Hue Nguyen’s Memoir

A writing memoir looks like telling a story. But it is difficult to talk about oneself! How to tell honestly what you did experience is not easy. I have read a lot of memoirs but rarely their honest truth are! But pastor Nguyen Van Hue‘s memoir is different from the others. If you read it, you will see that!
Those who join in the literature, politics field, often have many stories to tell. But I think the life of a pastor is extremely limited, it can be very monotonous and boring. But reading Mr. Hue’s memoir, that opinion will change. Perhaps God wants he did experience harsh trials, as Paul in the Acts of the Apostles. Then, he could tell us something interesting.
This memoir is not a literary novel with details and colors. It is very simple. However, it will draw readers into each special detail. Hopefully, a lot of evidence in this memoir will be a living document.
It is difficult to fight against the power of darkness. Pastor Nguyen Van Hue has fought with invisible dark forces, and he has won. Is he is a man of great talent? No. Praise the Lord! God has inspired strength to His servant. The Word of God is the Word of life. God has opened the way for him through Word. Therefore, pastor Hue life is very vital. Following the Lord with a vital faith is a success. May God bless him and his ministry so that he could tell us his experience. If Dr. Luke did not write the Acts of the Apostles, we wouldn’t know the hardships of those who take the cross following Christ.

Vietnamese people know Le Mong Nguyen with a famous song “Who comes to the land of peach-blossom.” That song has drawn many people, including me dreaming to Dalat. Peach-blossom in Dalat has gone into literature and art. But its trunk is slender and scabrous. Especially in Winter, it almost is dry death. But the end of Winter, the flowers sprouts open. How beautiful peach-blossom! The same to Pastor Nguyen Van Hue when he began serving the Lord in Dalat. He was taken in prison as well as peach-blossom trees in Winter. But now, churches have been established in the home country through the program Building Home Churches in Vietnam which he has done. Peach-blossom flowers are blooming in Spring!
Praise the Lord! God certainly will increase grace upon Pastor Nguyen Van Hue, who has got a clear vision for Vietnamese people.

Ho Phu Bong, a writer

MY SAVIOR
I see myself as the embodiment of suffering and blessing. Suffering from the status of a Vietnamese and blessing as a servant of Christ Jesus.
There is an anonymous author wrote, “A baby who the son of a country girl was born in a small village, grew to up in another village and to be a carpenter until he was 30 years old. That person has not written any books, either hold a public office or have a house. He did not attend college, never taking more than 200 miles from homeland but preached only his message in a limited land. At just 33 years old, he was killed by a death sentence. They buried him in a borrowed grave of another person. However, his influence in the human history is larger than any prominent politicians or leaders have ever had. It’s a unique man. That man is Jesus.”
My Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone can become the son of God through Him. He is my Lord and He also wants to be your Lord today.
Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher told the story of a king who did fall in love with a beautiful country girl. The king was very rich and powerful. No one dared to speak ill of him. He was respected. But he had a problem: “How could he express his love to her? How could he be sure that she loves him? ”
The throne, authority of the king were a hindrance. The king did not want to use that privilege to enter the heart of the girl. He wanted her to love him for herself, not for his status or material wealth. He did not want to have her by his authority. He found a way to become equal to her.
The king put on clothes as a farmer. He was not only as a poor disguise, but he actually became poor! He refused his throne and authority. Finally, he got the love of the country girl!
This story is a good illustration of Christ’s love for humanity. Christ has convinced my love and I have loved Him. Billions of people around the world have followed Him. Do you receive Christ’s love?
When Columbus and his sailors went to Amazon estuary for the first time. A sailor said, “We discovered an island.” But Columbus looked around and said, “No, we discovered a new continent. Such a large river didn’t come from an island!”

Columbus’ words have been meaningful for me. I have discovered and believed:
* Holy Bible is the living Word that comes from God.
* The world has existed because God has created and conserved it. We have only to be saved through Him.
* Jesus is God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of believers.
* Church is established by God. I was chosen to serve Him.
* The Holy Spirit who God dwells inside my heart and leads me.
* Faith, hope, and love in Christ are what I have been following every day.
* My proverb is, “Faith gets the most, Love does the most and Humility keeps the most.”
* The purpose of my life is to worship God, enjoy Him, build an intimate fellowship with Him and help the others.
How about you?
I have a dream that one day millions of Vietnamese people will be saved and reunited with me in Heaven.

My Boyhood In Vietnam.

