June 10th 3PM From Brian Weigner:  Last Post

We are back in the United States and doing very well! Our travel back was long and dull but we made it safely...and our luggage did as well.

We all are very excited to share more memories with all of you. I’m sure we will have plenty of opportunities! Coming up soon on a Sunday (JUNE 22) morning, we will share with Cool River Church about our journey.

June 9th 4:30 PM From Angela Weigner:  Last Day in Hanoi

Today is our last day in Hanoi and Vietnam.

Our time in Sapa was great!  We relaxed, ate well, shopped, hiked, and saw the touristy side of Vietnam.  Last night we took a freezing train ride back to Hanoi (air conditioner on high) and are running on low today, but we are still having a good time.

Today was a special day for us.  We were able to visit an orphanage that does not get a lot of outside help and drop off our supplies.  The orphanage is actually a living area for orphans and senior citizens.  The “gated community” has a section for seniors and a section for the kids.

We met with the head of the orphanage and then went on a tour.  Most of the kids that were ages 2-12 were at school so we did not see them.  We did go in one room that was full of middle school aged girls and they were spending time with two volunteers from another organization.  The two volunteers were from northern Europe and are helping out with that orphanage by teaching English and spending time with the kids playing games; they are staying for 3-6 months to help out.  We did not stay with them long.

Next we visited one of the nursery rooms to show the nurse the supplies we brought. THANK YOU to all of you that donated your clothing and baby items.  We brought spoons, bottles, towels, and wash clothes, many outfits for various times of year, teeters, and much more!

There were six babies that were ages 2-14 months in the room.  It was nap time so they were all asleep, some in bouncy seats, and some in very basic cribs.  I did not take very many pictures, but I know Nicole did, so we will have more to share later. 

This picture is of two babies each holding a bottle we gave them.  All the babies were really quiet and good and cute.  They do not have any toys so the nurse handed them the bottles to look at.  Another need for the babies is disposable diapers.  The children were wearing very basic cloth diapers.  I wished more than anything that I could have diapered them all in a disposable diaper. 

In future trips Cool River is welcome to bring toys and mobiles for the kids.  I know GVI already is working with a church in Australia to support a nutrition program.  GVI brings formula and oatmeal once a month.  They are also looking for a partner to support the purchase of disposable diapers.

This picture is a picture of Brian playing with one of the babies.  He was making her laugh.  I got a good video of it too.

Sherman (GVI staff) said most of the babies will either get placed with another family member or neighborhood of where the child is from.  These babies will not be adopted internationally, and are most likey there for a short stay.  For the children who are not claimed by family or a village, they stay in the system.  Vietnam gives orphans the opportunity to go to college if they make it and for the most part do a good job of supporting them to live a successful life.

We were not there for long but I am glad we could just take an hour and take one bag over to help with the care of these babies in transition.

Afterwards, we went to lunch, had a debriefing meeting were we talked about our trip, talked about future trips and about the long term vision in Vietnam.  I am excited to see how many Cool River people will come to Vietnam within the next three years.

Now we are packing, and getting ready to go to the airport.  Thanks for following our trip.  We look forward to sharing more with everyone once we return.  Feel free to ask any of us to come and share about our trip!  We have sooo many pictures combined we could keep anyone busy for awhile!

June 7th 8:00 AM From Angela Weigner: Trip Pictures

 I have some time to post some pictures now.  The rest of the team is out hiking to waterfalls.  Also see Debra's post below.

Here is a picture of the final lab.  It is a good set up.  This was the only time the lab was empty.   I know it will be used A LOT!

Here is a picutre of Nicole teaching the school teachers.  At the end of class they set up email accounts and are excited to use email and net meeting to communicate to use to communicate with students.

Here is a picutre of Nicole and GVI staff Tim after they taught the first group of students.   They thanked us for coming and sang the cuttest song for us!

