GSLC Pastor's Blog

Introducing Romans

2011-07-29T12:19:00.001-07:00

We have all heard stories that begin with a messenger announcing, “I have some good news and some bad news...” God’s story had been around for thousands of years when Paul encouraged the congregations in Rome to continue to hope in God. He gave them both good news and bad news. The bad news is that we have failed to honor God and live well with one another. The really bad news is that some people are saying that God doesn’t even care. The good news is that God knows our failure and doubt. The really good news is that God is faithful. He loves us and provides the right relationships we are longing for. God’s provision allows us to act with hope for the future.

Pastor Jeff has challenged us to read Paul’s Letter to the Romans each week. You can think your way through Romans with this simple outline:

Romans 1-3: God's provision of right relationships.

Romans 4-8: God's establishment of right relationships.

Romans 9-11: God's right relationship with Israel. God is faithful to His promises!

Romans 12-15: How do we act as God’s people?

The outline can be expanded for deeper study:

Romans 1-3: God's provision of right relationships.

Paul’s Introduction: 1:1-17

Why non-Jews need God’s gift of right relationships: 1:18-31

Why Jews continue to need God’s gift of right relationships: 2:1-3:8

Why we all need God’s gift of right relationships: 3:9-20

God’s provision of right relationships in Jesus: 3:21-31

Romans 4-8: God's establishment of right relationships.

God gave the gift of right relationships to Abraham because of his faith: 4:1-25

God offers the gift of right relationships even to His enemies: 5:1-21

God’s gift of right relationships is meant to free us from slavery to sin: 6:1-23

God’s gift of right relationships gives us hope even when we continue to sin: 7:1-25

God’s gift of right relationship will finally bring our resurrection to real life: 8:1-39

Romans 9-11: God's right relationship with Israel. God is faithful to His promises!

Romans 12-15: How do we act as God’s people?

We are “living sacrifices” and we live for one another: 12:1-21

God’s love calls us to cooperate with proper authorities in our communities: 13:1-14

God’s love allows us to serve the weak among us: 14:1-23

God’s love allows us to bring glory to God as we accept each other: 15:1-13

Paul’s mission illustrates how God’s love can work through us: 15:14-33

Romans 16 encourages us to celebrate God’s faithfulness in many lives and to greet one another “with a holy kiss.”

Peak Performance Camp 2011 - Sun., June 19th

2011-06-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Adoration

Justin Henderson taught this morning on the meaning and nature of worship. He referred to one of my favorite verses, Colossians 3:23 -- "Whatever you do, do your work heartily as unto the Lord rather than men."

Worship can happen anywhere at anytime and is not contingent upon music. It is an attitude of the heart. You can worship while playing music, sports, working, etc. The word, "worship," is a derivative of "worth-ship." Who is worthy of our love, trust, thanks, and praise? Who alone but Jesus who died for us and gave his life for ours.

The Big Game was "Fox-tail." The game has undergone several evolutions. It orginally had the name of "whip-n-strip" when Mim and I learned it in Minnesota. You tuck a sock in the back of your pants and try to capture other items from your opposing team. The winner is the one who has collected all the items. You are out of the game when your sock is pulled, but can be "healed" back into the game by a medic on your team. It is a fun game and usually devolves into the utter chaos of a free-for-all, with no respect for the rules.

Jeff Stephenson taught the evening session accentuating the morning's theme. He illustrated the point with a famous hymn "It is well with my soul," which was penned by Horatio Spafford in 1873, who wrote the hymn on a return trip from Europe, having collected his wife after her survival of an ocean disaster in which their four children were lost at sea. Two years prior, they had lost their youngest child and all of their investments in the Chicago Fire. Broken-hearted, yet full of peace in the Lord, Horatio wrote this beloved hymn of faith.

We sang to worship CDs with words on the screen, even though we have a fully capable worship team/band, to illustrate that you can worship anywhere.

The evening ended with prayer.

More tomorrow.

Pastor Jeff

Peak Performance Camp 2011 - Sat., June 18th

2011-06-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

Peak Performance Camp - Lakeside, MT

We are at camp again located on the northern end of Flathead Lake, Montana, hosted by Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp. We are able to run our own week of programming while hiring kitchen and waterfront staff to assist us.

I've never blogged this camp before, even though I have been attending every year since we first came here upon the recommendation of Kim Barton (now Iceman) who attended a Youth With a Mission discipleship training course in Lakeside. I think we've been coming here at least 12 years.

I rode the bus with our kids. The youth (Junior and Senior High) were filled with excitement the entire 11-hour trip up. We stopped at our traditional half-way point in Dillon, MT and invaded the local Safeway Store and McDonald's Restaurant.

The camp's theme this year is ACTS (adoration, community, truth, and service) and is based upon the history of the early church in Luke's book of Acts of the Apostles.

The schedule is fairly standardized:

7a - Staff Meeting
8a - Breakfast
9a - Rotation #1 (Teaching, Prayer & Devotion, or Group Initiatives)
10a - Rotation #2
11a - Rotation #3
12n - Lunch
2p - The Big Game (outdoors)
3p - Free Time
4p - Canteen is Open
5p - Small Groups
6p - Dinner
8p - Worship

I'll write more on each daily theme.

This year, I'm here with my daughter, Rebekah, who is a college-age student serving on the worship team. It is the first year, in a long time that I have attended without my wife, Mim.

I'll write more specifically each day. Suffice it to say, we are all pretty tired and sleep is inviting.

