A Recipe for Vietnamese Ministry
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ministry Time: Approximately 2 hours
Yields: Hearts open to Christ and Countless praises to the King of Kings!
Ingredients:
- 1 small classroom (you may substitute a living room or bedroom if you are out of classrooms)
- 1 ceiling fan
- 42 small Vietnamese children who want to learn English
- 1 pack of 3×5 index cards
- 1 off-brand sharpie
- 3 bags of gummy hamburgers
- 6 ready-to-go English songs about Jesus
- ½ translator (whole translators are usually out of stock or very expensive)
Directions:
- Prepare index cards the night before. Use off-brand Sharpie to label each card, A-Z.
- Heat classroom to approximately 90 degrees.
- Cool slightly with ceiling fan.
- Slowly mix 42 Vietnamese children into classroom over a period of 30 minutes.
- Allow 5-10 minutes of playtime.
- Stir in 2 songs about Jesus, until children are fully engaged.
- Add 1 more song for extra flavor.
- Fold in ABC index cards, handing one to almost every child.
- Sprinkle a few dashes of translator as you explain your ABC activity’s directions.
- Pour in 1 more song about Jesus.
- Sprinkle remainder of translator as you explain “Around the World” ABC game.
- Take two gummy hamburgers and reward winner.
- Dump the remaining bags of gummy hamburgers into the hands of the 42 Vietnamese children.
- Carefully place the last 2 Jesus songs on top.
- Play with children for 30-40 minutes, until your heart is fully melted.
- Enjoy!
…that was the basic ministry concoction for the month of March. My team and I lived in Ho Chi Minh City (previously known as “Saigon”), Vietnam. Our team was split up for ministry, so we wouldn’t draw attention to ourselves. (Vietnam is a closed country, meaning that we couldn’t freely talk about God and we had to be careful not to expose local ministries.) Each day Nikki and I would take the public bus to a little no-name Christian orphanage in District 8, and spend a few hours teaching English and playing with 42 sweet Vietnamese children.
Teaching English has been a big part of ministry during my World Race, which was something I didn’t expect. I think God planned it that way for a reason. I left the United States with an unfinished Master’s degree in education, unsure if teaching was truly a passion of mine. However, the more opportunities I’ve had to teach, in a variety of countries and cultures, the more my love for teaching has grown. I know a lot can happen in the remaining 5 months of my World Race, but my heart feels confirmed that teaching is a gift God has given me and I hope to use it in the future to glorify His Name.
God, thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach those sweet children in Vietnam. Thank you for their joy and open hearts. Thank you for the skills you have provided me with to teach, not only about English, but about You. Thank you for helping me recognize my passion for teaching. Guide my future steps as I pursue Your will for my life.
