<3

view from a church on the hill.
this is what it looks like on a clear day.
havent seen a day like this in a while.
rain or shine, ill still find something to smile about.

rain

water parks in the rain! almost as cool as swimming in the ocean in the rain but not really it was close thou. while i was at the water park today, it rained liked poured!! here are my new friends and uncle.

i probably wont see them again, cuz the one that goes on all the adventures with us is going home in a few days. its been a fun making new friends. the people here are some of the nicest people you will meet... there were a few others too, which ill have to post a picture later. oh and i got to scooter in the rain too! also eat with a family on a street! haha. so many stories.

dont forget i can drink out here. the drinking age is 18, although i look like 15 to everyone here too! they dont even check id.

anyways, i hope i am able to keep in touch with my new friends and here from the ones back home! im half way through my trip, ill be home in no time at all!

beautiful

God is indescribable to me.

im on way to many adventures for my mind to handle
but all i know is God has opened my eyes to so much.
maybe ill update you guys later
water park tomorrow, who would of thought in vietnam!

sorry mom!

Sorry mom! i got on scooter... well this is the first one with a picture of me. i wont tell you how many ive been on. nor how many accidents ive been seen or almost been in. im still alive and not hurt yet. well least im driving with a girl, ive found out all the girls ive driven with are really fast drivers and better drivers than the guys. in the photo is my aunt, who i met for the first time tonight.

i think i have an obession with ice cream. this has to be day four of having ice cream. you cant see the ice cream in this picture, its actually inside the coconut!!! yummy in my tummy.

its raining again and i just got back from riding around town a half hour ago. tonight was such a fun ride. i really enjoy how the wind blows against my face, but dirt always gets in my eyes. plus it actually wasn't hot outside, really nice cool weather, which was really nice since i was stuck at home all day, but i got to watch movies! yay for new movies on dvd here.

ice cream... day three.

here is a picture of me and my uncle next to me and some friends
and my ice cream
just in case you forgot what i look like... haha

most of you guys are once again sleeping.
ive realized when your sleeping... im not
and half of the time, your in yesterday for me and im in tomorrow for you.
haha. thats kinda cool

well today i went shopping.
well attempted but didnt really like anything
finally got a shirt with pockets! that my new friend picked out.
he is 19 and lives here, he cant really swim so i said i would teach him, maybe he can teach me something.

got to drive the scooter but i got to scared to actually be the driver
to much is around me to distract me, plus being a rider is way more fun
once again i had more ice cream, instead of coffee at the coffee shop
but it reminds me of home and isnt as good as coldstones!

ive decided i have a lot of free time here, with to many rules here
everything is to dangerous for me... haha

well i hope everyone at home is doing well in school, and enjoying the weather and the beaches and the night sky. im praying for you guys. ill be home soon.

:]

im in the mood of writing.
its raining here, and i could go outside and play in the hot water
but i just took a shower and its ten o'clock here
while its eight in cali and most of you guys are just waking up for school

no matter where i am in the world people still think im fifteen years old
im looked down upon for not knowing my own lanuage
but that doesnt make me not intelligent
plus it doesnt matter God has me where he wants me in life
He loves me for who i am, no matter what others think
even if they are suppose to be family

two weeks away from home and ive been homesick once...maybe twice
but havent gotten to sick yet
road on the scooter/motorcycles my mom told me not to ride
ate lots of weird food....didnt like half of it
but dragon fruit is really good and very pretty
( its hot pink, and the inside is white with black things like sesame seeds)
been to four different catholic churches
havent spent any of my money... cuz they wont let me

havent really bought anything...but probably come home with dresses...
but ive seen the sun rise more times then its set
seen the moon twice and no stars...
as much as i miss home... the important things will still be there when i get back
and im not alone here, as much as i feel that way at times
God is with me every step of the way.
<3

ice cream

im going out for ice cream again tonight.
last night.... i had coffee ice cream with coffee on the bottom half and ice cream on top
really good coffee ice cream
but still no coldstones
hopefully tonight the ice cream will be better
and ill be able to speak english with my new friends from oregon

haha probably not.
i just want to ride on a motorcycle around town again
and have the bugs stop biting me!!!!

