Vietnam- Dennis

Hello again! I know this comes hot on the heels of my last article about the Philippines but I just had to send it right off because Vietnam was so exciting. You can put it in your library and look at all the pictures when you get time!

Vietnam - Mr. Joe Country
Last summer when I visited New Hampshire I received a unique offer. The legendary Mr. Joe from Massachusetts offered to send me and Jonathan Aho to Vietnam to bring God's love to some of the many children and youthand their families that he has befriended over the last 16 years. He has in fact brought over 100 polio handicapped kids to the US for major operations during that time - often with deformed limbs - those considered cursed by their culture. In recent years he has begun supporting more than 200 youngsters in Vietnam by assisting them with their education. The amount of creative compassion he has shown, the amount of "caring and sharing", as he calls it, is truly overwhelming. A living ambassador of the love of God!
I came to Vietnam with part of our Philippine team last week having learned the wonderful news that Mr. Joe himself was here with Jonathan Aho. Here to celebrate his 83rd birthday and to meet hundreds of young people with their parents and their families. The amazing experience was deepened and broadened by the fact that it is the time of Tet, the Chinese New Year, when the whole country is celebrating.

Home visit to Chau (far left) who Mr. Joe brought to the US for medical attention already years ago. Others, left to right, Frat Aho, (Do Duy) Duc - a brilliant young man who was also brought to the US for surgery some years ago and is now as successful businessman in Saigon - Randy Kinnunen, Colin Kinnunen and Karl Somero. Chau's aunt in the background. Wherever we went we brought the Gospel message of God's love in Christ Jesus.

Chau's house from the street - his family waving from the upper balcony.

 Visit to orphanage near Saigon where over a hundred children live - many of them handicapped - and from where many of Mr. Joe's children have come. Randy and Frat singing.

 Another home visit. This time to the home of a 16-year-old girl Nhi and her brother Tu - Now living alone after the death of both of their parents. Here bringing fruits and flowers to their mothers grave - who died only four months ago.

 Here we are in the Mekong River Delta in the big city of Ben Tre. This is a monument to the victory of many small Vietnamese boats over the big US Navy ships on this river. Note sculptured trees - in parks everywhere in Vietnam.

Mr. Joe receiving young people and their families in our hotel restaurant. 

 Mr. Joe outside the hotel getting ready to leave for the big birthday celebration.

 Addressing the guests at the birthday party with his translator Minh - another of his "miracles".

 With the crowd of over 300 well-wishers. Mr. Joe had not been back in Vietnam for 14 years and the reception was truly overwhelming. I also brought a message of God's love in Christ Jesus even though I was warned that there might be informers in the crowd and not to use my Bible. I believe God gave me the words and way to speak that might have even piqued the interest of the most die-hard Communist. To Him be the glory. All in all I spoke seven times during my stay here on this message of the love of God in Christ Jesus, but this was by far the biggest audience I spoke to.

 The Palace of Independence - formerly the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam. I and probably many other people will never forget the dramatic and traumatic scenes of the helicopters evacuating the last Americans and many frantic Vietnamese from the roof of this building in April 1975 as Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese. Yesterday I was able to tour this building which is now basically a museum. An edifice of unabashed luxury it was completed in 1966 by and for the South Vietnamese government with American support.

 A HELICOPTER, mind you! On the roof of the Palace - just where everyone was evacuated. And an American made one at that!! Boy did this give me shivers down my spine!

 Here is Duc again, with his vintage American Jeep from 1969. He is the head of a club of people who own these restored relics of the war.

 Jonathan Aho and I celebrating the Chinese New Year in Saigon, Vietnam. We have a lot in common.

Light decorated street - one of many. On our last evening in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) Jonny and I and Isabel Aho joined virtually millions of Vietnamese thronging the central streets of Saigon to celebrate the Tet New Year - it is a city of about 10 million people and it seemed they had all taken to the streets - many of which were closed for traffic last night. I can only describe the experience as gorgeous and exhilarating. Everyone is so very friendly here. Saigon is a truly beautiful city. I thank God and Mr. Joe that I was able to come here and experience so much of it in just a week!

NOTE - I wrote this on my last day in Vietnam - just before I headed for the airport to fly first to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and then on to India. I am now here in Kapileswarapuram at Pastor K's and Ruth's with our team of nine Americans, Canadian and this Finn. But that's another story!

Loving Indian greetins of "Wandanalu"!

Dennis