Praise Blog, 2013–2015

You can still bless a needy child this Christmas by partnering with us. We already were able to bless almost 100 orphans with a party, meal, toys and the Gospel thanks to donations from many of you and toys from Dr. Kevin Harrison.

For our second event, we will be handing out 150 care packages like the one below to children in a "Day Orphanage" near us. These are children who do not live with parents but who are being brought up by grandparents or other family members and spend the day at the orphanage but return home at night. Rather than toys or a party, we were asked to provide food and other items that could benefit the whole family. We still need to raise about $1000 to cover this.

If you would like to help us with a donation, you can donate through PayPal on our website, and indicate "orphanage" or send us an email stating you would like your donation to be used in this way. You can also mail us a check.

Thank you for your support and for your prayers. Together we are doing it! God Bless you!

Our scholarship outreach has been a great success – all thanks to your generous donations. We have been able to bless over 100 children with what they need to attend school for a year, both in the south of the country, where we are based, and in Central Vietnam, a region that has typically has been more closed to outside Christian ministry than the south. A total of 102 scholarships were handed out at four different events (three in the south and one in the central area) and we know that the Lord used this time to expose His love for all these events.

When we originally set the goal of raising enough to hand out 100 scholarships, we were really not sure how we would accomplish this – along with our regular fund-raising for the Bible college classes and other ministry expenses. But God knew how it would all turn out and because of you who so lovingly gave, we have been able to meet and succeed our goal. Praise God for a wonderful month of being Jesus to this nation and this generation.

Our first event was at the beginning of August, where we handed out the first 30 scholarships at a local government office. What was truly amazing was that they allowed me to share with everyone the love of Christ. When they called me up to speak, I spoke about how the Lord Jesus knew of their tough situation, saw each of them and heard their plea and has provided for them. I shared just how much He loved them and how He had a special plan for their life. No one was moving and not one person even blinked while I spoke. I am telling you the seed of the gospel was planted on such good ground that afternoon.

Our second event was also in the south where we were able to give 22 scholarships to needy children from our home church in the town we are located most of the time. These children are extremely poor and their families are all involved in the work of the Lord. Most of their parents are regular attendees at the 5:30 am daily prayer meeting, and almost all of them are actively serving in the worship services throughout the week. When we shared with the Pastors that we wanted to help them, a great shout of joy and celebration was heard for God had answered their prayers. We were able to gather the 22 kids that received the scholarship and share with them the importance of their education, and just how much the Lord loved them and wanted them to succeed. Then we prayed over them and for them as we handed out the gifts. What a joyous time.

For the third event, the Lord open a great door for us in Quang Ngai (in Central Vietnam) to bless over 20 children with school scholarships. While we were there, we had a half day Vacation Bible School where we shared Bible stories (I played Goliath), did crafts, learned songs, danced and preached the gospel. Over 40 children from this poor part of the country showed up and almost every single one of them raised their hand to ask Jesus in to their heart. We understand that they are young, but it simply blesses my heart how hungry they are to know and want Jesus. The following day we had an opportunity to preach and fellowship with the church we have been helping for years and then later that afternoon we were able to do a short time of teaching and training for about 20 pastors and leaders representing five churches in the area.

The fourth and final event was back in the south, near our home base, and the final 32 scholarships were handed out during a big ceremony, organized by the local government to celebrate the new school year and to recognize excellence at the school. I was the only foreigner there and we were so blessed to be introduced as Pastors in the area, who love the children. Pastor Hai (my father-in-law) spoke briefly about how blessed we were to be able to bless the community and that we pray continuously for our community and the well-being of the children. All the important government officials from the local and larger provincial area attended to celebrate this event. Only through God, and by all of us working together, could this have been accomplished. Amazing to realize how His glory and love shine through and cannot be restrained.

We send you all a very heartfelt “thank you”-- to everyone who gave to this effort, who prayed for this effort and who continues to pray that hearts and minds are opened to the love that is Jesus Christ

God Bless and we love you.

We left Atlanta and returned to Two Egg, Fl to help them with their Easter Holiday. Let me tell you a little about these people and this Church.

This was the very first church I pastored at when I was in Bible College. These folks love me and I love them dearly. They have become more like family to us over the years and have been faithful to pray for us and give whenever they felt the Lord was leading them to give

However for about a year now they have gone without a Pastor and their attendance had dwindled down to around 11 faithful believers. Lien and I felt called to take some time off from “Raising Support in order to help this small, faithful group organize an Easter outreach in their community. We held the event at one of the local parks where we were able to share the gospel with over 150 people, hand out 50 Bibles, and bless the families with over $400 worth of certificates for free food and rides at the park. God really blessed and encouraged us from it as well. We also assisted with a beautiful Easter Sunrise Service followed by a country breakfast and then, a powerful Resurrection Sunday Service.

You know I spoke of the folks that had become very near and dear to my heart, well they are. When I was their Pastor I felt as though they were pastoring me, for I was so young in the faith and just learning the deep things of God where they have walked with God for a long time and could outwit most scholars with their Bible knowledge. They helped me to become the man I am today and they continue to invest in our life through prayer and now monthly support. This church, without a Pastor and only 11 or so regular members, made a pledge for $100 a month toward our ministry. As one person shared with me recently, “It seems as though gifts frequently pour out from the widow and her two cents.” With brothers and sisters in Christ like this, we understand “Together we are doing it.”

Once we arrived home, we immediately began to travel to the various churches that had agreed to let us talk about God’s work in Vietnam in an effort to raise the additional support we needed to continue with the Bible Institute. We also had a few conferences through March, but nothing had yet been scheduled after March. So we planned on meeting our scheduled dates, while trying to arrange some additional ones. The very first Sunday we were up in Orange Park, Florida at a church plant called Watermark. Pastor Tim Larson and his wife Elisabeth were so gracious to us and we was so blessed to fellowship with them and share about all that God has done and is doing in Vietnam. The kicker is Elisabeth is from Vietnam and speaks fluent Vietnamese so we extended an open invitation for them to join us any time on the mission field. We were excited to have such a good start to our five month journey.

The following Sunday we were back up in Jacksonville at The Springs Church for two services and then journeyed all the way down to Lakeland at Northside Baptist Church’s evening service with Dr. Dan Yaw. What a busy, but wonderful day in the Lord it was. God really ministered to our hearts through each of the services and the generosity of both places. Dr. Yaw’s church sponsors over 36 missionaries each month. I love churches who take “To the Ends of the World” seriously. Praise God for Northside Baptist Church and all the churches that are just like it.

