The Nomadic Way, Truth, and Life: Answered Prayers

This morning I prayed and asked God to wipe my eyes clean so I can see the beautiful fruits of His labor in this country.

Until now, I've been so focused on the little things that cause me stress in Vietnam

(you know - things like insane traffic, sweltering heat, wierd food, Communist bureaucrats, lack of clean water, mosquitoes, snakes, shrines to demons, dishonest people, and this thick, humid cloud of oppression you feel around you just about everywhere you go)

I haven't been able to connect with the land and people the Lord loves.

See how cute me and Kim look in our moped helmets and dust covers? I'm squinting because the sun is right in my eyes, otherwise, I'd be smiling like Kim because God answered my morning prayer in a very cool way.

That morning Kim and I went to church where she ran into some good friends

(Thao and Tien) who promised to take us on a little adventure.

There is this tiny Khmer village nestled deep

in the delta lands of Soc Trang , where the Holy

Spirit is giving birth to a Church. Thao and Tien teach the Khmer kids in that village every Sunday and class was about to begin!

We all hopped on our mopeds, cruised out of town and into the country side. We passed through miles and miles of rice paddy, quaint farming villages, and small patches of jungle as we headed toward the mouth of the Mekong River.

We rolled into a remote village in the delta called Long Phu. Kim and Thao made a quick stop at the local market to pick up some fruits and cakes for the Khmer kiddies. I stayed with the mopeds, taking in the scenery.

Here's a nice picture we took by the roadside. The fellow to my left is a friend from church named Anh Bay which means "Brother #7". They have big families in Vietnam.

These are Khmer kids playing by the river near their village.

Finally, we made it to the baby Church. Look, at all the little kiddies! As soon as I stepped into this room I knew there was something special happening here.

These kids are memorizing Scriptures although they can't read or write. They were all so giddy about God's Word, they couldn't wait until it was their turn to recite their Scriptures. We sang songs and played games with the kids until it was time to go home.

But we couldn't leave until we gave out all the goodies!

I'm sitting next to the men God is using to share His love with the impoverished Khmer peoples in Vietnam. They have been persecuted for their faith and endured extreme hardships. The house church we visited had been raided and shut down several times over the last 15 years. Leaders have been imprisoned, believers have been forced to recant their faith. Only recently has God opened the door in Vietnam for the unreached ethnic tribes of Vietnam. Today, the Vietnamese government has granted the majority of ethnic tribes the freedom to pursue the Christian faith. In the last year, this tiny house church has grown to over 200 believers and is still growing! And by the way, that's not counting the kids!