Pastor Jeff

Russia Mission 2011 - June 10

2011-06-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

As I said, I woke up at 06:54 completely disoriented. I set my cell phone last night, but I didn’t reset the location. Of course it is on Airport Mode, and so it couldn’t find a signal. The main screen on my phone said 8:54. This meant I had slept through my alarm, missed breakfast at 8:30, and morning training was about to begin. I rushed to the dining hall, the seminary… everything was abandoned. I couldn’t imagine what had happened. I finally checked my phone and the computer and discovered it was really 7:10 AM. I misread the 8:54 PM time on my phone in my sleep-deprived haze... Breathing a sigh of relief, I made coffee, and reset the phone AND location so that the screen and alarm will function at the right time. A couple of cups of coffee later I was ready to write the first part of this first blog. :)

We spent the day today in team training. This included a brief history of the Eastern European Mission’s involvement in Russia, a discussion about our curriculum, and an orientation to Russian culture. We gave brief testimonies about “How I got here” in Koltushi, Russia, as part of this English Bible camp. A lunch with some kind of “rice and meat” meatballs (think of a non-tomato base meat loaf made with rice, and served as two-inch ball shaped portions), cold borsch, and coleslaw made us sleepy. Seeing that we were falling asleep in the afternoon sessions, we finally walked to the village center and identified the bus stop so that team members could find their way back home if they ever got lost. “Smile and say ‘Koltushi.’ Follow the direction they point.” The hope is that eventually you would get to this bus stop and be able to walk back to the seminary. It works in theory. :) Thankfully, we haven’t ever lost anyone, so we’re not sure how it will work in real life. I hope we don’t find out!

I am completing this first blog at 4:45 during our afternoon free time. Dinner will be at 5:30. I think we will also have free time this evening so that we can get to bed early. The jet lag induced by a ten-hour time difference makes your whole body feel heavy...

Russia Mission 2011 - June 9

2011-06-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Frankfurt at about 9:30 AM (11:30 PM Salt Lake City time). Brooke said she slept a few hours. Jennifer, Wendy and I were didn’t get much sleep and we were pretty wiped out. Wendy and Jennifer both took photos of me sleeping on a double seat in the airport in Frankfurt. Oh joy. (You will have to ask Jennifer for that photo.) I didn’t think I had really slept. We had almost five hours before our flight to St Petersburg.

Our Lufthansa flight to St Petersburg was on an almost new Airbus A320-200. It was half full, and without incidence. We cleared Passport control and collected our baggage. All but one of our bags were present and undamaged. My personal bag had one outer pocket ripped open. I lost most of my gifts for my kids. :(

Bill Moberly met us at the airport and we had an interesting ride in a minivan to Koltushi. Our driver followed Russian rules for driving. It seems the basic rule is to keep two wheels on the pavement. We stopped at a small market, bought water, cheese and crackers, and arrived at the seminary about 9:15 PM. We had a brief meeting to thank God for our safe travels, and headed for bed about 10 PM.

Russia Mission 2011 - June 8

2011-06-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

Eric Wollesen dropped his wife Jennifer, Wendy Jepsen, and myself (James) at the airport on Wednesday morning at 6 AM. Check-in, finding Brooke Gecsey (our accountant Debbie Turner’s daughter: actually Brooke found us!), our pass through security, and our first flight on Continental on a Boeing 737-800 to Houston Texas were all uneventful. We asked a barista at Starbucks in the SLC airport to snap our picture. [DENISE/FFEG: please add an instruction about where they can see the photo so you don’t have to email it to everyone].

We had a scheduled 4 hour wait in Houston before boarding our Lufthansa flight for Frankfurt, Germany. The Boeing 747-400 jet is one of the reason they coined the term “Jumbo-jet.” It seats over 300 people. There were no empty seats. We were in the very lowest class of service, at the back of economy section. I have never had a flight to Europe with so many children. All but one of their mothers had their heads covered, and I’m guessing they were Muslims from somewhere in the Middle East. For the most part, the children were well behaved. Brooke had a great window seat with lots of room. Although I confirmed aisle and window seats for Wendy and Jennifer, they wound up with non-reclining seats in the middle of a four-person center section, and just in front of the bathrooms. They listened to toilets flush the entire way to Germany!

I had an aisle seat eight rows from the back. I was seated next to one of the largest men I have ever seen. He wasn’t tall -- about 5’10” -- and he wasn’t fat. But he easily could have played line-backer on any college football team. His chest was wider than the seat so that his arms took about six extra inches on both sides. He had asked for an aisle, and got stuck between me and a woman in her 60’s from Sweden. We were all uncomfortable. I had to lean into the aisle to stay in my seat. For ten hours... Oye! Of course then I didn’t get to sleep on the plane...

But here is where it gets interesting: He is a petroleum engineer from Kazakhstan and specializes in “additional extraction methods.” I think this means that he specializes in getting even more oil and gas from otherwise exhausted wells. He had just finished an executive MBA at Texas A&M and was returning home. And he was a very talkative and inquisitive Muslim. I am the first pastor he has ever met and so we talked about God for almost an hour. He told me he was not a good Muslim, because he no longer prayed or kept Muslim customs. He asked a lot of questions! The focus of our conversation came down to this: We agreed Jesus was not God’s son conceived via a sexual union, for God doesn’t have a body. We agreed that one man could take the punishment for another man, but not for two or five. Since Jesus took the punishment for all people in the world, Jesus must be more than just a man, and so maybe there were other ways to understand him as God’s Son. He seemed satisfied with this logic, and so we talked about how one person can represent the character of another. Ambassadors do this. Sons represent their fathers in many Middle Easter countries. My fellow traveler was eager to agree that Jesus could represent as much of God as we humans could learn. It was as close as I could bring him to recognizing who Jesus is. He agreed that he needed to think more about Jesus.

Acts 17

2011-05-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

Our sermon considered trying to hear where people are in their lives. What do they really want? Can we speak to their need for meaning? To their need to be loved? To their need to have a hopeful future?

The Apostle Paul bridged across cultures to consider Athenian needs in Acts 17:22-31. Can we speak about our living hope in a way that connects to people’s wants and felt needs? This is the call in I Peter 3:15-16. Let us do it with gentleness and reverence. Amen.

"Only The Father Knows"

2011-05-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

We’re still hee-eere. It would have been fun to write, “We’re baa-ack.” But we didn’t go anywhere. And we are called to be faithful in a million little things while we await “the blessed hope” of Jesus’ return.

It would be really good for me if Jesus returned and raptured His church on May 21. We would all be in the presence of Jesus and celebrating His victory over sin and death from a very new and different perspective. We would know what it is to be more whole, more real, and more in love than we ever imagined.

