Dear Friends:
I am thinking about Anna's parting words today. "Thanks again so much for coming! this was a work of great worth. You have made many families happy, families who have dreamed of such doings and who have prayed for many years for this to happen!"
You have to know something about Anna to appreciate the significance of her words. Years ago, when we first began this work, she and the AG church dismissed it. They actually scoffed that such time and money would be put into any kind of work other then evangelism. They just didn't see the value. It was only after they saw the results of our working alongside the Vietnamese, sweating and digging in the sewers, eating with them and doing our best to listen to their personal struggles, that they realized the sincerity of our hearts. They also acknowledged that our willingness to share their burdens and lift them up through prayer and practical application of sacrificial love, created a revitalization of their faith. Those we worked with gained fresh hope for their future, a deeper understanding of God's faithfulness and love for them, and discovered they were not alone but had a family of friends praying for them overseas. It made their faith come alive and it connected them to fellow believers, both there and here. They also found out that needing help was nothing to be ashamed of. It's a credit to Satan that he uses shame so effectively in the lives of believers everywhere to impose feelings of condemnation, hopelessness, powerlessness and remorse.
Today, as we gathered to bless Anna financially for all her hard work, and to speak words of affirmation, comfort and encouragement over her, we ourselves were encouraged to believe that the work we do here is indeed significant. I too then remind you that the Father says, true religion is to care for widows and orphans. It is to lift the burden of the oppressed and the poor and to seek justice [equity for all mankind], to give mercy and acts of kindness and to walk humbly, hand in hand with the Lord and His purposes. Again, I have to thank you because the work we are privileged to participate in remains possible only because of the generosity of spirit you express.
When the trip is over I thank God that He compels me to go places I would not choose myself. The work in Vietnam is not easy. I am not drawn to it naturally. But, to truly become ambassadors of Christ we know we have to rub shoulders with those who rub back and we cannot turn from adversity no matter what shape it takes. I know this, we don't go to feel good about ourselves. We go to serve the body of Christ. We weep with them and work alongside them. And, when we meet walls of exhaustion like all of us did several times this trip, we persevere through it in hopes that the small things we do will have a rippling effect on the family.
As we left, for the first time I could relax, breathe a sigh of relief and let my guard down. I didn't have to worry about being picked up by the police or arrested. And, the people we worked with could relax as well, all for the same reasons. [After returning, I did however receive an urgent email from Anna wanting to tell me the story of how the police came to get me in Saigon when we were up in Hanoi...another story in itself].
I can say that the person who had the deepest impact on me this trip was Mrs. An. When we finished putting in her sewer and laying the cement floor at her site she was so overwhelmed with gratefulness that she began proclaiming prayers of blessing over all of us. Then she was simply so overcome with gratitude that she began to weep. As she did she reached out and softly grabbed the soft flesh of my underarm and began to stroke it like you would a babies. Then suddenly, unable to hold it back any more she buried her head in my shoulder and began to sob uncontrollably. My heart just wanted to console her but I knew my words meant nothing. I could tell that her tears were touching the hearts of every man on the work crew, and although I could not see them standing behind me, I was sure their hearts were being poured out on her as well.
So, thanks again for making this trip possible. We are so grateful for your kindness and generosity. There are so many places to give and we feel privileged that you partner with us. We are headed to Honduras in August to assist Stephen Evans and LOLI Ministries in their outreach there. If anyone wants to help us get there, as always, it will be greatly appreciated.
Howard
