GOOD MORNING VIETNAMMMMM! **read this in a Robin Williams voice
For the past month I’ve been living life in Da Nang, Vietnam. This month, our ministry was “ATL,” or, “ask the Lord.” This means that we had no formal ministry host and instead, we woke up each morning and prayed, asking the Lord what we should do. This spurred a lot of spiritual growth, both for my team and for myself.
Here’s the thing: living a Holy Spirit led life, dependency on God, an intimate relationship with Christ, and denying our personal work ethics to do what the Holy Spirit tells you is very counter-cultural for Americans. We pack a lot of worth and value into creating success for ourselves, therefore creating an expectation that the more we accomplish and have control over, the more successful our day was.
Living a Holy Spirit led life, investing in relationships with people, and prioritizing quality connection with God is of high importance to me. I came on the World Race to discover what true intimacy with God is like. My ministry time in Vietnam helped me learn how to live my life missionally.
A few of the lessons I learned throughout my month:
- I need to uproot my expectation that work = success. I can spin my wheels all day, trying to make something happen. But the power to build the kingdom doesn’t come from my own work, it comes from conviction and divine appointment.
- I’ve lived the majority of my adult life with a very deeply rooted fear of losing control of things, and that fear has manifested in my behavior (example: the lesson above), how I interact with people, and most importantly in my relationship with Christ.
- Evangelism is living by example. Isn’t that what Jesus did? He lived His life, and shared stories along the way that outlined how we should live.
- Faith and conviction aren’t limited. The Holy Spirit doesn’t move from 9AM to 5PM, nor strictly on Sunday morning. It’s a shocker, I know.
This month, my team got to help with a play called “Merry Christmas, Da Nang!” We were partnered with a local agency, and helped them with their biggest event of the year – the Christmas play!
We all know the story of the Grinch, a green old man that doesn’t like gifts, singing or holiday cheer. So this year’s play put a spin on the story – how the Grinch found Christmas. The Grinch began stealing gifts, but the townspeople still made Christmas come. The Grinch then discovered that the gifts & decoration don’t matter. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ, and the Grinch learned that the spirit of Christmas and God’s love changes your life once you hear about it.
Vietnam is closed to Christianity, and this play serves as an opportunity to share the Gospel with hundreds of people. It was very successful in that, as I had multiple people come up to me after the play, asking: “What is the true meaning of Christmas?” & “What does hallelujah mean?”
The play was loads of fun, and was incredibly successful in sharing the gospel with the people of Da Nang. My part in the play was to operate a large spotlight, and do makeup for the cast & choir.
I am incredibly thankful to have met these people, and know these places. I will look for an opportunity to return here someday. The culture is rich, the food was incredible, and the Vietnamese people were incredibly kind and welcoming.
Overall, a successful month in Vietnam!
