Vietnam 2013- Let's GO!

Afraid of flying and traveling for 2 days half way across the world? Me too, but let's do it anyway! "With fear and trembling..."

Want to see rooftop views of Ha Noi? Yes, Please! I can hear the honking and smell the fresh laundry from here.

Want to walk through traffic to stroll around a peaceful lake? Keep walking, don't stop, they will not hit you... hopefully.

Want to join Thai Chi in the wee morning hours? Time to Praise HIM.

Want to sleep while moving? Overnight train ride will be the ride of your life. Bring toilet paper.

Want to play with village children who live on a terraced hillside in the middle of nowhere? Four year old caring for her little brother.

Want to bring children suckers, stickers, markers and other goodies and hear them scream with delight? Or in this case stair at you because this is the first sucker of their life and you have to show them how to eat it.

Want to bring a water buffalo to a deserving family? It will radically change their life, such as giving you or I a house paid in full. Let us run away from our American standard and change someone's life for generations to come.

Want to watch wee-ones explore paper and crayons for the first time? Oh, how she stole me completely. I still think about her every day.

Want to haul paint, stir, mix colors, trace on walls, fill in murals or paint murals? "Stick figure only" type person, you are still very needed.

Want to shovel and mix concrete to make a playground? Children will now have a place to play ball rather than slopping through the mud in the school court yard. We purchase soccer balls/basketballs and deflate them and bring them to the kiddos.

Want to pour adoration over children who live at school during the week and miss interaction so very much? Two teachers for 60 kids. Imagine what you would do each evening to entertain 30 children. We taught them to play tic tac toe. It is the little things.

Want to bring hundreds of new sandals to protect little feet? Planning on buying a new pair of sandals this summer? Two pair, perhaps. These feet seem more in need than my own.

Want to go to the market and try "something" that you have never seen before? Me either, but let's do it anyway! It's delicious, so glad we were brave!

Want to paint nails with girls or throw the football around with boys? All kids who have grown up in an orphanage and have no adult to talk with, play with, receive gifts from and need so much love. You know those bright days after the rain, let's go be that light.

Want to deliver clothes, shoes, crafts, games, diapers, formula, and millions of kisses to the least of these babies in an orphanage? Yes, let's do. Then, we will each need our own box of kleenex. Let us escape our societies busyness and simply meet the need of a child instead of an email.

Come on! Let's GO! Let us hang on the back of a bike for dear life. Hanging on to Him who calls us to serve those who are in darkness. Let us show mercy, kindness, passion, endurance. Don't have those things in your character? Me neither! We cannot do it alone, but we can learn and hang on together!

Want to be part of a team? "Let My people go that they may serve Me." Ex 9:1

You will be sharpened. You will be tired. You will be renewed. You will get sick. You will go pee in a squatty potty. You will see the Hand of the Lord. You will cry. You will be courageous. You will see that language is not a barrier. You will be homesick, yet totally sick of home. You will be in awe. You will be broken for the third world. You will receive more than you give. You will remember the smiles. You will want to go again.

It is my deepest honor to lead a team with Glocal Ventures, March 16-26, 2013. GVI, please scour their website to see their heart for the country of Vietnam. I am humbled and indebted to our Father for leading me to such an incredible organization. I am so impressed by their character and heartbeat, you will be too.

These dates are tentative, they may be pushed back/up by a day or two depending on flights, but a 10 day trip. Estimated cost is $25,000. Oh, is that too much? How about $2,500.
Vietnamese prices are pretty standard, any variance from this price will depend on US airline tickets at the time we purchase.
Everything is included: Airline ticket, food, hotels, buses, every detail planned out by the six stunning employees of GVI, who live in Ha Noi.
You will want to bring some spending money to purchase beautiful gifts like these.
My goal is for the team is to also donate a water buffalo from our team to a family. A water buffalo is $500 USD or 10,000,000 Vietnamese Dong, near impossible for any farming family to purchase on their own. It would be a joy to all divide this cost and deliver a water buffalo so a farming family can use it for plowing, hauling, milk and more.
Tentative trip plans include: Orphanage work and donations, murals, sandals to school, delivering buffalo, concrete at community center, crafts with kids, games, tire swing, buffalo corral... could be things not listed and some of this may not work- but all things will be along these lines.

You have nearly a year to raise support or save for this trip. I asked for donations as Christmas presents, did side jobs, sold jewelry and raised support from family and friends. If your heart is pricked to GO and serve, please know that over this year, the money will faithfully flow into your life for this trip.

ALRIGHT, WHOSE IN?? Do you want to be on Team Tulsa?
This is not church affiliated and not just for people from Tulsa- this trip is open to ALL who want to go with GVI to Vietnam, to pour out donations, love, time and your heart. Someone who is ready to run away from "American comforts" and see what the Lord is doing in another country that He made and cares for so much.

"So did You lead Your people Lord, to make for Yourself a beautiful and glorious Name, to prepare the way for the acknowledgement of your Name by all nations." Isaiah 63:14

If you would like to chat with me about the trip, I will gladly call you or talk by email. Feel free to leave a comment and we will be in touch. I have a timeline (money, visa, passport, shots, etc) that I can share when you commit to the trip!
NHP