so the ice cream was amazing. i got ice cream inside of a coconut and it was so yummy!
oh and the best part, we road around district one? for a while
and i got to ride with one of the guy's girlfriend and im told she is a really fast driver
but she was way safe and a better driver than any one else ive driven with
so i ended up going out with the guys and there girlfriends but they were so nice!
and even tried to talk to me... well the girls did!

its so nice to know, where ever you are in the world there are really nice people
who are just willing to help you out and go out of your way to make sure your having fun
but i also realized people here do not understand personal space. i think that is just an american thing
ahhhh get out of my bubble sometimes... hahaha

p.s. i found a lizard in the bathroom. its lives behind the light. i want to catch him but he is to fast and little.
i wonder how long he has been there and feel bad for killing the mosquitoes that he eats

crickets!

they exist here.... finally heard them yesterday for a second riding thru an alley

i realized here, there are bugs every where.
from the ones that keep on biting me and making me itch
to gross gaint bugs
to lizards that arent really green.

although im tired of itching its okay. the bugs are kinda cool looking when there not crawling all over me.
its pretty rad to see how God has created these creatures

oh and i realized im funny here too. with a lanuage barrier! ill have to tell you the story later.

yesterday i went to the airport to say goodbye to my cousins and aunt... there in cali now.
i so badly wanted to hop on the plane with them and come home
but its not yet my time.... im not homesick for those who are reading. just miss how good i had it.

any ways. i got to ride on motorcycles around town yesterday looking for coffee shops
we found one that was outside and it was very fancy and cute. reminded me of hawaii. but with live music...

hope all you guys are enjoying school... and the stars!

* i might have internet in the house by tomorrow... :]

crazy adventures

lots of adventures!!!!!!!

um well i actually dont remember the last few. i know we have been doing a lot of family visiting.
but i really dont remember.

i do remember yesterday!
so after just relaxing around the house, while family and friends kept on visiting the house.

i finially got to leave and walk around the area we live.
it was so hott and humid! i dont like the weather, but it was nice exercise

then i got to go out with my uncle... took a taxi to his friends house
from there we went out on scooters and road around the city.
i dont get how they get around. the streets dont make sense and they have these stupid turnabouts
that just cause more traffic! but i got to ride on the scooter!
oh and the scooter my uncle and friend were on... they got into an accident.
another scooter ran into them and the other scooter fell over.
everyone was okay but still it was crazy, thank God no one was hurt
then we got me earrings, so my second holes wouldnt close
and went to play pool and i won! well my uncles friend and i.
oh and forgot to mention... these kids are from oregon, so they speak english!

after that we ate some more food ( they never stop eating me or feeding me. they say im to skinny)
then went home and took a nap. :]
woke up and went to dinner with my aunt and her old school friends
but i mainly played with my cousin lucas who went with us
we played in the thunder storn and the play ground.

i forgot to tell you. its like constantly really hot and humid. or really hot and rainy!
tropical rain strom all the time.... haha i kinda like it.

today we just went to visit family so my aunt and cousins could say goodbye.
they leave tomorrow ( yay! all they do is cry and complain... unless there playing)
and we got to go to the grave yards to pay respect to some relatives.
it was so cool! so many graves! ive never seen so many.
once again i forgot my camera.... oh well.
and i didnt get to go to the beach today..... more to look forward back home

im so happy for what i have here. God is watching over me. thank you to all that are praying for me.
its such an eye opener to see the life style my mom used to live.
and even then i have it better than we did when she was here.
God is amazing!

im enjoying the sunrise every morning as it is probably setting for you guys.
i miss you all.
<3

saigon

im in saigon.... i think.

well we went to the east of vietnam yesterday to visit my uncles fiance
it was about a three hour drive
but on the way there i got to meet my girl cousin
the only girl one i have on this side i think....
but she is my size a little bigger and dresses like me but has long hair.

anyways. it was a long day doing wedding stuff for my uncle
but it was totally worth it to see the sunset at the end of the day.
i dont think ive seen one of those since i left the united states.
i do get to experience lots of rain and thunder and lighting just about everyday.