Lien and I had the opportunity to visit several other churches in Lakeland and share about Vietnam as well as preach. One Sunday morning I was preparing to get up and share, when all of a sudden the Spirit of the Lord came upon my heart making it difficult to do anything but share the burden he put on me. It was again from the book of Philippians where the Apostle Paul said, “For me to live is Christ”. As we stood there worshipping, the Holy Spirit overwhelmed me with how hard it had been for us the last several months and how so many Pastors and Christians around the world have suffered and died for the sake of Christ, and yet here in America we attach blessing and prosperity to the Christian life. I shared how as I slept on the floor at my Father-in-law’s house in Vietnam complaining about how hot, and uncomfortable I was, the Lord told me to look over at my Father-in-law laying on the ground next to me and asked me if I was better than him, then proceeded to ask me if I was better than Jesus, “For He did not even have a place to lay His head.” Again I answered no, and began to repent for my selfish actions. As I shared with trembling I realized to “Live is Christ” is to Dream other Dreams from the American one. For Christ did not come to live in luxury and comfort, but to sacrificially love and preach the “Kingdom of God is at hand!”

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”Philippians 1:21

We were up in Atlanta for almost 3 weeks and we visited some wonderful Churches and awesome folks. One of those wonderful churches was the Connection Church in Jonesboro, GA. whose pastor is Rev. Lance Sumner. Pastor Lance and his wife Deena opened there arms to us real wide as if they have known us forever. It was truly a God-thing and immediately they became dear friends. The Connection Church did not hesitate to add us as one of their missionaries that they pray for and support financially ever month. We were so blessed but on top of that Pastor Lance made a commitment to come in December to Vietnam and train the National Pastors on Pastoral Care. What an amazing blessing and a shot of joy so early in our time back.

We were in Vietnam for over 3 very productive months. Here are some of the highlights in terms of events and milestones while we were there:

• Three Christmas Outreaches
• A New Years Day Youth Rally
• The Bible Institute opened and completed the first class
• Nine Baptisms
• Over 44 new believers in all

We also had a chance to celebrate the TET Holiday before we left for home to raise our support in the middle of February. Let me share a little about TET. For most, the memory of the TET Offensive during the Vietnam War is still fresh in your mind and for some TET Holiday is an unknown. TET Holiday is basically the lunar calendar New Year or in other terms, Chinese New Year. It is the largest holiday in Vietnam. Everything shuts down two weeks before and about a week and a half after. It is an incredible time of cleaning, eating, celebrating, and fellowship with family and dear friends. Also, there is exchange of MONEY! If you are younger than another person that person has to give you what is called in English “Lucky Money”. It is just a symbolic gift to start off the New Year with blessing and hopes it leads to a very prosperous remaining year. We went with the Church to visit families and pray with them and their families. It was a wonderful time.

We left just a couple days following the holiday and our hearts were heavy with the thought of leaving all our family and friends in Vietnam, but knew we needed to get back to the States to raise the support we needed to continue the word we have been called to do. As we were preparing to leave I was having some health issues that seemed to be an attack from the Enemy. So I locked the door in our little room and started to pray and ask God to remove it and strengthen me. As I prayed, He spoke to me a Bible verse - Philippians 4:19 - which says “My God shall supply all of your needs.” I read it and began to weep as I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Paul’s God is your God, and it is your God who will meet all of your needs.” I erupted in worship and prayer and called for Lien to come in and pray with me as I shared with her what the Lord had just spoke to my heart. With all of the uncertainty as we were leaving swirling around our hearts and minds one thing we were assured of, “Our God will meet all of our needs.”

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ”Philippians 4:19

Before we left to come back state-side, we were able to baptize nine new believers who had completed the New Believer’s Class. There are 35 people in the current class who will be ready for baptism soon. What a glorious day in the Lord that will be!

For some who are not aware of our call to Vietnam, I will take a moment to clarify it and explain the process in which we have become missionaries to this special land at this special time. I have gone back and forth to Vietnam for several years and the Lord had impressed upon me years ago that the most significant thing that is lacking at this time here in Vietnam is adequate Bible Training for Pastors and Leaders. Then in 2012 the Lord called my wife and I to move here as full-time missionaries to offer the training needed. As I laid the calling down before the Lord, I really wanted to understand clearly what it was He was calling us to. So here it is.

One of the main purposes of SALM67 Ministries is to establish a Bible College/Bible Institute that eventually will be entirely operated by Vietnamese pastors. The Lord has supernaturally provided the land and facilities as well as the curriculum through a partnership with BTCP. In addition, Luther Rice Seminary has committed its help in teaching the curriculum and will offer a certificate of graduation to all students. Our very first class was scheduled to start in mid-January, and to show their support, a team from Luther Rice came over to help us get the institute off to a great start. What an incredible blessing it was to have this team travel nearly 36 hours to be with us - in good shape and ready to teach!

Our first day Dr. Ron Long, the missions director at Luther Rice and our key contacty for our partnership with the university, opened up the session with a word on behalf of the Seminary and the Lord. It was a powerful message that spoke of how the Word of God should be lived out in the life of the pastor. Dr. Dan Yaw (Pastor of Northside Baptist Church, Lakeland, FL), Dr. Dan Lewis (Chairman and Advisor for IAGM) and myself were the teachers for the first session on Hermeneutics - the study of how to properly read and study the word of God

As we taught through the three full days of the first session, it was amazing to watch the students hang on to every word from the mouths of their professors. In most schools and in most classes, students would be dropping off as the material they were studying became more difficult, but that was not the case here. We have a total of 20 pastors and leaders officially registered for this first class of the Institute, but on the first day more than 30 students showed up and by the last day, there were 36 students total. The additional people were coming just because they loved hearing the Word of God and learning how to read and study the Word of God. Just a testimony on how the Lord is moving on the hearts of the people here.

I had the honor of teaching the class on the Power of God’s word and it was amazing to be able to pour into the people of God the understanding of just how powerful God’s Word is and how important it is to preach that word accurately.This truth is well illustrated in this passage from Hebrews.

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”Hebrews 4:12

I spoke about how His word penetrates the hearts of those who hear it and how it causes a response. The author of Hebrews says, the Word is alive, it is active, it is sharp, it pierces and it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. When it is properly studied and powerfully preached, it causes some amazing things to take place in the life and heart of those who hear it.

The next three days we spent walking the students through their text books on how to read, study and apply the powerful word of God in their life and ministries. We believe whole heartedly this is the beginnings of a dream come true.

