Sex talk
In Vietnam, talking about sex and reproductive health issues was once taboo, and anyone who had pre-marital sex was strongly condemned by society. But, as elsewhere, things are changing.Sexual activity among young people is now more common than in the past, and some couples live together before deciding to tie the knot. Unwanted pregnancies are terminated with little thought, with terminations referred to simply as 'normalizing the menstrual cycle'.
Vietnam has one of the highest abortion rates in the world. Statistics from a few years ago revealed that on average a woman in Vietnam would have eight abortions in her lifetime. Because many will never have any, it shows how commonplace it is for those who do. Some 20 per cent of abortions are for under-aged girls. The government, with funding from the European Commission and the UN, has initiatives to educate young people on safe sex, including contraceptives, HIV/Aids and sexually-transmitted diseases. Several 'youth-friendly corners' have been set up to provide information, counseling and clinical services tailored specifically to adolescents.
The biblical principles of abstinence before marriage and fidelity afterwards are taught within the Church, but do Vietnamese Christians follow them because they're Vietnamese or because they're believers? This question will become increasingly important for the next generation of Christians.
One innovative Christian leader felt called to teach from the Song of Solomon during a church youth camp. A teenage girl responded by saying, 'Before, I thought that things between boys and girls were dirty and horrible, and I was afraid of marriage, but now I understand that God has made the relationship between men and women something that can be beautiful.'
New Year's resolutions
About a month into the Vietnamese (lunar) New Year, the campaign to 'Learn and Follow Ho Chi Minh's Morality Example' is in full swing. Vietnam's revered leader stressed that moral education is both an urgent requirement and a long-term obligation, in order to promote moral values and fine revolutionary traditions, curbing bad habits by educating revolutionaries.
Encountering the good book: 'Think of a team as functioning like different parts of a body,' the first competitor nervously started. A desire to improve his English had lead him to strike up a friendship with a kind foreigner. This foreigner had introduced him to a book to help him with some ideas for his entry in the public speaking contest.
In fact, the book seemed to have quite a few good ideas. Yes, he would read more.
- Pray that this young man's heart would be opened to the other teachings of this truly good book. This is the man's first contact with the Bible as he is from an atheist background. He has also started to ask more questions about Jesus. Ask that his friendship with the kind foreigner would deepen.
- For Vietnamese Christians, may God grant creativity to recognize where biblical examples can be applied at work and at home, and courage in speaking of these to friends and family.
Encountering God's creation:
The mountainous province of Lam Dong is home to 70 per cent of the 400 different types of orchids found in Vietnam. Of these, 10 species are very rare and are only found in Lam Dong. This incredible bio-diversity is under threat from locals who find and sell orchids very cheaply to collectors and tourists.
- Praise God for the natural beauty that he has created in Vietnam. Pray that more Vietnamese people would acknowledge God's power and goodness seen in creation. Ask that the Vietnamese government and people would be wise stewards of these natural resources.
Encountering brokenness:
Anxiety, stress, psychological trauma and depression are on the rise in Vietnam - in children. In Hanoi last month, experts discussed how to tackle the issue of approximately seven million Vietnamese children with mental health problems, which ranged from lack of motivation, disobedience and truancy, to autism and nervous breakdowns, sometimes triggered by conflicts at school or at home.
Children of drug addicts, victims of sexual abuse, those with HIV/Aids, or those living on the street were identified as particularly vulnerable to psychological traumas and long-term mental illness.
- Lift up the children of Vietnam before the Lord. Pray for justice and compassion in Jesus' name to be shown to those in need. Especially remember Christian parents, that they would raise their children wisely, teaching healthy attitudes towards study and other pressures of life. May these families set a good example in their communities.
Encountering one another:
'Meet you in the corner of the canteen at 11:30... Tell Trang too!' Four Christian young women attend the same university, and thanks to one of them actively seeking out other believers, they have just met. At present, small groups for Bible study and fellowship exist in only a very few of Vietnam's universities.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if these four women could form the nucleus of such a group? We will let you know if it happens, so please pray!
- Ask God to challenge these four women with the importance of living as Christians at university. May they see the benefits of encouraging one another, and may many more groups spring up throughout the country. Pray for protection and discretion among students and key facilitators in these initiatives.
