Wednesday, June 14, 2006
God Is On the Move in Vietnam
God is on the move in powerful ways in Vietnam. Government officials and our delegation got up early yesterday and left Dal Lak province after some incredible meetings there and then headed to Pleiku. I wasn't ready for all I was going to experience.
We stopped and visited a newly built church. I had previously met the young pastor in DC. His church has close to 2000 and he's doing an incredible job. His deacons and leadership were there to greet us and it was a powerful time together. We then had some official meetings and afterwards visited a Catholic church that was pretty awesome. It was built as one of the traditional long houses in Vietnam of one of the minorities. They have 2000 a week in their worship. The Priest was very impressive. They met us in traditional dress with drums and symbols and played as we walked in. Later, we ate, some drank rice-wine--I didn't, was told it was the fastest way to hepatitis! They circled around us while they played. Then, they began to invite us to play with them. There was a young 32-year-old guy I had visited with a lot with the government about God, religion, and his views on faith--a kind man. He told me he had none. But as we began to eat and laugh and dance, I noticed he was walking in the circle beating the drum having fun. He came over when he was finished and sat down beside me. I told him, "Oh, I thought you weren't religious--you looked pretty religious to me!" He said, "I don't know or understand much about this. All I know is that when I stood and began to walk with them and laugh with them, I became one of them. This is something deep, deep in the heart."
As I watched everything taking place and knowing the context of the country and the tribe, I thought, "This is faith." It's bigger than any of us, can't be stopped--and it's when we stand together. When we stand together, we are all equal before God and one another--we are part of the family.
We stopped and visited a newly built church. I had previously met the young pastor in DC. His church has close to 2000 and he's doing an incredible job. His deacons and leadership were there to greet us and it was a powerful time together. We then had some official meetings and afterwards visited a Catholic church that was pretty awesome. It was built as one of the traditional long houses in Vietnam of one of the minorities. They have 2000 a week in their worship. The Priest was very impressive. They met us in traditional dress with drums and symbols and played as we walked in. Later, we ate, some drank rice-wine--I didn't, was told it was the fastest way to hepatitis! They circled around us while they played. Then, they began to invite us to play with them. There was a young 32-year-old guy I had visited with a lot with the government about God, religion, and his views on faith--a kind man. He told me he had none. But as we began to eat and laugh and dance, I noticed he was walking in the circle beating the drum having fun. He came over when he was finished and sat down beside me. I told him, "Oh, I thought you weren't religious--you looked pretty religious to me!" He said, "I don't know or understand much about this. All I know is that when I stood and began to walk with them and laugh with them, I became one of them. This is something deep, deep in the heart."
As I watched everything taking place and knowing the context of the country and the tribe, I thought, "This is faith." It's bigger than any of us, can't be stopped--and it's when we stand together. When we stand together, we are all equal before God and one another--we are part of the family.
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