Why did Moses go to the field to see his fellow Hebrews suffering in slavery? It was because God intended to show Moses how much affliction his people were living in, in order to change him and mold him into the leader who would eventually lead the Israelites out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt. In the same way, I believe God sent Kirkwood Church’s first mission team to Malaysia and Vietnam to transform our lives and to prepare us to be the people who will participate in delivering the Vietnamese people out of from slavery of Satan. The lives of those in the first Kirkwood mission team, were indeed changed after this mission trip. We learned how to be more grateful, more joyful, and how to be more productive for the kingdom of God.

Why did God allow the Holy Spirit to descend only upon the disciples on the Pentecost when thousands of people had come to Jerusalem for this festival?   It was because God wanted the disciples to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be on fire to share the Gospel to the lost.  This is seen through the example of Peter, whose first sermon on Pentecost brought more than three thousands souls into God’s kingdom. God allowed Kirkwood Church’s mission team to go to Malaysia and Vietnam to be ignited by other fervent Christians. The result was that we reached out to hundreds of souls within three weeks and brought more than two hundred souls into God’s kingdom. We were indeed on fire for our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherever we go, we continued sharing the Gospel to the lost.

Why did God allow the Israelites to face the Red Sea with the enemy pursuing them from behind?  It was because God wanted them to experience His mighty hand protecting them so that they could face their future wicked enemies in the land of Canaan. God sent Kirkwood’s mission team to Malaysia and Vietnam for us to experience His mighty hand protecting us from the hands of those who tried to persecute us. God indeed rescued us miraculously during our time in Malaysia and Vietnam and we truly experienced His protection upon us. With this experience, we will stand firm in the long journey with God and in the spiritual battles with the enemy.

I believe that anyone who joins the mission team would definitely experience at least one of these. Their lives will be transformed; their spirit will be ignited, their faith will be anchored deeper in the Lord; their fear will be gone; and they will indeed become the fishers of men.

This is the reason why we have to go abroad for missions; going to the places full of persecution such as in Muslim countries or communist nations, investing our finances in the places where the new believers cannot join our local church, and risking ourselves abroad while we’re free to do evangelism in our nation.

Pastor David Mai

First of all, I want to thank God for giving our mission team a truly invaluable opportunity to proclaim His word in such remote and hardship laden places.  It was through this opportunity that the Lord taught us numerous invaluable lessons which rekindled our faith upon this journey of service to Him.

Being born into a Christian family, you could call me a generational Christian (a little “lamb” of God) because I started going to church with my parents when I was a very young child.  But I did not live the “Christian life” as I was truly intended to live until God lead me on this trip to Malaysia.  He opened my spiritual as well as my physical eyes and allowed me to witness the lives of those who lived in tremendous hardship and misery…but these young men and women who lived here had a faith that rose and soared high above their circumstances, with a faith that was far greater than ours.

It was after a day of rest, that our mission team was lead to a small and cramped room.  It was probably only a quarter of our church’s fellowship hall, but it was the meeting place for over 60 young men and women who all had a fervent desire to learn about and seek God.  There I spoke with a young woman about her living conditions and her work.  It was truly moving, and I felt such pity listening to each of these young people recount the hardship of their families and the reasons why they had to come here to Malaysia as laborers.  These young adults “wanted” a better life, but they “needed” a better job in order to save money to send back to their families in Vietnam.  However, when they stepped foot onto this place, nothing was as they thought it would be…you could say that their living and working conditions were like a living “hell.”  But amazingly, Christ had come into their lives.  Christ had transformed the heartache and difficulties in their lives into perfect joy in Him.  This new source of joy was on display on the countenances of each of these you people.    One shared with me, “The thing we ‘need’ is not that of this temporary life, but rather Christ Himself.  We need to have Him in our lives, because we ‘want’ a renewed spirit…a life full of love like the Lord’s.  We ‘want’ to know the Lord more and more, we ‘want’ to study His word more in order to be able to share with non-believers.”  These words she shared with me were a wake-up call to my soul and made me feel ashamed when I reflected upon my own life.  In the days past, did I truly clearly understand the purpose for my life?  What did I want and what did I need?  I wore the mantle of a so-called “Christian” but lived aimlessly in the business of this life for the material “needs” of this life, forgetting the “need” that I truly must have for my spiritual life.  I needed Christ Himself.  I wanted so much and forgot the one thing that I should desire which is to know Christ more and study His word more…to be closer to Him and to share his living word so that more might know Him.

After the Bible study that night with these young men and women, I thank the Lord that He totally changed my outlook on life, on the way I live, and the purpose for my life.  I realized I needed more of Christ in my life and I wanted to know Him more.  The final thing is that I will never complain again about my life despite facing difficulties, because the image of these young men and women in their hardship is an ever present image that is inscribed on my heart and mind by which I am constantly reminded to praise the Lord for everything that He has given to me.

Rose Nguyen

On July 3rd, Kirkwood hosted a special program featuring the testimonies of several Christians visiting from Vietnam.  One gentleman, Trung Nam, recounted the story of God’s redemptive power in his life. 

As a young man searching for fulfillment, Trung rebelled against his family and was involved in all types of vices, including gambling, stealing, crime, and alcohol.  His wayward life caused a tremendous amount of heartache and pain for his parents who unsuccessfully and desperately tried help him time and again. 

Despite all these  vices that Trung found himself in, he realized that they did not satisfy his search for purpose and meaning in his life.  It was during this time of rebellion that Trung became involved in drugs.  Beyond any of the other vices he had be involved in before,  drugs became an overwhelming force in his life and his addiction completely overtook his life.  He started to steal from his family and commit other crimes to support his addiction.  On more than 6 occasions, Trung was arrested and put in jail.  Trung tried all manner of ways to stop the drug use, but found that he was powerless to the lure of the drugs.  Trung realized now that he had hit the bottom.

It was at this darkest hour in Trung’s life when he  met up with an old friend that he used to run around with.  Like him, his friend was also involved in the same troubles and vices he was.  But this time, Trung recounted how he noted a difference in his old friend.  His friend told him who he had now become a Christian, and how God had changed his life.  He was no longer living in the sinful life he had in the past.  While the words touched Trung, it was his friend’s countenance that compelled him the most.  As Trung recounts, his friend had a bright countenance that was full of life.  Trung made the fateful decision to turn his life over to Christ and accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. 

Through God’s transformative power, Trung’s life was changed dramatically.  For over 14 years he  had been hopelessly addicted to drugs, but God freed him from the bondage of this addiction in 2 weeks.  The change in his life was as clear as night and day, so much that his wife, his parents, his wife’s family, and many others came to know the Lord!

God is now using him to minister to others.  Trung is currently travelling throughout the U.S. to tell as many people he can about God’s redemptive power.  During KC’s program, there were 3 persons who turned their life over to Christ.  He also is serving in a church in Vietnam specifically helping those who face substance abuse issues.