This month my team does not have a contact, nor do we have a specified place or people to serve. This month, my team is seeking out the Unsung Heros of Viet nam.
What does this mean? It means we seek out like-minded people working in the communities who are working for the Kingdom with little to no help; financially or by way of man power. These Unsung Heros would potentially be contacts for future teams of Racers.
In meeting a contact at an educational center, Company of Grace, as Peter was telling us his life story (which I'll get to shortly), a three year old came army-crawling from around the corner with a soccer ball. His name means "Happy", so that is what they call him. At birth Happy had a stroke, so he could not use much of his right side, but this handsome little man got around with no problem. Starting from around the corner, he would roll the ball out to us, and laugh when we pushed it back to him. Happy slowly came out into the room with great determination for us to play with him. Since all five of my team were in the room to take notes, and I could still hear without giving my full visible attention to Peter, I gave myself permission to play!
Happy would roll the ball outside and I would chase it. If I acted as if I couldn't get it he would giggle. When I pretended (or, maybe a few times, actually) would trip over the ball he would crack up. If I happened to stop on the ball to stop it Happy would roar with laughter. Happy was just delightful…he was quite literally "Happy". Many times I would kick/roll the ball toward him and he would giggle. A couple times he didn't catch the ball in time and it may bop him in the nose, he didn't seem to mind. More times than I like to admit, I would completely miss even the general area Happy was in and he would just watch the ball roll by, but he didn't mind.
You see, almost everyone on my team LOVES soccer (aka futball)! I try to play; I get laughed at a lot. Its all in good fun and its fun for the kids. We play futball with most every slum and village we go into. This was different though, it wasn't me playing on a team of people who knew how to kick the ball to a specific area and it goes there, this was me, alone, the worst player on the team, and I was able to bring joy to a sweet little boy named Happy.
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Peter born in Viet nam during the war and was put into an orphanage because of polio. He remembers being so hungry at times because there wasn't enough food to feed all the children. There were many deaths in that orphanage, Peter was always afraid of waking to his bed neighbor being the next one. Right before the invasion of the North, there was an attempt to save many of the children in many orphanages called Operation Baby Lift. Peter was fortunate in that he was chosen to be one of these children. That day they were running late to get the 200 children to the airport and missed the flight; the flight they missed ended up losing the back carrier door and crashing killing most everyone on the plane. Peter was not on that flight. He was boarded on a flight to Australia, where he was soon adopted by an Australian family. He grew up with a good family and and good education. When old enough to realize, he started to become very bitter toward the fact he was different than everyone in Australia, he had been an orphan, and to the fact he was disabled. He hated the fact that when his friends and siblings would play sports, he had to sit on the sidelines.
At 18 Peter ran away from home. He got heavily into using and selling drugs. He was introduced to heroin and became heavily addicted, and extremely depressed. He decided to take his life. Because his body was so immune to the drugs, Peter says he took the equivalent of $1000 in one dose. In his pain, he cried out to his Maker; "if you're real, help me. Change my life and save me." Over the next five weeks Peter did not touch a drug. His roommates questioned him "how are you not hurting and in pain? You haven't done a drug in weeks, why are you not dying and in pain?" Peter knew his life was saved. Peter knew he had a greater purpose.
Peter ended up going to Bapt ist seminary. He knew he was to serve the one who saved his life, and this was the way to learn more about who his Creator is. After seminary Peter was offered many jobs as a min*ster, but none of them seemed to be the Maker's plan. The Maker told him to go back to Viet nam; a place Peter never wanted to return to, too many bad memories of the orphanage and starving and war and never feeling wanted by anyone. Peter obeyed.
The Company of Grace has an artist, and others, who make crafts to sell to raise money for the cause.
Peter now has a center devoted to building up disabled children to be capable and responsible adults. "It is not an orphanage" he says, "it is a school to let these children know they can make it, just like I did." (Peter has been in a wheel chair for many years now. Because of his polio, he had many falls on the crutches, which he had used since childhood, and became too weak.) In the center the children work on fine motor skills, muscle building, life skills and English, as well as learning things taught in mainstream school. His staff is 90% disabled, and he is raising them up as the next generation of leaders for this center.
Peter and the Company of Grace receive little outside support and will be visiting the States in the next year to find support partners. If you would like to know how you can support Peter and the Company of Grace please contact me for more information.
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I am in Viet nam right now which is a cl. Country. Please use caution in your comments.
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I am currently $2,250 away from being fully funded, please pr^yerfully consider supporting me!
