Vietnam – Day 6
Tonkin Garden Cafe
Vietnam – Day 5
HCMC Museum of Fine Arts
To Ba Chieu Market
Cho Ba Chieu Market
Vietnam – Day 4
Landmark 81 Saigon Skyview
Ben Nghe Street Food
Ben Thanh Market
We went back to Ben Thanh market to buy more pasalubong. 😅
Same din sa mga prutas natin sa Pinas.
Vietnam – Day 3
We left our hotel at 9:42 am and got to church at 10:15 am. The church building is inside a village. It’s like we were in a different place because the houses there are uber big and beautiful. I think it’s where the richest people in Vietnam live. Before going to Vietnam, I messaged several Christian churches. I think two or three responded but Pastor Lap of New Life Fellowship responded to me first so we went there.
To New Life Fellowship Church
Book Street
When we went to Book Street, I didn’t realize that it’s just next to the Saigon Central Post Office.
Notre Dame Cathedral – Ho Chi Minh
Saigon Central Post Office
Lunch sa gilid ng Saigon Central Post Office
City Hall
We walked a bit around Nguyen Hue Street.
There was a very kind lady at the mall and gave us directions to go to Ben Thanh Market. We went to Hai Ba Trung Street and took bus #3 (alternative: bus #19).
Ben Thanh Market
Benh Thanh Market is like Divisoria in the Philippines. We were surprised because most of the store vendors speak a little Filipino. When a vendor spoke Tagalog to me, I jokingly said that I’m Korean. They could not say a word. I guess they were confused because I don’t look Korean. Then we all laughed. LOL. The lady started talking to me in Korean and I spoke a bit of Korean. (Pinanindigan ko na lang. LOL.) I think they are taught basic words in different languages because Benh Thanh Market is a touristic area. It’s their way of attracting customers. There were so many people (tourists) there. We bought fridge magnets and keychains for pasalubong.
Vietnam – Day 2
We had a late start today because I woke up at around 3 in the morning. I didn’t feel sleepy and I remembered that my DGroup leader invited me to join the prayer meeting at 6 a.m. so I waited until 6 and joined. I fell asleep after that and woke up at 10:30! We left our hotel at around 1. It was 34 degrees Celsius today.
We went to the War Remnants Museum first. I learned about what happened in Vietnam during the war. I felt bad for them. They were tortured by the Americans, and later on the French who joint forces. I told my husband about it and he said that there are two sides of the story. Well, it’s history.
Anyway, we left the museum at 3:30 and we were so hungry because we just had banh mi for breakfast. There were no other restaurants nearby except for the one in front of the War Remnants Museum called Saigon Playhouse. We didn’t know where else to go for lunch so we ate there.
I had fish and rice and my parents had chicken and rice. We also ordered soup and fried frogs. We all ordered the same drink which is lemonade with chia seeds and aloe vera. Everything was good and I’m not exaggerating! We didn’t finish everything because they gave huge servings. The price though is a little hefty. They charged for everything (including the wet tissues). In the Philippines, water is free in most restaurants, so when I asked for water, I was expecting it was free but it wasn’t. My parents and I split the bill. 😅
It started to rain before we left the restaurant. We just walked to the Saigon Central Post Office because it’s not that far from there. We just waited for the rain to die down before we walked. We walked back to the War Remnants Museum and took a taxi from there. We wanted to take the bus but apparently, there’s no bus ride from there to our hotel.
What I noticed here, so far, is that it’s difficult for pedestrians because the motorists drive really fast and really close to people. They also don’t let the pedestrians cross the street even when you’re on the pedestrian lane and sometimes even when the (pedxing) green light is on. It’s dangerous for tourists who are not aware of that. The language barrier can also be a problem. For a budget traveler like me, who opts not to use the internet outside the hotel, it’s pretty challenging.
My outfit, by the way, is something borrowed and something old (hindi something new! 😅😂). The top is my mother’s and the skirt is something that I’ve had for, I think, a decade now. It’s only now that I wore it. 😂
War Remnants Museum
Late lunch (in Saigon Playhouse)
Walked to Palais de Justice
Saigon Central Post Office
Vietnam – Day 1
We arrived in Ho Chi Minh airport at around 12 midnight. We took a taxi and I showed the driver our hotel address. We weren’t far from the airport yet when I realized that it’s the wrong address I showed. I hadn’t gotten a sim card here yet so I didn’t have internet connection. I asked the driver to take us back to the airport so I could connect to the WiFi and check my email for the correct hotel address.
