Hi there,
Hope this post finds you well! Vietnam is a beautiful country. The people there are super kind and gentle. One challenge that we had to maneuver is that it is a closed country. What this means is that we couldn’t share the good news openly to a Vietnamese or convert them. Even with posting this blog, we must be cautious with our word choices. But it is okay to be a Christian in the country.
The consequences for sharing the good news openly could lead to:
Being reported to the police.
Taken to prison.
Get kicked out of the country.
A stronghold of this country is that they hold high values in temples, statues and idolatry. These things were just about everywhere where we went.
Despite having these challenges, God is still so powerful and is always at work. My team and I still got to make an impact and plant seeds there. Our goal in this country had to be creative. Different ways that we got to be fruitful were through actions, relationship building and manual labor. Also when opportunities arose we got to share the gospel with Vietnamese people. Sometimes we got to share the Good News with people we knew wouldn’t cause any problems, which were foreigners.
The church that we got to help with has taught us a lot. The vision of the church is giving the gospel, gathering the Nations and growing the Kingdom. Community oriented and spiritually filled is what represents this church. Many of the members that go there do some form of volunteering in the community to help people that need Jesus and love. What a blessing it is to witness God’s unstoppable work all across the world. This church also needs to have discernment so that they don’t get caught. The pastors at this church set a good example for future generations to not be afraid even in a closed country. God opens a window when the doors are closed. God’s stronger than any situation, laws and regulations! Matthew 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. This church lives out this verse very well even with the challenges that they face. They opened our minds to new ways of shining the light into the broken world! This has encouraged me and increased my passion for international missions.
Ps I am still fundraising. If you feel lead please click this link to donate: https://adventuresinmissions.servicereef.com/events/adventures-in-missions-3/jan-2024-world-race-expedition-11-months/participants/shaylin-anderson
you can also Venmo me @yumei-a
prayer request:
Health among the squad
Safety
Energy to finish strong
Steadfast
Boldness
Wisdom
With Love,
YuMei
I want to first comment on A rejected heart that needs Jesus – (it’s closed to comments now) It was impactful to read about how we all in many ways feel rejected and some of the many ways you’ve experienced deep and very painful rejection. Yes, Jesus will NEVER reject or abandon us. What comfort! The image I have in my mind is of a father who loves his child deeply (God) running to give the prodigal son (me) a huge bear hug and I’ve got a shiny new, big and gaudy ring on with an expensive cape around me, in this bear hug where I feel accepted, safe and loved.
I’m glad you got to see ways God was at work in Vietnam despite it being a closed country. I just recently red a book by the Voice of the Martyrs that highlighted the persecution 8 specific believers experienced because of their beliefs. One story was from a believer in Vietnam who sufferred horribly for her faith. The danger is real. But God is bigger!