Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church – Two years in a row, at the Lunar New Year of 2022 and 2023, the Community Development Ministry visited members of the Thanh Xuân District Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims, giving a total of 82 Tết gifts to Agent Orange victims and their families. It is one of the activities the ministry hopes to sustain long-term with people who have suffered much disadvantage.
See photos: photos of the Tết 2022 gift-giving on the Community Development Ministry fanpage
Pain That Spans Generations
Agent Orange/dioxin has left severe consequences not only for those directly exposed, but also for their children and grandchildren. Many families have first- and second-generation victims living together, facing both illness and financial hardship. Every Tết, those losses are felt even more keenly.
That is why the ministry chose to walk alongside the Thanh Xuân District Association of Agent Orange Victims, as a concrete way to share with those carrying the wounds of war.
Tết 2022: 72 Gifts
On the morning of January 24, 2022, at the Thanh Xuân District Social Organizations Office, representatives of the Community Development Ministry gave 72 Tết gifts to members of the district association. The gathering was attended by branch leaders from the district’s wards and many members.
Speaking at the gathering, the ministry’s representative expressed sympathy for the difficulties the victims and their families face and encouraged them to keep striving. The gifts, though small, helped share some of the burden as Tết approached, giving families more joy to welcome a peaceful Year of the Tiger.
Tết 2023: A Second Year Together
On the morning of January 11, 2023, the ministry gave another 10 Tết gifts to association members, responding to the “Tết for the poor and for Agent Orange victims” movement. It was the second year the ministry had the opportunity to walk alongside the Thanh Xuân association.
At the gift-giving, ministry members witnessed the joy of both first- and second-generation victims receiving gifts. The material value was not large, but it carried the ministry’s heart and its hope that everyone could celebrate a peaceful, complete Tết surrounded by love.
Kindness to the Poor Is a Loan to the Lord
“Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.” (Proverbs 19:17)
For the church, caring for the disadvantaged is not a seasonal activity. It is how believers show the love of the Savior Jesus concretely to their neighbors, especially those who are easily forgotten.
Hoping to Keep Walking Together
The ministry hopes to continue walking alongside the Thanh Xuân District Association of Agent Orange Victims and other vulnerable groups in the years ahead. This work also connects the ministry with the district’s social organizations, where the Thanh Xuân Covenant group has been present and serving for many years.
Let Us Pray Together
- For Agent Orange victims and their families to have health, comfort and support.
- For second-generation members to have opportunities to study, work and be included in the community.
- For the ministry to keep having resources to walk long-term with the disadvantaged.
Read more in Community Development and Church News. Contact the church office: 0942 248 688 (Zalo available).
