Vietnam-
What an experience.
It started with a whirlwind of emotion. And a lot of change.
As we entered the ministry month we were experiencing so many new things together. We had new teams, a new country, a new culture, and a new ministry.
My new team (as of the middle of December) is Team Mosaic. 7 young women from a large array of backgrounds and with vastly different personalities coming together in the name of God to share his unconditional love.
Vietnam is a county where currently it is not illegal to be a Christian, but it is illegal to evangelize or spread the gospel from a foreigner to a local.
This was a vastly different experience than in Africa.
On the first day our host who runs a beautiful center in a rural area that teaches English and music to the surrounding community. He gave us a brief presentation at the beginning of our stay and through him, I learned so many things.
- Christianity has been accepted varying degrees in the last 50 years….
- Going from being completely outlawed- our host’s father was thrown in jail for 5 years and our host served a brief amount of time as well
- To being a completely open country and previous world race teams were able to speak openly in church services by sharing a message or testimony
- Now only locals can speak Gods word to locals and foreigners cannot share their beliefs openly
- Even when you are a pastor or work for a church in Vietnam it is still made difficult, especially in the rural areas. A pastor who wishes to set up a church must be married to a local in the area and the church must be built on his personal property, it cannot be built on land that is different than the pastor’s house.
- He also helped us understand how one is able to survive and provide for their families while still being a part of a non-profit. He has his masters and works remotely as a bible translator. That job allows him to keep the center completely free while he is able to care for his wife, 2-year-old daughter, and now newborn son 😀
- Throughout our time there we also visited and were welcomed with so much hospitality that we did always know how to accept.
- We were asked if we like coca-cola in one conversation while visiting one of the volunteers in his home, we said yes only to have him disappear and return with cokes he had just run into town to buy for the 7 of us.
- Another time we invited for a snack after a Christmas eve service… only have the table loaded with more snacks and sugar- we thought we were staying for a while but turns out we had to leave after only a few mins yet they brought out about 10 different types of snacks.
- Lastly, we learned to be careful with compliments… I had told another volunteer that I was a fan of her mother’s outfit. Her immediate response was…” oh really, I think that I have a shirt like hers at home that I can give you”
- I have never experienced a culture with such overwhelming genuine hospitality as I have there… to the point that the one time we visited a home to spend time with one of the young women she shared with me later how deeply saddened that she was that she wasn’t able to offer us snacks or tea.
- As we learned about the amazing people we were working with, as well as the kids we were teaching, we also got a look into what a shame honor culture really looks like. One of the volunteers at the center has fallen from his father’s graces and lost the respect of his family because he chose to leave his job to volunteer and serve with the kids at the center. In a culture that is so deeply rooted in family he struggles every day with his decision to follow Christ and the ramifications that has on his wife and future children.
While I could go on and on about this month, about the woman who ran the coffee shop across the street, about the kids whose parents owned the shop we bought snacks at, about the teenagers who came regularly to English club and quickly found their way into our hearts, but my last thing that I want to share is two pieces of advice that our host gave that will stick with me.
- He told us a story of how he left and got his masters in Thailand and had job opportunities all over the world including in America, he asked his dad what he should do as he was struggling to decide. His dad had asked him what God had put on his heart… which our host knew was to go back to Vietnam and work with his community and the local people.
- To which his dad replied… then why are you asking me?
- Sometimes we overcomplicate things.
- The second piece of advice is something he feels very strongly about instilling in the next generation. Our host has many different talents and passions… English, Music, and working with children.
- A lot of people believe you have to leave all our hobbies behind to serve God in a selfless way, but the reality is that God gave you passions for a reason. Each person with a unique set of talents who all have a place in this world. Not everyone has to be a pastor, a missionary, a teacher… you can use your talents to spread Love in so many other ways.
Keep your eyes peeled because a blog on my time in Cambodia is coming very soon.