i feel like ive turned into a shy kid not wanting to talk.
which isnt bad... i guess, cuz im taking in my surroundings (including all the bug bits)
and just realizing how lucky i am to have this experience and ill be home in no time.
God has really blessed me with a rad crazy experience that i dont think ill ever get to experience again
most of which i didnt capture in picture but you cant capture all the moments in a picture

i miss everyone back home and have been praying for you guys. hope everything is going well.

home sick!!!!!

im back in saigon, the main city. this time were in our own place.
its a very small two bed room house. but im told its very expensive area.
and i dont hear the honking of horns all night.

well i really miss home. im trying to keep busy but today its down time
where family and friends come in and out of the house all day.
there isnt internet in the house but its allowed me to do a lot of reading and playing with my cousins

ive managed in one week to to burn myself (split a cup of hot soup on me), and just being a clumsy.
oh well, nothing to new .... i always have brusies

so the weather here is very very hot, humid, and random rain.

im home sick, i havent been away from home for this long, and the language barrier is getting better but still really hard. i want to talk to the family and friends that are trying so hard to have conversations with me. im praying that ill be able to speak more soon, but i do at least understand a lot more now. And having another one of my aunts stay with us, has helped a lot. she reminds me so much of my mom, but she leaves in a week.... the surrounding here is so different than home, nothing i could of imaged before coming here, its a culture shock for sure. least at the end of the week i get to go to another beach, one with waves they said! :]

hope you guys that started school had a good first day of school.
<3

more adventures!

promise to have pictures up soon... maybe.

once again an early morning
hot noodle soup for breakfast, then catholic church at a really pretty 100+ year old building made by the french.

so im in yah hi (probably not how you spell it) there known for there beaches and its a tourist place
so after church we rented a boat, just my family and i
and the boat took us out to sea to see the three islands and then took up to a pirate boat aquarium
yes it was a pirate boat, and you got to walk inside and out side of it.

oh before that the boat took us to a spot where they raise crab, nail, and idk sea creatures that you can eat.
there were huge nets and a house ( yes a house where ppl actually lived.
it was like there own island!
well this is where we got snails... yep and they steamed them for us too!
told ya. they lived there...
so i ate snail today.... it was so gross! but i tried it.

later we went to some fancy place for dinner, with like 25 people that i think was all family.
it was right by the ocean...but it was cloudy
but i did spot one star..... and got to see a lot of lighting!!!
that was my night.

wedding and beach

yep i went to my aunts wedding today
it was tons of fun, i even got to go out with the bride and get ready
so i got to get my nails and make-up done.
and watched most of my uncles drink one drink after the other
trying it now and then too....

once the wedding was over, a bunch of the family went to the beach
it was seriously walking distant from the hotel.
once we got there it was a really pretty view and it was raining (like pouring)
but we still decided to stay and i just jumped into the warm ocean
its wasnt crazy warm but it was so sweet to be swimming in the ocean and have it raining!
and not being cold. but there werent any waves!!!

later i caught baby crabs
and watched the family and friends group get bigger and bigger.
they seemed to know every one, and ppl walked up and down the beach selling food
so we bought all kinds of food including fresh seafood, where they cooked it in front of you.

the best part of the beach had to be the night sky. there were some clouds but a huge moon! plus you could see its light dance on the ocean water.

so i am having a good time, no matter how much i miss home...
im being forced to grow and learn a lot.

p.s. i had a dream that i was standing in the middle of a main road and all the scooters and cars honking. probably cuz the honking never stops.

another sunrise

yesterday i didnt get to explain the craziness of the airport
the inside was pretty much empty and then you had to go thru costume?
and checked for all this stuff, but the minute.... you walk out the doors of the airport
its like a huge party! hundreds of ppl waiting for the family and friends

then once you found your family it doesnt end there
then you had to find a taxi... which werent so hard and once you did...it was like our airport getting out
lots of traffic, but there lanes and lights
did they care to use them.. haha no
they seriously drive on where ever they want
i dont understand why i didnt see a car accident

once you leave the airport your in downtown
where there are millions of scooters and like ten cars. (literally)
scooters every where! and when there not in the wrong lane there on the sidewalk
or in your way not caring
same with the ppl they just walk where ever and ppl in or on vehicals... kinda watch out for you

anyways so i met a bunch of family.
pretty much there all my uncles and aunts!
but today i get to see my cousins from california!
cuz my aunt is getting married. so i get to go to two weddings!