There have been at least 7 predictions of the rapture since I started in ministry in 1979. Each one has been the occasion of ridicule for the body of Christ. What should we do? Ask for patience, keep a sense of humor, and invite people to learn what daily discipleship is all about.

If you asked me to say when the rapture is coming, I would have to say “Only the Father knows.” Jesus gave His disciples the task of being His witnesses until His return. Our orders haven’t changed. Carry on knowing we are one day closer. “Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

Vietnam Report - March 22, 2011

2011-04-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Some 85 percent of all residents in Saigon own motorcycles. There are approximately 12 million people in Vietnam and 7 million of them live in Saigon. Can you imagine about 6 million motorcycles? The street traffic lights are on a 22 second cycle. With the countdown visible to the approaching motorcyclist. Most of the intersections are either 3-ways or circular roundabouts. At one red light, I looked down the street waiting for the light to change and there was an entire city block backed up with motorcycles -- 10 wide! Our bus passed by the old presidential palace where invading North Vietnamese tanks entered the compound and forced the surrender of the South Vietnamese government, ending the war between the south and north on April 30, 1975. We are staying at the Rex Hotel in the old section of the hotel (still very nice). P. Jim commented that everything has changed around the hotel in three years. He hardly recognizes the place. So much was torn down and there is new construction everywhere. Vietnam adopted a free market economy under socialist principles (much like China), realizing that a Marxist economy just does not work. Consequently, several western businesses, who are willing to make a long-term commitment to Vietnam are invited into the country and given tax breaks. The minimum wage remains very low ($1-$2 per day). We've recognized some big manufacturing names: Honda, Canon, North Face -- all made now in Vietnam. The Vietnamese economy is really booming. Times are changing for Vietnam. The TV and the internet has connected the world. More people are aware of how each other lives and their standard of living. Women have a more prominent role in society and are often the bread winners in the family through their entrepreneurial pursuits. Both husband and wife share in the domestic responsibilities of the family and raising children. More Later, P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 23, 2011

2011-04-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Unexpected Blessing at Thuan An Deaf School We started the morning with a devotion from Matthew 14:13f, the feeding of the 5,000 men plus women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fish. As we are nearing the end of our trip, we are, of course, tired and a little exhausted. But, now is no time to stop giving. There are plenty of children yet to be served by the medical clinics. The Matthew 14 text opens with Jesus having compassion upon the crowds and healing their sick. After a long day of ministry, the disciples were ready to call its quits for the day and encouraged Jesus to disperse the crowds, but Jesus told them to give them something to eat. What they had amongst themeselves were five loaves of bread and two fish, but in the hands of Jesus it was more than enough. Today we we traveled to Thuan An Deaf School, which has a state administrator, but is run by the nuns. The school and children were obviously well-loved and clean. It did not matter what religious affiliation to which the children belonged, only that they had a need. This school served the hearing and speaking impaired. Almost all of the children wore hearing aids and all of them signed. I couldn't help but think of our own deaf ministry at the church spearheaded by Kim Russell. She would have really enjoyed herself. Some of the signs were easy enough to pick up, and, for the first time, I felt that I actually communicated more and better with the kids than all the previous clinics. They were well-educated and I found myself in a sign discussion about the English Premiere League and their favorate football (i.e., soccer) teams. Several of them are avid Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool fans.We served about 307 children and a few adults with basic hygiene, general medical exams and dental work. At the end, the children offered their thanks to us for coming through a sign interpreter. Then, spontaneously, without prompting, they all came up to us and gave us hugs and vigorous handshakes. It really warmed our hearts and there were quite a number of wet eyes on the team. Once again, a most valuable lesson was relearned about the power of love communicated not just through words but through tender and kind actions of compassion with eyes full of grace and mercy. The nuns were watching us and remarked later that they could see how much we truly loved the children. And, the children did feel loved. And, they did respond to that love. Today's experience somehow made the entire trip worth it. When we got back to the hotel, the rains came. I've never seen it rain that hard and long. It was a deluge -- and people were still riding their motorcycles in it! They bring out their ponchos which fit over the front handle bars and cover entirely a passenger in the back. It is really something watching the mass of humanity negotiate a four-way intersection. I still marvel that no one is killled. Somehow, the whole thing is like a dance which they all intuitively know. They make left-hand turns across the flow of traffic all the time. Tomorrow we travel to the Youth Shelter. Evidently every COPI trip has ended serving here. The youth shelter is really a shelter for abandoned children who served their purposes for prostitution in other countries, but now have contracted diseases and are considered worthless. All orphanages and shelters are officially state-run, but his one is also helped by the nuns. This is our last clinic -- eight in all. Altogether we should serve around 1800 children by the end. Thank you for your prayers. It has been a great encouragement knowing that people are reading the blogs and praying for us. Please pray for one more day of strength and energy so that we might pour our lives in to the children. P. Jeff

Vietnam Postscript - March 29, 2011

2011-03-29T04:51:00.000-07:00

Yes or No As time passes from the trip and my body slowly adjusts its internal clock to this time zone, I find myself at a juncture of needing to assimilate the good and present realities from the Vietnam trip into the present realities of life at home. God blessed me while serving his people in Vietnam, but he also blessed me to be a blessing to those whom I love at home, here in Utah. One of those blessings came from a teaching moment that surfaced in my memory in the dreamlike state between being fully awake and fully asleep this morning. The memory is of Binh interacting with our team members in the heat of the moment of scrambling to set up a clinic while 300 children were waiting in the cold. Binh's response to a team member's protest as to the lack of ideal conditions for their particular station was simply this: "Do you want to move here or there, yes or no?" The team member, at first, responded with a litany of what ideal conditions should look like, but Binh interrupted, "yes or no!" "Tell me what you want to do, move here or there." It was a call to action given the circumstances. Make a decision, choose a path, and make the best of it, regardless of circumstances, adapt where you can improve, forget about whining, just put your nose to the grindstone and get to work. There's a job to be done. The children are waiting. If you've ever experienced Binh in this way, you understand what I'm talking about. She is intense and definitely present in the moment. In that moment you are forced to make a decision and to get on with life, put your hand to the plough and don't look back. Just in the few days upon my return, I heard updates of how close our church is about to pay off its mortgage. People are wondering what to do with the excess money. Some are concerned that attendance at the church has been declining at a slow rate. I heard litanies as to what ideal conditions should be and the list of circumstantial woes: the economy hasn't helped, people are working more or distracted, etc. But, in the final assessment, we will simply be faced with a "yes or no" proposition. Will we go to the people in Jesus' name, proclaiming his gosple in word and deed? Yes or No? Will we do what needs to be done? Yes or No? Vietnam offered many decision points:

Will you serve children at risk in Vietnam? Yes or No?