Here is Deb at her desk. She sat here for 3 days working on the lab making everything run smoothly.  The town appreciates the lab greatly!  The first two days we put in really long days at the lab.  The last day all of the parents of the kids were going to greet us at the school with fruit and drinks to say thank you, but that is the day we left early to go and check on the other lab.   We are sad we missed this opportunity, but we are very touched and moved by the warmness and gratitude the town has showed us.

June 7th 8:00 AM From Debra Williams

I am in Sa Pa and in tourist heaven. There are westerners here as well as the local vietnamese natives. The city has french flair architecture set in the lush, green mountains. It sort of reminds me of San Francisco but more like an out of control jungle. The town sits atop a major mountain with breathtaking views from every angle. As far as the shops and restaurants, they run the gamut from English, French, Italian, German and Vietnamese. It is obvious that many different ethnicities settle in this area.

One last thing, the necessary amenities are very close to our standards. So I feel great! I even have internet in my room via wireless and it’s high speed. YAHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Ok, one more last note. It took me 15 minutes to upload 23 pictures to this website in Sa Pa. In Bac Ha I only got in 3 pictures during that time and it took me 3 days to do it!

The following is some information about how the people live in very remote areas in Vietnam, such as Bac Ha area villages. They eat all kinds of animals (duck, chicken, dog, fish, pig, frogs, water buffalo, etc) and share their kill with the entire village in order to preserve the meat without it going to waste. So for example, family A will kill their water buffalo and put it out at the market (street vendor setup) and everyone comes to get their share. Next time it is family B who shares their kill. They have no refrigeration or freezing capabilities so they smoke the meat or jerk it for later consumption. They don’t have the luxury of having meat everyday. Rice and noodles are their main staple. They grow their own crops on the sides of the mountains. If you look closely at some of the pictures of the mountains, you will see uniform lines which are rows of corn, rice, bok choy, watermelon, and other fruits and vegetables that are not the usual kind. Matter of fact their crops are very different from ours. Bananas are green when ripe and are short and stout. Watermelons are very small. Plums don’t even look anything like plums. They also eat a lot of bamboo since it is a native tree and is easy to chop up. If you notice in the pictures, the mountains are quite steep. So if you can imagine planting and harvesting on the sides of these mountains, it becomes a very rough life. Most people don’t have running water or electricity, but the schools do and some restaurants and stores. Bathrooms are troughs behind a thatch. Water, however, is very plentiful in bottles. I don’t know why or how they afford it, but it is everywhere for them and tourists.

June 5th 5:06 PM From Brian Weigner (email)
I'm at the Ta Chai school (Cool River's first computer lab project) writing this email. Everything is working great! The teachers are using the lab for training both other teachers and students. They love the lab. In fact the government has established the Ta Chai school as the national standard. The work you all put in is really bearing fruit.

June 6th 5:30 PM From Angela  Weigner 

Today we said goodbye to Bac Ha and headed to Bao Nhai for the dedication service.  We took a beautiful drive to Sa Pa and now we are here to be tourist for a few days before heading back to the big city of Hanoi.  We have a great sense of accomplishment and have much joy as we know we have given a whole town a computer lab,

June 5th 11:30 AM From Angela Weigner

Hey everyone! I know it seems like we left you hanging, but we haven’t.

Yesterday was spent working all the bugs out of the lab.  It was a long day, but productive.  We have quite an audience of school staff, and our own people busy surfing the net, so it has been very slow and we are not able to post our amazing pictures. 

Today Nicole is teaching two training sessions to the middle school students (35 all together) and one training to teachers.  We have already taught the students and it was an amazing experience to help them learn about the computer.  Nicole did a wonderful job of putting together a presentation.  

Debra will post on here later.  She has been our hero and key person for putting the lab together and making sure everything works.  She has worked so hard and we appreciate her so much!  We were not able to get the sound to work at first and she has worked non stop and has found a solution. I can't wait to hear the lab with everyone's sound!

