What kind are you?
Almighty God, challenge and equip Christian students in Vietnam to be salt and light, remaining distinctive while engaging seriously with their peers. Amen.

Would you copy a friend's homework? Or skip class at university? Does your entire social life revolve around people you know from church? Does spending most of your free time doing church activities cramp your style - or do you find it comforting?

We all share the human desire to 'fit in' somewhere, and this is particularly strong in Vietnamese culture, which is very sociable and group-oriented. Christian students are a tiny minority, and most tend to one of two extremes: either they blend in so that their lifestyles are indistinguishable from other students, or they spend every night at church activities and rarely mix with their classmates.

Imagine you haven't heard much about Jesus, when a friend from university invites you to a meeting in a church, which you assume is the Christian version of the pagoda. At the meeting, you are told that you should believe in Jesus, because this is a really good thing. Furthermore, believing in Jesus entails living a changed life that pleases God. But wait a minute - you're already as good and as nice as the person who invited you to church! Sure, the two of you might take a few short-cuts in your studies, but then again, everyone is doing it. So, what are you to make of this Christianity thing?

May young people dream dreams...
Four young people in one church in a city have banded together with the aim of helping poor rural churches. They recently visited an area where some years ago the only believers were one family; now there is a church of about 100 adults and children! It is a very poor area and the believers don't yet have an official church building. From their own resources, the four young people bought and gave to the church rice, chairs, Bibles and resources for children's activities, and they spent time encouraging the believers and teaching the children.

National Assembly
In May, more than 99 per cent of Vietnam's 56.4 million eligible voters participated in the election of the 12th National Assembly. This process takes place once every five years, and this month the 493 newly elected representatives will convene for the first time to elect and approve key state and government positions. The oldest member is 80, and the youngest, 24. Women make up 26 per cent of members, and ethnic minorities took 87 seats (18 per cent) in the Assembly. Nearly all representatives hold either graduate or post-graduate degrees. Non-Party members won 43 seats (nine per cent) in the Assembly, including one self-nominated candidate (ie not chosen by a state-affiliated group).

• May the Lord show his mercy to the Vietnamese people by granting wisdom and justice to the National Assembly. Ask that they would appoint good leaders to the key state and government positions.

More taxis!
We had only been on the road for 15 minutes, when he got out of the car, and washed his face. There had been a dearth of taxis at Hanoi airport, and this driver had been more than happy for two groups to share his taxi. But as he restarted the car, rubbing his eyes, he explained apologetically that he'd just worked a 22-hour shift, had two hours of sleep, and had started again at 4am. As it was now well past midnight, all his passengers were a little concerned and continued chatting to him until they reached their destinations, just to make sure he didn't fall asleep at the wheel.

• Continue to pray for safety for all those on the roads.

Only the good die young
Currently, 15 million Vietnamese people smoke, representing 50 per cent of males and 3.4 per cent of females over the age of 16. At these rates the World Health Organization warns that smoking-related diseases may lead to the early death of 10 per cent of the population. The government decree in 2000 banning smoking in certain public places has had little effect on behavior. Recently, the Vietnamese prime minister has reiterated the ban on smoking in schools, hospitals, production areas, offices and public sites.

• Pray for a shift in Vietnamese culture, so that fewer young people would take up smoking. Also ask that smokers would want to give up their addiction and receive the necessary support to do so.

Qatar, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
What do these countries have in common? Well, they all anticipate hosting increasing numbers of Vietnamese guest workers in the coming years, fuelled largely by the construction boom in the Middle East. Many guest workers come from rural areas in Vietnam, and find jobs not only in construction, but also as domestic assistants, cashiers, IT engineers and traffic policemen. The government hopes to set up a management network to support and expand the labor market in the Gulf and other areas.

• God's people are everywhere, so pray that Vietnamese guest workers would not be cut off from the chance to hear the gospel. May the Lord give vision and boldness to Christians to reach out across cultural boundaries to their Vietnamese colleagues.