Yesterday we worshipped for the first time as an international congregation in My Dinh, a district on the west side of Hanoi. Since this was the beginning of the congregation, we asked people to identify by their citizenship - their passport country. The largest groups attending this first service were from China, Korea and North America (we asked Canadians and Americans to stand together). There were at least 13 countries represented, most being from S.E. Asia.
In the afternoon we attended the huge annual bazaar, sponsored by the Hanoi Women's Club. It is held at the United Nations International School. There were several hundred booths and thousands of people there, mostly expats. Many booths sold items made in Vietnam and from countries around the world. A large number of booths provided a vast variety of foods from different countries of the world. Many European countries and some Latin American countries provided booths with delicious food. Nigeria had a large booth with their ambassador in attendance. The Canadian booth offered nanaimo bars and maple syrup among other things and had a man dressed as an RCMP officer. Dozens of nationalities were sprinkled among the large crowd. While eating sausages from Germany we sat with a German and several people from Botswana. Later we talked with folks from Nigeria, USA, Canada, Germany, etc.
It was invigorating to mingle with citizens from all over the world yesterday. It was even better to worship with Christians from a thirteen different countries. We have a unique connection that can't be determined or identified by a passport. We identify ourselves by our One Great Saviour. So we share a unique belonging: we have an eternal citizenship in an eternal homeland. I just read this morning:
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies, so that they will be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:20, 21
In the afternoon we attended the huge annual bazaar, sponsored by the Hanoi Women's Club. It is held at the United Nations International School. There were several hundred booths and thousands of people there, mostly expats. Many booths sold items made in Vietnam and from countries around the world. A large number of booths provided a vast variety of foods from different countries of the world. Many European countries and some Latin American countries provided booths with delicious food. Nigeria had a large booth with their ambassador in attendance. The Canadian booth offered nanaimo bars and maple syrup among other things and had a man dressed as an RCMP officer. Dozens of nationalities were sprinkled among the large crowd. While eating sausages from Germany we sat with a German and several people from Botswana. Later we talked with folks from Nigeria, USA, Canada, Germany, etc.
It was invigorating to mingle with citizens from all over the world yesterday. It was even better to worship with Christians from a thirteen different countries. We have a unique connection that can't be determined or identified by a passport. We identify ourselves by our One Great Saviour. So we share a unique belonging: we have an eternal citizenship in an eternal homeland. I just read this morning:
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies, so that they will be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:20, 21
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