My village was called Ky Phu. It means wealthy and wonderful, but actually, there wasn’t any significant natural resource here. My village is really a poor countryside however it has got a very beautiful scenery with Truong Giang River flowing quietly through white sand. There were a lot of rice and kumara fields here. The southern of the village was a beautiful natural harbor. That is a place where the US Army chose to set up a huge military base, called  Chu Lai  Base during the Vietnam War. Chu Lai also closes to My Lai, a famous place because of the massacre of civilians that occurred during the war. My Lai is now a historical site recording traces of war. American veterans often visit that place.

My dad was a chairman of  Ky Phu Commune People’s Committee for 9 years. Mr. Ngo Dinh Diem was the President of  South Vietnam Government at that time. I began to understand the background of my family. My family was loved and respected. But after 1975, my dad spent 5 years in jail because he used to be an officer of the South Vietnam Government.  During the time as the leader of Commune, my dad also was a fisher because of his salary was not enough to support the family. There were not a lot of fish in my homeland sea. Sometimes the fishers went fishing for some weeks, then came back home with nothing. The villagers and fishers were very poor although they had to work hard. The small fishing boats haven’t got any engines, so they have just caught fish around the inshore. Fishermen have to use hands and a rope to pull their boats for every sailing.  When the boats came back from the sea, they had to pull them back to the shore. The level of awareness of the people was very low. Only a few people graduated High School. One day, there was a massive black died whale drifted on shore. People did set up a shrine to worship him.

Although the villagers were very poor, but they lived in harmony and love each other. The days of rough seas,  the fishing boats could not work, then living in the village was very sad. But in summer, the fishing activities were very busy. The fishermen often catch more fish on the nice days. The boats laden with many kinds of fish. Those who did not sail the sea were also received fish by other fishermen.

One day, I went to a boat full of fish and ask some fish. The owner saw me. He said: “He is a chairman of Commune’s son. Let’s give him some fish.” Actually, I would like to ask the fish for the poor. But that day I was cautioned by my dad. He thought that  I dare to misuse the name “son of the chairman” to ask some fish. My dad was a talented and honest man. He couldn’t only compose poems, but also build the houses, make the small boats, weave the baskets, gardening and farming. He has got a great affection for people and nature.

I was the only member of the family to go to High school. When I did pass my High School test, my dad was sailing the sea. At noon, I ran to the beach to meet him coming back. He went fishing alone with a small boat. He caught a big fish and some small fish. I approached but not to tell him about my good news. My dad sold the big fish and kept some small fish for the family. Then, I told him I had passed.  My dad was happy, but he said: “Why did not you say this earlier  so that I  save  the big fish for special lunch today?” I was very happy to hear his words. On that day my family rejoiced very much in my good news.

 

 

I Became An Interpreter

I began to learn English at a Secondary School in Da Nang. In 1965, my family moved from the Ky Phu to Danang City to avoid the bombs. At that time the US Army had come to Danang. US military bases were set up in this city. The roads and bridges were built. The US goods were sold everywhere. The military vehicles began to appear on the street. In the sky, the jets, helicopters roared. The city had got more jobs, so everyone could find easily available ones. US troops had come to Vietnam in 1965. And ten years later many Vietnamese people came to the US and became citizens of the country. This is a thing that no one has thought of it before.

My parents have got eight children consisting of four boys and four girls. I was the eldest son. My father worked at a US base to support the family. There were a lot of difficulty for my study because I had to go to a private school. I did not have enough money for school fee. I must try to overcome all obstacles in order to go to school. I was not a good student. I was not good at subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. I have just liked  Vietnamese and foreign languages. One day I  was removed from the class because of no money for school fees. I had to stand out from the classroom, but continue to do my Vietnamese exam test. On that day my composition was gotten good marks. The difficulty did not bind my wisdom.

French was my main foreign language when I was at Secondary School. I began to learn English when I was at High School because French is no longer relevant. My English was not good at school. So I had to go to a night class of Vietnam USA Society English Center to learn. This organization hired Phan Chu Trinh High School in Da Nang for teaching English. I  went to class three times per week. The most interesting thing here was I was taught by an American teacher. He was an officer of US Army.  “English For Today” was used as a textbook. Mr. Le Ba Kong translated it into Vietnamese. I was really happy to learn English here. I began to listen and speak English a little.

