Monday, 2026 Journal Entry
Central Highlands, Vietnam
Wow! Nice first day in the central Highlands.
We have excellent team chemistry with everyone working together with joy and goodwill. One miscue — the Vietnamese dentists, who were supposed to come, backed out, and they were to bring all the instruments and dental tools. Thankfully they weren’t needed today and will be shipped overnight on a nine hour bus ride from Saigon for tomorrow’s ministry. Our dentists did other things today with Dr. Le doing a good bit of translating for the doctors–our own Dr. Ron and two Vietnamese doctors.
We saw 167 patients today. I worked in the pharmacy with Thai Le and Linh Pham under direction of our pharmacist An Tran from Atlanta. She kept us organized and busy handing out meds that our doctors prescribed in bags with the patient’s name and instructions which were explained by a nurse in the next room.
All this ministry took place in the humble church atop a hill with the Pastor’s living quarters in the back.
Everyone, patients and providers, seemed thankful and pleased with the processes and ministry.
Many of our team simply posed with locals in the waiting shelter outside, who wanted their photos with Americans. There were lots of smiles, laughter, and hugs. “A joyful heart is good medicine” (Pro 17:22).
The movement and actions of churches and Christians are much more closely monitored in the rural, indigenous areas that in the cities. The authorities showed up to see what we were doing. Then they forbade us going to our planned location tomorrow. But they would permit those villagers to be bussed to where we were today.
“Father have mercy on these people we came to serve and help us find favor to do what You have for us to do. Amen. ‘Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands'” (Psalm 90:17).
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Psalm 90:12 was painted on the wall at the front of the church. “So teach us to number our days,
that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”