In Vietnam, it is quite normal to
find a whole street where the majority of shops are all
selling the same thing. In fact, Hanoi is famous for
the 36 streets in its old quarter that are all named
after the product they used to sell. So it was that I
found myself traveling along what should have been
called “Painting and Decorating Street”, but was
actually now named after a Revolutionary War hero, in
search of a pot of emulsion. I chose one of the smaller
shops at random (as they all sell the same thing), and
found the item I was looking for. On chatting to the
elderly shop owner, I was surprised to discover that his
son was studying abroad in the UK. From this I began to
realize two things – firstly, that there was a lot of
money to be made from selling paint (in a rapidly
developing country where houses are being built, and
painted, at an amazing rate). Secondly, that studying
abroad was no longer just an option for Vietnam’s rich
and elite, but was becoming accessible to the man in the
street.
In 2004, the UK welcomed over 1300
students to study there, and this figure is increasing
at 25-30% a year. The same is true of other
English-speaking countries such as the US, Australia and
Singapore. For the student and his family, the hope is
that study abroad will provide credentials for a good
job on return to Vietnam – perhaps with one of the
foreign-owned businesses where
internationally-recognized qualifications and a good
level of English are highly prized and rewarded.
Despite studying English hard to
reach the required level before leaving for their
country of study, many Vietnamese have difficulty with
the language and culture to which they travel. They may
have very few if any of their compatriots studying in
the same University, so it is easy to lose heart. One
University chaplain has observed that there is a much
higher drop out rate of South-East Asian students,
including Vietnamese, than from other countries, because
of struggles with the language – let alone all the
difficulties of living in a foreign culture. May
believers in these countries make themselves available
to minister to Vietnamese in need.
Praise God:
- For the increasing
opportunities to minister to Vietnamese in open
access countries such as the US, UK, Singapore and
Australia.
Pray for:
- More Christians
in these countries to befriend and bring the gospel
to Vietnamese studying abroad
- More student
workers to focus on the Vietnamese and their
specific needs
- Vietnamese studying
abroad to find the Lord there, and be equipped to
return home and share the gospel with their friends
and families effectively.
