To conclude my thoughts and understandings, this post should give you some insight to what I came out of Vietnam with…
I have met a country far from the world I grew up in. A nation destroyed by war, natural disaster, and on going political conflict. I believe I have seen what many will never experience when traveling through Vietnam. Like I said earlier, I came with an open heart and an open mind. I wanted to learn about the history. I wanted to meet the people where they are today. I wanted to visit war memorials and museums. I wanted to know how Vietnam felt about the whole war none of us in America truly understood in the first place. Heck, I’m Canadian….I had nothing to do with any of it!
Spending 3 weeks here I have met all those expectations and was blessed beyond more than anything I could have imagined. There’s so much more to this nation than what we read about. Only when you sit with it’s people in a coffee shop giving up your time and asking them about what THEY think, and what THEY feel, you truly understand Vietnam.
Vietnam is supported and abused by China. It has been a fighting nation since the beginning. After 1000 years of control of Vietnam, China lost it’s hold. It has always been the underdog in all of it’s conflicts. But it’s still here isn’t it. That should speak something. Vietnam’s famous leader Ho Chi Minh once said, “You can kill ten of my men and I kill only one of yours, even at those odds I will still win!” Doesn’t that speak for something in this country. They are born with what their parents and grandparents suffered. And it may never cease. The people od Vietnam stand up for their country…even if it’s not what the agree with.
This nation is hungry for a change. They want something better than what they have. They are oppressed by the tyrants who are controlling the nation. They are crying out. Vietnam needs Jesus!
Many people here have Jesus in their lives, but they need to learn how to share His great Love. They need people to come encourage them. It’s not about sending money. It’s not about sending a nice email. It’s about going into Vietnam yourself. They need believers to come alongside them and join them in their struggle to stand firm in the call they are called to. They need people to be there to build relationships with. They need the Church to be there with them.
The Harvest is ready here in Vietnam, they just need workers. Even the committed Christ Follower that I am, I still have not even scratched the surface of the working crew that work underground. They are there, I know it. But they need more of the Church to join them in this great battle of the spiritual strongholds of Vietnam. The youth, just like in America are seeking out the things greater than themselves. I heard that 60% of the population in Vietnam is under the age of 40! The time is now to labor for this great cause! The Kingdom of God!!
I have no idea if I would ever go back. The cheesy answer of “I will go if the lord calls me back!” is all I can give you. I love Vietnam. I love it’s people. I love the encouragement I have received. I love it’s faith in something greater “out there”. I have seen the fire of the u/nderground Ch/urch. I have seen the power of prayer as the sex-trafficking has decreased in our hotel. I have heard story after story of deliverance from the oppression here. The youth are looking for something greater than the dark past of the war. It wasn’t about them. They are studying just to open up an opportunity for that “something more” to pass their way. They know they can have a better life than selling phone cards on the street. They know that the past is the past and their generation needs to press into what’s in front of them and not be held down by the brokenness of the past.
Jesus is here in Vietnam, it’s just not everyone has met him yet…that’s all!!