June 3rd, 2008  6:30 PM    From Angela Weigner: Day 1: Bac Ha

I write this from Computer #2 out of #10 in our new lab in Bao Nhai. Today has already felt like three days in one and it is only 4:00pm.   We started our morning with the train stopping at 5:40 am in the Lao Cai Train Station.  We actually had a really nice train and I had the best night sleep I have had on a train.  The rocking as you sleep is mesmerizing.

We then took a ride to the Sao Mai Hotel.  It takes about 2 hours to get to the hotel.   Most of the ride is a flat drive through many street side villages.  Here is a list of animals we saw: a big fat pig, a little goat, an even littler baby goat, so many water buffaloes I lost count, cat, dogs, horses, rosters, chickens, and ducks.   Every time I saw dogs I thought of Shay, who came on a previous trip.  He told me that the dogs in Vietnam are all very happy.  I can say I saw a lot of happy dogs as we drove to Bac Ha and thought of Shay. 

The last third of the ride ascends in elevation up to higher than our Colorado elevation.  The landscape is breathtaking.  I was thinking about the song “The Splendor of the King.”  Creation was really singing out loud to us as we drove in this morning. 

I was so glad to arrive at Bac Ha and the hotel.  The hotel feels so comfortable and familiar.  We were able to see more old friends and even see our old rooms.  We got to all shower (so thankful) and eat our first meal at the Sao Mai.  We had the breakfast as I remember- a crepe with Vietnam bananas straight off the tree with chocolate sauce.  Nicole describes it as “WAY YUMMY.”    

The school we are at is about a 30-40 minute drive back towards the train station.  The people have been wonderful host and are so happy we are here.  There has been much anticipation in the waiting of the computer lab. They saw us come by the first time and were very excited.  Today was a celebration.  I am reminded of how the gift of computers touches so many lives.  It will touch the lives of teachers, administrators, students, and surrounding villages.  Computer labs give schools the ability to be at a national school standard, which is a BIG deal.    I write all this to emphasize what a big deal putting a computer lab is for Northern Vietnam. 

As we arrived at the schoool, we met with a group of 8-12 officials and administrators.  We had a short meeting where we were welcomed, invited to lunch, and were able to be introduced.  They had bottled water and yummy watermelon waiting for us.  We then walked upstairs to the lab location.  The next 20-30 minutes were a whirlwind as everyone (all officials and school personnel, and our group) carried boxes up, helped us unpack, organize the desk, monitors, mouses.  It was fun to watch everyone unwrap and place the computers.  It was like it was everyone’s birthday.   

After we finished we went to lunch.  This culture like many likes to take at least a two hour lunch.  I love it and demand we implement it into US culture immediately. We were treated to an amazing lunch at a local restaurant similar to the lunch yesterday, but today we were eating outside under a canopy.  There were many toasts thanking Colorado for coming back to Bac Ha and for our gift of the computer labs.  There were many officials, and the school principal and vice principal. 

 As soon as we got the internet the whole room was quiet.  Everyone is surfing the net.  The only break everyone took was a few minutes ago when Brian gave everyone Warhead Candy followed by Pop Rocks.  That is always priceless to see!

We are going back to the hotel now. 

June 2nd, 2008  6:30 PM    From Angela Weigner: Day 2: Hanoi 

 Note:  We don’t have much time before we leave for the train so I will post pictures later.

 The team went to bed around 1:30 am.  I fell asleep watching TV at 12:30 am on the couch and woke up around 1:30sh am to see my surroundings had changed dramatically.  The computers and screens and boxes were all packed up and the room was spacious.

 The day started with rain, but by the time we got outside it was not raining.  The sky still looked like it wanted to rain.  We asked one of the GVI staff if it would rain again and he said “Hard to tell.” 

Today was a relaxing day and a day of two great experiences. 

