Notes from Vietnam
January 29th, 2008On Sunday morning seven of our group went to the home of Pastor Nguyen Minh Sang in Hoi An for the meeting of the house church. Mark Weidner and Arno Thimm from our group gave stirring testimonies on this special day designated by Mennonite World Conference as World Fellowship Sunday. We were able to join in some of the singing. Pastor Sang preached a great “Mennonite” sermon from Matthew 5:9, calling on all to be reconciled to God and to one another in the home and church.
We had no apprehension about meeting with the congregation since Sang serves as the general secretary of the Mennonite group that has been given permission by the government to carry out religious activities. Just a couple of months ago the local authorities in a special service issued these papers to him.
Yesterday we visited the My Lai Memorial site near Quang Ngai which, in March, will commemorate 40 years from the date the US armed forces swept through the area and killed 503 persons without receiving any “enemy” fire. What was special for Mary and me was again meeting Mrs. Ha Thi Quy, one of the survivors. When she saw us, she reacted with great surprise and embraced us. Such is the love and forgiveness and graciousness of the Vietnamese people.
Today we go to Nha Trang, the place where MCC operated a hospital with the Evangelical Church of Vietnam from 1960 to 1975.
~ Luke Martin