We have been so blessed to have been able to preach almost every Sunday since we have been back in Vietnam. Pastor Cuoc and Pastor Hai have been so gracious in allowing us to use their pulpit week in and week out in order to share the word of the Lord. For those who know me, know that preaching is my absolute favorite thing to do. I know we are here to train Pastors and Leaders and I am fully aware that I should not be too involved with the daily routines of the Church, but I just can’t help it. I love the Church and I love giving the Lord’s Church a word from God. Not only am I allowed to preach sometimes up to 4 times a week, but there is always a response. People are coming to know the Lord at almost every service we have. It is an amazing thing to show up for worship services and spend 45 minutes before it starts with those who have never before heard the Gospel. Then they stay for Church and when the invitation is givrn, they respond to it by surrendering their life to the Lord. It is a powerful thing to watch God move in the life of these folks and in His body the Church. Up to this point there have been 43 professions of faith in Christ. Hallelujah! Jesus declared that, “if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32)

“My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”2 Chronicles 7:14

In America it is said the Church is declining and it is so obvious in the ways we see the lack of the Church's influence on society. It appears as though we have thought it best to conform to the likes and image of this generation so we would be attractive to them. What has happened is the Word of God has been compromised and Holiness has been pushed out of the way, leaving the Church of Jesus powerless in an evil day. Not so here, for God is still in the redemption business and it is so evident weekly and even daily. “Why is the Lord moving in such a powerful way here”, one might ask. I believe it is attributed to the daily morning prayer meetings at 5:30am that awakens the dawn with a cry to the living God to come down. The Church daily praises and lifts up the name of Jesus collectively and it simply overflows into power in every area of their being. For they are just crazy enough to trust God’s Word.

New Years Day is already upon us. It is so hard to believe that 2013 is all in the past. I praise God for the dramatic changes that have taken place in my life and in our ministry this past year. This past year presented a lot of ups and downs. I was able to experience some amazing gains in relationships and opened doors and yet experience some amazing loses in loved ones and closed doors. However throughout it all, I realized the hand of God upon my life and my family. Truly He is my Shepherd.

To celebrate the New Year, we had an amazing time of worship with the church youth group. It started out as an encouragement to the youth group on how to live in harmony as the body of Christ, but it ended up being much more. Several young people who had never heard the gospel before showed up and took part in fellowship. At the close of the message, the youth gathered in small groups to pray for each other for the New Year. These small groups gave the Christian youth an opportunity to share the Lord with the non-Christians, and as a result at least 2 prayed to receive Christ into their hearts.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”John 13:34

It was wonderful time in the Lord and a great way to start off the New Year. Jesus reminded His disciples of this.

We heard from the Pastors in Central Vietnam that with the food supplies, gift bags and Bibles we had sent earlier in the month, they were able to minister to so many people, the majority of whom had never even been to church. They went out to eight different House Churches around the region, where four people prayed to receive the Lord and over 60 attended Church, hearing for the first time in their life about a loving Messiah who came to bring them Salvation. The Pastors reported back with such jubilee because they had been given the resources to help some very needy people. We just praise the Lord!

The excitement of Christmas here in Vietnam is not for presents, toys, or something that you really could never use, but it is for the opportunity to openly share the Gospel with someone. As Christmas approached, we were saw so many people make decisions for the Lord, it was as if the door to reap the harvest of souls had been propped open. This trend continued into our Christmas Eve services. There were about 150 in attendance and so many came who had never been to Church before or heard of Jesus and the Good News He offers. The youth had been preparing for months for this service and they did a wonderful job clearly presenting the Gospel message and the Christmas story. We also had a Korean missionary, who has been in Vietnam for almost 15 years, preach the gospel message and the outcome was tremendous. There were 11 who prayed to receive Christ on this night.

During the invitation, the Christians that brought their friends or family members gently come to them and share the Gospel clearly to them again and ask if they wanted to make a decision. As the invitation was being given, one person walked up immediately, then a little boy who had been sharing Christ with his friend came up along with his friend to receive Christ. I looked across the room as so many believers were sharing with so many of their friends. The youth pastor who had been witnessing to all the construction workers at the Church was talking to one of them and his family. The man finally gave in and came forward and as he came to the front he clapped and celebrated as he was so excited. His whole family joined along and Pastor Cuoc gave an amazing example saying, “Today you are not only working on the Father’s house, but now you will live in His house for ever.” So many started coming up to make a decision and as I looked around I saw an elderly woman holding a little girl's hand. I could see the desire for a new life in her eyes as she looked upon the altar call. I wondered why no one was speaking to her and asking her to go up, then I grabbed her hand and pointed to the front, with teary eyes she shook her head yes. I began to walk her up front to the altar and she just passed me as she held the little girl’s hand oh so tight as they gave their hearts to Jesus.

Following the services we were able to hand out a DVD of the entire Bible to almost everyone. A brother in the Lord and his wife donated 100 DVDs for us to hand out and they were an awesome blessing to so many. We accompanied that with a brand new New Testament Bible and bags of candy for the kids. What an awesome time in the Lord!

“From a good thing to a God thing”Matthew 1:19-24

This year as we prepared for several different outreach events, we became excited to see something we have not yet seen in this area before - Christmas trees, lights, decorations, and even Santa outfits. We thought for sure this would be the best holiday outreach yet because so many have become interested in the Christmas holiday. The Sunday prior to Christmas, we had an amazing outpouring of God’s presence upon our hearts as I ministered through the Word of God. God had laid upon my heart a message concerning Joseph. Here is a little taste of it.

Joseph was engaged to Mary. Package deal. The Lord favored her to bring forth His son into the world. Future Wife goes away and comes back pregnant. Let us be real, this is 99.999% of the time bad news. Joseph was going to do a good thing, by divorcing her quietly but God interrupted and wanted him to do a God thing. Big difference sometimes between a good thing and a God thing. The difference is revelation from God concerning His word in your life. Let us look at the differences in Joseph's life between a good thing and a God thing

How will you be able to tell when you have transformed situtions in your life from a good thing to a God thing. In Joseph's life, it became all about the Savior and not him. Joseph is mentioned only one other time after Jesus's birth and it was when Jesus was in the temple preaching and His parents came looking for Him. The rest of his life is relatively unknown, but the decision he made to make a good thing into a God thing made it all about Jesus. When you think of Joseph, you think of Jesus the Savior of the world, That is a God thing! Can that be said about you? When people think of you do they immediately think JESUS?

When we finished preaching, the invitation was given to those being moved by the Lord to come and make the good things in their life God things. We also encourage those who did not know the Lord to come and pray to receive Him as Lord and Savior. The response was amazing. Truly the Lord is moving in this place.

