Hi friends! :)

This morning we left Vietnam at 6am- I was not awake, I said my goodbyes last night :) Vietnam was an interesting place to be, and many things made me think...

I visited the War Remnant Museum (formerly named the Museum of American War Crimes) where I saw pictures, stories and pieces of the Vietnam War. It was…intense. At times I wanted to cry. I had never thought much about the war before but here it became very very real and very very horrible. It was not easy to see but I was glad I was there. When I was looking at pictures of people protesting the war a boy next to me said hello. He asked where I was from and I said the United States, very mindful of where I was and what the United States had done to his country. He immediately smiled and welcomed me to Vietnam. I was just a small moment but I was so grateful.

 I also got a chance to visit an orphanage for children disabled because of Agent Orange from the war. Again, not an easy thing to see. But we got to play with the kids, hold them up so they could move around on their deformed legs, hold their hands as they lay unmoving in their cribs. I was surprised at how these chemicals could continue to cause problems today, and I was glad of my small chance to hold the children in this house, bounce them up in the air and make them smile.

So I’ve seen some thought provoking stuff here in Vietnam! Beyond that I have just been wandering around, eating “Pho”(a Vietnamese noodle dish) and looking at the millions of things they are trying to sell you on the street! It has been a good time, and now I am trying to get ready to land in Hong Kong next…

I love you all and I hope that you are all well! I would love to hear from any of you- just send me an email at brwakeman@semesteratsea.net :) and I will get more pictures up when I can! cheers...

-Bethany