Vietnam:Fire and Light

Vietnam…
It is so hard to capture what has transpired in these last two weeks. To say it
has been challenging is a severe understatement. Each moment was an isolated event. One moment was full of painful realizations. Several hours later, another would bring
you exuberant joy. I found myself waking
up in the morning to days that were full of uncertainty. I never know what will happen, when it will
happen of if it will happen. Time,
privacy, personal space, quiet, calm and stillness were all luxuries. Luxuries I no longer have. Relationships are beautifully orchestrated by
the Lord; meaning, we were all acting as iron  sharpening one another. So many times in the midst, all I saw were the
sparks and heat needed to soften the metal so it can be shaped and formed to be stronger. The theme for
Vietnam has been fire and light. Continually, we are hearing from the Lord about these two elements. To the people of Vietnam, we are light
bearers meant to start a fire of revival which is so desperately needed in this country. Many prayers and prophetic words have been
spoken over this place and this people.  

 

 The application of these elements to our squad is probably the more
challenging situation. We have seen parts of ourselves and teammates that are not
as they should be. Issues and dark
places within us all have been brought into the light. We have also been affirming the places where we see God shining through.  The environment we lived in was oppressive. We stayed in a hotel that was used for sex trafficking every night.  It was hard being the only light in that dark place.  Every night we were praying for the girls and men went into those rooms.  Tara Bruce was so broken for one of the girls that she met and angry at the situation she was in and decided something had to be done.  Fire in the Night. As a squad, we joined to together to intercede for these girls and the men. We prayed, worshiped, read scripture, claimed God’s promises, expressed our prayers through art, and all out fought the enemy with everything we had in us.   To read more visit Tara Bruce’s blog.

 

 

Our other ministry focused on college students.  We had some awesome translators who took great care of us.  They would take us to the universities where they studied. We would meet students, try to get to know them and share the love of Christ at the same time.  I lost track of all the universities that we visited. Trust me there were a  lot.                                                                                  

      Also, we had the chance to visit an orphanage.  Many of the children there suffer from cerebral palsy.  Our purpose was to  just love on the kids, so we would  take their pictures, play with them, and pray over them. 

 

 

 

 

Even though it was tough at times. We made good friends and made many great memories.    I will always be thankful for my time in Vietnam.  I learned how to fight spiritual oppression. The Lord drew me closer to him through intercession.  Also, I learned how thankful I am for my family and friends.  They rallied around me when they heard I was having a rough time. Thanks to everyone for the e-mails, comments and messages.  I wish you could see how you lifted my spirits. God used you to give me strength to keep going.