Will you conduct a clinic in a locale even if permission was revoked? Yes or No?

Will you conduct a clinic in less than ideal weather conditions? Yes or No?

Will you serve until every child is seen, regardless of the time? Yes or No?

Will you personally serve when you are tired? Yes or No?

Can you conduct your particular role in the clinic with given resources? Yes or No? If no, want do you need? Can you make due? Yes or no. If not, who will go get what is needed?

Will you serve all children at risk or only certain ages? Yes or No?

Will you serve disabled children? Yes or No?

If you need some resource in able to serve the children, will you go get it? Yes or No?

In a similar way, Jesus offers us decision points:

Will you go and make disciples of all nations in my name? Yes or No?

Will you feed the hungry and thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison, care for the least among us? Yes or No?

Will you love one another as I have loved you? Yes or No?

Will you do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God? Yes or No?

Will you care for the orphaned, the widowed, and oppressed? Yes or No?

Will you lay down your life for the sake of another? Yes or No?

Will you lose your life for my sake and the gospel, take up the cross and follow me? Yes or No?

Will you love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and your neighbor as yourself? Yes or No?

Will you pray? Yes or No?

While in Vietnam I was reading the Capetown Commitment, a document produced from the recent worldwide meeting of church leaders to discuss world evangelism. I was amazed at the document, since it framed evangelism within the framework of love and community. It's call to action serves like a mandate and clear vision of how we are to serve Christ by serving those he came to save.

But direct mandates force decisions. I learned that my heart was often unwilling. Though with my lips I said "yes," in my heart I wanted to say "no." Ultimately it came down to behavior and my actions. Jesus said, by their fruit you will know them. I call it the Forrest Gump principle (from the movie starring Tom Hanks), "stupid is as stupid does." Lovers love. The kind are kind. The merciful show mercy. The compassionate show compassion. Those with servant's hearts serve. The ambassadors proclaim the message entrusted to them. Teachers teach. The thankful show gratitude.

In the near future, we will be exploring what it means to be the church of Christ. Don't be surprised if you are confronted in your own life with a yes or no proposition that tests the willingness of your heart.

Remember the rich, young ruler who asked Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus' response was not "believe in him as the Savior" and then live for yourself. Jesus loved him and challenged him, "go and sell all your possessions and give them to the poor, then follow me." It was a "yes or no" test of his heart. Would the young ruler love Jesus with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind? The first test was trust. The young ruler, sadly, was unwilling. His answer to Jesus' proposition was "no."

I'm looking forward to living the blessing of the Vietnam Medical Mission Trip among you. May our response to our Lord be "yes" as all of his promise to us find their "yes" in Christ.

Thanks again to all who prayed. Your prayers made the difference.

Pastor Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 27, 2011

2011-03-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

It's good to be home How do you put into the words of the impact of a mission trip upon your life? The changes are often subtle and initially too deep for words. Time with tell, especially through small changes in thinking and behavior the effect of the trip. I experienced, however, a surprising revelation today as I served communion in our worship service this morning. What I experienced was an awareness of muscle memory, also known as motor learning, which is a form of precedural memory that involves consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repitition. When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. This process decreases the need for attention and creates maximum efficiency within the motor and memory systems of the body. As a stooped down to look into people's eyes, who were kneeling at the communion rail, while I place into their hands the wafer that is received by faith as the body of Christ, I realized that his felt very familiar. It was the same posture, the same act of looking into the eyes, and the placing into the hands toothbrushes into the hands of Vietnamese children and aged adults, who had been forgotten, neglected, abandoned, or marginalized by society. The solemn and reverent act of handing out toothbrushes with love, kindness, and compassion was connected with the sacred and holy. My spiritual act of worship, loving the Lord whole-heartedly, was through performing the act of handing out toothbrushes in most loving way I could imagine to the glory of God. This is what the Apostle Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 4 when he writes: "We proclaim not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkeness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpasing power belongs to God and not to us." God often works in hidden ways to reveal himself and his glory. The ultimate expression of his love was the gift of his Son, Jesus, who also in a hidden way, through his death on the cross, reconciled the world to the Father, through his atoning sacrifice and resurrection. As God's children, marked and sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit, we show Christ to the world as he is hidden in our daily lives and common tasks. We are all ambassadors of God's love to the nations and peoples of the world through diverse means, whether it be teaching hygiene, giving medical exams, performing dental work, or fixing electrical problems. All human interaction is a profound moment to embody and reveal Christ's love in word and deed. What I realized today is that the act of handing out toothbrushes, in Christ's name (not spoken, but embodied through action) can be as profound and pleasing to God as distributing bread and wine as a pastor. Both are an act of spiritual worship and both are to God's glory. Thanks to all of you who prayed for us. Your steadfastness in prayer was a tremendous encouragement to us on the team, and, who knows the hidden effect and lasting impact of those prayers. P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 25, 2011

2011-03-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

A Banquet of Thanksgiving

Tonight we celebrated being together one last time before the team disperses tomorrow. It was a time of appreciation and picture taking.

There are some things that can only be understood once you have experienced them. I've heard the stories of returning teams from Vietnam since 1997 (the very first team). I've heard Binh speak many a time in our church and during the October COPI Banquet, but I understand things in a new way.

How do you explain serving some 2000 children, the long and humid days? How do you communicate the mixed emotions upon looking into the eyes of children, many of whom suffer from lack of love and basic medical care and daily provisions? How can I explain seeing children with hydrocephalus, yet being unable to pick them up for fear of breaking their necks? How can I explain the numerous times a doctor or a nurse had to take an emotional break just to cry in order to pull it together to continue serving? And, of course, how do you serve when you are dead tired on your feet without complaining with still 90 children yet to see?

