It's Worth It to Love to Death

I just came back from the 30th Aniversary Annual Conference of the Vietnamese District of the CM&A (“Hoi Dong Giao Hat Bac My, Dac Biet Ky Niem 30 Nam”). This year we reached another important milestone for English Speaking Ministry for our churches (read it here). For the rest of the time, even though I went there since Saturday morning through Tuesday night, I was hanging out with the English Speaking groups most of the time and not the Vietnamese programs. Except for a few hours Monday night; but it was worth it.

Monday night was the missionary night. This year, they tracked down and invited over 30 ex-missionary from the CMA to Vietnam and honored them for bring the Gospel to Vietnam. The most powerful moment came from listening to their testimonies about their work in Vietnam.

One of the old woman retold the story of her capture by the North Vietnamese during Tet Mau Than. She was walked by her captors all the way from Ban Me Thuoc to Ha Noi (about 1000 miles), lost 50 pounds, and retold about her many attempts to witness to Mr. Khoi, her captor. Her husband was also captured on the same day, but they took him on a different route, and she has never seen him since.

I listened to Dr. Thomas Stebbins interviewed Mrs. Zimmerman, who witnessed her husband was shot by machine gun during Tet Mau Than as he surrendered with his hands above his head. A nurse named Ruth rushed to his side to only to be gunned down by machine gun. Another one rushed into a shelter and the shelter was blown up by grenades. Inside the shelter were the brother and sister-in-law of Mr. Thomas Stebbins. Both of them died during the Tet Mau Than.

Dr. Thomas Stebbins stayed on as missionary for fifteen-years in Vietnam and left Saigon on April 29, 1975. He recalled persuading Muc Su Doan Van Mieng to leave with him but the old man shook his head, “I need to stay with the flock”.

One of the old missionaries now is still working with the Vietnamese in Cambodia, and he was pleading with us to do something to stop the sex-trafficking of kindergarten-aged children in the region he works with. Other missionaries retold many stories of love and compassion from God for the Vietnamese people.

And I never forget the tearful conclusion of the speaker for the night, after describing all the hardship they have been through, that “it was all worth it!”

O God, such a sacrifice from your Son brought such a sacrifice from your children. Help me to live a life that worth the price they have paid to make You known!