The driver doesn’t speak English so it was difficult to communicate with him. He used the translator on his phone but he still didn’t comprehend most of the things I said. He eventually understood after minutes of explaining then he took us back to the airport. I got the correct hotel address and showed it to him. When we reached the hotel, he took 570,000 vnd. We just realized this morning how much of a rip-off it was! We were tired and sleepy and we didn’t know how to convert vnd to peso correctly yet so we didn’t bother much. But this morning, we realized we were scammed. Oh well.
I had five hours of sleep and I still feel sleepy. We went to a hole-in-the-wall resto just a few steps from the hotel. We ordered 3 bowls of chicken noodle soup that cost 141,000 VND (47,000 VND each). The soup was good. It goes well with the rainy weather. We tasted herbs that we don’t have in the Philippines and they were surprisingly good! We also bought bread nearby. The ones we tried were all good. It was nice because it’s not an expensive bakery but their breads are amazing.
I didn’t plan anything for today because I wanted us to just rest. We’ll visit the War Remnants Museum and the Saigon Central Post Office tomorrow.
Joseph
“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him. When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt…” Matthew 2:13-14
“Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead. Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.” Matthew 2:19-21
“But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth…” Matthew 2:22-23
We can see Joseph’s character in this story. He was obedient to God. Wherever and whenever God told him to go, he went without questioning. In chapter 1, we see how he honored Mary despite what he learned about her.
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.” vv. 18-19
Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant but he didn’t know that Mary was pregnant because of the Holy Spirit. The word “betrothed” means engaged to be married. They were engaged. It must have hurt him deeply to know that Mary, his fiancée, got pregnant while they were planning (or preparing?) for the wedding. It says in verse 19 that he wanted to put her away.
Despite the pain, however, he showed how much of a gentleman he was. He did not want to destroy Mary’s reputation. Yes, he wanted to put her away, but he wanted to put her away “secretly”. He still protected Mary.
“But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.'” Matthew 1:20-21
“Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.” Matthew 1:24-25
What a beautiful soul Joseph was. He was obedient to God. He obeyed God’s command to take Mary. He obeyed to go to Egypt from Bethlehem, then to Israel. Because of his obedience, the prophecy that Jesus would be called a Nazarene was fulfilled (v. 23).
Three Wise Men
My devotion today helped me see the three wise men from a different perspective. I used to see them as just the three kings who followed the star and brought gifts to Jesus. When I was young, we called them the three magi or the three kings. Today I learned that they were actually astrologers/astronomers/philosophers.
“In later centuries down to New Testament times, the term [magoi] loosely covered a wide variety of men interested in dreams, astrology, magic, books thought to contain mysterious references to the future, and the like.” (Carson) enduringword.com
“Whatever it was, it is significant that God met them in their own medium: He guided the astronomers by a star. This was also in fulfillment of Numbers 24:17: A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel. This was widely regarded by ancient Jewish scholars as a Messianic prediction.” enduringword.com
They saw the star and followed it. The star led them to Jesus. It must have stopped appearing because they went to Herod the king in Jerusalem. However, even that reroute, I believe, is part of God’s plan. They were able to get more information from Herod the king and we see the latter’s wickedness.
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2
“His star” — The star was the star of Jesus Christ. What they saw was the star of Jesus Himself and it guided them. Then the star re-appeared after meeting Herod.
“When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.” Matthew 2:9
It’s amazing how the Lord guided them to where Jesus was exactly.
“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:10-11
“…and behold, the star which they had seen in the Easy went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.” v. 9
“The words came to rest mean literally ‘came and stood’, and can mean only that the star itself moved to guide the Magi.” (France) enduringword.com
The wise men also gave presents to Jesus. They did not come unprepared. Of course their worship is the most important but because they knew they were going to see the King, they did not come empty-handed.
“When they worshipped, it was to give something – not empty-handed adoration.” enduringword.com
They traveled far not only to see Jesus but to worship Him. They even brought gifts for Him. Though they knew that they were going to see a Child, they persevered to see Him. They followed the star no matter what the cost.
