Here we are!

It's Day 2... Or is is Day 3? I'm still a little confused to what day it is, how long I've been traveling, and what time I should be eating (all the time, preferably)

The first leg of the trip went wonderfully smooth with very little hiccups. Hieu and I were offered emergency exit seats so we got a lot of leg room. Hieu konked out and slept a solid 8 hours or so, while I switched back and forth from sleeping and reading The Shack. The rest of the team seemed to get rest here and there, and little Oliver seemed to stay happy the whole time. He's such a great little traveller! The Huynh boys didn't get much sleep- definitely enjoying the games and movies the airplane had to offer.

We arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia late in the afternoon, and got to enjoy a bit of time at the hotel- showering and feeling very refreshed. That evening we went over to Mom's house (a safe house for Vietnamese migrant workers to live while in transition) and enjoyed a delicious meal of curry prepared for us. We were all completely exhausted- with people fighting to stay awake to enjoy dinner and conversation.

This morning we returned to Mom's house for a time of worship and devotions. I think this has been the most beautiful part of the trip so far. We all talked about ways we avoid God and community, and what it would look like if we draw near to him and not allow fear or shame to dictate our relationship with him. We went in a circle and shared, and when it came time for some of the Vietnamese guys at the house, they just lit u p the conversation with passion and fire. We have 4 "Vietnamese" speakers- Thinh, Hieu, Sabasatian and Donna, and between all them, we pretty much got the jist of what they were saying. I'm sure a lot was lost in translation, but what wasn't lost was their sense of passion, love and excitement for God. What an example they are to us!

We were then treated us to another delicious meal. We enjoyed crab, rice, soup, fried pork and fresh green beans. It's humbling to us that though they don't have much, they so dearly want to bless us with an abundance of wonderful food.

This evening we will be holding a church service. This is going to be a fun and exciting night! Hieu will be leading a Bible study, Vincent and Julie will be sharing their testimonies, and I will be leading worship- with the kids bringing up the energy level with hand motions. We'll do some high energy songs in English, then one or two bi-lingual worship songs, and then pass the torch (or guitar) for one of the guys to lead in Vietnamese.

We pray that this will be a time that immensely blesses and encourages them. Though there are language and cultural barriers, we worship the same God. Christ is working in our lives, and in theirs, and for that, we can celebrate together!

Please pray that we can continue to build relationships and spur one another along in the faith.

Praise God for:

-Smooth travel

-Safety

-Health (Josh woke up the day of his trip with a rash all over his face. The doctor said he isn't contagious, and the rash will have to just run its course. It's gone from his face now and is on his back and legs. We were thinking it'd be about 2 weeks for it to run its course, but it seems to be going much faster! Pray that it continues to flush itself out, so Josh can enjoy the trip without much discomfort)

-Awesome time of building relationships

Thanks for following along and praying!

Katie