You know the drill people it's Day 18 of my month-longing blogging challenge and day 4 of my country series! I've had to take a step back from social media the past couple of days, and because of this I haven't been sharing the fact that I've still been posting everyday. That is why I am SO incredibly thankful for those of you who have already subscribed to my blog and are truly getting a taste of what it will be like next year when this is my only means of communicating with you. Thank you for your continued and ongoing support, and the fact that you keep coming back to read my blogs. We're on to country #4, where my squad and I will have the honor of doing ministry for the month of January. I give you... VIETNAM!
GEOGRAPHY & POPULATION:
Vietnam is a country found in Asia and the easternmost Asian country found on the Indochina Peninsula. It is the world's 15th most-populous country, and Asia's 9th most-populous country with a population of 92.7 Million people.
LANGUAGE:
The official national language of Vietnam is Vietnamese. Vietnam's minority groups speak a variety of languages, including Tày, Muong, Cham, Khmer, Chinese, Nùng, and H'Mông.
RELIGION:
"Indigenous Religions" (Vietnamese Folk Religion or Vietnamese Indigenous Religion is the ethnic religion of the Vietnamese people)- 45.3%, "No Religion/Unaffiliated"- 29.6%, Buddhism- 16.4%, Christianity- 8.2%
LIFE EXPECTANCY:
Male- 71.7, Female- 80.9, Total Life Expectancy- 76.3
FOOD:
Vietnamese food is full of simplicity and varies subtly by region. It isn't complex, but its fresh ingredients and timeless execution will leave you satisfied and wanting more each and every time. Some staples of Vietnamese cuisine include pho, banh geo, goi cuon, xoi, and bao.
FUN FACTS:
*Some gifts are considered bad luck in Vietnamese culture. Giving handkerchiefs, anything black, yellow flowers, or chrysanthemums is considered unlucky.
*Snake wine is often drank in Vietnam for vitality. Ruou ran, also known as snake wine, is a pickled snake in a rice wine that is commonly drunk for health, vitality, and restorative purposes.
*The Vietnamese flag consists of a golden star with five points. The five points represent farmers, workers, intellectuals, youth, and soldiers. The red background pays tribute to the bloodshed during various wars that Vietnam has fought in.
PRAYER POINTS:
*PRAY that the truth might be clearly and effectively proclaimed within Vietnam, particularly among the growing masses of young professionals. The country is proving responsive to the gospel, but at the same time, newfound prosperity has opened up the door to rampant materialism and other competing ideologies.
*PRAY that Vietnam may become fully open to Christian workers, and that many committed and prepared workers will be able to step up to go serve for the sake of the gospel within Vietnam.
*PRAY for effective witness from believers who have been imprisoned in Vietnam for their faith.
*PRAY for unity among Christians and Christian organizations who are seeing an increase in new believers.
*PRAY for freedom from government repression or unregistered house churches.
-Meagan
