Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Interview with Hmong Pastor
Been in a flurry of non-stop meetings and all-night train rides, plane trips, car drives, so it's been hard to write. What I can say is that it has been an incredible experience the past 2 days.
I had the opportunity of showing Mark Galli, and the others in the delegation, some of our projects in Sapa. We met with the pastor of the Catholic Church there--a young man named Peter--he's Viet King. I liked him a lot. He told us his story—that he’s the first priest there full-time in decades--and then he showed us the church. We, then, prayed together at the altar of the Catholic Church. I asked God to fill the place up and let it be a light to Jesus Christ in that area.
From there, we went to Taphin and visited with the local People's Party Chairman and then a young Hmong House Church Pastor. I'd been there before, but when the pastors in our delegation saw it, they were as moved as I was the first time. He had his pews hewn out of wood, and the pulpit, leaning up against the walls, and tacked on all 4 sides of his house church was copies of the edict from the government on Resolution #1 passed last year for religious freedom. I felt as if I was in the presence of a godly man. He has a pretty incredible story. At age 15, he hears the Gospel over the radio and follows Christ. Now he's 20 and has a house church and is over dozens of other branches of churches. Here are just a few questions and answers from a long interview:
Bob: Is there anything you need?
The Pastor: I would like more training. They have these denominations here, and I'm not even sure about the one I'm a part of. How are they different?
Bob: Young pastor, listen to me. I'm going to tell you something very, very important. You are our hero, you are closer to the Gospel than any of us. Keep doing what you're doing and don't worry about the denominations. We can't even keep them straight in America. It isn't your worry. Love God and serve Him just like you've been doing, and when we stand before God together, don't forget those of us at the back of the line.
Bob: What do you do to grow yourself in God?
The Pastor: I pray 3 times a day and we have services where we pray and teach. I try to read the Bible and follow it. I always seek God every day.
Bob: Do you understand the Bible?
The Pastor: Yes. It isn't that hard to understand. It's the story of how God loves us--how He wants us to live, and how He teaches us to live. I just try to follow it.
Bob: Do you have any questions about anything, doctrine, pragmatic questions, etc.?
The Pastor: No. I know that God loves us and God forgives us, and we should do the same and serve others.
Bob: How did you become a Christian?
The Pastor: I was troubled by evil spirits and I wanted to be free and I heard the good news of Jesus and He's the one who brought me peace from this. This is how people find God because they, too, are troubled by Spirit's.
Bob: Why did you become a pastor?
The Pastor: Because I heard God calling me.
Bob: Do you need anything?
The Pastor: A computer to keep up with my work and 100 Vietnamese and 100 Hmong Bibles.
Bob: OK guys--ante up--let's do it right now.
We drove him to Lao Chai and bought it.
The ethos of the moment was just powerful. Vince Vo prayed in Vietnamese, Vince Antonucci in English, and the pastor in Hmong. We wept, we prayed, we encountered God--all of us-- Communists and all!
I had the opportunity of showing Mark Galli, and the others in the delegation, some of our projects in Sapa. We met with the pastor of the Catholic Church there--a young man named Peter--he's Viet King. I liked him a lot. He told us his story—that he’s the first priest there full-time in decades--and then he showed us the church. We, then, prayed together at the altar of the Catholic Church. I asked God to fill the place up and let it be a light to Jesus Christ in that area.
From there, we went to Taphin and visited with the local People's Party Chairman and then a young Hmong House Church Pastor. I'd been there before, but when the pastors in our delegation saw it, they were as moved as I was the first time. He had his pews hewn out of wood, and the pulpit, leaning up against the walls, and tacked on all 4 sides of his house church was copies of the edict from the government on Resolution #1 passed last year for religious freedom. I felt as if I was in the presence of a godly man. He has a pretty incredible story. At age 15, he hears the Gospel over the radio and follows Christ. Now he's 20 and has a house church and is over dozens of other branches of churches. Here are just a few questions and answers from a long interview:
Bob: Is there anything you need?
The Pastor: I would like more training. They have these denominations here, and I'm not even sure about the one I'm a part of. How are they different?
Bob: Young pastor, listen to me. I'm going to tell you something very, very important. You are our hero, you are closer to the Gospel than any of us. Keep doing what you're doing and don't worry about the denominations. We can't even keep them straight in America. It isn't your worry. Love God and serve Him just like you've been doing, and when we stand before God together, don't forget those of us at the back of the line.
Bob: What do you do to grow yourself in God?
The Pastor: I pray 3 times a day and we have services where we pray and teach. I try to read the Bible and follow it. I always seek God every day.
Bob: Do you understand the Bible?
The Pastor: Yes. It isn't that hard to understand. It's the story of how God loves us--how He wants us to live, and how He teaches us to live. I just try to follow it.
Bob: Do you have any questions about anything, doctrine, pragmatic questions, etc.?
The Pastor: No. I know that God loves us and God forgives us, and we should do the same and serve others.
Bob: How did you become a Christian?
The Pastor: I was troubled by evil spirits and I wanted to be free and I heard the good news of Jesus and He's the one who brought me peace from this. This is how people find God because they, too, are troubled by Spirit's.
Bob: Why did you become a pastor?
The Pastor: Because I heard God calling me.
Bob: Do you need anything?
The Pastor: A computer to keep up with my work and 100 Vietnamese and 100 Hmong Bibles.
Bob: OK guys--ante up--let's do it right now.
We drove him to Lao Chai and bought it.
The ethos of the moment was just powerful. Vince Vo prayed in Vietnamese, Vince Antonucci in English, and the pastor in Hmong. We wept, we prayed, we encountered God--all of us-- Communists and all!
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