Vietnam is a populous country with approximately 96 million inhabitants, whose coastal location has historically marked it by wars. It is a country that has been repeatedly rebuilt by its people, but still has some catching up to do. From November 15th to 24th, 2019, a group of 18 people, led by Alexander Gruslak, undertook a mission trip to this fascinating country.
The main purpose of our trip was to visit various congregations and distribute donations to communities in need. Brother Hai, from the congregation in the capital, Hanoi, accompanied us on our journey through the country and served as our interpreter. We were able to communicate with him in Russian.
We were allowed to accompany the church services with songs.
Our first visit was to the congregation in the city of Hanoi. During the joint service, we sang German and Russian hymns, and Brother Alexander Gruslak delivered a sermon. Even then, we were impressed by the fact that we can call ourselves brothers and sisters in the Lord, regardless of our origins, whether language barriers and cultural differences separate us or not. And that is because we all have one person on whom we build: our Lord Jesus Christ!
The following day of our journey, we set off early in the morning to travel to Bac Ha and serve the H'mong, a poor people who had been refugees for a long time, with singing and preaching. Afterwards, we distributed the donations we had brought, such as clothing, food, a guitar, a laptop, toys, and sweets for the children, at the local community center. We also presented them with a monetary donation.
The people's faces beamed with gratitude – a beautiful sight that made the seven-hour bus journey all the more worthwhile. After our service and the community meeting, members of the city administration arrived at the church and inquired about who we were and what we did. Here, too, we were able to be a light.
Before continuing our journey, we had the opportunity to see the pastor's house. According to H'mong tradition, the pastor of the congregation must live in the poorest of circumstances. The house truly only had the bare necessities: beds (without mattresses), cooking pots, a small table, and a chair. There was neither a bathroom nor running water or heating. We visited a cold and poorly lit house with an uneven floor. But the poverty was also evident in the houses of the other congregation members.
Preparation for a church service
We mainly traveled by bus, but also used taxis or walked to visit other interesting places and experience the culture. Thanks to our tour guide's good contacts, we were able to visit a pottery factory and learn about the production process. We found this to be a beautiful analogy to the corresponding passage in Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 18:3–6).
We also experienced traditional customs, such as a soup dinner. We often took the opportunity to sing together, for example in the streets of Ha Long and during bus rides. We hope that through singing, some will find their Savior under God's guidance.
We found the Vietnamese to be very helpful and friendly people. However, the trip also revealed to us how real the need is on the ground and how many people still don't know Jesus Christ. We are deeply moved that, through spreading the good news and the donations, we were able to serve people in their time of need.
But there is still much to be done. The living conditions of many people we met in Vietnam are so dramatically poorer than our own that we left the country with profound humility. These impressions will stay with us for a long time and shape the rest of our lives.
Daniel George and Melanie Pepes
“Prayer is the work and the active force behind every ministry. The spiritual history of a mission or a church community is written in its prayer life.”
Charles T. Studd (1860-1931)
Brother Alexander Gruslak preaches in the Hanoi community with a translator.
Map of Vietnam