Jake's Mission Trip to Vietnam: Vol. 2

Dear Friends and Family,

I can’t believe 2020 is already upon us! The last 5 months have been crazy as I have started a new job as a 5th grade teacher. I never thought I would be teaching kiddos this young, but here we are. To top this new challenge off, I’m not even teaching math! I teach every subject except math. This March I have an incredible opportunity to travel back to Bac Ha, Vietnam for a second time. I will be part of a team from Alamo Community Church (ACC) and serve the communities there. I am very excited to go serve  and show the love of Jesus on the other side of the world in whatever way I am asked.

Over the past 8 years ACC has had the opportunity to engage with the children and families of the Thai Giang Pho community. To date we have been able to provide water filtration systems, 3500 square feet of paved concrete space for recreational activities along with new playground and exercise equipment, new dormitories equipped with beds, meals and cooking supplies, and 1000's of shoes to the students and the surrounding community.

It took me a while after returning last year to process all that happened during my time in Vietnam. The number one thing God revealed to me in a very tangible way is that His timing is exactly that: His. Over the time ACC has been serving the Thai Giang Pho community the schools have gone from being the worst in the area to the best. There is now a church in the community which is miraculous considering Vietnam is a closed country. This was the first trip we were able to listen to worship music while working, and we were able to openly pray for nearly every meal we sat down for.

During our trip last year we served by trying to show the love of Christ in very "simple" ways. We poured concrete at a school so there was a flat play area. We cooked pizza for the kids (You should have seen their faces with pizza. They had never seen it before and had no idea how to eat it.). We provided a backpack full of school supplies for each kid. My favorite part was being able to wash the hands and feet of each kid. This seemingly simple thing is not a normal occurrence in their lives. At the end of washing their feet, each kid received a pair of socks, new shoes, and some rain boots. You can see pictures from my trip in 2019 using the following link: Vietnam 2019.

I am writing to ask you for your support both prayerfully and financially. The mission trip is from March 5, 2020 – March 15, 2020. Prayer is crucial to the success of any ministry, and if God is not in this trip, it will all be in vain. Please pray that our Lord would be a part of our trip, and even now to prepare us and those we’ll be serving.

As for the financial need of this trip, I am responsible for raising my own financial support. The total cost I am responsible for is $2,500 which includes airfare, hospitality, food, transportation, and supplies. Will you join me in this opportunity to serve God, by supporting me financially?

I can’t wait to get back and serve the community in Vietnam. If you would like to talk more with me about the opportunity you can call or text me (920-402-0406) or email me (jakejash2@gmail.com). Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter and considering being a part of my life in this way. It means so much to me!