Da Cow

Btw…during our stay here in Vietnam we learned some new sports. One of them is called “Da Cow.” (That’s reading it phonetically) To put it simply it’s like hacky sack but with a “shuttlecock.”
As we got better, we eventually had tournaments in our rooms.
I’ll leave you with a few pics of us in our sweet gear. (below you’ll find the “shuttlecock.” It’s the one Mark’s holding.)

The other sport we learned is called, Sepak Takraw. It’s similar to volleyball but instead of using your hands to hit the ball, you use your feet. When I first saw this sport, I was amazed at the flexibility of the players. For those of you who have watched Shoalin Soccer it’s pretty much the same thing. When you get a chance youtube “Sepak Takraw.” You’ll be amazed at this international sport.

Leaving Vietnam

Yesterday, we visited a leprosarium. We ministered to the people through worship songs and food distribution (rice and canned food). During our worship, volunteer workers for the government came by to see what we were doing. They joined in our songs and it looked like they were having a greaet time.
When it came to the message, we were stopped by the head of the leprosarium because he didn’t want members of the government to tell officials what we were doing. We agreed to his plea, however, one of the volunteer workers asked why we were there. My dad simply told him, “because of the love of Jesus Christ.” This opened up another doorway for the gospel so we shared to him and the other workers, about Jesus Christ. They were very open and many of them accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Praise God for the breakthrough!
Immediately following our feeding, we prayed for two Christian families (there is a total of twenty-four in the area).
Looking back, I’m amazed at how the Lord has orchestrated this whole trip. Coming to Vietnam was a first for most of us and we weren’t sure exactly what plans God had and what ministries He had to offer. However, we walked by faith and God guided us the whole way.

Please lift up the Khuu family, Yvonne, and Mario as they return home to the U.S. Also, please pray for Mark, my dad, and I as we return to Palawan to minister to the Tau’t Bato. Praise God for His faithfulness! He has never let us down!
See you guys in two weeks!
-Kev

The Tau't Bato

I just want to inform you all on our plans for the last week of the Philippines/Vietnam Mission Trip (August 10-16).

After our stay here in Vietnam, Mark, my dad, and I will be returning to the Philippines to visit the "people of the rock," better known as the the Tau't Bato. These people are the kinds of people you'd find in a National Geographic magazine. Yes, by that I mean people who are half naked, carry blow darts, eat snakes, and most importantly need to know about Jesus Christ and His love for them. I found some websites that'll give you information on these people and some articles of people who have made contact with them. Please be in prayer for us. I'll update you on the status of the trip.

Tau't Bato Websites:
http://filipino.sdaglobal.org/missionstory.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_Groups_of_Palawan#Taaw.27t-Bato
http://www.rizalpalawan.com/tautbato.htm

The Church

As you may know, our group has been in Vietnam for almost a week. For the first six days, we had rest and recreation. We visited two cities, Da Lat and Nha Trang. On our way to Da Lat, we saw pine trees, waterfalls, and cabins. The countryside look isn’t too far, from what we would see in the U.S. It’s quite amazing. After much sight seeing and fun, we were quite anxious to meet the church.

Yesterday, we met seminary students, local pastors, and church leaders in a church located in an upstairs building somewhere in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. We sang a few worship songs and shared testimonies and messages. We also had a chance to fellowship with one of the local youth groups in Saigon. We sang worship songs together and shared to them what the church was like in the US.

According to Open Doors USA, Vietnam is ranked number eight on the most persecuted countries. We were anxious to hear what kind of persecution the church went through so we questioned the leaders of the church. One pastor describes evangelistic outreaches, “You can share the gospel to people one on one in the park. However, you can’t gather a crowd.” He also explained that foreigners could be kicked of the country for sharing their faith.

Today is Sunday and we joined in a service at a tribal church. We traveled four hours to this church, which had a congregation of 1,000 people, and they spoke in a different dialect.

Home churches are big in this congregation. I’m not quite sure about the details but what I know is that each home church has a congregation of about 200-300 people. They’re in need of a church building, which cost around $2,400.

We have a lot to learn about the church in Vietnam. It’s so diverse, so large, different levels of persecutions in different places. Despite what could happen to us, we ask for your prayers. We know that the power of prayer is immeasurable. Pray that the Lord may open up opportunties for ministry in these last five days in Vietnam. We’re hoping to visit a leprosy hospital, do evangelism; pretty much whatever God may have in store for us.

I'll be posting up a video on what took place in the Philippines shortly.
God bless friends and family!