Monthly Project Report: Vietnam Heart Surgery (May 2017)

Agape Fish Fund partners with Vets with a Mission (VWAM) to provide life-saving heart surgery for poor children in Vietnam. The Children’s Heart Surgery Program (CHSP) will sponsor its 60th heart procedure/major surgery in 2017.

Newsletter from vets with a mission

May 17, 2017

Dear Friends:

​ After six weeks in Vietnam, two weeks at home, and another week and a half in TX and GA, we're finally putting down roots for the remainder of Spring, Summer and Fall. Let's catch up on the latest!

Training and Medical Mission Teams

​Two training and two medical mission teams performed marvelously and helped just over nearly 3,200 poor, needy, sick and in some cases, hopeless Vietnamese. They performed two heart procedures ($6,730), and there are two procedures pending (Est. $5,895). This report will give you the details.

Certificate of Registration

​The government finally renewed VWAM's COR which expired on April 24, 2016 this past March 10. It is effective until April 24, 2020 but with a new caveat. VWAM was given permission to have an office, bring medical mission teams and operation anywhere in Thua Thien Hue Province, but that's it. No other location in Vietnam!
 
An eleven month evaluation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by an investigation by Public Security Forces and Immigration Police, resulted in VWAM being "Kicked out" of Da Nang City and Province - after twenty-five years of ministry/humanitarian programs and projects. While no official reason was given, off the record, I was told it was because of Nguyen Van Chinh seeking religious asylum in the US, and suspected illegal religious activities.

AMCHAM

​AMCHAM is the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam. We are now a member along with 300 other companies mostly from the US or who have subsidiaries in Vietnam. This opens-up a whole new world of possible corporate support for our various humanitarian programs and projects. I am very excited about this possible avenue of financial support, in-kind donations, and volunteer involvement. A 30 second video introduced VWAM to the members at their annual meeting in HCMC/SGN on April 13.

Kicked out of Da Nang after 25 years of ministry and humanitarian projects,
​teams served in Thua Thien Hue Province.

Building/Property

​We thought the sale of the property/building was eminent in April, but the deal fell through at the last minute. Nguyen Van Chinh, who is the legal owner of record although he and VWAM have a binding legal agreement, decided not to sell pending his asylum decision.

Ministry

​As you are aware from previous communications, VWAM had to find a new way to do "Ministry." That new way was vetting three ministry partners currently operating in Vietnam. ​​After a year of evaluating several ministries, VWAM chose Visiting Vietnam (Bill & Sue McDonald) in Thai Nguyen (North of Hanoi), 2nd Mission (Norman Coe) in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, and Orphan Voice (Tony & Cindy Brewer) in Da Nang. 

VWAM recognizes its Program Coordinator, Tran Xuan Nam (left).

These ministries impact young adult, college/university students, and at risk women as well as children. Unfortunately, funding for VWAM's new ministry partners' programs and projects will come from the sale proceeds of the building/property. Finally, it was a blessing to pass on 150 DVD's of the Jesus Film in Vietnamese and five different ethnic minority languages to our friends.

​Once again it was a blessing to help those less fortunate than us and to honor the Vietnam veterans on our teams. And with donations tapering off between Memorial Day and Labor Day, VWAM will have a book give-away and another raffle for a Henry Repeating Tribute Rifle to attract much needed support during those summer months. Thank you for your continuing support and prayers!
 
All For Him and Them,
Chuck and Joette

​Charles Ward, Executive Director
Joette Ward, Associate Director
Vets With A Mission  

Original newsletter provided by Vets with a Mission