finally im at a hotel after a 8 hour drive from my uncles house and were suppose
to be here for 3 days. to do all this wedding celebration stuff.
maybe ill get some actually sleep... probably not

but im having a really hard time with this whole language barrier thing.
they keep on making fun of me. or i just cant have conversations with them. :[
im trying my hardest to learn and listen to conversations and translate them.
i understand a little better at least.

well im gonna nap. then get ready for a wedding!
oh and then the best part.... i get to go to the beach today!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<3

i made it!!

after 20plus hours of flying, not including all the waiting and lay overs
i got to see the sunset and the sunrise all in one day
even got to watch the stars
but finally i made it here and its ridulous
the airport, has a huge crowd of ppl waiting out side for the guest
and there isnt any use of street lane, cuz ppl drive where ever they want!
i dont understand why i havent seen an accident
cuz we almost hit quite a few

well the street driving is a huge culture shock for me
but when you apart of it on a scooter its so much fun!!

oh and its raining here.
more update later.

day one

im still in the country, but im in oregon only til tomorrow evening.
today, i went out with my uncle and went down town and went to see the new mummy movie.
then i went to visit trent!
i got dropped off at his work and then we adventured for a cheap place to eat.
first stopped at his new home....very nice place.
then went on a drive, not really sure where we would end up.
but we ended up at 23rd street
and found a little mexican restaurant
ate that and chatted
just what i needed before i left for my trip.
a face from home kinda.
well thats what trent needed since he was getting a bit home sick.


tomorrow im off to the airport once again but to settle.
then thrusday ill be in thailand, and then vietnam.

in oregon

i made it to oregon.
ill be here til wednesday.... i think
just found out i will have internet to e-mail you guys once i get to vietnam!
enjoy the rest of your summer!!!

off to my six week adventure

i leave today... im so excited and i saw the shooting star that i was waiting for. God is watching over me and wants me to go on this trip. i just gotta trust him and follow the road, he has put  me on. six weeks will go by pretty fast. i hope those of you guys reading this, will be praying for myself and my family. ill try to keep you guys updated as much as i can, and plenty more stories and photos when i get home. 

here i come oregon, and then vietnam! 

<3

okay this isnt a photo of night time, i didnt get one. this is a photo of the sweet view from stair way beach. willie and hb went surfing, as i admired God's beautiful creation surrounding me. from the huge ocean waters, to the blue sky, and even the neat seagulls flying above me.

as the sunset, the colors in the sky changing to a pinkish orange and the moon and stars began to come out. all i could see was God all around and how blessed i am to have the life i have.

even the ride home, it was a crazy roller coaster on wheels, brought me back to reality. but the view from every direction still amazed me. i couldnt ask for a better life. even thou i leave in a few days i know it will continue without me. i am getting a once in a life time opportunity, to live in another country for a little bit. im am so thankful!

counting down the days...

only five days left here in cali. im so ready to go on my huge adventure to a new foreign country but at the same time i know i am going to miss my family and friends a lot. especially the ones i got really close with this summer. this is going to be the end of my summer here, because when i come home every one around me will be back at school, while i work, and try to fill up my free time. 

i am totally excited to leave, but six weeks... wow! i've never been gone that long before. i just hope that im able to call home and maybe get some internet connection to keep in touch with some of you guys. im totally blessed to go on this trip but fill with fear at the same time. im taking this once and a life time trip and taking it face on, and leaving every thing here in cali behind for six weeks. its just pre-going away to college... just with a newish language and ill be millions of miles away.

weekend at ashley's!

over the weekend. late saturday night i drove up to ventura with willie and james. we spent the night over at ashley's!!! its such a beautiful place, i dont know why she would want to move to simi, but we all had so much fun! i hope to visit sometime soon again!