Sapa corner

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I usually walk around Sapa Lake in the afternoon. On my way home, I like to pass by an administration office where there is a grapevine.

The vine grows in the office’s front yard. Its branches are long and flexible. They wrap around the office’s fence to stretch upward. Each branch has many small twigs with green leaves and tendrils. Thanks to the curly tendrils, the vine can climb a net trellis and form a wide canopy of leaves.

This July, the vine is bearing a lot of fruit. This kind of grape is so common in Sapa. They look round and as small as marbles. When the grapes fully ripen, their colour turns from green to purple. Though ripe grapes are sweet-smelling, they taste sour. For this reason, the locals here normally use this fruit to make syrup or wine.

Each time I see the grapevine, John 15:5 often springs to mind: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

To me, the vine is like a good friend. It reminds me of Jesus’s words and encourages me to stay close to Him, just as its branches cling to the vine.

Sharing with you.

May we all draw closer to Jesus every day.

In Christ,

An An