They wanted me to stay up and watch a movie with them. So, naturally, I did. It was a great movie that we’ve seen many times together so it was more about hanging out together than watching a show. After the movie, I settled my bleary-eyed self under the covers and heard a knock on the door. My oldest had re-worked my iTunes library and wanted to tell me all about it. He’d added a bunch of his favorite songs (that he thought I’d enjoy) to my iPhone. Then, we launched into a great visit about music genres, trends, secular versus religious….and random other stuff. I love being his mom.

What a wonderful way to end a wonderful day!

can you stretch your smile across the globe?

I started thinking globally when I was ...oh, born, I think. My dad's worn-to-the-backing, avocado green LaZboy was my economy ticket to Germany many, many times as I studied my parents old textbooks on the subject. I used to practice writing words I couldn't begin to pronounce and practice pronouncing words I had absolutely no training to read.

Maybe that was the beginning. Or maybe that was just my global-ness overflowing the boundaries of my imagination and taking root in function. Who knows? In any case, as long as I can remember, my dream has been to travel and be a foreign missionary. During college, for reasons completely unknown, I sidestepped my dream and started down a different road. As if awakening from a slumber a few, short years later, I grieved some of those choices and wondered for the life of me what had happened.

My lifelong dreams of foreign missions always included raising kids on the side of some mountain in a hut with dirt floors, washing in a nearby stream. Seriously. My American life of fluffy comforters and WalMart has taken some getting used to...as if I weren't raised that way! It's funny, really. When I get on a plane, it feels as though I'm going home. Returning feels foreign.

Throughout my career, I have labored to function as a domestic missionary. For years, I served the elderly, ill and disabled in nursing facilities. What a place to serve! When I transitioned into pediatrics, I again reviewed my purpose in this field. What service could I provide? Would I ever be launched into a foreign field? This enlightening book helped me to see that every single business can be a vehicle for sharing Christ. (Insert 'duh' moment, here.)

Beyond preaching on a street corner or initiating a religious dialogue with clients, what's the most effective way to use the business I have now to advance the kingdom of God? Right now, my answer is: serve God in every business decision. Sounds simple and it is. It just took me a long time to get there.

So how am I stretching the beautiful smiles of my clients all around the world? By using at least ten percent of all business related income to support community development, humanitarian efforts and kingdom building activities in countries on several continents. Right now, every client who invests in their child's smile with orofacial myofunctional therapy in my clinic is also supporting work in Tibet-the 'rooftop of the world', Albania, Indonesia, North Korea, Thailand, China and Honduras. I imagine after this trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, some of those smiles will stretch there as well.

my view next week: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

counting the days

I have friends who travel internationally all the time...do they spend months preparing? weeks planning? nights wondering if they'll forget something? hours trying not to worry that the world 'at home' will somehow careen past without them?

Good heavens.

This amazing adventure came to me on a very non-descript letterhead from a group that sponsors a variety of cultural trips. My national certifying organization, the American Speech Language Hearing Association, coordinated a trip with this group to SE Asia and I was invited to participate. The primary goal of the trip: information sharing, dialoguing, establishing rapport with speech/language/hearing professionals in our host countries.

My first thought was to check the envelope and see if it had been sent "bulk mail." You know, like those offers from Publisher's Clearinghouse. Would I like to travel internationally as a speech pathologist? Using my experience of nearly two decades to share with others in the context of international communication? Are you KIDDING me? It was too good. Very similar to winning the golden ticket in the Wonka Bar.

After it was clear that this letter represented a true invitation and not some slick marketing ploy to get me to purchase an international travel plan of some sort, I ran to my Father. Oh, God! Look at this! It's got my name all over it, but *sigh* I could never do it. There are way too many obstacles: money, childcare, time off work...just to name a few! Oh, dear Lord...how awful to even know about this trip. It just hurts ...it's perfect for me and I just can't do it. *Insert tears of self pity here* I decided to pray about it, albeit with trembling.

I made this trip for you. Please don't NOT go! It's for you. I made it for you.

In fear that my passionate desire to love Jesus in the context of foreign missions was likely to overshadow my objectivity in hearing from God on this one, I leaned on the ministry of the body of Christ. Almost immediately, they confirmed what I felt had been God's urging. Each one said almost the same thing.."oh, this is perfect for you--like it was made for you."

So here I am, six months later counting the days until I board a plane on a business/mission trip. Business on the outside. Missions on the inside.

I love how God works.

Getting ready to go...

Starting the countdown to my trip to SE Asia! Two weeks from today I'll be wandering about in Ho Chi Minh City, making my way through customs and finding a hotel. :)

I am nervously excited about plunging into the other side of the world!