Growing up poor in America you learn to do without so much including cable TV, telephone, the occasional meal, etc., but you always had the little things you never noticed. After coming back and forth to Vietnam over 11 times I realized how blessed I was growing up. We always had a bed and pillows when I was little. We for the most part had electricity, furniture, and clean running water. We even had dressers to put all of our clothes in. After being in a 3rd world country for some time you realize you are truly 95% richer the majority of the world. Living like they live has a tendency to wear on you. We have no furniture, no central A/C, no sanitary septic system, but you know that even though it is hard it is worth it. After a while however you begin to not miss the things that lavish a western home, but the things that go unnoticed. After several years of simply laying my books and Bibles on the floor, tonight I have this little wooden night stand that serves as the best source of material comfort I have ever known. No electronic gadget, nor Christmas morn toy has ever brought as much joy into this heart as this little piece of furniture that millions of Americans will not even notice as they leave their houses today. This night tucked away in this small fishing village in South Vietnam, this missionary is HAPPY to have a taste of home. Truly "The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want for nothing".

In a nation that is completely littered with rice fields, the harvest time comes in several different seasons. From what I have observed, however, the largest harvest season is the one we are in right now. As I ride Pastor Hai’s moto-bike around to different events, I have watched as these vast fields of green grass, like blades, stretch toward the sky. It is a beautiful sight to behold when the wind is gently blowing upon it, causing the blades of grass to sway to and fro. I have watched this past month as these bright green blades begin to turn light brown, a sign that they are ready for harvest. Just last week as I was riding to a near-by city, I watched as the reapers were coming through with their tools, machines and livestock to gather what they have sown. What a beautiful sight to anyone who has ever seen the laborers reaping their rewards. So it is in this Season of Christmas across this nation. It is time for the laborers to reap their Harvest.

After Typhoon Haiyan went through the Philippines, it was headed right toward Central Vietnam. What most people do not know is that at that time Central Vietnam was already experiencing severe flooding. In one of the poorest areas of this poor nation, any type of natural disaster is catastrophic in nature due to the fact that the people live in shed-like houses and eke out a meager living from their farms and rice fields. So when the flood hit, it wiped out all of their crops and put them in a bad spot for weeks to come. Then along came the Typhoon headed right for them. The largest storm ever recorded in history was about to make land fall when all of a sudden it turned sharp north and completely missed the region. The only effects Central Vietnam received from the storm were rain and of course it was the one thing the area really did not need.

So just like the fields that were turning shades to give an indication that it was the time for the harvest, so it was for the people of God. We needed to act and to act fast. We were able to partner with two Pastors in the region and gave them the necessary supplies to go meet the needs of the affected people. They were able to go and share the Gospel with them as they gave them 10-lb bags of rice that would feed their family for about 14 days. They then began to share with them that they would be offering more assistance to them, their friends, and other family members who are in need this Christmas. They were invited to come and partake in the Christmas celebration, which included the presentation of the Gospel, after which they would receive their gifts, supplies, food, and a New Testament Bible.

We raised support to send to these pastors 50 food bags for 50 families, and 100 gift bags for their Children along with 320 New Testament Bibles. Working together with the National Pastors we will be able to reap a harvest for the Lord this Christmas and truly it will be the largest Harvest season to date.

Christmas for so many will come and go and the only thing that has been altered is their bank account and blood pressure. However here in Vietnam, the Church has seen fit to use the Christmas season as an opportunity to reach those who have never heard the Gospel. We were able to participate in one of these events last week due to the kindness of several Korean business men, who live and work in Saigon, and donated gifts and goodie bags to the Church to distribute.

The Church saw this as a great opportunity to spread the message about Christ and His birth and was able to get approval from the local authorities to have a public outreach. Over 200 people showed up who had never previously been to Church or even heard the Gospel message. The Lord really blessed that night with a mighty showing of His gospel in many forms from dance routines, dramas, song, and the preaching of His word. It was an amazing time of Christ-centered outreach that blessed the people in every area. It was estimated that 30 people or so prayed to receive Christ at the invitation.

After the event, we were able to hand out the over 200 bags (donated by the Korean businessmen) consisting of food, shampoo, toothpaste, tooth brushes, flip-flops, silver ware, soap, back packs, and candy. It was truly a blessing to all of us to see the kids running around as though it was Christmas morning, and the adults looking through their bags in total disbelief over generousisy of any individual.

I have been blessed to be in ministry for over 12 years and I can remember some amazing times from the Christmas celebrations I have seen over the years, especially when we were blessing those who are less fortunate. I remember the trip to the projects that first Christmas when I was a youth pastor and seeing God do some miraculous things in the life of the youth group and those to whom we ministered. I remember going to Mexico and seeing extreme poverty like I have never seen before and watching God bring true joy in the midst of it. I remember year in and year out as a Pastor giving away Christmas toys for hundreds of families in our area and sharing the gospel with everyone of them. I will also remember this one. For it never ceases to amaze me how rich the Gospel message is when it is accompanied by generous love. When the Maker is honored the power of the Holy Spirit is welcomed, and when He is welcomed much is accomplished. Read this from Proverbs:

“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. ”Proverbs 14:31

It never ceases to be a blessing to me when I have the priviledge of witnessing first-hand how the Lord leads another person to Himself, for it is usually done in such a miraculous way. In Vietnam it is a custom for the ladies to go to the beauty shop once or twice a week to get their hair washed, head massaged and be generally pampered. The cost is around $1 USD so it is something the ladies can afford to do and actually need to do after working hard all week. My wife decided to join her aunt one afternoon for one of these special treats.

As they arrived, the young lady who has just opened her shop was in great dismay. She began explaining to my wife that she just met this man on the internet from America and he began telling her about this Jesus who is the One who created her and had a plan for her life. My wife said, “Yes, this is right. God does love you and He does have a plan for your life and it is found only in Jesus Christ.” So for about two hours she asked Lien questions as Lien eplained about the Gospel. Lien suggested that she go out with us that night to drink coffee, so she could hear more about the Gospel. Lien returned home to share with me her experience and our plans for the night.

We went to our favorite coffee shop to talk with her and I simply began with just how awesome God is and how awesome His love is for us. I walked right down the tracks of how one could become a child of God through faith in Jesus. I asked if she would like to place her faith in Jesus and pray to begin her relationship with Him as His child. She agreed and right there, in our favorite coffee shop, as the place was closing, she prayed to make Jesus Lord of her life. As soon as she finished praying, she asked if I could take down the Buddhas from her house. She had been a Buddha worshipper her whole life and had never heard the Gospel until earlier in that day. Once she prayed to receive Jesus into her heart, she knew she was only going to serve the One True God and needed to get rid of the idols she had erected in her unbelief. The Apostle Paul explains it like this:

“This is the Gospel itself, which has reached you as it spreads out all over the world. Wherever that gospel goes, it produces Christian character, and develops it, as it has done in your own case from the time you first heard and realized the truth of God’s grace. ”1 Thessalonians 2:13

One afternoon Lien and I were visiting Church members who had not been to Church in a while, as well a those who had been hurt or who simply wanted us to come and pray with them. This was an amazing afternoon for the Lord and He truly gave us some divine appointments. One of them was so powerful that I thought I should share it with you.

