Many of us followed along via the internet on this blog, with the team of Missionaries from the Magic Valley that traveled to Vietnam. The Twin Falls team of  men and women from Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, along with a father and son from Eastside Baptist, gathered together to discuss the trip at the home of Dr. Wayne and Joanne Wright. The team has caught up on their sleep and had a chance to reflect on the ten days that are now frozen in time in their memories and they were eager to share their experiences.
When the group arrived at the Wright’s home they were blessed by the surprise visit of Dave Roever, Vietnam Veteran and founder of REAP International, an organization that has been reaching out and ministering to the people of Vietnam for decades.
Dave shared the history of his involvement with the people of Vietnam and how REAP International came to be. Many of us had heard Dave’s story before but were still moved to tears as we listened to the amazing things God has done in and through his life. You can learn more about REAP International and all the wonderful things they do, by visiting missionvietnam.org.
          Kevin Newbry, a pastor at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship and superintendent of Lighthouse Christian School said that there will be people who criticize and say that mission trips are a waste of money, but he saw how the Lord moved powerfully in and through the team on this trip. Kevin is on the advisory board at Mission Vietnam and is thrilled to see the progress happening in Vietnam including expanding our sister church and the building of Agape housing for Christians in the area. He was impacted by seeing the church being built in Khe Sanh. He felt that their recent trip was effective in supporting the Christians there, especially Dr. Ahn and others who are weary. Kevin feels it is so important for us to support them because they are the ones who will attract others to Christ. He adds, that we will not change Vietnam by going there, but through the Christians that are there, letting their lights shine. Our prayers and our financial and physical aid help to keep their lights from going dim in a nation that is made up of less than one percent of Christians.
          Leslie Coggins, an art teacher at LCS, observed that kids are the same around the world. They all laugh and smile the same and God loves each one. She enjoyed traveling with the team and was blessed by the love she saw and felt. In particular, she saw how the government official that was assigned to the team was blessed by this group of Americans. She asked the team why they come to Vietnam and do the things that they do. The answer she was given seemed to puzzle her even more as she couldn’t quite understand who this Jesus was and why He made the Americans so full of love for strangers. This official was, of course communist and like most Vietnamese, is Buddhist, yet she witnessed these random acts of kindness and was touched by them.
          Jim Klauser a Vietnam veteran said he connected with the children and found great joy in serving as a “jungle gym” for them to climb all over. He was touched in particular by one little girl who was looking at the pictures on his camera and noticed a picture of the church there. She smiled and said “my church” then she ran off and quickly returned with a bracelet for him.         Another time, Jim wasn’t feeling well and was just sitting on the side of the road and a young man walked over to him and put his arm on Jim’s shoulder reassuringly. The two sat together and visited for a few minutes and Jim soon felt better.
          Seth Newbry and Jordan Crider, the two youngest missionaries, both teenagers shared that they felt an instant connection with the children there. Jordan felt that he was ministered to by the Vietnamese people and felt a deep concern for them. Seth said he has a deeper appreciation for what he has compared to the children of Vietnam.
          Matt Crider, Jordan’s dad, shared that he enjoyed the trip more than he ever thought he would. He had a lot of fun buying roses from the young ladies that were selling them and then giving them back. He said he was told that the group has big hearts and he replied “that’s Jesus.”
          Holly Borchardt also remembers these girls selling roses until 4:00am. She told the girls in Vietnamese, “Jesus loves you!” She shared that the Lord told her that they will never forget that. Holly also shared that she felt overwhelmed and undeserving of all the blessings she received there. She felt that she went there to be a blessing to others, but felt better when she got a chance to speak with Dr. Ahn and heard from her how refreshed and energized she was by the hard work and prayers of the team. Holly experienced a fun miracle the day the team visited a kindergarten classroom to clean and decorate it for a government project. The team had paintbrushes but no paint. When they arrived at the school they were amazed to see that the whole community had come to witness this event. They ran back to an area near the school where they had seen some locals selling their goods and amazingly, there was a gentleman selling paint. The whole team enjoyed the time spent washing walls and decorating the classroom. Allison Hamilton, principal of Lighthouse Elementary School felt that this experience was pivotal and felt so appreciated by the community for the work done there that day. Steve Pankey felt great about washing the walls and felt it impacted the community to see an American man in such a humble position.
          Libra Bartlett shared how privileged she felt to be a part of God’s plan for Vietnam. She feels that even though the team didn’t speak Vietnamese, God’s love was poured out through them. She added that she has an unexplainable love for the Vietnamese children and definitely wants to go back. Libra’s husband Troy said God gave him a vision of bloated Americans and starving Vietnamese. He understood it to be speaking about spiritual matters and sees a need to share Jesus with the Vietnamese people.
          Pamela Fadness, wife of Pastor Greg Fadness of LCF, said she went to Vietnam with the mindset that she would be mainly involved with music and worship. When she got there, she realized that God had other plans for her including sharing her testimony with a girl on an airplane. She was blessed by the fact that God had specific moments planned for each person that went. Allison also shared with a gentleman from Southern California, during a flight that used to live in Vietnam. He was so moved by how the team was helping, that he gave her $100 toward the 20/20 program for Vietnamese children born with cataracts.
The team also visited an orphanage for the Deaf and Blind and was so moved by the children there. Jerry Brown shared how he related to these children with special needs because his son Matt is autistic. He said it was hard to see these kids sleeping on the floor without a blanket, though they still seemed so happy and full of life. There are 185 children at the orphanage. Mission Vietnam accepts donations of $15 that will provide one child a blanket and mosquito netting. You can donate at LCF or through Mission Vietnam. Both organizations are supporting an upcoming golf tournament called the Scramble for Sight on September 22, 2008 at Blue Lakes Country Club in Twin Falls. All proceeds benefit the 20/20 Project.
Finally, many of you know that Lighthouse kids collected coins during VBS this year to give to the 20/20 program, but you may not know that together with team member Pam Fadness through her business, raised $9,000. Praise the Lord!
If you have any questions about anything mentioned in this article please call the LCF office 737-4667.