Day 5, 6: RetrEAT

Objective Report: July 29, 2019

Urgency. Homecoming. Bond. Initiative. Cooperation. Instruction. Rate. 

The bus pulls in and the passengers spill out ina cascade of weariness, anticipation, and a fire in their eyes. "My first camp," they thought with a smile on their faces. This was a particularly pivotal moment in the youth group, as they had only been on what was akin to a Family Camp with parents and elderly folk. But now, they were personally responsible for their own survival.

And it was a party! A little insight into our team's perspective: it was a beautiful exchange of body language, personal affirmation, and an ongoing conversation between a clash of cultures. 

The camp schedule, spanned over the course of these two days, spawned a variety of team-bonding activities that not only encouraged ourselves- the team- to break out of our comfort zones (most likely our otwn interpretation of what a "team game" should be) but also showed our Hmong students and Vietnamese students the power of a higher being. 

The main takeaway from this camp, as we focused on the traits of Strength and Courage, especially in the face of daily adversity, was to embolden and empower servant leaders, particularly from a habitual passivity from the male population within the organization. And this also struck a chord within my own heart as well, how I, despite being on the mission field, had been lacking within my own spheres of influence: family, public services, friends, volunteering, weekend organization commitments, etc. We all are called to be servant leaders in our respective communities and when the time coems for that calling, are we truly willing to step up to that plate? To drink from that cup of long term suffering? 

The buses groan and sag as the weight of our returning champions, all 50+ of us, gather into the dimly lit interior. The wheels on the bus go round and round (For about three hours .-.) But the voyage soon comes to an end as the familiar streets begin welcoming us back with open arms and honking bikes. 

The following day was Sunday. The speaker shared a concern that has plagued the organization for many months, years even. It was a message of exigency within the organization and what entails us to receive when that day of reckoning comes. 

Oh yeah, we ate a LOT of seafood. Because, you know, it was at the beach. :P

I sorely apologise for this sudden outburst of entries but it shall be rewarded. And in the end, see this family once again.

I love you 3000,

Justin H. Nguyen 

Day 3, 4: Far from Hotel - Retreat! RETREAATT!

GREAT SCOTT! It worked!

I don't have much time to go as in-depth as I would prefer to...because I'm  typing from the future. But before you can count the ways to say "I love  you," let me tell yo-no. Allow me to show you just a glimpse of heaven on  earth: not in an earth-shattering, sky-splitting, time-traveling way, but  in the most human ways possible...    After a rambunctious day of the meeting, learning, and understanding new  stories that came with new faces, it was time to hit the hay for our  pioneers. Personally, I had to drop off some supporter gifts for my family  so as I stood bashfully on the steps of the Thien Thao hotel, waving my  uncle's friend goodbye on his motor scooter, I spotted the dynamic duo in  the window above. Jeremiah and PT were meeting up with Thai (who had made a  cameo in the first early days of our arrival) and were deciding on a place  to eat for dinner. Dinnertime at 10 pm came and went and I left a part of  myself at that joint. A slice of life, my would-be life, laid strewn about  on the metal table before me: rice dishes laden with char siu pork,  stir-fried vegetables, etc. Fellowship shared with food between friends:  what more could eternity offer? A whole lot more than my pinhole opinion,  it soon seemed.    

The morning dawn wafted through the windows, along with the blaring horns  of scooters, again, and it came time for our team's first devotional  together as a cohesive unit. We discovered about the woman at the well, the  man who lay at the temple gate called Beautiful, and the comparisons  between these two characters, a sense of longing for a world set apart. A  people set apart. I speak to you, viewer, not as a physically set apart  missionary but rather as a comrade in arms against the forces of evil, that  we are that world set apart. A people set apart. A holy priesthood in which  Christ Jesus has set aside plans for each one of us on this planet. The man  who lay at the gate called Beautiful had been carried out and begged for  years, including the years that Jesus passed him, and yet was not healed.  Not until Peter and John, who commanded him, "Look at me!" and healed him  through the power of God. (Acts 3)    I wondered, "Why didn't Jesus heal hi- OH WAIT. Does this mean Jesus saw  the future and knew that Peter and John would be that instrument that God  would utilize in the future?" 0_0    W h o k n o w s ?    