A couple, who are leaders in the Church, had asked a while back if we could pray that the Lord provide them the ability to buy the land next to them so they could build a new house. We did pray and the Lord answered our prayers. So they bought the land and started building their new house. Following the example of those who had been sharing the Gospel with the people building the new Church, they began to share with those who were building their new house. When we had arrived that afternoon to pray with them, they asked that we pray for the workers to receive Christ, for they had been sharing with them for weeks. We did pray and, well, as the Lord has a tendency of doing, He answered our prayers.

Once we finished praying with the couple, the woman went and asked the workers to come and hear the Gospel once more. As the men came and stood before us, I asked one of them for his name and he replied “Cuong”. Lien said, “It means Strength” so I began sharing with him how we think we are so strong and we are able to handle all that life gives to us. But then things start to happen. We loose our jobs, we don’t have food, we loose loved ones, our bodys get ill, and we soon realize that we are not “Strong (Cuong)” at all but actually we are weak and in need of help. I stepped right into the Gospel about how we cannot save ourselves, but God, who is All Powerful, has offered us salvation. I asked if he wanted to be saved by this strong God today and he immediately said, yes.

After we prayed and congratulated them on their decision to receive the Lord Jesus as their God, they left to go home. The woman began to share with us that Cuong was once a school teacher, but fell into trouble and lost everything. He had became very poor and even spoke out loud several times while working on their house, “What is the use living, I would be better off dead.” Little did I know that he who thought he was “Strong” actually had become very weak due to his troubles, but God knew and rescued him.

“Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.””Matthew 8:20

Jesus said that the very things He created had places to call their own but He didn't. The life of the Son of man was not focused on the things of this life that we think of as important, so much so that He lived without His own house or home. When He was to come into this world His mother and father knew of this feeling, for "there was no room for him in the inn." (Luke 2:7) Jesus did not even have something of His own, He was even "rejected by those who were suppose to be His own."(John 1:11) Think about this for a moment. Let it not escape you. The Lord (Boss) of All creation, no wait not just The Lord, but the One who brought forth all creation by the sound of His voice and the work of His hand. He had not a home, He was not accepted by His own people.

We like to think that Jesus was loved by everyone, fun to be around and the life of the party. If we were in school, He would have been the odd man out so to speak. Isaiah the Prophet declared this characteristic about the coming messiah, "He has no stately form of majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of SORROWS, and acquainted with GRIEF". (Isaiah 53:2-3) This tells me that it was Prophesied about Jesus to have a difficult life, a life of not just knowing SORROWS, but a man who had gone through so much it became His identity. It is a cop out to downplay what Jesus endured and encountered during His time here on earth by saying "Well He is God, and I am not."

I sit in this foreign country where I am unfamiliar with the customs, language and way of life and I am frustrated and starting to become bitter. We are staying at a Pastor's house who is also my father-in-law. It is nearly the polar opposite of the kind of comfort I grew accustomed to in the US. There are lots of kids who come in and out, there are family friends who stop by and act as though they live there. What is mine is yours in this society and I am not used to it. It is nothing to step out of my room to use the restroom and find some people laying on the ground that I have never seen before. It has just thrown me for a loop. It is one thing to share a house with someone, but to constantly share with someone you have never met and yet are suppose to welcome them and treat them like they are your little brother, or older aunt. It is tough. Not only that, but they ignore you simply because you don't known their language, and they don't know yours. Hard, lonely, uneasy and uncomfortable.

I began to think that I would like to have a couch; I would like to have A/C; I would like to have a room set aside for a office, or a western style bathroom, I would like to have a yard with some privacy; I think I would like to have my own house. As I pondered these feelings I began to think about how hard it is on me, not only ministry-wise, but in my daily living activities. Anger, frustration, and even evil thoughts (Whatever is not in line with God's heart) began to set in and come out. I needed to pray so I grabbed my Bible and asked to be helped and shown freedom from this and maybe experience some sort of comfort. I opened to 2 Peter 1 and read the following:

“Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”2 Peter 1:4

He has given us precious promises so that we can partake in the divine nature and escape the lust for the things of this world. Truly to be Godly is to know that your God was a man of Sorrows, He understands, and desires you, even though you may endure sorrow, to still be focused, and holy. Not falling into the trap that the flesh sets up as a way to ensnare us to the things of this world. The desire to be comfortable flees once we realize that He became so uncomfortable to bring us to Him and that, if even for a season, it is ok for us to become the same. For we will be in great company.

The work on the new Church has continued and progressed by leaps and bounds in the two months that it has been under construction. The Church decided to hire professional workers for the task of doing this monumental job instead of entrusting it to the members who had little or no experience. With that said, several of the members still show up daily to help where ever they can and at the same time to share the Gospel with those who are doing the work.

Our first Sunday back, the man who is in charge of the construction work decided to show up to the worship services to see what it was all about. Well, during the invitation when about 15 Church members came forward, he responded with a desire to meet Jesus for the first time. He came down and was lead to the Lord by Pastor Hai, and Pastor Cuoc. He has since been to every service since his decision and his countenance has been dramatically changed.

The Bible is clear about reaching out to help the poor and needy especially when it is in our ability to do so.

"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them." (Proverbs 3:27)

The Lord has called us to be rescuers to those who are poor and helpless, especially since He has given us the ability to do so. Those of us living in the US cannot even begin to imagine what it is like to be one of the poorest of the poor in a Third World country like Vietnam. They have areas of impoverished people groups that are unmatched in the world. One of those areas is found in Central Vietnam.

As you know, Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines with such force and destruction that it simply ravaged the lower Islands. It was headed right for Central Vietnam at a high rate of speed but miraculously transitioned to a Northern direction which left the blunt of the wind off the shores of Central Vietnam. However the rains still fell in excess throughout the region. Any other time the rain would have been gladly welcomed, but at this time, flooding had already been a problem before the Typhoon came near. This left this poor region in a shambles. Made up of rice fields and poor farmers, Central Vietnam’s economy depends on the land, so when floods hit, severe famine results for those who live in the area.

