“Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King I tell you.”
After a few very long travel days and far too little sleep, we finally arrived here in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, this past Monday evening! Vietnam is a far cry from El Salvador; a new country, a new language, a completely new culture, on a new continent, in a new time zone. To say we are still adjusting is quite an understatement. Before the World Race, I had only ever traveled outside the US to Jamaica. Asia, the literal other side of the world, was a place I have previously only ever dreamed of. These next two months in Vietnam and Cambodia were the countries I chose our particular route on the Race for, and what I have been the most excited to experience. I keep saying to my teammates “I feel like I’m in a movie,” and that’s the most accurate way I can describe our first few days here!
We are in the capital of Vietnam, the largest city in the country with. So. Many. People. (Thirteen million, to be exact.) The roads are crowded with more motorbikes than cars, and crossing the street should honestly be an Olympic sport. Vietnam is also technically still considered a communist nation. This puts a harsh image in our brains as Americans of war, destruction, and death. But really, in 2019, this means that the people of Vietnam are for the most part free, as long as they agree with the government. However, they are not free when it comes to religion.
Christianity is not illegal in Vietnam, but being a Christian missionary is. And since the whole point of Christianity is essentially to “make disciples of all nations,” to share our faith, this makes being a Christian in Vietnam very dangerous. This is why we have to password protect our blogs, why all my social media is now private, and why I won’t be sharing too many details about our ministry this month or especially our ministry host. However, there is no reason to fear for my safety, because as Americans, the worst that could happen is my team and I would simply be deported if discovered as missionaries instead of “volunteers” here to teach English, as we expressed on our visas. This would obviously put a damper on the rest of the Race, but to my family and friends, please don’t worry we are very safe here!
This month we are helping out during the day in a daycare for children who’s parents work long hours in factories and cannot afford childcare, and teaching English a few nights a week for children and young adults in the community. Our ministry host is an incredible Vietnamese man and his family who embody the love of Christ in everything they do. Our host felt called to start a daycare for his community after noticing how many young children were out wandering the streets all hours of the day, with no one to care for or look after them until their parents returned from work or their older siblings came home from school. The daycare is a ministry, in that our host and his family raise the funding to cover everything from the salary of their teachers on staff, supplies, the upkeep of the building, with the parents only paying for meals for their children who attend.
My first and lasting impression of Vietnamese Christians is how beautifully brave they are. I have always held a tremendous amount of respect for Christians in this very part of the world I am currently sitting in. These are the true martyrs, the Christians much of the Bible is addressed to. These are the people who put their lives on the line everyday; their families, their homes, their jobs, their entire livelihoods. And why? For the Gospel. Out of love for the Lord, and love for their neighbors. I have so much to learn from these courageous souls. Americans have so much to learn from these courageous souls.
This morning, my teammates and I went to church with our ministry host. And no, it wasn’t an underground building with a password required to enter. It was in the pastor’s home, where we sang and worshipped loudly and heard a passionate message from the pastor’s wife. (Though I didn’t understand a word of it!) On the way back home after, our host told us story after story of how many times in the last twenty years since this particular church began, the police have coming knocking, and taken every single member of the congregation down to the police station, questioning some, arresting others. He said for the last ten years, thankfully, the police have finally left them alone. They know the church is there and will sometimes still send in undercover officials to check on them. The church also has to keep the police updated on their plans or goals for the community. They also aren’t allowed to invite anyone to church. “We do it anyway,” our host told us and laughed.
I have found so much beauty in my first few days in Vietnam, but the most beauty lies in the hearts of the believers in this country. In our host, and his family, who walk the line everyday and risk everything they have to pray boldly, give generously, and love fiercely. Not because it’s how they were raised, not because it’s the “right” or “popular” thing to do, not because their community or culture encourages it. But because Jesus changed their lives and they can’t sit still about it. Because they would rather lose everything than sit on the best kept secret in the entire world.
Jesus is not safe. Nothing about the Gospel spells anything of safety or comfortability. But it’s good. It’s the kind of good that makes you crave the risky and the uncomfortable. I am walking into and will be walking out of Vietnam praying I may one day possess even an ounce of the courage of the Christians I have met here.
***
ICYMI, I have just $650 left until I am FULLY FUNDED!!! Fundraising has been the longest journey and one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I can’t thank every one of you enough who have so generously supported me, by prayer, by donation, by endless encouragement. I have felt every dollar donated, every prayer said profoundly and thank Jesus everyday for it.
My deadline to be fully funded is at the end of this month, so here comes another ask…I’m looking for 60 friends (I have 64 blog subscribers!!) who read this blog to donate just $11 to help finally fully fund me for the entirety of the Race! That’s only a Chickfila meal and a Starbucks right there!! If you feel led, please give whatever you’re able and help bring this miracle of an $18,200 the Lord has provided me with come to a close! You can donate directly here on my blog, Venmo me at @MalloryPrice, or by PayPal at paypal.me/malprice7 .
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
