I was a little nervous when I found out we would be staying in Ho Chi Min City this month. I am by no means a “big city” type of person, so the first few days here were rough. I was starting to get anxiety just stepping outside. Trying to cross the street is absolutely crazy! It became more of a game of frogger…just trying to dodge scooters, buses, and cars that do NOT stop for pedestrians.
The first few days in Vietnam we had a small leadership conference led by our alumni squad leaders. One of the leaders spoke on how the practice of perspective can keep us balanced. I decided from that moment on to shift my perspective. I would not let this city consume me, and I’m happy to say that it didn’t! Quite the opposite really, I truly loved this month, and the people I came to meet.
Last month our team prayed for a relational based ministry, and we got exactly what we prayed for. We have been teaching English to college aged students, and also participating in park ministry. Vietnam is a closed country, which means it is illegal to share the gospel or be a “missionary”. So when I say park ministry, I mean sitting in the park and waiting for someone to come along who wants to practice English, which happens a lot.
The first person I want to talk about is a man that I met in the park. He is a refugee from Afghanistan basically going from country to country for one month until his visa runs out, and he is forced to move. He is desperate to find a country that will actually accept him, so he no longer has to keep wandering. He had to flee Afghanistan because his father and brother were killed by the Taliban, and he was afraid for his life. I ended up meeting with him most afternoons before he was forced to leave Vietnam.
It’s easy to sit at a distance, and judge a situation when it doesn’t directly affect you. I’ve been guilty of this myself. But when you come face to face with someone who had to flee their home literally to save their life your perspective changes. Even though there was a language barrier (shout out to google translate), we were able to communicate. I was able to share Jesus. Instead of being afraid of how he would respond, I simply told him, “Jesus changed my life, and because you’re my friend I want you to know that.” He didn’t accept Jesus in that park, and that’s okay. I do not consider that a failure.
The next person I want to talk about is a woman named Jessica. I met her on the first day of ministry, and she immediately had so many questions about God. She is not a Christian, but it was so evident that she was searching for Him. My teammate, Donovan, and I were able to meet with her a few times to discuss her questions. She asked some hard questions, questions I’ve even asked myself before. “Does God really care about me?” “How can He hear my prayers when there are so many people in the world?” “Do I really matter to Him?” The conversations with Jessica became my favorite moments of this journey. When something we said really “clicked” in her mind, her face lit up with excitement and pure joy.
I have always been afraid to share my faith. I never wanted to be perceived as “pushy” when it came to sharing the Gospel. I was always afraid a question would come up that I wouldn’t be able to answer, so I never wanted to put it out there. In a country where I’m not technically allowed to share my faith, I did just that. Sharing my faith no longer scares me, my perspective has shifted.
Jesus changed my life, and it is no longer a burden to share that with others. Finally finding my voice has brought me so much freedom! Vietnam will always be a special place to me because of that.
Offline English Club with Jessica
Sunshine English Club