One thing is clear, the Vietnamese team is top-notch. Binh has assembled some of the brightest and best dentists, nurses, logistical support, and interpreters of Vietnam. They are incredibly intelligent, patient, kind and tireless workers.

This year's American team bonded well. There was little whining or complaining. There was alot of encouragement and strenghtening of each other.

The word used tonight to describe our experience was "family." COPI has become more than a nonprofit, non-governmental organization. It has become a family. People who have met challenges together, stuck together, and accomplished something of value that will have impact in the local communities. This group has bonded and become friends.

We will never have this exact experience ever again. Even if we all returned next year and went to the same places and saw the same people, it would not be the same. This experience was truly unique and powerful. It was a gift. As such, it needs to be cherished and put to work for further good.

Now the task of the team is to reflect upon its experience and to be prepared to share their stories of what happened. It is my experience from previous short-term mission trips that most people are willing to politely inquire about the trip, "How was the trip?" Most, however, are willing to give only 1-2 minutes of their attention to listen. A few are willing to listen for 10-12 mimutes, and, precious rare individuals are willing to listen as long as it takes for the person to tell their story.

I'll write more about this tomorrow. But, for now, it is to bed, since it is almost 12 midnight so that we can get up early enough to pack for the long journey home.

Please keep the team in prayer as we travel. P. Jim, Raina, and Binh will be extending their trips a few days before they return home.

I have missed our family at Good Shepherd (and beyond) and look forward to being with you all.

P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 25, 2011

2011-03-25T03:43:00.000-07:00

Went on a Pilgrimmage Today

Today I went to visit the sites that began it all for Good Shepherd. I went to the orphanage where Sister Hai and Sister Tan rescued 20 kids, then housed 200 children, mostly orphans. Both sisters passed away in 2008 and 2010, but the lives they touched, included Binh, were far-reaching and life-changing.

As we stood graveside, both buried side-by-side, I recited the 23rd Psalm, and offered a prayer of thanks for the these two faithful sisters. Originally, these two nuns started the Good Shepherd Home, which was expanded to include trade skill training, but when the state government took it over, the nuns started a daycare center in their own home.

Today this daycare center has about 60 children. These are children who otherwise cannot attend school, because they cannot afford lunch. The children are sent home from school for lunch a rest at noonday, but because these children are either orphans or both parents are working, they have no where to go.

So, the nuns open their home at 5:30a until 6:30p. They serve the children breakfast and lunch and dinner. When we arrived, the children put on a short, musical program for us. The nuns always begin the day with prayer with the children.

There were some babies upstairs, who are truly orphans. The babies were dropped off at their doorsteps. These the nuns care for full-time. I am amazed at the love of these four nuns and their 8 staff workers. It gives me hope and vision for what is possible for us in Salt Lake City with our own daycare center.

The Good Shepherd home (no longer call this) is operated by a loving staff from the state. They house disabled children and healthy children. Our ministry today was simply to touch, hold, and care.

We also were able to travel to the HIV/Aids Center that COPI helped to build. We had fun getting on the floor and playing with children who had tested positive for Aids at the tender age of 2 years old.

The trip ended with our focus -- do what is best for the children, especially those children at risk and in need. What a blessing!

Thanks again for your prayers. We begin the long trip home tomorrow. We heard that there was an earthquake in Hanoi (rated 4.0). We are looking forward to seeing you all.

P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 24, 2011

2011-03-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Entirely Spent (In every good way)

We finished our last clinic at the Youth Shelter in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), serving 212 children. We left the hotel at 7:15a and arrived back at the hotel at 8:30a.

The Youth Shelter is really a youth dentention center that includes runaways, street kids, and orphans. Most kids have either been sexually or physically abused (beaten) and most certainly emotionally abused through abandonment. The youngest we saw was a five year-old boy who had been sold by his family into thievery and was picked up for selling lottery tickets. The oldest I saw was 24 years old. Most of the 15 year-old boys were on average 5'6" tall and weighed 50 Kilos (ca. 105 pounds). They are very slender of slight build.

The greatest joy were the apparent changes in the facilities and among the children. COPI has been supporting this shelter the past five years at $10,000 per year. A library was built and stocked with anime books to teach the children how to read, since most of them were illiterate. This has now completely changed. The facilities were all upgraded: sleeping quarters and beds, laundry and food services all vastly improved. You could see the effect upon the children. Most were clean bright and intelligent. They had formed a community and were looking after each other, a tribute, I think to the manager whose tenure is over 15 years. She has impacted the entire staff and set the tone for the children. She is truly invested in the children and loves them.

The greatest sorrow were the stories of how they came to be at the shelter. Many of them have been abandoned by their parents for economic reasons, several were brutally beaten by family members and ran away, some were sold into sex slavery to pay off family debts. One young girl was prostituted for four years, she is only 13 years old. Do the math. Can you believe it?

At one point, the men in the immediate facility were asked to "take a walk." A girl (15 years old) had been so brutally raped and prostituted that she had totally emotionally shut down and was mutilating herself through cutting. The sight of men only further tramautized her.

By the end of the clinic, most of team simply felt exhausted. They had given everything they had.

A small group of us started the day with a devotion from Matthew 25, the theme for the entire trip. It tells the story of the Son of Man judging the nations gathered before him at the end of days. He will separate the sheep from the goats "for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes an dyou clohted me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

The righteous will answer, "Lord when did we wee you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

There is only one store in all of Vietnam that is licensed and authorized to sell religious material. It is affectionately called "the Jesus store." I guess you can even buy a glow in the dark Jesus figure. I was asked if I wanted to go to the store tonight. "No thanks," I replied. I've already seen Jesus 212 times today in the faces of the children.

On the ride home, Binh shared a email from one of the nuns with whom we served a clinic the day before. She was quite humble in describing how inspirational was the experience of working together with our team. Never before had she been with a team and worked through lunch in order to ensure that every child would be seen and not one left out. She confessed that this was not always her motivation to serve the children in like manner, day in and day out. I confess, too, that it is not mine either to serve in similar fashion, even in Utah, with such devotion.

