Each day here in Ho Chi Minh is really different. We are
involved in a variety of ministries including intercession, prayer walking,
practicing English with University students, feeding handicapped children,
visiting AIDS patients, and partnering with local churches. Each day brings
different ministries and schedule so here is just a tasted of what a typical
day might look like.
6:30 a.m. Intercession
We
have an intercession team meeting every morning to pray over the city, over our
ministry, and over our squad. The Lord is really developing in me a heart for prayer and intercession. It’s amazing because back in May the Lord brought me to this quote “In essence there is only one thing that God asks of us- that we be men and women of prayer, people who live close to God, people for whom God is everything and for whom God is enough.” ~Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel and now I can see Him changing me into a woman of prayer.
8:00 a.m. Travel to the University
Traveling to the University first
requires crossing several streets in order to get to the bus station. This is
no easy
task once you see the traffic in Ho Chi Minh. There are 8.5 million
people in this city and most of them drive motos. The sea of motorbikes swarm
towards you, but we have learned from watching the locals that if you step
slowly and carefully into the stream of traffic that the motos will swerve
around you the way water moves around a rock in the river bed. After one
crowded public bus and more walking, we arrive at the University courtyard. We
spend the next couple of hours just talking with students who speak English.
The students in Vietnam are very friendly. They love the opportunity to
practice English with native speakers (most of them study English, but get
little conversational practice). It’s so much fun to learn about the country and about theses students lives.
11:30 a.m. Lunch, coffee, and Bible study with our
translator
After our morning at the University, it is time for
lunch. This most often means we’re eating Pho, Vietnam’s favorite dish. Pho is
a noodle soup with either beef or chicken and you are given an entire tray of
spices and sauces to flavor it. It’s really delicious! One of my favorite
things is getting to spend time with the translators, hear their stories,
encourage them, and study the Word with them. My group sat with Fu-Ga at a
small coffee shop and
prayed, studied from Hebrews and Isaiah, and shared our
testimonies with one another. I love to see the body of Christ come together
from across the nations. And of course our lunch break wouldn’t be complete
without Vietnamese coffee! The coffee here is unlike coffee I have had anywhere
else in the world. First you get almost a little mini French press over your
cup that creates this thick almost tar-like coffee. Next you had a little cup
of sweetened condensed milk to the coffee. Finally you pour the mixture over
ice. It’s really tasty! And the best part is that you can buy it from
street-side stands from less than 50 cents.
2:00 p.m. Visiting Orphans
My favorite ministry here in Ho Chi Minh is
visiting the home for abandoned and handicapped children. I love holding and
loving babies who are so desperate for affection. My heart cries out for them.
I love to speak truth over them. I am learning more about the Lord’s heart to be a Father to the fatherless as He brings me to sing of His love over these precious children. I really could just do this everyday that I am here in Vietnam. To read more about this ministry,
5:00 p.m. Exploring Ho Chi Minh’s street markets and
shops
It’s always interesting to go exploring in the city!
You never know what new places you are going to find. Also, getting around
Vietnam is always an adventure when all you can say is “hello” in Vietnamese
and very few people speak English. Steph and I went exploring one afternoon. We
wandered through art shops and street vendors. We walked and walked until the
road appeared to bridge up onto a highway. We were about to go home when we
noticed a little alley market. We decided that this is the perfect place to explore. We began wandering by the small stands filled with unrecognizable foods. We stopped to stare at a small fuzzy fruit/nut (we still aren’t sure which). The tiny, elderly Vietnamese man running the stand begins to hand up food to try. It’s actually quite good. I will be returning here to buy more foods that I have never seen before. It’s all part of the adventure!
6:30 p.m. Team Meeting
Kiatera has been meeting together every day to eat, share stories about our day’s ministry, pray together, and just
enjoy being with our family. The Lord has really given me a love for these ladies. Coming together with my team each day is like coming home at the end of a long day. They provide a place where I can find peace, where I can share my burdens, and where I am challenged to dive deeper into intimacy with the Lord.
7:30 p.m. Squad Worship
One of the best parts about having our whole squad here is being able to come together and worship our God. We sing, pray, claim Scripture, and just praise the Lord because He is good! The Lord is meeting us here and His Spirit is falling among us. We are falling more in love with Jesus and we praise His name.
2:00-3:00 a.m. Prayer Covering
Each night we are covering our hotel in prayer. We are praying for the hotel staff and for the men and women engaging in prostitution on the bottom floor of our hotel. We are reclaiming this as the Lord’s territory. We are crying out for an end to prostitution, for redemption, for these women to know their true value. Each night, every hour we have two people who are covering this place in prayer. The Lord is moving in our prayers.
This is just a quick look at our life here in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Every day is different, but this gives you a little better idea of what we are doing this month. Expect more details from these ministries soon.
