We're Home

After two days, five airports, a canceled flight in Chicago, we are finally home. My parents, and Kristi's parents met us at the airport, the drove us home for a little time, before we all started to fade.

All four of us were in bed by 5:30 PM. Of course now it is 1:00 AM and Katelin and I are typing on the computer. This is going to take a few days :-)

Can't wait for you all to meet Katelin, and hear all the stories Lilli has to tell.

Good-Bye Vietnam

We have been cleared to come home, and will begin the trek home tonight, 12/26, just before midnight, arriving home on Saturday 12/27. This has been an incredible adventure and although we will be sad to leave the birthplace of our two precious girls, we will be glad to get home and share them with all of you (even if it is cold, icy and snowy :-))

So here is Katelin saying goodbye to Vietnam.



We will see you all soon. God Bless.

Old Town Hanoi

We had a great relaxing Christmas Day. After opening presents this morning, I went for a walking tour of Old Town Hanoi. A few short blocks from our hotel is Hoan Kleim Lake home to the Ngoc Son Temple.

The lake is a beautiful oasis with plentiful gardens, statues and benches to relax. It seemed to be very popular with the "love birds" as I saw many young and old couples taking a relaxing stroll or curled up on a bench. It was a very nice walk, even with the hustle and bustle of the city streets near by.

This is where several of the stages were last night for the big Christmas Eve services. You wouldn't have known it because it was all cleaned up by the time I got there.

Down at the one end of the lake is an island with beautiful Asian bridge, Flood of Morning Sunlight Bridge, that heads to the Ngoc Son Temple. This small temple is basically a tourist destination now, but it is still very peaceful. Having both some Taoist and Confucian background, I did not step into the temple, as I did not want to participate in any ceremonies. I did check out the memorial to the great turtle, that supposedly swallowed the golden sword and saved the city from the invasion of China. It was eye opening and interesting although very crowded.

On my way off the island I ran into a Christian Youth Group from Hanoi who was going to be performing later in the day. Although we could not understand each other very well. The name Jesus was understood very well.

From of there I hit the streets, walking through the small cramped streets of old town. It is interesting to see how two blocks or so will be the "Home Depot" section with each family providing a different need, all layed out on the sidewalk. Then you run into the clothing blocks, followed by the electronics blocks, etc. What makes it amazing is that every square inch of space is used. The sidewalks are covered in goods, and what is not covered, has become a parking lot for hundreds of motorbikes. Thus when you walk down the street, you literally are walking down the street with motorbikes and cars whizzing by you. You definitely put your faith in God here. And amazingly there are very few accidents. The people were pleasant, many trying to sell me, but overall nice.

One lady even gave me some tangelos after talking to me (I politely accepted, but later disposed of them.) She has been selling produce for ten years now, helping her family of 10 (including parents and grand parents.)

A few hours later, I was on my way back to the hotel, feeling as though I had just smoked two packs of cigarettes from all of the exaust. My allergies and sinuses were flaring.

We finished our Christmas day with a buffet dinner at Jaspas, a nice trendy place here in the hotel. It was very good, but probably not worth the price (are holiday buffets ever worth the price?)

We prat that everyone is having a very Merry Christmas day. Good night from Hanoi.

Merry Christmas from Vietnam

Boy do the Vietnamese know how to party. Not that they are partying for all the right reasons, but they are celebrating Christmas. And every year they are hearing all the Christmas songs, including the words Jesus Christ, little baby, Savior, Holy night

They decorate everything, trees, buildings, play and sing music, and then party like crazy on Christmas Eve. They do this thing where they create a temple of aluminum foil around the nativity scene. You see small displays and then you see big displays. We saw one while driving that had to be two stories of aluminum foil around a life sized nativity.

From about 7PM until 1AM there was a big party going on at the lake about four blocks from the hotel, with two big stages and tens of thousands of people. Then about 11PM we heard a few fireworks and then an endless parade of honking cars and motor bikes worked its way through the streets. The difference from any other time during the day was all at once loud and constant. Who could sleep.

We were blessed by the staff of the hotel with a Christmas Eve party last night with caroling, Santa Clause helper and food. Lilli even got involved in the singing and dancing. Take a look (sorry for the quality.)

After the fun downstairs, we came back to our room, which the girls had decorated earlier in the day. We even had a Christmas tree. We sat down and read Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Christmas Story from the Bible, and sang Silent Night. Then we made sure the stockings were hung on the credenza with care, put a plate of oreos and a glass of water out for Santa, and it was off to bed. At least for the little ones, and beleive it or not they both were able to fall asleep.

When we woke this morning, Santa had come and left some small gifts and candy in out stockings for everyone. He had even eaten most of the cookies ;-). Lilli got two new games for her Nintendo DS, and some house socks. Katelin got some new toys. Mommy, daddy and Trina got some bath supplies and pocket calendars. It was great to see the expression on Lilli's face when she realized that Santa did find us and she got some of the things she wanted.

Of course the best Christmas present we could have asked for was the completion of our adoption of Katelin. At 11:30AM on Christmas Eve we received our clearance and visa from the US Government, which means we are free to come home at anytime. YEA!

Please keep us in prayer as we prepare to travel home. Especially Kristi and Trina who are fighting bugs. From all of us in Vietnam, Richard, Kristi, Lilli, Katelin and Trina, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, and we will see you all soon. God Bless

Mer_ _ Christ_ _ _

Hello all.

We are experiencing web difficulties in our room, so I am using a public computer. Check back tomorrow to get the blanks filled in.