"…I have become all things to all men, that I might win some."
– 1 Corinthians 9:22
Our time in Asia is winding down. Only one more month until we head to Africa! We just wrapped up our ministry in Vietnam last week. It was by far the most unique experience we have had. Vietnam is technically closed to any sort of evangelism. So that’s where a little creativity comes in.
The missionaries we were working with in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam have been there for less than two years. So we were able to witness the beginning stages of a new ministry in a tough environment. These several missionaries that were there had started a local church that secretly met in a large house just outside the center of the city. Whenever we entered the building, we had to put our bikes in the garage, walk in the front door, and then close the curtain behind us. The idea was to prevent the notion that a large group was meeting there on Sunday mornings. Along with this, no local Vietnamese families were allowed to attend the services. At this stage in the game, only international folks who were working in Vietnam were allowed to attend. They are referred to as “ex-patriots.” The church is currently going through a long and difficult process to get licensed by the government to be able to establish a legal church within the country. Once this occurs, they have plans in place to begin reaching out to local Vietnamese folks along with their existing church community.
Much of our daily routine involved Bible studies in the homes of church families, prayer meetings for unsaved individuals in the community and for the future plans of the church, and business meetings to brainstorm new ways to spread the Gospel while still staying under the radar. Each day was filled with intense learning. I’ve never been in an environment where I had to be careful not to violate any rules or jeopardize a ministry with what I do or say.
Nevertheless, God is doing big things in Vietnam. The ability to spread the Good News in this dark place has improved so much over the years. The pastor we met with regularly made the point that, to the Lord, there is no such thing as a “closed” country. No matter where you go around the world, there are people hungry for an answer to the reason for this life that we live. We simply need to be creative, bold, and brave to reach those who live in challenging places like Vietnam.
Continued thanks go out to all those who have sacrificed financially to allow me to stay out on the field. I am still in need of about $1,500 in personal funds to help pay for other expenditures such as international insurance coverage and passport renewal. Concerning any contributions towards these expenses, checks can be made out directly to my name and can be sent to the address listed above. If you are a monthly donor, please continue to make checks payable to Adventures In Missions, mail payments to the following address, and be sure to include my name in the memo:
Adventures In Missions
P.O. Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
You can also make your contribution online at danlidwin.theworldrace.org. Just click the “Support Me” tab on the left hand column and follow the instructions thereafter.
For His Renown,
Dan Lidwin