 We finally got out of the house at 11:00am and ate lunch with the GVI staff at a wonderful restaurant that served us a feast of Vietnamese food.  This was the best I have ever had.  It included frog legs, duck, tofu, French fries, various Vietnamese fruits and vegetables, rice cooked in a clay pot (they broke the clay pot open to get the rice patty out-picture will come soon).  Let’s just say the food kept coming and we kept eating and it was amazing (for $5/person)!

 We then went to a coffee shop right at the intersection of the video on Kevin’s blog with the crazy traffic.  This was a super nice coffee shop.  We had just ordered and sat down  outside on the third story balcony and then the rain finally came.  We moved inside, and had a very informative training on Vietnamese culture. 

We were also able to enjoy this time with a translator from our previous trip that is in Hanoi for the summer.  My heart was so glad to reunite with friends from a previous trip.  We shared such great experiences.

 Now it’s time to move up North.  The work is done with the computers and the truck has left with the computers.  The rain continues.  The train tickets are bought.  Debra and Nicole just returned from a shopping spree in Hanoi.  We are packing.  We love Hanoi and the excitement and are hopeful and excited to see what is next.  This team has been so excited to see and experience Vietnam.  It has been fun to watch the team’s enthusiasm as we go day by day.

June 1st, 2008  9:04 PM    From Angela Weigner: Day 1 in Hanoi

Wow, what a first day in Hanoi! 

 We started our day waking up to the light of day, eventhough we weren’t sure what time our biological clocks were set.

We went to a HIF church service today and met with people from all over the world.  I am always amazed to be in a room with so much diversity and so many stories. 

We observed and experienced Hanoi traffic.  For those of you who are thinking about trading in the SUV and downsizing due to gas prices should consider the following option!

One thing that was different from last time I was here, is now adults are required to wear helmets on bikes, which I guess messes up hair but saves lives.

 After that, you’ll never guess where we at lunch… I give you a few hints…

1. This was a popular chain in the 1980’s. 

2. It used to have Pac Man video game and a salad bar with a sneeze guard. 

3. They used to put fennel seeds on their food and use red cups still found at restraunt supply stores.

Have you guessed yet?

Okay, for those of you who guessed Pizza Hut, good job!  But I must say this Pizza Hut was nicer and had a varity of  items on their menu.  Debra even had a hot latte. 

After lunch we decided to venture upstairs to the Big C store, which we decided stands for “Big Chaos.”  Imagine Walmart and Costco on the busiest day times 1000 and you can find yourself in Big C.  We grabed a few items and were back to our paradise outside of the city (monkeys included- our caged pets in the village)! 

At about 3:00pm we decided to get down to business.  We unloaded all the computers, took inventory, and watched Debra get to work imaging the computers.  We have worked through the internet going in and out, some corupted drivers, we have relaxed, and have ordered some Al Fresco’s (kinda like Chili's) delivery for dinner. 

It is our hopes to finish the computers tonight or early tomorrow and see more of Hanoi tomorrow.  Thanks for checking in with us!  We wish everyone of you could be here with us!  

June 1st, 2008   2:18AM    From Brian Weigner

We have arrived in Hanoi! After more than 29 hours on planes and in airports we are in Hanoi. Sherman (with Glocal Ventures Inc-GVI) met us at the airport and flagged a van for us. After a short van ride to the guest house, the team unpacked, emailed, and are now fast asleep...except for me. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow so I’ll sign off. Thanks for reading about our Vietnam adventure. Stay online for more updates and plenty of pictures!

May 30, 2008   12:22 PM    From Brian Weigner

We are 15 minutes away from leaving these United States!  So far everything is going superb. After a quick Mexican meal at LAX (since VN is not known for Mexican), we boarded the plane and are waiting in anticipation for a great time! Please continue to pray like crazy for us!

Here is the team at 5AM (from left to right) Nicole Nemer, Brian Weigner, Debra Williams, and Angela Weigner:

The rockies just west of Denver on our way to LAX (absoultely amazing-God really created us a great place to live):

We'll post again when we're in Hanoi.

