During our time in Vietnam, Team Naya lived in a backpacker’s hostel and partnered with local believers in their ministry. Our month consisted of many impromptu and random opportunities to serve and love people. Some of those opportunities were caroling at a 5-star resort’s Christmas Eve dinner, leading kids church, running English clubs, befriending neighborhood children, and eating snails at a house visit. We sowed many seeds in Vietnam, and we are trusting God to give the growth.
One of my favorite parts about our time in Vietnam was living in the bunkrooms of the Backpacker Hostel in Da Nang. There was daily turnover and we got to meet new guests who were from all over the world. Though we were advised to be cautious about evangelizing to Vietnamese people around town (for the safety of the ministry and honor of the government authority) we were able to freely get to know the hostel guests and share the good news of Jesus with them. I’m so proud of the way that Team Naya pressed into the relationships we were able to make at the hostel. We saw God moving and softening hearts of fellow travelers. Many backpackers are on the search for something, and it’s a privilege when we get to share the hope of life in Christ. We boldly proclaimed his name, but we also saw the opportunity to live ‘set apart’ and ‘in a manner worthy of the gospel’, knowing that our conduct would speak for itself. Many people were impacted by our loving actions and our desire to listen to them, and they were curious about why we were so different…a perfect cue to share the ‘reason for the hope within us’.
Life in Vietnam was a sweet season of letting the Lord reshape our view of ministry. With such random scheduled ministry opportunities, we really got to practice living out “life is ministry, and ministry is life” through embracing any opportunity to live out the gospel in our daily routines and living spaces. I believe that God will produce fruit from those seeds that were planted. Not one conversation by the water filter, guitar jam session, sticky note encouragement, beanbag chat, or welcome of a roommate at midnight will have been in vain.
As you’re reading this, please pray for the travelers we met and the Vietnamese people we got to know during our time there. Our ministry host lovingly refers to them as ‘pre-believers’, revealing her confident trust that God will bring them to a knowledge of Jesus and confession of Him as their Lord. Thank you for your partnership in the gospel through prayer! Here are a few fun photos that may help you envision some of our time in Vietnam!
This video is a glimpse of our rehearsals for our big Christmas Eve performance!
