MANNA

Vietnam Outreaches response to COVID and the aftermath. 

We are living in challenging times, COVID has triggered rampant inflation, the decimation of many businesses in Vietnam has caused great job losses. Post COVID many who are poor are encountering an even deeper level of desperation.

But we thank God that so far we have been able to reach out and help 8,122 families (an approximate 30,000 individual family members).

At the onset of COVID we encouraged our team to make the decision not to be focussed on the circumstances, but give themselves to do the ‘Here and now’. That simply meant to reach out in love and bring hope to the desperate with the Good News (fulfilling Romans 10:14) and distribute urgently needed food and supplies, for love is not just talk it is also action. (1 John 3:18)

As one of our team said, during that season she focused on doing her part of bringing witness and praying for salvation and healing for the people. Some of them recovered and some succumbed to the virus and went to be with the Lord. She did not question the enormity of this international catastrophe, she simply continued doing her part knowing that those who passed away would be with the Lord eternally.

Pandemic update. Vietnam Outreaches response to COVID. 

Thoa’s testimony is but one of many our team encounters. She is an eighteen year old and living with her seriously ill mother. Her father passed away many years ago and life was far from easy despite her mother’s best efforts to provide.

Three years ago Thoa left school early in order to get a job, for by them her mother’s decline meant she could no longer be the household breadwinner. When COVID hit life took a very tough turn because Thoa’s employer had to close and they were without income.

Despite the hardship they held to their faith and prayed that God would open doors to provide Thoa with work. Casual jobs appeared from different places but then in recent weeks as COVID exploded the lockdown was dramatically intensified.

There were no more casual jobs and Thoa’s hardship deepened just like countless others who are struggling. Yet Thoa and her mother chose to hold to their faith in our God and He has come through as our team has been able to reach out and help them with their physical and spiritual needs.

Vietnam Outreach launched Project Manna in the early 1990’s after a vicious typhoon swept through Central Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands were left homeless, people were starving. Through a miracle of provision Vietnam Outreach was able to provide a month’s food to 17,000 people. Since then several other major relief campaigns have been mounted, providing food for millions of meals. Vietnam knows only too well the bitter sting of floods and typhoons that swing in each year from the South China Sea.

The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 reminds us to “love our neighbour as we love ourselves.” That simply means to do for others what we would want someone to do for us if we were in their situation. James 2:16 shares “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way faith by itself, if not accompanied by action is dead.” Project Manna translates faith into action by feeding those who are hungry, clothing those who are naked in accordance with our Isaiah 61 calling.