In January of 2013, I landed at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). I had come at the request of some missionary friends who had been trying to plant an International Church there for a number of years. Although written policy in Vietnam is one of religious tolerance, the laws were, at the time, applied unevenly, and the small group of expat believers there were experiencing some “bureaucratic delays”. But by March of 2015, The Well was alive and well, often seeing over 100 people from as many as 26 countries at worship every Sunday.

Before we left (Lee joined me that February), the church had called a pastor. He and his family stayed for more than seven years (unusual for an International Church), navigated the church through the COVID lockdowns, and then moved back home to care for their aging parents.

When one of the founding elders called me in late July, the church was without a pastor. The request? “Could you come back to Vietnam for a while and provide some leadership during this transition?” We thought about it. Prayed about it. Sought wise counsel from people who knew us and understood Vietnam. And in late August, I once again stepped into the crowd that always gathers outside the arrival doors, onto the streets of Saigon.

Today is Wednesday, September 17, 2025. I have been on the ground for close to a month. Lee joined me for 10 days during the September 2 National Day Celebration. This year was the 80th anniversary of the day President Ho Chi Minh read the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi. Our plans are fluid at the moment, but we feel it would be wise for us to commit to several months to help the church.

We sought the approval of our overseers at both CONVERGE, the BGC of Canada, and the Clear & Simple Media Board of Directors. All have given consent and will be watching (as we have asked) to make certain that we can still be effective at leading CSM Inc. from 9,000 miles (14,000 kilometers) from home.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for Lee and me as this project will require that we be apart for long stretches.

Pray for safety for me as I cross the street several dozen times a day. [Sounds funny, I know. But that simple task is not-so-simple on the streets of Saigon.]

Pray that God will use our time here to encourage the church and help restore a sense of mission.