Next course I did not have the money for tuition. This made me embarrassing. I thought and wrote down a piece of paper: “Can you do me a favor. I have no money for school fee.” Then I passed it to my English teacher. He asked, “How much do you want?  When?” I answered and he gave me USD 20. This was the first time I had  20 dollars. I will never forget his support. After that, I  could continue my study.  God used my English teacher to support me in times of need.
I am sure that every situation in my life is not accidental. It was set up by God.
I had tried to practice my English, then prepared to go to work. The Civilian Agency that was looking for workers for the US Army received me. At that time I was only 18. I became an interpreter for a group of Civil Affairs. The group was in Tam Ky town, about 30 miles from Da Nang to the south. It supplied war refugees who were going to the city with food, as well as building wells.  After a year of working to help the people, I came back to Da Nang as an interpreter for another military base at Hoa Khanh, near Children’s Hospital.

I Went To Theological College 

The Vietnamese Protestant Church designed a leadership training program for churches at the Danang Biblical School since the early 1920’s. The School was called Theological Institute when it was relocated in Nha Trang by the early 1960’s. The school was located on a hill that overlooks Hon Chong Beach. There is a lot of clean fresh air with sea wind here. The sunrise scenery is very beautiful in the morning.

After the Tet of 1968, the political situation of the country changed dramatically because of the General Offensive of the Northern Army. I automatically quit work and decided to dedicate myself to God to serve Him. Working as an interpreter can earn money easily but serving the Lord is not the same. I went to study Theological School to prepare for a future ministry. At that time, the Theological Institute in Nha Trang began to open the  Bachelor Degree in Theology Class and I was admitted to go into this Class. It was in September 1968. One year later, although we were not fully trained enough, all students had to practice in the local churches. It was a condition for students to continue to be postponed joining the army. Some students who did not qualify for postponement had to enlist and could not return to the School. I was fortunate not to join the army for the meaningless war.

Hundreds of youths and students of the Vietnamese Churches did not have the opportunity to enter the serving God ministry because of the war. I had got a close friend, growing up and living in the same village. He was a good, talented and very intelligent student. His name was Nguyen Tan Den. I was very affectionate and respectful to him, but he did not have conditions to study Theology like me. He was called in the Thu Duc Infantry School, became a Commanding Officer of an Army Unit, and three years later he was killed in the southern Laos. I mourned and wrote a poem to cry to him.
I often wonder why I was survived in the bloody war while the others had to live with misfortune and suffering. Comparing to many the others in my hometown, my life has got the unbelievable luck. Is this God’s grace for me?
When growing up in the war, who could know the future? All things that happened in my life has come under God’s control. I believe in the Lord whom has chosen and guided me in my whole life. I am not a good man or I have done anything good, but that it is the grace of the Lord. His love is immense and unconditional. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.. .. but the grace of God that was with me.” (1 Cor. 15:10). I have walked in the God’s grace and His mercy.

I served the Lord in Chu Lai and Binh Son Protestant Churches for three years, then I returned to the Theological Institute to complete the Bachelor of Theology Degree.
In my graduation thesis, I studied and wrote about the missionary work of the  Protestant Churches in the Ethnic Minorities of Vietnam. With this dissertation and the good study achievement, I was selected to speak on the graduation day in 1974.
After graduation, I was chosen to work with Professor Le Hoang Phu’s group in the  Research Gospel Program. Pastor Le Hoang Phu is the Academic Director of Theological Institute. He received a Ph.D. in the New York University and returned to Vietnam to train God’s servants since 1968. He had great visions of Christian education and devoted himself to help God’s servants. He taught the lessons very well and inspired to all students. His life and ministry have greatly influenced my life. All of the students loved him very much.

In 1973,  Pastor Le Hoang Phu introduced me to the leaders of Vietnamese Protestant Churches. They were ready sent me to the Philippines to work for the FEBC Broadcasts. At that time,  Pastor Nguyen Thi, Pastor Nguyen Ba Quang, and Pastor Tran Dao were working in the Vietnamese Language Department here. I was also eager to go abroad to learn and serve God. But the Government of South Vietnam did not allow me and my family to go abroad despite Pastor Doan Van Mieng, a senior leader of the Vietnamese Protestant Church tried to get the visa for me. I still remember his statement in a sermon, “The blessing of the shepherd is to serve the Lord.”
Pastor Ong Van Huyen, the President of Theological College also loved me and encouraged me so much. He and other leaders helped me in order to hold my wedding at Theological College. It was on April 29, 1973. My spouse was also a student of the Theological Institute. Many people came to congratulate us on the wedding day. This was the first time a wedding was held at Theological Institute.

