When I got off the plane, I was surprised to see dozens of people desperate to serve me so that I might give them something they wanted, money, friendship, or food.  There was one young man, who very humbly said, ‘please please please’ can I serve you.”  I went with him in his taxi to my hotel.  I gave him a generous tip and he thanked me like I gave him a million dollars. 

 While walking the streets of Ho Chi Minh, Saigon, I was overwhelmed with the need of the people.  Men, women and children were trying very hard to make a living. Everywhere I went I heard the cry of ‘please buy from me, I need to feed my family.  I wanted to help them all but I couldn’t. I felt their hunger for a better life, for food or for help of any kind. 

 One day I visited an orphanage and I saw dozens of hungry children with disease.  I didn’t have much money, but I knew that I had something to give my trip was sponsored by several generous Christian Americans.    I went to the market and bought ten bags of rice. Each bag weighed fifty pounds.  A man helped me who had a large carrier on his bicycle.  He put all the bags of rice in his carrier and took them to the orphanage.  I very gladly distributed the rice and the children were fed for ten days.  I was also able to buy chalkboards, notebooks and pens and a few toys for the children as well.  They were so thankful and happy.  I also gave some money to the leader of the orphanage so she could continue to take care of the children. 

 The next day I went to another city, Nha-Trang, to meet a fellow Christian sister, who has dedicated her life to serve the lepers for many years.  I wanted to support her work in any way that I could.  I went out to the market and bought a hundred bags of rice, each weighing fifty pounds.  The rice bags were delivered to the Christian sister.   This woman, asked me to speak a message to the lepers about the love of Jesus and the hope of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I spoke to over one hundred lepers who listened attentively and almost all of them accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.  I was thrilled to be able to give them not only food but also a true message of hope for a better life in the days ahead or the new life to come after death. 

 I will never forget my trip to Vietnam and seeing the faces of men, women and children who were all hungry for healing and restoration, not only physically but also spiritually and emotionally. .    I will never forget the woman who served the lepers, and I will never forget the need that is still in Vietnam today, the need for all people to be healed and restored.