Written by: Gerda Potgieter
Article source: JOY! Magazine
Mr N is a young Vietnamese man residing in Ho Chi Minh City. He was a skilled computer hacker and programmer, and developed computer games as a living. His family was Buddhist, but he called himself an atheist. A friend gave him a portable speaker box preloaded with an audio Bible, Gospel teachings, and worship music. The first thing he heard was completely new to him: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth.”
A life transformed
For two years he listened to FEBC’s (Far East Broadcasting Company) programmes, seeking the truth. He was also given a printed Bible and attended church with his friend. Later, Mr N prayed to receive Christ, suddenly his life changed; “I was becoming a new person,” he said.
He used the speaker box to share the Gospel with his mother, siblings, and close friends. They all turned to Christ.
Work with eternal impact
Mr. N was a successful programmer, but he wanted to use his skills to share his knowledge of Jesus with others. Eventually he joined FEBC’s technical team in Vietnam, for a fraction of the pay. When asked why he was willing to do that, he said: “The work here has eternal impact.”
Innovation, inspiration, and passion can overcome all obstacles, even censorship.
Ministry impact in Vietnam:
FEBC’s team in Vietnam focus their outreach on the youth. More than half of the population are under the age of 30. They work under severe cyber-control measures implemented by the government that restricts their online activities and engagements. Short pre-evangelistic social media videos, which are used in other countries, have been found to be ineffective in Vietnam. This is all due to the strict censorship measures which do not allow for the team to interact with viewers who might respond. If the team cannot invite viewers or listeners to church, the ministry would not serve its purpose.
One way that the team have found to be effective in engaging with the younger population is by preparing a special youth-orientated Bible exploration programme. These programmes are all pre-loaded onto a speaker box that uses blockchain technology. This makes it completely undetectable.
Popular Christian content
Two other very popular programmes among the youth between 20-29 years old are Christian music and in-depth Bible study through books or topical series. Listeners will often start listening to the music through a peer group and then to the Bible teachings that were either implemented at a school or local church.
Overcoming all obstacles
The team often organises youth camps where they teach the materials; and individual team members are also personally involved with various Bible study groups. They are an example that innovation, inspiration, and a passion for advancing the Kingdom of God can overcome all obstacles, even censorship.
Changing lives forever
The coronavirus has not had the same impact on Vietnam as other countries, yet they face other challenges such as extreme poverty, which leads to broken homes. Our broadcasts provide hope and encouragement by sharing the love of Christ with listeners. In the story that you read about Mr N, discovering our broadcasts changed his life forever. This is the case with millions more across Southeast Asia and other countries where our stations are present.
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Date published: 19/05/2022
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. Artwork adapted from unsplash.com
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