Diamond Hotel, Hanoi, Viet Nam
We arrived by train at 5:30 this morning. Most of us slept better on this trip, mostly because we were exhausted. (We had a 15-hour day on Tuesday, and a 10-hour day on Wednesday.) We had time to check-in to our hotel and get a shower before we went t the Soc Son Leprosarium in Hanoi. This is one of Binh’s favorite places. She loves the children trapped by the government’s decision that lepers and their families must live in a leper colony.
One member of the community had a stroke about 6 months ago. She is wasting away, and hasn’t much time left. Binh asked me to bless her and help give her peace as she dies. What to say? The words of benediction seemed most appropriate: “May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord cause His countenance to shine upon you and be gracious to you, and may He give you His peace.” Binh translated and she began to cry. She thanked me and Binh cried. Wow. I never thought I would be doing “soft Lutheran last rites” in Viet Nam!
We returned to the hotel at 1 PM and we have free time until we go to the airport to fly south tomorrow at 11 AM. For those who are interested, here is all I can find to show our hotel (www.agoda.com/asia/vietnam/hanoi/diamond_hotel.html)
Here are three more photos: One is of our whole team near the China border. The second is Rita watching a Hmong woman weave. The third is some of the beautiful “Black Hmong” we came to serve.
Thanks for praying,
James
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