But the Lord's timing and our willingness to serve go hand in hand. And  with that, take my metaphorical hand and join me in walking with the  children, along the cobbled stone steps, the broken tiles, and the  occasional turd, as we embark on an adventure to buy shoes!    ----------------------------------------------------------    

Yo, it was a GRAND day. The sun was beaming through a curtain of grey, the  bikes wanted to form a coalition and run us all over, and the children, oh  the children. They could not be happier to see their new shoes in hand and  plastic bags on their feet (because obviously we didn't have trial socks  for 45 kids: 35 boys and 10 girls)!    Our time with them soon drew to a close as we parted ways at the  restaurant, with bursting bellies and full hearts. It was time to return to  home base, for our quest of the day had not been yet fulfilled. Later that  day, amidst a flurry of rushed packing, last minute supplies, and yah boy  trying to make sure you guys get full coverage of what's going on, we were  en route to the church that we would be spending time with for the weekend  RETREAT.    PRAISE WAS LIT. There was a hymn about the psalm "how the deer panteth for  the water" and I always enjoyed animal imagery: makes my world feel more  connected. The games were super fun! There was this one game where you link  hands in a circle and there is a footstool in the middle. The objective:  rip someone's arms off in the process of getting one of the combatants to  touch said stool. Needless to say, our game became quite boisterous as  chairs were added, fingers were strained and things got REALLY spicy when  girls were added into the fray. When I played, apparently I did some weird  crab walk over the stool and still managed to stay upright .-.      

As the telltale signs of the evening began mewing at our door, (at one  point, a kitten with a tufted tail, kinda like a poodle's) it was time for  bed and well timed too because our wake up time to get to the bus was 6 am.  Goodnight viewers     GGGOOOOODDDD MORNING VIETNAM   We are well on our way to the retreat site as I type and boy, it is ONE  FINE DAY. Not a sun in sight, clouds blanketing the horizon like a  gargantuan Q-tip, our bus sang praise songs and shared  pork buns with each other in high anticipation of the trip. With that, I  think I'm going to knock out a couple Z's before we will be disembarking in  a couple hours. Hopefully, this weekend will be fruitful: filled with the  Spirit working in ways to bring us to our knees in worship, prompting the  Gospel in all our thoughts, words, actions, and habits.    

Vietnam Forever,

Justin H. Nguyen  

Day 2: O-O-H Child- Putting Testimony to the Test

sto·ry·tell·ing

/ˈstôrēˌteliNG/

Learn to pronounce

noun

noun: storytelling; noun: story-telling

1. 1.

   the activity of telling or writing stories.

   "the power of cinematic storytelling"

Her voice trembled, like a mouse being hunted by a hawk, as she inhaled deeply and began her story. A young Vietnamese girl, with ruby red lips, wearing angular frames and a pixie bob hair cut, volunteered to share her testimony. All eyes shifted towards the center of the hastily pushed together dining table. Her story, like so many brothers and sisters, echoed a similar testimony of the Campus Crusade for Christ members sitting around her, amidst nods and sips of smoothies. You might be wondering how this situation came to be. It's rewind time.

"That's hella sus," I piped up. (To no one's approval) Our taxi "Uber," aka Grab, careened to a stop in front of Thien Thao hotel, and we spilled out like a bag of oranges. Boxes upon bags were quickly sorted and sent up to our corresponding rooms before the day's ministry events were to commence. Without missing a beat, Pastor Tony initiated the team's arrival: Missionaries! Assemble. We gathered together to head to MS Nhan's home church, overseen by his wife, Co Nguyet. It was a sight to behold as we brought out the bags of chocolate to gift them, man. I wish you guys were here to see them. One dining table, with trays of food piled on top and sitting on adjacent stools facing each other, were children sporting beautiful smiles and waving hands. The second Grab car soon arrived and the team sat down to have lunch with Co Nguyet and her staff that ran the home church. 

