Hello Friends!
This month I am living in Da Nang City, Vietnam! Our squad flew into Ho Chi Minh City (previously known as Saigon) on the 3rd of April where we spent two nights in a hostel before taking a long bus ride here to Da Nang (pronounced “duh-nong”).
Da Nang is a cool little city that sits along the northeastern coast of Vietnam. We are staying within walking distance from the South China Sea, and a short drive away from Monkey Mountain where the U.S Air Force and Marine base was located during the war.
Ministry-Fisher’s Superkids
My team and I are working with a school called Fisher’s Superkids. It is one of the largest and most reputable English schools in Da Nang with around 1,700 kids. They go to their Vietnamese schools during the day, and come to Superkids to learn English in the evenings and on weekends. We work at their three locations and get to greet the kids at the door, teach 90 min classes, and help out the staff. All of the teachers at Superkids are expats who have come from other countries to teach ESL. They work alongside Vietnamese partners (VP’s) to create a fun and comfortable learning environment for the children. It has been a lot of fun getting to know the kids and helping them practice their English through conversations, silly songs, and games.
Living in Vietnam
Being in a closed country has been challenging. It is hard being around so many kids at the school and to not be able to share the Gospel with them or tell them they are loved by the Father. Coming from Madagascar where we were praying with people and openly sharing everyday-to here, where we are constantly being watched or listened to has been quite the adjustment. This month I am learning what it truly looks like to be the hands and feet of Jesus without using words. My human mind feels so restricted and helpless, but God keeps showing me the infinite ways he can use me to touch people’s lives:
Smiling- smiling at people here is like giving them $100. Seriously. Their face lights up because you simply made eye contact and made them feel seen.
High fives-kids at the school and men and women on the streets LOVE high fives. It is a simple sign of affirmation that again lets them know that they matter.
Acts of service-these people work so hard every single day. They are shocked (and sometimes reluctant) when I offer to help carry out their daily tasks. When lifting a box, washing dishes, or helping make a bed free of charge is not the norm, it makes people ask the question “what is it that makes her different?”
Saying “hello” -even if they don’t know English… they know “hello”. And similar to smiling and hi fives, it can brighten someone’s day.
Living in Vietnam can be challenging for a believer. But I see it as an adventure. To love people unconditionally despite the circumstances. To fully rely on the Holy Spirit to guide my every move, thought, and word. Living in Vietnam has convicted me and taught me that if I can be used to do Kingdom work in a country with a Communist government, there is no excuse for holding back at showing people Jesus’ love in the U.S.
What’s Next
On the 24th all of the teams staying in Da Nang will once again make the long bus ride back to Ho Chi Minh City for debrief. We will spend our last week in Vietnam filling up and fellowshipping as a squad before moving on to Cambodia on May 1. We will also be having team changes at the end of debrief. Please be in prayer for my new team as we enter into month FIVE (can you believe it?).
Got any question? Comments? Concerns? Prayer requests? Leave a comment or email me anytime! I LOVE hearing from you! And as always, thank you so much for following alongside me on this Kingdom journey. You guys are the best!
xx
Ali