Check out the VIETNAM link to find out more about our next trip in the Spring... 

 From the last trip to Vietnam:

 8.11.07 (10:00 PM MST)--Coming Home, Last Update

08.10.07 (7:30 MST)--From Bac Ha to Sapa and now Back in Hanoi

Nathan with Black Hmong in Sapa  (notice the baby being carried to the right)

We are back in Hanoi after a relaxing day in Sapa.
 
Sapa is a gorgeous town set amongst green mountains in North Vietnam. Imagine the most rugged, rocky parts of Colorado and then cover them in deep shades of green: that is North Vietnam! While in Sapa we were able to see the 'Waterfall to the Heavens' and Cat Cat. Both are short hikes to beautiful waterfalls just outside Sapa. We can't wait to show you all the pictures.
 
Once we returned to Sapa we ate lunch at the French-inspired Gecko restaurant. Nothing like Americans eating French-style food in North Vietnam! Most of us, like good Americans, ordered pizza!
 
Next we did some shopping and wondering through the streets of Sapa. Nate had a great idea to load up one of our duffel bags with Hmong goods and sell them back home to raise funds for the next lab! As soon as the Hmong ladies saw that we were buying, we were swarmed by a group of Hmong ladies saying, "Buy from me, buy from me, I give you good price, I give you good price!" The Hmong people are an ethnic minority in Vietnam. They make and sell handicrafts such as purses, jewelry, pillow cases, blankets, clothes, and tapestries. We are bringing back some of each!
 
We then jumped into a van and headed for the train station in Lao Cai. The train brought us safely back to Hanoi. Today we will out-brief with the GVI staff and site-see in Hanoi.
 
We all miss you so much and can't wait to see you tomorrow!
 

08.09.07 (10:00 AM MST)--More from Vietnam

A quick update from the Royal View Hotel in Sapa.

Everything with the lab in Ta Chai is complete!  It was a great success.

We arrived at the school early and held the training session.  Nate did a wonderful job guiding the teachers through networking basics and details about theis lab.  He also taught them how to create videos for students.

We had some time before the ceremony, so we all hopped on motorbikes and headed to Thai Giang Pho.  There we delivered the blankets, water filters, small kid toys, and candy to the clinic.  The doctors and nurses were so grateful to receive these gifts...espeically the blankets.  Also, the water filter we installed is still in good working order.  We said goodbye and headed back to Ta Chai School.

The dedication ceremony was incredible.  All the officials had encouraging things to say to us.  I was given a chance to speak as well.  I thanked them very much for welcoming us and allowing us to come and serve the students  of Ta Chai secondary school.

After the ceremony, we had a great lunch with all the officials.  They were all so friendly and hospitable.

We then took a lot of pictures with our new friends, said 'goodbyes' and headed back to the hotel to check out.

The road to Sapa was long and winding but we made it.  We are now in Sapa relaxing, sipping coffee and having dessert. 

08.08.07 (3:00 PM MST)--Lots of cool stuff happening

From Scott Grumm:  We are at the Internet Cafe in Bac Ha.  It's a small wooden building with blue tarps under the roof and rickety old tables with computers on them.  Everything has been going really well.  Brian has done a great job as the team leader and working with all of the local officials.  The computer lab at the school is nearly setup.  The power in the room is provided by an electrical wire thrown out the window and run down to the main panel.  The line for the DSL was setup in a simular fashion.  We think the wiring setup will be improved in the future but we can not be certain.  The DSL should be active now and we are going to go check it out this afternoon.  Everyone here is very excited to have the computers, especially their IT teacher.  She has been watching everything we have been doing.  She studied IT in college so she has a good understanding of computers.  The school will be accessible to several other schools and teachers in the area.  This is a big step toward the school reaching the national standard.