This is where we step in as the Church to "Rescue the poor and Helpless." We have been partnering with pastors in this region to send food through them to those most in need. We also see this as an evangelism effort, as they will use this opportunity to share the Gospel and then invite them to a Christmas celebration in December. Our goal is to not just rescue the people impacted by the typhoon, but from Satan himself and the grips of Hell.

Our goal is to be able to provide a Christmas Care Package containing food and a Holy Bible to every family who attends this event. The food supply bags will include 10lbs of rice, nine bags of noodles, one bag of sugar, one bottle of oil and a Holy Bible. These supplies will be enough food to last a family of 4-5 a whole week, but the gospel and Holy Bible will last them an eternity. We are also putting together Christmas gift bags as a blessing to the children that will include a book, pens, pencils, stickers, and candy. The cost of the food care packages with the Bible is around $10 each and the children’s gift bags cost about $2.50 each. Our goal is to have 100 families attend this Christmas celebration and hope to hand out 300 gift bags to the children.

Please pray for this effort and that everyone attending this special Christmas celebration truly hears the Gospel and sees God’s love in action with these care packages.

We thank you for your prayers and if you feel led to help us financially with the Christmas Outreach Packages or with our Transportation Fund, please visit the Get Involved/Support Our Work page here.

We love you all so much and we are so grateful to partner with you in bringing the gospel to this great land. We will be sending out an update on all we have experienced thus far real soon, so keep looking for it. God bless you each for your roles in "rescuing the poor and helpless" in this generation with the love of God and the good news of salvation.

When I was called to the mission field here in Vietnam I was told by a very dear friend that I did not need to learn the language. Well, that was probably one of the worst things that anyone could tell a missionary. For to show any care or love for the people or the culture in which one will be ministering, they must desire to learn the language. I have been back and forth here about 11 times over the past 5 ½ years and have picked up some phrases but I have never really been serious about learning the language until now

So upon my arrival, one of my goals for the time I was going to be in country was to learn Vietnamese. It is a musical language that requires the ability to hear pitches and tones. For most of you that know me, you know that I can not hear either a pitch or a tone. In fact, I am unable to properly speak my own native language let alone learn a foreign language. My friend that I grew up with came to listen to me preach a few months back and said, “Man you still have a way of redefining the English language.” So, this challenge of learning a hard foreign language will not be an easy one for me.

However I can tell you that it will be well worth it. For once the language is learned, the people to whom I am ministering will recognize the effort that had to be put forth to learn their native tongue and they will realize my sincere love for them. It is not enough to tell someone that you love them, for true love usually is accompanied with a sacrificial act. Just listen to how the Lord describes His love, “God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son.” Once I learn the language I will be able to communicate with the people without a translator, which means it will become more personal. This also is true of the Gospel. Because of Christ's work on the cross, we do not need a translator to communicate our heart to God. Through Christ, we have become a priest who has direct access to God. It is personal.

The young Pastor who is helping me learn the language has been a good friend of mind since the first time I arrived. I have spent hours upon hours with him and another young man teaching them English, and how to study the Bible. So this relationship that we have has now taken a little shift, where I am the one gleaning from him and he is the one depositing in me. It is a beautiful thing to be a part of, Where we both have something to offer to one another and without each other it would be nearly impossible to become what God has called us to become. This is the picture of the body of Christ that each member is unique but without the other members it simply does not function well at all.

Prayer is a fundamental practice for the believer and it should be the same for the Church. If it is the basic form for a Christian to hear from God, know God and have the ability to follow God, then why would it not be so for the whole Church? We know every powerful Church one could imagine has made it a collective effort to join together regularly in prayer. The Church here has this understanding of what it is going to take to penetrate this dark nation.

Every morning we meet at 5:30 am to seek the face of God in worship, short devotion and time of prayer. When we were here at the start of the summer, there were around 15 people that showed up every morning. Now because the Church is growing at such a rate, the morning prayer meetings have nearly doubled in attendance. It is an amazing time that is also scriptural. Listen to this writer of the Psalm.

The author of the Psalm said that the dawn would come to being with him being in the midst of others singing and giving thanks unto the Lord. I watch every morning as the sun breaks forth the dawn while we are gathered together singing and giving thanks to the Lord. The Lord has a way of giving you joy, and all of the other qualities that come with being with Him, when being with Him is your number one desire. The Church is seeing a powerful movement of God in a nation that has been closed and is still closed to the gospel. God has given us a open door that is not found anywhere else in the Nation. People are hearing the gospel and coming to know the Lord on a daily basis. It is a remarkable move of God. People are not just being saved, but they are tearing down the idols of foreign gods from their mist. It can all be contributed to the prayer meetings that empowers the Church of the Lord to impact the nation.

It took several days to adjust to the LONG flight and huge culture shock. After coming back to Vietnam for the 11th time I realized it is not as difficult to adjust as it had been the first couple of times. We were geared up and ready to get involved. Pastor Cuoc and Pastor Hai asked us to preach that first Sunday and we were so willing and ready to do it. After being gone for almost 6 months it was nice to be back.

As I always do I laid my heart before the Lord concerning the message He would have us share and He said Matthew 11:1. After I read it, I really thought I had had incorrectly heard Him because it was a simple verse that is often overlooked. So, when I asked Him again I was surely expecting a different response, but to my dismay He said, Matthew 11:1 again. Let me share it with you,

“Matthew 11:1”

When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Jesus had just meet with His disciples whom He had given authority to go and preach the good news, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out demons. The Bible said after He finished instructing them, He went out with them into their cities to preach and teach. He was with them and gave them what they needed to go and when they went He went also. This is an underlying truth that is found throughout the New Testament. Being with Jesus is the first priority and going with Jesus is the result.

That short verse that is usually skipped holds the keys to Kingdom living. I used Martha and Mary as an example of how being with Jesus should take priority over everything else. The Bible says, “Martha was distracted with all her preparations.” (Luke 10:40) The word distracted means she was pulled away from what was truly important. This happens in our life almost daily. I also referred to Jesus’s own words in Matthew 6 where He said, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” I also referenced Acts 13:2 where it says, “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Before they were able to go out with the Lord, they had to first be with Him.

Well, I preached this message with Lien translating and as it drew to a close, I thought for sure it was a bust, but all of a sudden I felt the blanket of the Holy Spirit just cover the place. I can’t explain it but if you have ever preached and given an invitation, you know what I am talking about. It was the anointing of God calling people to repent from what was dragging them away from Him. It is important to understand that in the Vietnamese culture. They are a very private, very humble people, so coming in front of people and making public decisions is not high on their list. So for the most part, they don’t respond to a invitation on a regular basis. With that said, as I opened the invitation, people were coming down to the front to repent to the Lord and to be prayed over. Simply put, “They wanted to be with Jesus, so they could leave that building and go with Jesus.” The question must be asked, “What is dragging you away from being with the Lord, so you can go with the Lord to a world that screams the need for a Savior?”

