This month our goal is to find different contacts, who we call Unsung Heroes, for AIM to send future Racers to. We want to find ministries in which AIM can come alongside and serve. Coming into this month a few of girls on my team had some connections with Vietnam through friends. I want to share some cool stories of how God has provided for my team!
HE GAVE US A CHURCH TO WORSHIP IN:
A team member of mine, Emily, spent some time in Taiwan before she came on The World Race. When Emily knew we were going to be doing Unsung Heroes she asked her friends in Taiwan if they knew of any Vietnamese contacts. Emily's friend had a Vietnamese friend who attended church here. We went to this church only to find ANOTHER team from our squad had stumbled upon it as well. How cool! We also attend their Tuesday morning Women's Bible Study.
HE'S GIVEN US OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE:
The church we attend asked us to help with their Children's Camp as well as love on/help educate street kids. Through this church we met a woman who has a Bakery that we have been able to volunteer at for her BIG Thanksgiving Banquet she has coming up. We have gone to the local park to help Vietnamese college students practice their conversational English. We have also gone weekly to two different ministries to help them teach English as well.
HE'S PROVIDED CONTACT OPPORTUNITIES:
While we were in Malaysia a group of people from my squad went to visit Singapore. While there, a squad mate, Jake, met a man from Vietnam who was a Christian while traveling on a train. Knowing that we were doing UH this month, Jake passed along this man's information to us. As our team got in the taxi to meet this contact we had no idea where we were going. We pull up to none other than the church The Lord provided for us! He attends the SAME CHURCH! He has a rice factory up north that he uses to minister to his workers.
Dara's grandparents had a contact here who ran an orphanage. Due to the fact that this man's wife was about to give birth it was hard for us to schedule a time to meet. While at church the first Sunday we attended, Dara mentioned this orphanage by name only to realize that the family who ran it also ATTENDED THAT CHURCH! We met him right then!
Bailie was also told about a man who was a Christian and could possibly know some people. Since meeting him, we have met several contacts! One man we met through Bailie's friend was on staff of the first underground church in Vietnam. This man is over 1,200 different churches all over the country!! He's also traveled with the President of Vietnam to meet Obama…. TWICE (I would say he is a pretty good guy to know). We met another man who is the director of some ministries up north who is interested in becoming a contact for AIM. Another ministry we were introduced to uses Bible stories to teach English to Vietnamese college students.
HE'S GROWN ME IN WAYS I NEVER IMAGINED:
That's in the next blog 😉
We still have one week left. God has orchestrated some really amazing things here, and He isn't finished. Thank you so much to everyone who is praying for me. So far, Vietnam is my favorite! I cannot mention any names, locations, churches, or ministries due to the strictness of laws here in Vietnam.
