Vietnam Recap- Wow- can’t even believe i’m recapping Vietnam already!
Vietnam surprised me. I honestly didn’t have a lot of expectations for Vietnam, nor did I know what to expect. I just knew it was going to be humid and it didn’t disappoint! My time there felt so short. I feel like I say that every month but I’m coming to realize that these few short weeks we have in each country are even more of a reason to jump right in and not waste any time getting to know people.
We flew from Sofia, Bulgaria to Moscow, Russia and then to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. As soon as we got to Vietnam we took a taxi to the bus station and then jumped on a 20-hour sleeper bus to Danang which is where we spent our month. Total travel time from Sofia to Danang = 48 hours!
Day one we met our host and went straight to English Club. We met some amazing people that night who we got to spend lots of time with throughout this month. One of our main tasks this month was helping with Merry Christmas Danang (M.C.D. as they say). We began by creating masks and stapling candy canes to cards to hand out. We also decorated stockings and wrapped presents for the set. A lot of behind the scenes tasks but definitely things that needed to be done and we were more than happy to help!
Once the production began, we were all put in charge of make-up. So, we did about 100 peoples make-up! We had to do it for the dress rehearsal, and then all 3 shows! It was so much fun! Once the show started we each had different jobs that we were in charge of. Tasks like sound, lighting, microphones, helping with the children’s choir and the deaf choir, and then just being stage hands for whatever was needed. For the second show they needed someone to fill in on stage in the beginning scene to put up decorations, so I volunteered, which was so fun!
This year the theme was How the Grinch Found Christmas. They write their own script, so it had the story of Jesus woven into it. Honestly, M.C.D. is a miracle. The government has approved it for the last seven years even though it shares the story of Jesus. In the end 4 people gave their life to Christ which makes all of the tasks worth it.
Something that was unique, was that a good portion of the choir singing the Christmas songs are not Christians. They sang the words and heard the Christmas story and then we got the opportunity to share even more with some of them over coffee dates and just hanging out. We met the choir members because we went to choir practice and got to sing with them. Team Submerge loves to sing so it was a great month for that!
Another part of our month was getting to know the people from English Club. I met so many that I can’t even begin to describe all of them but Vietnamese people are so very kind. We had two different English Clubs that we would go to and just play games with them and hang out.
Fast forward to now- We just had team changes. Our new team name is Sozo. In this book that I’m reading titled “1,000 Gifts” there is a part that talks about Sozo. It says “Sozo means salvation. It means true wellness, complete wholeness. To live sozo is to live the full life. Jesus came that we might live life to the full; He came to give us sozo.”
left to right: me, Emily, Matt, Morgan, Hunter and Kat
This new team is a co-ed team and we had words like power, life, adventure, etc. spoken over us and we are embracing each word and trying to live that full life together in community. I was asked to be the team leader which is super humbling but this team makes it easy- they are amazing! It was hard though to say good-bye to team Submerge, although 3 of us mergies are still together!
We are currently in a village in Kampot, Cambodia (Month 5). We will be teaching English this month and partnering with Vuthy and Youth Development Center. Keep Vuthy and this ministry in your prayers!
- That God goes before us and prepares the hearts of those we will encounter in Asia.
- Abundance and growth for the ministries that we will be partnering with.
- That God continues to work and magnify His greatness through the people He has faithfully planted here.
Charla