We had a very busy summer visiting wonderful Churches and meeting some very special people that desired to be involved in what the Lord has called us to do. However it was also very exhausting for we had traveled around a lot to visit these places and it seemed as though every weekend we were on the road and living out of our suitcases. We were more than ready to be back in Vietnam when the time to leave came around.

As we were preparing to leave I had a preaching obligation at Emporia Baptist Church near Pierson, Fl. I had been there several times before and really enjoyed the people and loved preaching to them. While I had never met my father, I always knew he had lived in Pierson, so when I would visit Emporia, I would always inquire of him to see if anyone knew him. Well the Saturday before I was to go up there and preach, I was at my mom’s house looking through her phone book and I looked up his name. Much to my surprise it was in there. I asked my mom if his address and number sounded familiar and she said that it did. So, I thought to myself, “Why not give him a call?”

I called and a tender voice answered and I knew it must have been his wife. I asked if Mike (My dad’s name) was there and she stopped for a second and asked who it was that was calling. I paused and explained to her who I was. She knew of me and my sister but had never met us and with a broken voice began to tell me this.

“I am so sorry Shaun, he died exactly a year ago today. He had a heart attack in April of 2012 and never really recovered. One night he went in to go to bed and never woke up. I miss him so much Shaun. It has been a really tough day.”

I was shocked to hear the news. After it all settled in I was even more shocked that a year to the day that he had passed I was on the phone with his grieving widow. They had been married for 54 years and despite the affair he had had with my mom, she stayed by him. Now after his passing, she was left mourning and missing her spouse. I had all of these feelings of rejection, pain, sorrow for never meeting him, and all kinds of weird things going through my mind. Then I realized that I am feeling these for a man I had never meet, but his wife is suffering the lost of him on the one year anniversary. I immediately began to comfort her through the words of our Lord and the promises of God. I shared with her that the Lord had not forgotten her and was using me as His instrument to encourage and strengthen her.

We were able to set up a meeting a couple of days later with my half-sister who is my age. I was able to share my testimony with them, pray with them and even encourage them to seek the Lord during this time of sorrow. They gave me some pictures of him and told me all about him. She gave me a letter written by his grandpa to his dad when he was born. It spoke about extreme faith in an extremely faithful God. It also disclosed how he, as a young man, started in ministry as a Free-will Baptist Preacher. When I read that I could do nothing but laugh, for that is exactly how I began as a Senior Pastor. We spent the final week of my time in America having them tell me about a father that I never meet, as I, in return, shared with them about a Father that I always had. God has a way of working things out for the “Good for those who love Him and is called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). To go from being rejected and pushed out as if you didn’t even exist to the one who would bring comfort and a word of salvation is tremendous. God has a way of making things right, even when they been wrong for a very long time.

With the land purchased and work started on the Bible College construction, we sat down with the Pastors of the Vietnamese Baptist Church and really laid out what our vision was and how it could assist in their work in growing their church. As we talked, it became clear that what the Lord had laid on our hearts – open a Bible College so pastors can be trained in His Word – was the same vision the Lord had place upon their hearts. It soon became apparent that Lien and I are the Lord’s answer to their prayers. This left me with a since of AWE as we realized that if we are God’s answer to their prayers, He will provide for all that is yet to be accomplished.

We decided during this meeting that since the property was purchased and construction already begun, we would actually open to students beginning in January 2014. What a great sense of joy – but also a great deal of stress involved in meeting this timeline. We still need to find a curriculum of study and a partnership with a Bible College or Seminary, among other things. As I sat back and thought about the work in preparing all the material and the central course guide, I was getting overwhelmed, for it is a lot of preparation. Then I realized again that since Lien and I are God’s answer to their prayer, that these doors would be opened and all we will need will be provided.

It is estimated that the cost for monthly training for 20 students is $50 per student. This covers material, travel, food, lights, and other needed resources that may arise. Again $1000 a month to run or operate a Bible College is a big obstacle for two missionaries from Florida. I thought “there is no way we will be able to afford this every month.” Then I realized once more, “Lien and I are God’s answer to their prayers” and every door will be opened that needs to be opened and everything needing provision will be provided for. Listen to this great Bible verse the Lord used to confirm this within our heart.

“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed”2 Corinthians 9:8

The Apostle Paul makes it very clear that God is more than able to sufficiently and abundantly provide for every good work. Offering a powerful yet conservative approach to Bible training for the next generation of Pastors that will ultimately shake this nation is surely a “GOOD WORK”.

The Lord has been so gracious to the ministry here. In a nation that is stricken with poverty it is so difficult for the believers to have anything to tithe and it is doubly difficult for a church or ministry to be able to be purchase land, but only through God’s great mercy were we able to purchase land that surrounds the current church property in order to build the first Bible College. Construction has begun on a central meeting area and an area for bathrooms and showers. Funds are still needed to purchase an additional strip of land in order to build the dorms room necessary for the Bible College students. A grand estimate needed for land and construction and furnishing of all the buildings is roughly around $115,000 (USD). To the Vietnamese, this amount seems inconceivable, but we know that we serve an awesome God and He will provide in His time.

Because of my background in construction, I wanted to help with the building of the initial walls and foundation, thinking it would be a walk in the park and fun to be able to just labor. My job was to take the rocks and bring them throughout the property line. No problem right? Wrong, it was so hot that it tired me out after just one trip. Wheel barrel after wheel barrel I became more exhausted and started to wonder why in the world was I doing this. Here are some of the things I was thinking as I was working above.

“Why do I have to do this? I mean the Lord used me to help purchase this and supply the funds for this to be done, I mean come on I am an American Missionary with a Master Degree and working on another one, why am I carrying these rocks? I am going to be one of the Professors. No Professor is suppose to work like this!”

All of these thoughts passed through my mind as I loaded and unloaded these heavy rocks in the scorching heat of this tropical nation. Then I realized I was grumbling, and complaining and realized that there was not a servant’s heart and attitude within me. Then I caught myself meditating on what the Lord had showed me weeks earlier on the plane, “Have God’s attitude within you”. I stopped thinking “WHY ME?” and started saying, “WHY NOT ME?” I started to be filled with great joy as my body tired out under the strenuous work and the scorching heat.