From Becky Smith:  SUCCESS!  The computer lab is complete, including Internet service.  We've heard through the grapevine that this is the most modern lab in all of Lao Cai province, and the family at Cool River Church has made a fantastic impression on the people of Bac Ha.  The ribbon cutting is scheduled for tomorrow morning, after which is a short orientation for the IT instructors to show them how the lab is set up, including the features Scott built in to help them manage all the computers and teach as effectively as possible.

This afternoon, the team stopped at several schools and a clinic where water purifiers had previously been installed so that we could deliver some new filters.  Four of the blankets made by the church were left at the clinic, and we hope to deliver the remainder tomorrow after the computer lab ceremony.  The short trips to the nearby villages have revealed amazing landscapes and beautiful people; Vietnam is a place for making memories.

Installation complete.  Team with school teachers and GVI staff. 

Nathan Brown leading a computer training class. 

08.07.07 (6:30 PM MST)--Smooth Sailing 

The team called in tonight.  Everything is going well....according to schedule.  Computer installation has begun.  They will be traveling to local villages to check water filters and deliver blankets.  They will also be traveling to a far away village to check out the next stie for another computer lab.

Last night, they met with the vice chairman of the people's committee of Bac Ha.  The meeting was a very good one and later the officials invited the team for dinner.  This is a great honor for the team. 

08.06.07 (7:42 AM MST)--A fun day with Kids  (Remember that it is night time there)

From Brian Weigner:  We are all packed up ad ready to go! We are about to leave for the overnight train to Lao Cai so I'll make this short.
 
We packed up the truck with all the PCs, said a prayer, and sent it off to Lao Cai ahead of us.
 
Although we are a little tired, everything is going well so far. After packing the PCs, we headed over to the Birla orphanage to see and romp with the children. So much fun! 110 children wore us out!  

Webmaster Note:  NorthWood Church (the primary church that helped start Cool River) has been working with the Birla Orphanage in Hanoi  for several years.

Becky and Tan (Glocal Ventures Staff in Hanoi) packing up computers and supplies for the trip to Bac Ha.  (That red duffle bag has all the blankets that our children and families made for the babies in the clinics)

08.05.07  (8:14 AM MST)--Adventures in Hanoi--Leaving for the Mountains soon

From Nate Brown:  What a day! More computer working, rolling around Hanoi looking for parts and books. Never touch a Vietnamese man's radio, especially  when he's "bringing sexy back."

 We went to the International church today.  It was a very beautiful thing to see people from all over the world coming together in worship. 

Everyone is in good health, and by tomorrow we should be adjusted to the time difference.. Tomorrow we are going to try to stop by and see the orphanage next door to GVI, at Leslie's request. We have some toys, and maybe we will give some of them there. The orphanage next door is not a GVI orphanage, it is a govt orphanage. GVI helps with an orphanage in another town. After that, we leave by train to the north for an overnight train ride, then the real fun starts. Mood is good.
 
My impression: Vietnam seems much more open than what I know about Cuba. People are free to move where they want, buy and sell houses, and start businesses. Sherman says that the govt is making efforts to relax  tax laws and property ownership laws to encourage foreign investment. I did see a couple of stoplights today, and some people did stop at them. I am used to 1 and 2 way streets, but am getting more accustomed to the 3 and 4 way streets. The whole driving scene is best described as a school of fish. It seems like chaos but everything moves together. It is actually much more efficient because many times you never stop between point A and B. If you need to make a left turn across oncoming traffic, you just do it and people move.
 
Ok, time for yous guys to get to church! We're headed off to bed. Praise Jesus! Why dont you guys pray this morning, let us feel it coming!
 

08.04.07 (6:00 AM MST)--The Team is in Hanoi

From Brian Weigner:  We have arrived in Hanoi safe and sound...AND...all our luggage made the journey! The GVI staff are amazing, they met us at the airport and arranged a van for us back to the GVI guest house. That is where we are now. We settled in and had a great Vietnamese lunch with frog legs, yes, that's right, frog legs! They are the other, other white meat. Now we are hard at work setting up PCs, routers, a printer, wireless networking, and a Vonage phone! We are a little tired from the journey but overall, we are doing very well. Thank you for praying! Keep it up!

