MORE VIETNAM STORIES!
Carol Hightower, Girlfriends’ Member; DeSoto, Tx
“I’ve tried to pin down my experiences in Vietnam to one and have been unable to do so. There are so many things that have touched me and changed me. Thank you and GIBTK for what you are doing. There are so many people here watching you.
Yesterday at the dinner with the orphans and unwed Mothers, I was out in the hall watching two of the babies sleep. One of the women who works for the hotel and was overseeing the dinner walked through and was admiring the babies. I told her Be was very sick. She said, “But you are going to help him” with total confidence. Tam, your assistant, who doesn’t follow any religion, now believes in miracles. Only problem is, she thinks you perform them, and I guess in a way, you assist. Giao, who drives the van, says you have a big heart. He has a big heart too, as I’ve seen on several occasions.
1. Be, a precious four month old boy born to an unwed Mother, has been diagnosed with untreatable heart problems. If he lives six months, they will reassess. I sat and held him and spoke healing to him and bound spirits of infirmity and death. I told him he would be a mighty man of God and a leader of his people. We are told to speak what’s not as though it is. I believe that God will heal this baby and use the healing for His Glory. As I speak to Be, he tries to speak back to me and smiles.
2. Ha’n, a severely handicapped boy of about 12 in a state run orphanage. As soon as I touched him, he jumped from his bed (a wooden box on legs with a straw mat in it) and pulled me by the hand to go to the swing. Along the way all of the other children were telling him “No” and trying to get him to turn around, but H’an was on a mission. After he swung for a while, I took him back to his room, but each visitor who came had to take H’an to swing. Apparently the only time he gets to leave his room is when visitors come and H’an wasn’t wasting an opportunity.
3. Akela Richardson with our youth group who raised enough money for a heart surgery and in doing so, because of a corporate match program, facilitated three heart surgeries. I told her, she’s my new hero.
4. My friend, I met in the mountains when we took cloth, shoes, notebooks and rice cookers. She didn’t get anything but a box, but was perfectly fine. She needed that box for her salvage business. She wanted to show me her home and I was an honored guest. It is one of the old homes with the rusted tin roof and open to the elements. She had a great brood of chickens running through her home. An independent woman who rode her bike and carried a big box at the same time and didn’t ask for anything. My overall impression of the Vietnamese people is that they are sweet, hard working, fun loving people. They just need to know the joy of serving a living God. I believe through your work and ministry, many will come to know Jesus, because they will see His love through you.”
Akela Richardson, High School Senior, Dallas Texas
HEART SURGERY - “There were 6 candidates, all of them being a life changing surgery. The first 5 went by and I didn’t feel any of those were the one. The 6th came up and it was an 18month year old baby and her father was a fisherman and he couldn’t afford to pay for a life saving surgery for his own daughter. I can’t even imagine what that could be like.
“Her parents didn’t really show any emotion but when I looked into their eyes like Robert said to, I could see the joy. When they first came up there was no hope in their eyes but when they were told that their daughter was going to get a surgery, all of the sudden their empty eyes had hope in them. I’m so glad I saved money for this and seeing what I saw is going to make me save again and again so that I can buy as many surgeries and save as many lives as I can.
THE HOUSE – ‘I didn’t realize how much it meant when I decided to help the lady to rebuild her house. They put me on the spot and made me tell her that I was going to rebuild her house. I was speechless and had no idea what to say. I said a couple of words but Carlos took over and when he begins to tell her what I did to save up money her eyes begin to water up. I saw in her eyes thankfulness, happiness, and curiosity all at once. And just seeing that for just a couple of seconds made raising that money worthwhile, and made me wish I would have saved more.”
THE KIDS – “We were only with the 1st orphanage for 3 days. I didn’t think I could get so attached to those kids that quickly. I had to leave early to go to the heart surgery meeting. When I told the group of boys that I had been hanging out with most of the time that I was leaving they didn’t understand at first. But right when they really did understand I could see the sadness and abandonment in their eyes. Everyone that has ever been in their lives sooner or later leave. As I was walking away I turn around and they were all standing their two of them with tears in their eyes. Those kids changed my life and I think I affected theirs as well. I love those kids so much and I can’t wait to go back next year.”
AFTER LEAVING VIETNAM – “This entire trip changed my life. The orphanage kids, Robert, the heart surgery, and telling that lady that we were rebuilding her house. This trip opened my eyes to a lot of things I realize that we as Americans are selfish and spoiled. We always want more, we get what we want and then we still want more. Those kids had nothing, except a place to sleep and food. And they were always happy, and they never asked for more. I gave those orphanage kids all the jewelry I had brought on that trip, hoping that they would remember me. And I had to beg them to keep the jewelry that I had giving them, they kept trying to give it back. This entire trip has changed my life and I can’t wait to go back next year.”
Jessamy Gumm; “Girlfriend member”; Dallas, Texas
The Way Eye See It
“Ask anyone I know, and they’ll tell you about a sparkle that comes to my eyes whenever I speak of Southeast Asia. Having lived in Thailand for 3 years, I am well acquainted with the climate, food, sights, smells and culture of these enchanting people. I’ve seen many things in my experiences here, but have never been as touched as I was the other day upon meeting the sweetest child by the name of Han Vang.
“Han Vang happens to live in an orphanage in Da Nang, Vietnam due to her special needs brought on by dioxin poisoning. She has lost sight in both of her eyes. Her right eye has already been repaired by lens transplant and yesterday I found her waiting in the hospital for miraculous funds to become available so that her left eye can receive a transplant.
“Did I mention to you how precious this little one is? When I first met Han Vang, she was downstairs at her home singing a beautiful welcome song to me upon arrival to her joyous abode. She was clapping her hands, smiling up to the camera and rejoicing over her friend’s success with blowing bubbles. I had NO IDEA that her sight was being threatened by chemicals that had entered her body through no fault of her own.
“When I happened upon her again at the hospital waiting for her transplant, my heart melted…much like my body in this sweltering, tropical heat. Han Vang instantly recognized me, and obediently turned to smile at the camera.
“I met her sister that day too, a misty-eyed girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Would today be the day that Han Vang would receive word that a donor would provide the money for a lens transplant?
“I walked out to the balcony to spend a moment with myself and my thoughts. Robert’s also there. I look in his eyes and see the same struggle there that I know is in my own heart. Instantly my eyes get a sparkle, a sparkle brought on by my own tears of submission. Yes, today Han Vang will receive her lens transplant.”
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” I Corinthians 2:9