Clouds of Blessings Amidst a Drought

Phú Yên Province, South-Central Vietnam

Clouds of blessings amidst a mission trip, that was how this mission trip ends up as so meaningful and memorable. Sometime in April of 2016, I had the privilege to accompany a Vietnamese Christian pastor on one of his mission trip to the province of Phú Yên.

Phú Yên is a province on Vietnam’s south-central coast, characterized by mountains and beaches like Long Thuy and Vung Ro.

The local Vietnamese people live mainly at the lowland areas while living in the mountainous interiors were many local tribal people groups.

We took the train from Ho Chi Minh city to Tuy Hoa, the capital of Phú Yên province. Even the train ride was eventful, especially for the train ride back to HCM where we had interesting conversations with two old soldiers who fought each other during the war.

From Tuy Hoa we then drove up to Song Cau, another small town on the lowland which is closer to the sea.

The Team Of Three Pastors

For this mission trip, we joined the local church together with two other pastors from this Evangelical church that cares for the tribal Christian converts, as well as doing evangelistic outreach to those unconverted tribal folks with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we all know, Vietnam is still a communist country and is very poor  due to the many years of war between the North and the South. However in recent time, the communist is now opening up to the outside world for the re-building of their country and their economy. The churches in this country are mainly house churches and the communist authorities do not freely allow the Christians to meet and worship together. They lived in simple houses and a simple lifestyle with very little belongings that they can afford to own.

The local pastors, deacons and church workers
One of the homes we visited. Their homes have only the basic of furnishing

Financial Aids and Support for Local Ministry

So for this mission trip, the main aim is to visit many of these scattered local tribal churches to encourage the lay pastors, lay deacons and their flocks with the teachings of the bible, especially for them in the midst of persecutions from the local authorities. We also brings mission funds collected from the church to share our blessings with them as many of these folks are very poor farmers, as well as bringing used donated clothes and especially loads of medicated ointment which are very useful and in short supply. We are so thankful that God has touched many who donated good clothes that were such a blessings that we can shared with these tribal people.

Donated clothes and medicated ointments

The mission fund blessings were used to support many local tribal pastors and deacons who are mainly poor farmers. With this financial blessings make available, we are able to share their burden with their material needs. Not just the tribal pastors and local workers need funds, the local churches also need funds for their church building and maintenance. Other important items that a few churches requires funds were to purchase a working sound system, amplifiers and speakers, and electronic organ for their corporate worship during service.

New electronic organ and sound system for worship

A Heat Wave and Facing A Crisis Caused By Drought

At this time of our visit, the place was having a heat wave for nearly 5-6 months and many places water sources were drying up. And because there was no rain as well during these 5-6 months they were facing severe water shortage.

The farmers’ rice field has not been able to sustain and there would be no rice harvest because of the drought and the parched land. Soon they would have to find money to buy rice from the town or they will starved. They resorted to digging well for water so as to water the rice fields. One family dug a well but it was a dry well and needed financial help to dig another two meter depth to see whether they can hit groundwater. We gladly donated fund for the family to dig an additional 2 meter on that dry well. We were later told that after digging another one meter, they hit the groundwater and we were overjoyed.

The vegetation were gone and it is mainly parched land
Hitting groundwater after digging an additional one meter deep

The Answer To Their Crisis

We felt very much in our spirits that for their great need in such a time, we should pray and ask God to send rain to give them the life-giving water for their rice field. And so our prayers were made to our Lord for the heavens to open up and send the much needed rain for these suffering farmers.

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

James 5:17 

The promise of God on the power of prayer for His children with the example of this man, Elias.

The Sign from Heaven before the Clouds open up

The next day while having lunch at a coastal area far away from the mountainous interiors, we were excited when we saw a few droplets of rain. But however it was just a few droplets and then stopped.

Rain droplets, a sign that God had answered the prayer for rain

And we took a shot of the droplets on the water and another shot on the walkway for a clearer picture of these droplets as our appreciation of this sign from heaven.

Rain droplets before we saw the heavy rain

The Lord Send A Miracle of the Rain

While on our way back, our car passes by with a view of the faraway mountainous interiors where we had came off yesterday. We saw dark rain clouds over the whole mountainous area.

Later in the evening service there were some believers who had came down from the mountain area brought news that there was such a heavy rain downpour that water were flooding into their homes and they were so overjoyed with thanks to God. They were so overjoyed with tears that their tears were mixed with their meal as they were eating.

The Driver’s Salvation, Another Blessings

The driver who has been ferrying us around since day one has been watching and listening to many of the sharing and were touched. During the lunch fellowship, many of the tribal people were sharing their testimonies. These tribal people were notorious for drinking, smoking and other vices but they have repented after believing in Jesus Christ with a 180 degree change in their lives. We noticed that the driver was intently listening while joining us in our fellowship time.

He related how on one previous occasion, while waiting for the Pastor whom he had sent to the tribal Church meeting, he was surrounded by the local police who ended up chi-chatting with him. The police told him that they find it strange that this tribal people had changed dramatically after believing in the Lord Jesus. They have in the past, regardless of how and what methods and communication they had tried, they could never make them change. Indeed it was a powerful testimony by these sincere tribal believers. We give thanks to God that their new changed life shows the power of God and that He is real. Indeed many can testified that Jesus is the one true and living God. It was only after some time with us on this trip that this driver makes his commitment to give his life to Jesus as well.

Lady Teacher With Cancer

We also met up a Vietnamese lady teacher that had previously heard the gospel through the pastor. She is stricken with cancer but the cancer has not got worse after being prayed for and she wanted to know more about the faith to believe and accept the Lord Jesus. We have the opportunity to help her to understand more about God. Indeed there is a Healer and a blessed hope for this lady.

Before this trip, I did a fast and someone gave a word that the Lord will greatly bless this trip. Indeed He has truly bless the trip without a doubt, seeing many wonderful things that He is doing in believers’ life and making us as co-worker with Him.

Prophesy on Clouds of Blessings Given Six Months Ago

The local pastor who accompany us is the President of the Evangelical church, the mother church of the local churches. He has just took over the reins from the previous President six months ago. He shared that when he took over he had asked God how he can be used to help such a big group scattered over many places. And the Lord gave him a word and a promise. The promise is that God will send a cloud of blessings through His servants upon His people. This mission trip is indeed God’s cloud of blessings upon His people, through His servants’ hands.

The Evangelical Church

“JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER”

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