08.03.07 (4:18 PM MST)--The Team is in Taipei

Just got word that the team has arrived in Taipai, Taiwan.  They are all doing well...just praying their luggage will make it all the way to Hanoi. Keep checking in and keep praying for them. 

Nathan Brown, Brian Weigner, Becky Smith and Scott Grumm

$10,000 Update

We've exceeded our goal of $10,000!  Thanks to all who helped to raise the money.  Way to go Cool River!

Please start praying for the team that will be going to put the computers in August 2-12. Scott Grumm, Becky Smith, Nathan Brown and Brian Weigner. 

$10,000 for Vietnam

We're building a computer lab in Vietnam this summer and we're raising $10,000 to do it.  Yep....10 grand.  We need everyone to chip in and give!  But don't stop there....be creative and see how you can raise money in other ways.  Sell something.  Start a business.  See if your friends want to help.  Maybe your business can get behind this, too.   Let's do this!

Want to go to Vietnam?--Summer trip set

We are preparing for our summer trip.  Tentative dates are set from August 3-13 (give or take 1 or 2 days).  We will be installing a computer lab that will serve as a learning hub for education in many areas.  Education, business, IT, English, medicine and more.  We are looking for people with good computer skills to set up a computer lab (hardware, software, networking).  We will also be teaching a basic course on using the lab.  If you are interested, please let us know ASAP.  We need to finalize our team by June 1.

April 21, 2007 UPDATE

The team is back with stories to tell and great opportunities ahead for Cool River.  Pastor Kevin will be sharing some highlights of the trip this Sunday (22nd).

April 14, 2007 UPDATE 

The team returned to Hanoi today.  Due to some unexpected setbacks, they had to change their schedule once again.  Everyone is very positive and continuing to work hard.  The next few days will be spent planning for the summer trip and preparing to come home.  They will arrive back home Wednesday evening.

April 12, 2007 UPDATE

 The team has been delayed one day in getting to our primary area of work.  
Paperwork did not go through as originally expected.  Continue to have them in your thoughts as they are having to be very flexible as they proceed.

April 10, 2007 UPDATE 

The team made it safely into Hanoi around lunchtime today.  Everyone had a safe and comfortable flight.  It's late night there, so they are quickly off to bed.  Tomorrow is a busy day in Hanoi before leaving for the mountains. 

April 10, 2007 UPDATE 

The team arrived safely in Korea at 2 AM Ap 10. A couple of hours there and off to Hanoi.  Into Hanoi by 11 AM April 10th. More updates coming soon!

April 8, 2007 UPDATE

The team leaves tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM.  (Shay Day, Brian Weinger and Kevin Colon).  Thanks for your prayers.

NEXT TRIP:  April 9-18 2007

Preparations for the April 2007 trip to Vietnam are in full swing.  We will be exploring opportunities to build a boarding house for one school, a bathroom for another, refreshing school supplies, sports equipment and clothes to several villages and connecting with some of our new friends there. 

SUMMER TRIP:  July--For more information about supporting or going on this trip, contact Pastor Kevin. (720.308.3658)

 July 2006 TRIP UPDATES

UPDATE 7

The team is back home safe and sound.  And they have so many stories to tell.  Come to the Sunday morning service August 20th to hear all about their adventure (and invite a friend)!  It was an amazing trip! 

UPDATE 6--From glocaltrip.blogspot.com

"This has been an incredible trip!!! Everything that we needed to do has been done (thank you Lord!). Everyone has stayed relatively healthy, only a couple of upset tummys and one fever issue that is better now. All water filtration systems are operational, hygiene classes have been taught to over 250 people, and school supplies, clothing and athletic supplies have been delivered to over 400 children. Countless love and candy have also been given around Vietnam. We leave at 5pm for Lao Cai and depart on the train to Hanoi around 8:30 pm. We will arrive Hanoi around 6:00 am Wednesday morning. Continue to pray for safe travel and for good health." 

