We were walking down Pasteur St. in the core of district 1; a fascinating blend of the traditional and the new. We passed by little Vietnamese shops and tall modern shopping complexes, international businessmen or travelers, and local families and street vendors.
My prayer was that God would help me to see this area the way that He does. That He would open my eyes and heart and enable me to pray powerful prayers that would impact these people and this place.
We hadn’t been walking only a few minutes when I looked up to the second level of some of the stores. It was a row of tiny dilapidated apartments with bars on the windows and doors. There was a small sign that said “Spa” with an arrow pointing down a dark hallway. I knew without a doubt that women were trapped behind those bars and forced to do awful things in order to survive. It was so obvious in a hidden sort of way and my heart ached for them. I prayed, God, break down these prison wallsand meet these women in the dark, scary, and lonely places.
As we continued to walk, we passed through a very Vietnamese market. There were hundreds of vendors crammed under little tarps and canvasses selling produce, pirated dvds, meat, flowers and knock-off clothing. We’ve learned that here in Vietnam, people work extremely long hours (12-16/day) doing menial tasks, in the blazing heat and earn very little. Old men and women sit as still as possible to avoid expounding any energy while their grandbabies crawl around on the ground. They look so lifeless, so tired. I offered a smile to brighten their day as I walked by, and I realized that these people are trapped too. They have no education, no choice and no hope. So I prayed, God, break down these prison walls.
As we were leaving the market, a beautiful assortment of tropical flowers caught my eye and I stopped to admire them. A couple of young women, wearing traditional cone hats, were pruning and arranging the blooms in buckets of water. I was reminded of this passage in Matthew 6:
If God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.
I prayed that these beautiful daughters of the Lord, would know that they are loved and cared for infinitely more than how they care for those flowers.
That afternoon, he allowed me to see people and places the way that He does. He broke my heart for the reality in Vietnam, but also allowed me to see that there is hope. People are trapped by a government that doesn’t allow freedom of religion; they’re trapped in a way of life where they can’t see how valuable they really are. Many people here have never heard of Jesus or the hope that He can bring to their lives. That’s what we’re praying for; for Vietnam, that the Holy Spirit would invade this place. That Christianity would be allowed, that churches will grow, and that people will come to experience the love of Christ. God, break down these prison walls.
