DMI ministers in response to Isaiah 61:1, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound."
Some of our Vietnam team from the United States with local vietnamese Habitat for Humanity
The Vietnam Team
Time and space won’t permit me to tell you all that there is to tell, but just know that God continues to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. For the Vietnam portion of this trip, we took a team of nine people, five men and four women, and facilitated a multi-faceted short-term mission’s trip. The trip not only made memories that will last a lifetime, but the effects will go on for all eternity! Hats off to Harvey, Bob, Rick, Tony, Mark, Karol, Kaycee and Cindy! You made the Kingdom of God proud, and I was truly inspired by all of you. I was especially affected by Cindy, the youngest Christian on the team. Only three years old in the Lord, she gave 100% of herself every moment of every day, making a huge effect on everyone around her. I will never forget the example she set, and how God was glorified in her simple choice to “do everything as unto the Lord.”
We were thrilled to be able to deliver everything we had brought to our brothers and sisters there! The team hosted a special day for underprivileged children and took them to a water park. Their joy was infectious!
Hut where we heard an unsuspecting knock on the door
Unidentified eastern country
I think that night is indelibly printed on my memory. It was a night when the course of many lives hung in the balance. We got out of the car in the dark. As the driver drove away to hide the car, we made our way in a hushed and hurried way down a steep and slippery path by the light of a tiny flashlight. My escort, a young 15 year-old worship leader, was so excited he nearly flew down the path, which he knew like the back of his hand. I, on the other hand, was trying to cautiously make my way so as not to end up on my bottom in a mud puddle! Whispering, because there are “watchers” everywhere, he said, “It’s okay, mum; I’ll catch you! Just step this stone [sic] and leap to this board.” Once again, I heard that childhood tune float through my mind. . . “over the river and through the woods. . . .”
When we arrived at the hovel—their home and their church—we stepped into a world where “the joy of the Lord is our strength”. The people bubbled over with joy and excitement at the prospect of hearing someone from “outside” coming to teach and share the Word of the Lord. We were overjoyed to share their enthusiasm! We found that the church had given sanctuary to an old man who was very sick with pneumonia and had no family to care for him. They had made a bed for him in the corner of the living room on the floor. “By your love shall they know you. . . .”
Quickly getting into the teaching, we were deeply engrossed in the Bible when the knock on the door came. I continued teaching, though I began to be aware that perhaps something was amiss. Believers, slipping into a secret church meeting in the dark, don’t stop to knock or wait outside drawing attention to themselves. Who, then, was knocking? I stopped teaching and immediately a young couple, unknown to the church, entered. They looked at us with obvious surprise—two westerners in this place? (It was not legal for us to be there; in this country, tourists are restricted.)
Speaking flawless English, the woman explained that they were here to feed the old man some soup. Our guide replied that we were here to pray for the old man. Rather awkward conversation followed while she fed the old man, with nobody acknowledging the obvious—our presence there was suspicious at best, illegal at worst.
Finally, the woman asked the name of our tour guide. It felt like time stopped, and the tension was tangible. An eternity of strained silence ticked by while we wrestled with a suitable answer. Knowing that if our guide were to be reported, he could lose his business license, his livelihood and perhaps even face jail time, not to mention what would happen to this pastor and his family, we stared at her and pretended we couldn’t remember our guide’s name or the name of his company. Finally our guide answered with the name of a different tour company. When they finally left, our contact was visibly relieved and thanked us profusely for using wisdom and discretion and not giving up his name.
I resumed teaching, fully aware that if they chose to report us there could be another knock at the door at any minute, drastically changing the course of many lives! Though we experienced the tension and reality of what they live with constantly, we were protected and the ministry went forth unhindered. And you, their brothers and sisters on this side of the world, were praying for us. You can’t possibly know the full effect of your prayers or how many lives hung in the balance that night. The leaders of two underground networks were there to hear the Word of the Lord. If they would have been arrested, nearly 25 churches would have been greatly affected. And, since one of them is the vice-president of the national council of churches, the effect would have rippled throughout the Body of Christ throughout the whole of this country.■