NOTE:  Vietnam is 11 hours ahead of us. 

UPDATE 5

This is an update frrom one of the Vietnamese students that helped to translate for our team.  It's a neat perspective!

It's a rainy day! I'm in a hotel in Bac Ha Province. It's my first time to come here and very amazing that I have a really beautiful place in Vietnam! I'm here as an interpreter for the group from Texas/Colorado, America. They have different jobs in the states but they come here to do the same thing is helping the Vietnamese! During these days, I have chance to come to alot of places such as Si Ma Cai, Lung Sui, Ban Pho, Na Hoi, ......I have chance to meet the minority people here and talk with them. They are very hospitable! I also have chance to see the minority kids. Some can't speak the same language like my language but they left a great impression on me and they touched deeply in my heart when I talked with them. They are poor but true! I also met the important person here. I met the chairman in Si Ma Cai, I met some Head Masters of school. They also leaves me with a good impression. Everybody I meet here was wonderful! Yesterday and today I went to markets..it's Can Cau and Bac Ha market. I met a girl in Can Cau market. She is a good girl. She cut off the handle of a purse just to sell me a belt. It's really nice belt and she gave me a really good price...I didn't need to bargain! I like it and she leaves a good impression on me as well. Now, I want to say something about the people in the group. They touched deeply in my heart as well. They are wonderful! I have never met anybody like that! They come here to share their love with the Vietnamese people! They come here to help the people that they have never known with all their heart! I love the way they treat me. They encouraged me after I interpret for them. That help me alots and made me self confident everytime. They love the Vietnamese people, come here for Vietnamese, worked very hard to help the Vietnamese without anything from the Vietnamese! They help the people here to have clean water and teach them about hygiene and help others to keep their health good. They bought the water box and put it in the schools and clinics in the villages...they held classes to teach about germs, washing hands, brushing teeth...and they gave their tooth brushes, soaps, toys and school supplies...That's the most wonderful thing that people can do!!! They are the living expression of God's kindness, kindness in their faces, kindness in their eyes, kindness in their smiles and kindness in their warm greetings! I had a really great time here with this place and these people. It's the last day here. Tomorrow I have to leave here, but I know I will miss this place and the people here alot!!
Huong--Hanoi, Vietnam

UPDATE 4

The team has accomplished more than they ever thought they would.  They will spend one more day in BacHa and then they are going to try to go to the village they missed (SAPA) tomorrow before heading back to Hanoi to finish out their trip.  Their last task in Hanoi is to meet with some people that have worked in Vietnam for many years with water purification.  They hope to learn more about their techniques to see if they will be useful to our work.  Keeeeeep praying!

UPDATE 3

The team has been working hard.  They have already been able to deliver books, school supplies and make key contacts in three villages.  They have been received well and the people at the villages have been very appreciative of their gifts. Don't stop praying for them.  There's still much to do.

UPDATE 2

On their way to SAPA, the team ran into a landslide that had just occured.  They were told that the road would not open again for 12 hours so they had to turn back toward another area of work.  Thanks for continuing to pray for the team's travel and work.

UPDATE 1 

The team arrived safely!!! 

Their first day in Hanoi was about making connections with friends and preparing for the next few days in the mountains.  They purchased 4 extra large suitcases which they filled with school supplies and books.  One of our Vietnamese friends helped them gather all the materials.

Now, the team is headed on the overnight train to the northern villages. 

Amy Colón, Grace Parish, Angela Weigner and Brian Weigner will be in Vietnam July 30-August 11.

They will be invovled in three projects while there:  1)  Delivering school supplies and books  2)  Delivering clothes  3)  Installing a water purification unit in a rural village.

Thank you for your prayers for their trip.