Lutheran Hour Ministries—Vietnam Director Dinh Hai Au always shares news about his ministry center with great enthusiasm. His report on the center's activities this fall is no exception.
In September, says Mr. Hai Au, the center's outreach team traveled more than 500 miles to hold outreach events near the city of Da Nang.
"We held puppet shows for the children at the Hoa My and Nam O congregations," says Hai Au. "You know, when we do ministries or perform anything related to religion, we have to do it inside the church. However, this time was completely different (or special). We were approved to have a performance outdoors!"
One of the pastors who attended was amazed at this special consideration: "We have never gone out of the door to do anything. This is such a miracle that God has done through the local government. They signed and approved our proposal. And at the end of the show when I thanked them, they also asked me to do the same thing next year."
Hai Au reports that more than 1,100 people responded to the performances held in the Da Nang area, and "194 kids and their parents were connected with congregations."
LHM—Vietnam also organized a mini-soccer (or futsal) tournament for youth at Da Nang. "There were 11 teams," says Hai Au, "and," he says, "there were 6 women's teams. This is the first time we have held an event for young women! We were able to refer a total of more than a hundred participants at the event to local congregations."
Back in Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Au says, the ministry held an opening ceremony for its new Globalinks Futsal Training Academy. Like the tournament events the center sponsors, the Globalinks Academy is an upshot of LHM—Vietnam's commitment to hold its youth sports program to a high standard of sportsmanship and use it to share the Gospel among youth and young adults. The Academy's inaugural class was composed of 20 young men. Just a month later in October, says Hai Au, the Academy was training 78 eager students, many of whom have been referred to local congregations.
"People and churches around the country are coming to know about this kind of ministry, and they want to know how they can have it too!" says Hai Au. No wonder he's enthused.
To learn more about Lutheran Hour Ministries—Vietnam, visit lhmvietnam.wordpress.com.