   

Chi Trinh, Thuy Van, Tu My, and Ngoc Van were graciously hosting us the luncheon, which consisted of sliced watermelon, an Ube soup, fried fish sauce chicken wings, drums, and fish. With a thanksgiving prayer of safe travels, food, and fellowship, everyone soon tucked into the meal and calamity ensued. Alright, "calamity" is a strong word but you'd use it too if you tasted these wings- HOT DIGGITY! The clatter of dishes and sound of slapping soles on tiles soon faded as they were replaced with the squeaks of chair legs as we sat down to discuss the CCC's schedule of the upcoming retreat. As we were the third missionary group to arrive on the scene, after two Korean churches located from Los Angeles and Boston, this meant that our role as follow-up was absolutely critical. 

The schedule was discussed per the following:

1. On July 25, our team would be able to complete the day's objective, to go and purchase brand new shoes for the foster children.
2. Afterward, a short lunch and a return back to Thien Thao to prepare for the sleepover at the church.
   
3. The following weekend would consist of the actual retreat, in which games, testimonies, and campfire stories would highly encourage curiosity about the Gospel and the overall purpose about why we do what we do, when and how.
   

WIth that finalizing conclusion, Co Nguyet sent us off with words of encouragement and thanked us for coming. We Grab-bed a couple more cars to head back; however, the night was still young. Not only Elaine, just the night. We headed to Jireh Coffeehouse to meet with our comrades in arms, the Campus Crusade for Christ team. Chi Loc and Tri were among those who greeted us at the airport and made a comeback cameo (okay, they're returning characters, not filler.) A coffeehouse like no other, yet quaint, Jireh proved to be of utmost utility and provided spectacular service to us. Here's their Facebook handle: @jirehcoffee80 HAHA you've been duped into thinking this was a blog post; it's a customer service hype post! Just kidding~ Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Dr. Hoang and his wife Huong had been serving with Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) for over 19 years in Vietnam and Chi Loc soon took the reins in leading this bold endeavor. As I looked around the room, expectant faces beamed back at me. "I'm about to learn a whole lot of monosyllabic names real quick right now," I thought. Was I right? Of course, I was right. ;) After a round of introductions, giggles, and another round of introductions for latecomers, dinner was served. During this time of breaking bread, and I say breaking bread specifically to take notice of what fellowship began to look like to me. Food is an integral part of every culture but specifically, in Vietnamese culture, family-style food was practically a default. We were served individual dishes yet everyone poured out their personal testimonies like gravy and generously ladled out laughter. To me, this was what a meal should be. 

I just had a smoothie and a couple of deep sighs for dinner though. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

As our evening was drawing to a close, Chi Loc wanted to make a final announcement. "Thank you, Thanh Le Church, for coming and interacting with the youth, who, like so many friends here, have little to no accountability with the Gospel after becoming believers. You are a step in making this happen, thank you." she (probably) said. "Now, [Redacted] would like to share a story with you all." Chi Loc looked expectantly at the girl sitting across from her at the table. With a sheepish grin, she began. 

Does this sound familiar? "I was born and raised in a Christian home." In Vietnam, so many youths do not have this story but rather, a conscious choice made when a third party, external force has given them this story of an absolutely amazing timeline. The story that has endured, inspired and won the fight against the tide of evolving change: the Gospel. It's what has made all of us united in the face of the enemy. It's what's given us our "why." With our upcoming retreat, our team has placed at stake the future of Vietnam's youth and yet, it's not really a gamble...when the result has been made clear.  

"You wanted more?",

Justin H. Nguyen

Works Cited:

"STORYTELLING: Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary." Cambridge Dictionary, dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/storytelling.