The Memorable Memories 

I will be never forgotten the memorable memories during the school days at Nha Trang Biblical Institute.

During my four years of study at Nha Trang Biblical Institute, I received a scholarship from Rev. Thomas Stebbins. He was a missionary of the American Christian and Missionary Alliance. This was also the first and most successful foreign Missionary Association in Vietnam. I lived by faith every day at the Institute. I had only the scholarship in this month and I had to win the scholarship for the next month. At the Institute, I also translated the Biblical Lessons from English into Vietnamese for an American professor named R. F. Rexilius. So I received some money for breakfast. Every weekend, I and other students went to the streets or the other areas to evangelize, preach the gospel, teach Bible for the teenagers.

On Christmas day, all students of the Institute were invited to participate in the evangelistic music program for thousands of students and non-commissioned officers of the Dong De-Training Center located in the northern mountain and not far from the Institute. I was chosen to be a preacher for this program. There were many generals, officers, and soldiers listening to my sermon. I speak of the Christmas story to express kinds of people toward God. It was the apathetic attitude of the scribes, the opposition of king  Herod, the worship the Lord of the Oriental doctors and the shepherds. I called everyone for a choice. I hoped for the right attitude toward God from many people on that day.

I also had another great favor when the  Institute’s professors chose me to translate the sermon of Rev. Louis King. He was the Secretary General and President of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) came from New York. The professors often translated for foreign speakers. But this was the first time I had been selected for this job. I did worry about that. I had trusted God with this ministry and in the end, God gave me a fluent translation. The meeting was crowded with great blessings, especially when the speaker said about the wonderful things God had done all over the world. After finishing the translation I was very happy and to be praised by everyone, including Rev. Louis King and my professors.

 

HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD IN PRISON

God gives us choices and decisions about our personal problems. But He does not tell us what will happen in the future.  We can not understand exactly what God does today, but we will know about that in the future. This is my experience.
I was thrown into a prison on June 14, 1978. During my difficult time in prison, I wondered a lot of questions. These questions relate to faith, hope, and love. After getting out of prison I had a sermon on this subject. Many people give up when they are tested for a long time. But I thank God,  I have kept faith, hope, and love by His grace. Here are three important things that Paul the Apostle experienced in his ministry. And I have been learning this lesson.
“A day in prison is longer than a thousand years at large.” The concept of time in prison is not the same the outside. The prisoners often mark the time through prominent events such as a fellow inmate is taken to shoot, a prisoner is released, someone has to be in the clink…etc…

The concept of time has become meaningless for the prisoners have no verdict.
When I was put in prison, the  Government’s officials said that I have to spend 4 months to investigate. But then it was not 4 months. Three years, then next years they did not say anything about that. I did not know which day I was released.
The value of culture was upset when I was put in prison. The most valuable thing is food. There was not enough food for the prisoners. We survived thanks to the food that the family sent to. Our relatives could bring us fresh food. Tinned food was prohibited. Because the Management of Prison considered that canned food can help the prisoners to escape. But the amount of food could eat in a week. Generally speaking, the prisoners are always hungry. Each prisoner has only a bowl of rice mixed with some slices of tapioca. The prisoners always suffered hunger is an “educated way” of the Management. In that difficult situation, God had preserved my life until I got out of prison.

THE WONDERFUL SUPPORT
The chef was also a prisoner. He was selected by the Management to cook for them and other prisoners. He especially liked me, so he gave me more food every time he got a chance. One day I went to the kitchen to make the soup. Before that, I sent an aluminum can to the chef. When I opened it, inside the can was the cooked cassava. The chef said to me, “This morning I cook the cassava for the officials. The cassava is too much so I give it to you.”
I was very happy, thanks to the chef and I was fed with the cassava on that day. I feel I was having me a party. Later on, he secretly occasionally cooked other meals for me. I have believed that God used him to provide me food in the difficult situations.
Besides the chef’s help, we sometimes caught a frog in the field. One day when I was digging up in the field, I saw a frog. I approached and grabbed it. Strangely enough, it stood still for me to catch. On that day, I and an inmate fellow could make a delicious dish.
In the last few months in prison, I was in the employ of a handicraft group. Then I  felt a little more comfortable.

(to be continued next)

Hue Nguyen
Translated by Admin