I have, however, grown from this trip by bending over to present toothbrushes, wipe foamy faces, teach children how to brush teeth, and clean bloody spit buckets and resterilize cups with bleach, and fetch water from remote spigots, and to stand in the sun (or with little shade) for long hours on end, and feel grimy and sticky from all the humidity and sweat.

Thank you for all of you who have been praying. Your prayers have made a huge difference. Tomorrow we have a free day that will end with a team banquet. I hope to see the place where it all began for Good Shepherd, the very orphanage from which Thane and Nina (Zeeh) were housed and the blessed nuns, now passed on to glory, who gave their lives for the sake of the children tirelessly, day after day, by welcoming and caring for orphans.

I remember that phone call from binh to P. Jim on that day when she returned from Vietnam and reported that there were two nuns caring for 20 children. What could we do to help? The 20 quickly became 200. The 200 then 1000, then 5000. At each stage, we wondered how much we could do and whether we could sustain.

Our Lord is faithful, if we are willing.

God bless you all.

P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 23, 2011

2011-03-23T07:24:00.001-07:00

Her name is Tuyen

This is a sad story which we pray will have a happy ending.

Tuyen is 12 years old. She is an abandoned child - three times over. She was abandoned by her Vietnamese mother, who twice widowed is living with her deceased husband's family caring for her youngest child from that marriage. There is not enough room in the home for Tuyen.

So, Tuyen was adopted out to an American family. She left Vietnam and went to live in the United States. After a while, however, the American family decided they did not want her, so they offered her on the internet to another American family, who took her in (yes, there is human trafficking in our country). The other American family decided they didn't want her either, so they flew her back to Vietnam, burned her Vietnam passport, and left her with the nuns.

Tuyen has no family. She has no national identity. She is a child without family, home, or country.

Tuyen is obviously intelligent, but she has been hurt. Any abandoned child would feel the same. She deserves, however, to be loved. She deserves a family who will love her unconditionally and will care for her. In that kind of safe and protected environment, Tuyen will most certainly flourish. She is bright. She just needs a chance.

For the first time in my life, I am seriously thinking about adoption. As I enter my 50's with our children full-grown and almost successfully launched, I wonder if we have room for one more. It has made me think about the American Retirement Dream, which is to have enough money to travel in later years. But, seeing children who will have no hope for a future unless someone is willing to reach out and love them, makes me reconsider my later years.

Growing up, I knew a family in Parkdale, Oregon, who adopted a south-east Asian child (he may have been Vietnamese). This child was given a chance to find his way in the world, and, he is eternally grateful to his surrogate parents.

I'm sure glad that the Lord adopted us as his children. We are commanded to love others as he has loved us. It sure starts you thinking.

P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 21, 2011

2011-03-21T08:36:00.001-07:00

Day of Rest

Today we had a day of rest. No travel. No clinics. It was a welcome day to catch up on sleep. No one is sick, but a few throats are scratchy and there are sniffles and coughs. Thanks for all your prayers.

The USA team consists of 22 team members (16 doctors and nurses, 6 non-medical support). In addition, there are 3 COPI Leaders (Binh, Raina, and Shannon). The Vietnam team consists of 10 members (4 dentists, 5 translators, and 1 COPI Office Manager). The team is 35 people altogether.

Although the clinics are different from the last the basic clinic set up is essentially the same:

Check-in Station -- The Vietnamese team operates this station. Basic information is collected, nature of the ailments described, and a basic dental assessment.
Hygiene Training Station -- A combination American/Vietnamese team teaches personal hygiene habits such as brushing teeth and washing hands. Patients receive a personal hygiene kit to take home and they take a "de-worming" pill.
Medical Exam and Triage Station -- A combination American/Vietnamese team comprised of doctors and nurses conduct general exams and perform wound care and minor surgery.
Dental Station - A primarily Vietnamese station extracts teeth and fills cavities. Much of what they are able to do is dependent upon available electricity.
Pharmacy Station -- This is a combination Vietnamese/American station where prescribed medication is filled. All medicines are free to our patients.
Gift & Toy Station -- This is a combination Vietnamese/American station where at the end of their check-up each child receives a personal toy (hard toy or soft, stuffed animal).

There are other jobs involving trouble-shooting, keeping patients waiting in line happy and orderly, setup and takedown.

Today, P. Jim and I rode bicycles through the city and surrounding towns of Hoi An and An Hoi. You can imagine the irony as we laughed at the thought of two pastors from Utah riding bikes in a foreign country.

Many of our team rode 6 km to the coast and went swimming. Others hung around the resort to sleep and takes walks in town. Some of us checked in with the tailor who made our clothing orders. I asked for a black silk short-sleeve shirt to wear on Sundays. To my surprise and delight, they had embroidered a fire-breathing dragon on one side of the shirt. Can't wait to wear it at Good Shepherd.

Thanks again for all your prayers.

P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 20, 2011

2011-03-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

Looking Down the Home Stretch

Today we served 252 children, aged 2 - 12, at Cam Thanh, some among the poorest of the poor. by now the team pretty much knows what to do and is working well together. Set up and take down time is less as the team becomes more efficient.

Today I had the priviledge of praying for a woman for healing. It did not matter what her religion was, nor did we share the gospel, we simply prayed that God the Father would heal her breast cancer and restore her uterus, which was damaged by radiation treatments, and grant her long life in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is something we do every Sunday at the altar prayer rail. It was a great extension of what we know to be true. God, the Father loves his children throughout all the world, and, we can come to him with all our problems, diseases, anxieties, and hopes.

The little kids are the same all around the world. Everyone is afraid of the dentist. The very young cry when anyone touches them beside their parents. Even a toothbrush can become a scary ordeal. Imagine what an ear exam feels like!

I was touched by the number of fathers who brought their young children to the clinic. Talking with our Vietnamese team members, times and roles are changing. Both husband and wife share family responsibilities together. More men are caring for the children. They are cooking, too.

