Vietnam was an amazing country. From the rich history to the to the amazing people, this was a country that I love a lot. But it came with its own sets of challenges.
This was a country where my label of Christian Missionary couldn’t be shared openly. I couldn’t go around saying I love you because Jesus did. I had to love like Jesus at all times in hopes to be able to share that.
It wasn’t even just wanting to share about Jesus all the time. Sometimes it was trying to break the stereotype of who Americans looked like to people. Most world travelers saw us as rude, fat, rich people. The Vietnamese saw me as someone who should be buying drugs and women at every corner.
That is a literal example too. Every 50 feet we could get asked ” Cigarettes? Marijuana? Cocaine? Ecstasy? Buy a lady? Massage ladies loved me. For some reason I was the one that got targeted every time and woman would come alongside me and wrap her arm around me and say “oh you a handsome man. I give you good massage $5 one hour. Oh come with me handsome man I show you a good time $5 one hour”. Then one lady grabbed my ass thinking this would change my mind.
While this interaction seems a little funny it showed how broken things are here. The place we lived was fueled by tourism and people were willing to sacrifice everything to get some American dollars. It quietly broke my heart as I would walk the crazy streets of Ho Chi Minh.
This is where I was, this is where these people are, and once again I didn’t have a immediate solution. But I am okay with this. I don’t have to fix people. I get the opportunity to change people’s outlook on the world by loving them as best I can and making them wonder why?
My next few blogs will be me recapping Vietnam and the ministries we worked with and the ones we made on our own.
Also thank y’all for getting me fully funded. I truly have seen The Lord provide people to want to help me in this journey. Now I don’t have to think about fundraising and can concentrate on what the lord is doing solely in my heart and for others. Thank you for allowing this to happen.
I am now sitting in the Cambodian countryside and it’s amazing. I am working in an orphanage that also has farm and so many things to do. So there will be tons of stories to come from this place.