They were expecting a Savior and they recognized young Jesus as the King of the Jews and they were joyful. They even “fell down and worshiped Him”.
Unlike the chief priests and scribes who knew where Jesus Christ was to be born, they didn’t bother coming to Him.
“And when he (Herod the king) had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea…” Matthew 2:4-5
Herod, who was jealous of the King of the Jews, wanted Jesus dead. Be ordered the wise men to look for Jesus and report back to him so he could “come and worship Him also”. It was a lie. Jesus was a threat to him because he didn’t want to surrender his kingship, his position and power.
“Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” v. 12
They obeyed the warning they received through their dream. They returned to their home country and did not report back to Herod.
We see a wonderful pattern: “Those who look for Jesus will see Him: those who truly see Him will worship Him: those who worship Him will consecrate their substance to Him.” Spurgeon
Thoughtful Gifts From My Husband
My husband already left for the U.S. this evening. Before we parted at the airport, he said that he has a letter for me and he put it in (yes, inside) the fridge. He said he also wrote in my Bible (the Bible he gave me for our first wedding anniversary).
He first gave me the Morning and Evening devotional by Charles H. Spurgeon. He reads from four different devotionals and I told him that I like Morning and Evening. I didn’t know that he took note of that comment of mine.
Also, last month, I asked him if the journaling Bible (single column journaling Bible with a leather cover) that I showed him is available in the U.S. and he said that most of them are in ESV. I didn’t ask him to buy one for me but he remembered it. I was ecstatic when he gave me a journaling Bible in the New King James version. I could not contain my happiness. I was like a kid with her favorite toy when I received it. He said, “Look at you getting so excited over a gift.”
I really want to buy a journaling Bible but the ones available here in the Philippines are in ESV. I like writing and drawing in my Bible. I like highlighting, too. I write commentaries, prayers, notes, etc. I still love my old NKJV Bible but there’s no more space to write and draw. Haha. Anyway, now I don’t have to buy anymore. ❤️ I can already start my 3rd round of Bible reading. I know some people read the entire Bible once a year but I like to savor the Word.
Lelan is sweet. He remembers things that are important to me. I feel like my gifts for him are blah compared to his gifts for me. He doesn’t mind the cost of and the exhaustion from traveling from the U.S. to the Philippines and vice versa several times a year just for us to be together.
When I was still single, I asked God for someone who would cross the oceans for me and Lelan is exactly that person. He doesn’t mind the distance and the stress that comes with our temporary long-distance relationship. I asked that from God because for me, if a guy will travel far for me, it means that his intention is pure. It means that he believes I’m worth the distance and effort.
He is a gift from the Lord. He is an answered prayer. He is not perfect but he is trying his best to be pleasing to the Lord. (I’m not perfect either.) Lelan loves the Lord and he likes to obey His Word (the Holy Bible) and I respect him for that.
God gave him to me not because I deserve a good and godly man but because God is good. We serve a wonderful, awesome God! I miss my husband already… Airport goodbyes are the hardest.
I don’t mind sharing my husband’s first official letter for me.
Yehliu Geopark
We asked the lady at the bakeshop for directions (to go to Yehliu) and she showed us these:
We asked the ticketing officer for directions and this is what he initially gave us.
However, Lelan and I decided to ask more people and they gave us a different route. So we went back to the ticketing officer for confirmation. This is what he gave us:
There was a long covered street that offers a variety of snacks and of course, pasalubong!
The Queen’s Head
We packed our bags before heading out this morning so we’d be ready to go to the airport. We had a bit of an adventure going there. Since we went there on our own, we had to ask people for directions. We took the MRT and then the TRA and then the local train and then, finally, the bus. We did it local style and it was nice.
We enjoyed our time in Yehliu. It’s amazing how the rocks were formed by the weathering, marine erosion, and crustal movement. It was late in the afternoon when we arrived but I’m glad God still allowed us to see the beauty there.
We took the taxi to go to the bus station from Yehliu. The bus ride to Taipei only took one and a half hours. It’s half the time of our travel to Yehliu from Taipei. We went to the Main Station (MRT) to distribute the food items and gospel tracts.