As you know I am currently in Vietnam! Specifically in Da Nang, Vietnam! The Lord has been so so faithful to myself and my team while we’ve been here, but this also isn’t the first time that I’ve been here.
Two years ago, around the same time, I was in Hue, Vietnam on my original Gap Year with my team the D.O.G.’s! It was a very difficult season in terms of stewardship, team cohesion and scheduled ministry hours. Though I loved the people I met and made some treasured memories there, overall I looked back on my first time in Vietnam with remorse and distaste.
Now, taking things all the way back to summer of last year (crazy), I knew that I had been accepted to Squad Lead. However, I didn’t get to know which route I would be selected for until later in the summer. The two possible routes were either from Swaziland to Malaysia to Guatemala to Nicaragua orrrr from Colombia to Vietnam to the Philippines to South Africa.
Now I felt that both of these routes had pros and cons but my main aversion to the latter was sincerely just Vietnam. I simply had such a lack of a desire to be back in that closed country where I had such a hard time two years ago. When the time finally came, I didn’t know which one I wanted. But the Lord had made it clear: I was going back to Vietnam.
I’ll be honest I was excited about the route as a whole. Two new countries and one country that I loved on my Race was pretty sweet, and I definitely leaned on those instead of focusing on the part of me that did not want to return to Vietnam.
However, one Emma Bland, my co-leader, changed my mindset on a lot of that. She also had a lack-luster experience while we were there together two years ago, but she had a positive spin on things. She said that she was “sure that the Lord had placed her on a route with Vietnam to redeem the country in her heart and mind.”
THIS was so interesting to me! I had never thought of it like that, and honestly I’m not sure why! “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6. He had already begun to bear good fruit in me even in a tough time. OF COURSE He would bring that to completion in a later season.
While I wish I had gotten this revelation sooner, I was still so happy to have it! I began to have more and more excitement for Vietnam as we got even closer to our time here. I knew that we would be working with multiple ministries that my original squad had worked with as well and that many of them had sincerely loved!
And just to tie a nice bow on everything and truly share the complete testimony of His goodness and faithfulness, Vietnam has been incredible. Sure, it has had its ups and downs. There have been moments of poor stewardship and failed relationship attempts, but overall I have loved and appreciated my time here. My team of 10 boys (11 counting me) were absolutely equipped by the Lord to handle this season in all of its comfort, free time and relationship building.
I am so loved by a God so much bigger than I can even fathom. A little bit of Vietnam redemption might not compare to how much he REALLY loves me, but I am grateful to have a Father that gives me good gifts.
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