Fwd: Day 1: The Never Ending Story- Debrief

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Justin Nguyen <justinnguyeny2k@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jul 24, 2019 at 4:11 PM
Subject: Day 1: The Never Ending Story- Debrief
To: Jeremiah Dao <jsondao@gmail.com>

*sqquueee* goes the twin jumbo jet engines as liftoff, touch down, lift off and touch down once more becomes routine to our anticipated sojourners. Korea proved to be a wondrous opportunity to become accustomed to culture shock: for some of our friends, a chance to witness a world apart for the first time. Soon, we were able to disembark from our final plane rode to be fully immersed in that heavy, humid, yet strangely familiar climate of Vietnam.

Our welcome was quickly greeted by Thai, a TLC brother living in Vietnam, and Chi Loc and Anh Tris, members of the accompanying welcome group. PIling into the taxi vans with damp shoulders and high spirits, we were on our way to Thien Thao, the hotel which we would pronounce as home. A light laying of the hands, rest of the eyes, and we dove headfirst into the hustle and bustle to meet Ba MS Nguyet, or Esther, to break bread, have a luncheon and fellowship, and Chi Trinh, our Youth program coordinator, quickly gathered our attention after full bellies to relay the week's schedule. 

One important detail that I personally noticed, as simple as being a passenger was: Vietnam is a country that reads between the lines. Michael pointed out that despite all the developing buildings, honking of traffic, and chaos, the real transactions were happening between the buildings and in alleys. "That's hella sus," I piped up (to no one's approval).

But it's true. For just within these short hours of burning daylight, I would describe Vietnam in one word: adaptable. The culture-sounds and smells, a greeting, a grin after taking a bite- can be overwhelming at first. But the obstacles, potholes, sudden tragedies that come out of nowhere like an unbeknownst Vespa, that dare cross our path- better believe that our team will "continue to work your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose." (Philippians 2:12-13, NIV) 

I beseech you, true believers: please continue to pray for our steadfastness in the Spirit. These next few days of preparation will, well, *prepare* us for the upcoming retreat to the college students of Ho Chi Minh City. 

Stay tuned for more details!

Your friendly neighborhood bạn (friend),

Justin H. Nguyễn

Day 0: The First Surrender

: Hello, TLC family and friends! This year, in 2019, we are embarking on a brand new adventure, in the bustling country of Vietnam! For two weeks, we implore you for prayers: of health, peace and for the Grace of God to soften the hearts of the Vietnamese college students we'll be evangelizing to.

We'll be departing at approximately 11 pm and arriving at a layover in Incheon, South Korea at 4 am. Then it's off to our Final Destination in Vietnam at 7 am. 

With all our hearts, and all our strength, THANK YOU EVERYONE for your thoughts, prayers, and other means of support (notably, financial 😁) Without you, this trip would definitely not be possible.

We are grateful for this opportunity to share His love! Salutations!

- Justin H. Nguyễn

 Xin chào quý hội thánh! Năm nay, 2019, các cháu sẽ đi truyền giáo ở bênh nước Việt Nam cho 2 tuần. Xin cầu nguyện cho giữ gìn sức khỏe, bình an, và cho quyền năng của Chúa mở lòng các học sinh đại học. Chúng con sẽ cắt cánh khoảng 11 giờ khuya và đáp xuống ở Incheon, South Korea lúc 4 giờ sáng, và sau đó, bây đến Việt Nam lúc 7 giờ sáng. 

Với hết lòng, hết sức, chúng con cảm ơn hội thánh đã lỡ lắng, cầu nguyện, và ủng hộ bằng cách nào khác (đặc biệt là bằng tài chánh 😁)

Nếu không có sự ủng hộ của các cơ chú bác anh chị em, chuyến này không có thể xảy ra. 

Chúng con rất hân hạnh để được đi năm nay! Tạm biệt!

- Huy, con của Jasmine Hảo Nguyễn

TLC Vietnam Commission Service / Last Team Meeting

TLC Vietnam Mission Send Off

Please keep our team in your prayers as we spread the Gospel to the people of Vietnam for the next two weeks (July 22nd-August 5th). 

Join our team at LAX around 8:00 pm to pray together with beloved friends and family before our departure to Vietnam at 11:00 pm. See y'all there and thank you supporting us! 

His glory our reward, 

Jeremiah