Say a Little Prayer for Me

We parted with the girls (but not for the last time!) to venture south of Saigon to Can Tho. Can Tho is the fifth largest city in Vietnam, and the largest city in the Mekong Delta. It is noted for its floating market, rice-paper-making-village, and picturesque rural canals (yes, I quoted Wikipedia). Of course, Wikipedia failed to mention mucky, desolate, down-and-out rural villages of Can Tho. Our shuttle bus barely traversed the bridges in fear of their collapse!

Families in these rural areas barely make $2 USD per day. They struggle to feed their families, let alone afford medicine, transportation, or our fancy iPhones.

In all this despair, their faith runs strong. These Vietnamese people attend church (which looks basically like a warehouse with pews) every Sunday, traveling by foot from hours away. I asked an 89 year old lady how far she lives from the church and she responds, "Oh, not far, I only walked for an hour and a half". She wakes up at 4 am in the morning to attend church at 7 am, which then lasts for over 3 hours. I can barely wake up 30 minutes before I have to work! Their commitment to their faith compelled me to reflect on my lazy life. I drive to work because I dread taking the train. I make excuses not to visit my mother on the weekend. I can ramble on and on about my indifferent life. Visiting this church community has strongly encouraged me to make more of an effort in my daily life.