We were given to opportunity to meet with a church in central Vietnam and I really had to recall the Word the Lord had given me on the airplane about not grumbling and complaining. We traveled by bus – not a recommended source of travel in Vietnam – and endured 20 hours of incredibly cramped and uncomfortable travel conditions.

However the Lord really used it to encourage me to be thankful. During this trip, we were able to scout out some land and pastors who we would be more than likely partnering with us in the future to build the extension campuses of the Bible College. We had a chance to preach in one of the churches and it was a great experience. The church in this region has not yet been touched by the Lord in the way the church in the south has, but it is surely blessed and powerfully moving toward great things with God and for God. We had a chance to share from John 1 and the eternal nature of Jesus the Christ. It blessed our heart to be able to try to wrap our minds around this eternal God who created everything, and then came and “Dwelt amongst us” (John 1:14).

The Lord has opened up some wonderful doors for me to be able to serve Him here through preaching the Gospel. Every Sunday I have been able to preach the word of God during the Sunday morning worship services. In the past, the services lasted about an hour and thirty minutes, but when we left, services were lasting more than two and a half hours due to all the testimonies people were sharing, often accompanied by a song they wrote especially for the Lord. During these worship times, it feels as if the glory of Heaven was pressing down upon the room like water in a plastic bag. As we sing every song, worship and praise and share testimonies, it feels as if the glory is about to puncture the plastic bag and simply flood the place. Everyone feels His overwhelming presence and grace, due entirely to the fact that this Church is earnestly seeking His presence through daily prayer, Bible study and worship. What a great lesson to us all!

We have seen how God has really blessed individual lives and families as a whole in miraculous ways. More often than not, we have seen that when one person comes to Christ, their entire family follows. Listen to the words of one of these families that were miraculously saved by the Lord Jesus Christ and how they are now on fire for their Savior.

“It was like what befell Job who lost everything! Our family lost almost everything. Father was found to suffer from diabetes, my brother from Leukemia. What terrible blows! Then all our pigs in our farm died – simply perished! We lost everything! We had about 1,000 pigs. Suddenly they were gone! All of them, like in the story of Job. Then God took Cong Tuan. It was ‘blow upon blow.’ But no – it was God’s hand of mercy! He was leading us to salvation. For during this time of treatment in Singapore we had the opportunity to be witnessed to and loved on by the Church in Singapore. God really used them to lead my brother to the Lord and then opened the door for me to make Jesus Lord of my life.”Tram's Testimony

First Cong Tuan (The brother with leukemia) and his Sister believed! Then their Mother followed (and gave up suicidal ideas). Later, the Father also believed, followed by many relatives and friends. The sowing of the Gospel continued day after day, week after week. Relatives and friends received the Gospel – and believed! Idols and ancestral spirits were given up. Presently, the number of conversions is up to 50 and counting– praise the Lord! Three years ago, Lien and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with Tram (the writer of the above) but she was closed to the truth that Jesus was the only God and that He alone offered life, true life. We had not heard from her in almost two years before we read her report of how she and her entire family have been radically saved from Buddhism and Ancestry worship.

There have been so many people being saved over the past several months that they had to start offering New Believer’s classes four nights a week. After the new believers finish their classes, they are baptized at the beach as a witness to their faith. For the first time I was able to baptize three new believers and what a joy it was to have this opportunity. The day we were baptizing, the beach was especially crowded, and people everywhere were wondering what we were doing, baptizing these young people in the Name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Afterward we prayed and worshiped the Lord while they just watched. In addition to the New Believer’s classes and other weekly Bible study classes, there are Wednesday night House Church worship services. This is a joyful time of worship when most of the church members not in other classes, cram into one family’s small home to praise God and ask the blessings of the Lord upon that home. What a powerful time.

The Youth Groups meet on Saturday nights to worship and have Bible study and fellowship. The youth have grown in number and in their spiritual maturity as well and it is so obvious that the Lord is rising and stirring the young generation to serve the Lord in a powerful way, bringing revival to this nation. So many young people in this group are interested in going to Bible College, not only to learn more about God’s Word, but also about ways to serve Him through ministry. It is exciting to witness this move of God within the younger generation.

Once arrived at our final destination, we got into the full routine of worship. We attended a 5 AM prayer meeting, held daily at the Vietnamese Baptist Church and assumed that it would be just a couple of folks kneeling down silently praying. What we found was a church full of people – sometimes out the door – worshiping, studying the Bible and then pouring their hearts out in prayer to the Lord for a full hour of worship. We looked forward to this daily time of prayer and praise and saw what power there was in spending that time with the Lord – certainly a contributing factor to the revival that is happening in this area We were asked by the Pastor to teach every morning and we were able to do that almost daily. The first week or so we taught through the Gospel of John and the “Role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer”, and the following weeks we taught on “Spiritual gifts” as found in 1 Corinthians 11:7-11. The Lord really used these lessons to clarify some mis-understandings, but also to stir the hearts of those worshiping causing, all of us to seek more of Him.

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Visiting a third-world county for an American is not an easy thing. We have become accustomed to a certain level of comfort and having essential items readily available. Vietnam is no different and it is one of the hardest places to live for a foreigner because it does not have available most of the essentials Americans rely upon. I am fully aware of this and it causes so much difficulty within me. In addition to missing certain “luxuries” that are lacking in Vietnam, it often seems things are handled in this country in a way completely opposite of the way they would be handled in the US. It is hard not to try to impose the way we are used to getting things done when in a foreign country but as visitors, we have to respect they ways things work in the country we are in. At times I have caught myself mumbling and complaining about how different and even how difficult it was instead of being thankful.

While we were on the plane on our way to Vietnam, the Lord spoke to me through His word:

“Have this attitude in you that which was in Christ Jesus our LORD.”Philippians 2:5

In the verses following verse 6, Paul describes this attitude. He writes, “Don’t think highly of yourself but serve, walk in obedience, don’t grumble or complain, and hold out to the Word of Life.” (Vrs. 6-13) The one that penetrated my heart like a razor was the one about not complaining or grumbling. Think for a moment about the life and work of Jesus. He left Heaven where He was worshiped and adored, to come to earth where He was rejected and was murdered and yet He uttered not one complaint nor one moment of grumbling.

This was surely a prophetic word from God concerning what I would need for this trip. I began to see how important it was going to be for me to have God’s attitude within me in every situation if I was to be truly successful in carrying out God’s work in Vietnam. I would face some serious tough situations concerning travel, food, sickness, heat, living conditions, and not understanding the language. However every time grumbling or a complaint would emerge from my heart toward my mouth I would remember what the Lord had told me. “Have this attitude in you that was also in Christ Jesus.”