The open and free practice of religion in Viet Nam continues to be a complicated issue to describe or assess. In short there's good and bad as highlighted in the following quote: "To be sure, the freedom to practice one’s faith or beliefs in … [Read more...]
Tien’s strength
Tien is trying to understand how to live her life now that she is a believer in Jesus Christ. She heard about Jesus at a Christmas party last month and, a couple of days later, prayed and committed to follow Him. But she still has many questions. … [Read more...]
Persecution
Day 22 of 31 Days of Prayer for Viet Nam When asked about how Christians around the world could pray for the persecuted believers in Vietnam, Te,* a church leader and trainer, simply said, “We don’t pray for [persecution] to go away or for … [Read more...]
Opposition at Home
Day 15 of 31 Days of Prayer for Viet Nam Christians not only face persecution from the government in Vietnam, but they also meet resistance at home. When Tan* became a Christian, he stopped following the traditional ritual of worshipping his … [Read more...]
Is The World Watching?
Day 8 of 31 Days of Prayer for Viet Nam According to Open Doors International, Vietnam has moved to the #16 spot on the World Watch List for persecution of Christians. So what does this mean? In 2014 violence against Christians continued with … [Read more...]
The Persecuted
They might have been talking about the previous day’s soccer match, or the weather, or this year’s planting. But they weren’t. Under a shade tree shielded from the afternoon sun, at first glance the circle of young men appeared much like any other … [Read more...]
CompassionNet Ho Chi Minh City April 1, 2015
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM (HOE-chee-men) - “Everything here is a spiritual battle,” says Thanh*, a local believer who is consistent in sharing his faith with others around him. “From even before you start to share with someone, there will be … [Read more...]
It’s a sad, sad situation.
You may remember Elton John's 1976 hit song, Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word (if you weren't around for that decade or need a refresher I'll embed the video at the end of this post). The lyrics from the song include the chorus of: It's sad, so … [Read more...]
Did the crack in the door close? That’s a good thing.
The lament has been heard from many that the government of Viet Nam is moving to "put an end to house churches." This has been a common reaction to "Decree 92" (or ND92) which the Viet Nam government passed last November and implemented in January … [Read more...]
The phone’s for you
Dung* had seen many cell phones before, many people in the large town nearby had them and often someone visiting his village would have one as well. But only one family in his village actually owned a cell phone themselves. It was the family of his … [Read more...]
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