Hi Sunrise Rotary Club,

Greetings from Vietnam!  My husband, Bill, and I are serving an eighteen month mission for our church in Hanoi, Vietnam.  We’ve been here for three weeks, so we’re still a bit shell-shocked.  We’ve been struggling to learn at least some of the language, and that’s a trick!  Just when I think I’ve got a phrase mastered, I try it out on some poor unsuspecting Vietnamese person in the elevator.  My efforts are met with a look of total puzzlement, followed by a good natured smile, telling me that my awkward attempt didn’t quite hit the mark.

Bill and I will be here teaching advanced English classes at Hanoi University of Business and Technology beginning very soon.  Until those classes begin, we’re busy adapting to a new world of fabulous food, tangled traffic – there are no lanes, no rules, and no mercy on the streets here.  With 8 million people in this bustling city and most of them on scooters, pedestrians are at the bottom of the food chain.  You take a deep breath, walk steadily, look straight ahead and pray, taking your life in your hands every time you cross the street because pedestrians NEVER have the right of way – and generous, hard working people.

I look back on our days producing The Christmas Carol in aid of the local food banks with great fondness, and I treasure the relationships with you.  Your club does selfless, wonderful things for people who need help, and I’ve felt honoured to rub shoulders with such well-meaning, humanitarian minded club members.

On this day, Canadian Thanksgiving, I want to express my thanks to you and my gratitude for you and the great memories we’ve shared.

Sincerely,

Carol Laycock