Another Goodbye

On Friday, Carl suddenly had to fly back to the US to get medical help. They weren't able to determine what was wrong with him and thought it could be very serious. So he only got a day to say goodbye. I helped him pack on Thursday and we all had a farewell dinner. Even though we had only spent about a month together, I hadn't realized how attached I had gotten. I guess living with someone will do that to you! It was heartbreaking to see him have to say goodbye to some of the good friends he's made here, and even more sad to say goodbye to him at the airport.

Not only was I losing a friend and teacher, but now I'm all alone in the house with the family. I don't speak enough Vietnamese to really communicate with them, and same with them and English. It's hard to look across the hall and realize that Carl isn't going to be there anymore. It was a whole lot easier to cope with the oddities of the family when I had someone to share my grief, but we'll see what happens now.

I knew I was going to make some lifelong friends here in Hanoi, but I honestly expected them to be members of the team, not just my students and fellow faculty. Granted, my students are absolutely amazing and I would rather be spending time with them than anywhere else.

Speaking of expectations: I've given up on even trying to remember what they were at this point. Of course everyone told me to prepare to be flexible before I came, but I haven't realized what they really meant until just lately. Nothing ever goes the way that I think it will! Not to say that it's always a bad thing. However the devil is trying so damn hard to break me while I'm here! Death and loneliness: two extremely hard things to deal with. Now go across the world and deal with them...it's daunting and exhausting! Through every hardship the Lord has worked even harder than the devil and made it into a learning and growing experience for me, as well as bringing something into my life to help ease the pain and occupy my time.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33