I continue to be impressed with the calibre of talent among our Vietnamese doctors and interpreters. Many of them hold advanced degrees in education. All of them are volunteering their time, especially the dentists. There are two dentists we affectionately nicknamed Dr. Jackie Chan (Nguyen Huu Tri) and Dr. Jet Li (Le Dang Quang). Both of them have been dentists for about 6 years but are helping their people.

This is impressive and inspirational for me to consider how I volunteer my time in my local community to benefit the poorest of the poor.

Basic health concerns are a good starting point (general exams, immunizations, dental work). I would like to think more about how I, as an individual, can get more involved.

On the ride back to the hotel, I continue to be amazed as to the number of TV sets there are in poor homes. It seems like everyone has a TV in their home. Coca Cola is, of course, everywhere. How did this company achieve worldwide distribution? Even Aquafina is here. Most people park their motorcycles right in their living room.

Tomorrow is a very welcomed day off. I plan to sleep as long as I can and then enjoy the ancient city of Hoi An.

Thanks for all your prayers. There have been some nights that I can barely sleep because my back hurts so badly. After some pain reliever and once I get moving a bit, my back loosens up and I can function. Your prayers are deeply appreciated.

P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 19, 2011

2011-03-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Long Day

The high today was about 78 degrees Fahrenheit, overcast and partially cloudy.

We did not go to the intended school today, because of government denial. Instead, through a local party official we were able to attend to the elderly within the district, serving just over 250 patients.

Most of the elderly were aged 75 - 85 years old. They are the survivors of the war. In fact, they were American POWs (thought to be on the side of the Viet Con). Most of them had no teeth. A few of the older women chew Betelnut, which is a drupe instead of a nut (looked it up on Wikipedia). In Vietnamese culture it symbolizes the ideal marriage. Betelnut is often mixed with tobacco to form a mild stimulant, which is addictive and can result in oral cancer.

Many of the older women had intentionally stained their teeth black in order to avoid being raped by both the French and the Americans during the Vietnam Wars.

It was quite a sight encouraging them to brush their teeth. When they opened their mouth, their teeth were stained black. It was almost impossible to do any significant dental work other than to extract diseased teeth.

It was a very enjoyable experience engaging these elderly, many of whom returned home either riding bicycles or were given rides on back of motorcycles. A few even walked home. They are all very thin and small of height and frame.

It was a 14-hour day, and the team is pretty much exhausted, though it was a great day of serving.

Tomorrow we travel to serve a school of 350 elementary aged children. Keep us in prayer!

P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 18, 2011 (PM)

2011-03-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

The Accomodations are Rough (Not Really)

We left Hanoi this afternoon and flew to Hoi An, an ancient city over 1000 years old that survived unscathed the Vietnam War. We arrived just in time to experience the lantern night-time celebration where they turn the old city into a walking zone only -- no cars, mopeds, or buses. It was a beautiful sight watching lit lanterns float on the river.

We checked into the Winh Hung Resort, which is supportive of Binh and COPI and has given us a significantly reduced rate. It is a four-start resort hotel. We definitely are not roughing it. And, we will be here four nights.

I always knew that the Vietnam team stayed in some pretty nice locations, but I really had no idea. My previous point of mission trip reference was Mexico and Russia. The last mission trip we slept on the unfinished floor of a wooden church in a village outside of Yoshkar-ola. Our present accomodations are very nice.

The city of Hanoi is not as modern as other cites further South. Hoi An is very quaint. It is like a Park City. It is a destination sight for tourists and is reknown for its clothing. I am having some clergy-type shirts made here out of silk custom tailored.

Tomorrow we have a full day serving hopefully about 300 children in a clinic in the town of Dai Loc. We leave on the bus at 7:00a. It should be a full day. We have four clinics left before we return home.

Thanks for all your prayers. There is always some background challenges with permission to conduct the clinics. It is a constant struggle. But great things are happening.

P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 18, 2011 (AM)

2011-03-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

Why help another person in need?

I'm taking a day of rest. It is raining again and cold -- fourth consecutive day. It is time for reflection.

We've served nearly 1000 children with our mobile clinics, offering general medicine checkups, pharmaceuticals, dental (fillings & extractions), and hygiene kits. Most of the children served are among those who do not have easy access to medical care either because they leave in remote areas or are among the marginalized people of Vietnamese society (the Hmong, the Lepers, and the Disabled).

The children come to us shy and timid. The poorest of them come smelling like fire, barefooted, with dirty clothing that would several washing to clean. Some have never seen a toothbrush or used toothpaste before. Some have never seen a dentist or a stethoscope. The kids, however, respond to love. When they smile, they are some of the most beautiful children in all of the world.

Why serve these kids? The answer is simply: if not us, then who? We have seen the need and have the means to provide the care. Our efforts seem small in comparison to the overwhelming needs. Yet they do make a difference. Over time lives are indeed transformed. This is Matthew 25 mission work: a good investment of time, talent, and money and humble service to the least of these in a developing society. It motivates me, already, to consider who are the marginalized within our reach in Utah.

Though this is my first trip to Vietnam, I've heard from the other veterans how much the people have changed. My entry into the culture is through the sights, sounds, food, and people of Vietnam. I know it is no a full immersion into their culture. It is impossible for a foreigner like me on a short-term experience living in high quality hotels. But I have experienced something, which is better than nothing at all. Though, I cannot understand much of the language, I can understand a human countenance, a smile, a laugh, and a relaxed presence of a person at ease with us.

There is so much backstory to everything that happens on a trip like this. I know, I've led trips before to other places in the world. There are myriads of factors, logistics, relationships, timing to be negotiated and adapted. Our leaders Binh, Raina, Shannon, Donna, Jim, and Brick and other COPI staff are doing an excellent job. My experience as a first-time Vietnam medical team participant is wonderful. The work is long but rewarding. The food is nutritious and delicious. The sleeping accomodations are clean and comfortable. The children are delightful. My roommate (P. Jim) is great and the rest of the team excellent and interesting companions.

Today is a shopping and sightseeing day. It is a entry point deeper into Vietnamese culture, learning how to negotiate one's way through the flow of daily life in Vietnam. There are some tremendous bargins, but I am increasingly aware how the commodities sold are less foreign to me. I have seen them before. As a result of globalization, the goods and products of several cultures and nations have been exported worldwide. After the intense schedule of clinics this is a welcomed recovery day.

