Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church – On January 14 and 15, 2025, the Community Development Ministry made a meaningful trip to Tả Ngảo commune, Bát Xát district, bringing love and care to highland children in the bitter cold of winter with warm coats for highland children.
To prepare for the trip, the ministry received dedicated help from a representative of the “Giỏ Thị for Highland Children” group, who identified the specific needs of the preschools, primary and lower secondary schools in Tả Ngảo. As a result, the team prepared nearly 350 warm jackets, making sure each child got the right size. The coats were not only a practical gift but also a symbol of love and deep care.
Besides the jackets, 40 beautiful hand-knit sweaters sent by women in the South were given to the preschool children. Every careful stitch carried heartfelt hopes of bringing warmth to the children through the freezing winter.
The trip also included women representatives from the Đống Đa, Hai Bà Trưng and Thanh Xuân Covenant groups. Serving together was not only a chance to share responsibility but also helped members grow closer, more loving and more understanding of one another. That was a precious spiritual blessing of the journey for everyone who took part.
“then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.” (Philippians 2:2)
Caring not only for the children, the team also brought 60 hand warmers for the teachers who quietly sacrifice and persevere in sowing knowledge in this hard highland area: 30 for the preschool teachers and 30 for the primary and lower secondary teachers.
These small but warm gifts were sincere encouragement for the teachers, who every day overcome the cold and hardship to bring learning to highland students. As the Bible reminds us: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Donations for this trip totaled 5,420,000 dong, plus 60 hand warmers worth 4,800,000 dong. The jackets cost 22,700,000 dong, and 400 snack packs worth 2,000,000 dong were also carefully prepared for the children.
As team members put the jackets on each child with their own hands, they noticed that many children were still barefoot, without socks, in the biting cold. When asked why, the children just smiled innocently and said, “I don’t have socks.” That short answer left an ache in the volunteers’ hearts, reminding us how much more remains to be done to help these children through hardship.
This scene recalls the words of Jesus: “For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink… I was naked and you clothed Me” (Matthew 25:35–36).
This trip brought not only physical warmth but also spread the warmth of human kindness. Small yet meaningful gifts lit up hope and joy for highland children in the cold winter days. Seeing their radiant smiles, the Community Development Ministry felt compelled to continue this journey of love, hoping many more generous hearts will join hands to bring a brighter future to children in remote, difficult places.
Tả Ngảo is still cold, but hearts have been warmed by loving generosity and precious bonds between those who serve.
Read more in Community Development and Church News. Contact the church office: 0942 248 688 (Zalo available).