One of the discoveries of the trip is the bidet in the bathroom near the toilet that you use to rinse your undercarriage so that you don't clog up the smaller sewer pipes with toilet paper. I like it and plan on installing one at home. It looks just like that extendable plastic tube with sprayer that we use to rinse dishes in the sink.

Thanks to all back home who are supporting us through your prayers.

P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 17, 2011 (PM)

2011-03-17T04:04:00.000-07:00

Leper Colony @ Soc Son

The leper colony at Soc Son is being relocated to a location further away from Hanoi. For over 40 years some of these residents suffering from leprosy have lived together in community and raised their children and grandchildren. The government is relocating the entire community so that it can build a golf course.

It rained again all day. Temperatures are around 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius). The team set up clinic at Soc Son and served approximately 70 patients. Most of us have never seen a leper first-hand. Leprosy is a neurological, slow-acting bacterial disease that affects the nerves and rots the soft tissue. Several of the residents at Soc Son had lost legs, toes, and fingers to the disease.

Very touching, however, was the reunion of the residents with Binh and Shannon, her daughter-in-law, who held her wedding reception at the colony. The people are considered outcast by many of the surrounding communities, bearing the stigma of being a leper or related to one. As a result, many of the healthy family members have extremely low-paying, menial jobs to support the family.

The team sponsored 16 children to attend school, paying their $15 dollars per year tuition fee. Important to the children is that someone believes that they can achieve something great in their life. One 17-year old boy gave a very gracious thank you for all the support in the past. We are the only group that has visited them, otherwise, they are truly the forgotten people of Vietnam.

Paramount is service of these people is touch, laughing, and enjoying them. The doctors and dentists were particularly gracious and tender with the people.

At the end, we visited Grandma Tiny's room. She had died the previous year. It was a tearful and emotional scene when we lit incense in honor and memory of Grandma Tiny and had a moment of silence. Those who knew her, had witnessed a woman of courage who had endured great hardship under the disease of leprosy, yet overcame it with profound joy. In the final years of her life, she received cataract surgery which enabled her to see again and enjoy her friends. She was vibrant, hopeful, and a person of faith.

Tomorrow we have the morning off and then we fly south to Da Nang.

We have conducted four clinics in five days, so the team is a little tired. Please pray for renewed strength and grace.
P. Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 16, 2011

2011-03-16T02:57:00.001-07:00

I am the toothbrush man

My role on the team is the hygiene station. I work with two wonderful cousins, Magel and Margaret, both of whom are retired.

I hand out the toothbrushes, that is my job. I try to it whole-heartedly and lovingly as possible, wetting the toothbrush and dabbing it with just enough toothpaste to clean teeth but not to create too much foam. I rinse out bloody toothbrushes in water mixed with bleach to sterilize it, as well as the cups used to rinse out their mouths. I then dab their mouths as gentley and lovingly as possible, like a doting father, before giving them their hygiene kit comprised of a bar of soap, nail clippers, a comb, toothpaste, toothbrush, and handtowel, as if this kit were a most precious gift. Sometimes, I even demonstrate how to brush your teeth (and your tongue) with all the seriousness of a teacher communicating an important life-skill that would shape their future, using a plastic set of teeth with a tooth missing and an over-sized toothbrush. Mostly I smile alot to put the kids at ease -- and laugh, too -- since some have never brushed their teeth before in their lives and appear anxious.

On this trip, this is my role, and if the Apostle Paul was right in 1 Corinthians 12. then this, too, is very important in the eyes of the Father. It is my humble act of worship to serve and love the children that he loves and made.

I am the toothbrush man.

Vietnam Report - March 16, 2011 (Part 2)

2011-03-16T02:32:00.001-07:00

It Snowed!

We awoke to snow in the mountains this morning! According to the women in the village of Ta Phin, beautifully nestled in the mountains, this is only the second time in 11 years that it has snowed.

Ta Phin is situated approximately at the 7000 foot level, so the temperatures were abnormally cold today. Most of the Hmong children we saw today wore rubber boots, but a few were in plastic sandals and bare feet.

Most of them live on the slopes of the mountains, leaving the fertile valleys for farming rice in beautifully terraced terraforms throughout. The panorama was stunning with snow on the mountains and the glint of rice terraces catching the light.

Today we serve 159 patients, ranging in age for 6 to 12 years old. A good many of the younger ones had never brushed their teeth. Most of the families use fires within the small homes, most built about of wood and insulated with dirt, concrete, brick, and whatever was available.

The Hmong people are a beautiful-looking people. They are also very hard-working. One 10-year old's responsibility is to feed the pigs, take out the trash, cut fire wood, cook, and sweep the floor -- all before school. Some of the kids walk 2-6 kilometers to attend school -- up mountain slopes!

The women were wearing red scarves and red head-dresses with navy blue, hand-stiched embroidery with their tribal colors. Evidently, roles are changing even among the Hmong as the younger men help with the cooking and house chores. Everyone works. Everyone pitches in together.

Tonight we take the train overnight back to Hanoi where tomorrow we will visit the Soc Son leper colony.

- Pastor Jeff

Vietnam Report - March 16, 2011 (Part 1)

2011-03-16T02:12:00.000-07:00

There is Always a Back Story

Today we served 159 patients in a remote village in Ta Phin among the Hmong people, principally children aged 6 to 12 years old. Binh informed us afterwards that we had traveled to Sapa and Ta Phin against the expressed wishes of the political government in an email issued the week prior. The principals of both schools serving the indigenous Hmong children of the area; however, were willing to risk their positions in an effort to bring medical care and attention to the children.

As dramatic as this sounds, the team was in no physical danger. The worst case scenario would be that the clinic would be forceably shut down and team leaders detained for further questioning with the result of potential prohibition from future service within the country.

This, of course, would be a tremendous loss to the children.

The village of Ta Phin is beautifully situated in the mountains about 11 km from Sapa and is nestled in the valley of rising mountains.