A radical transformation has taken place in northern Vietnam after a village leader began listening to the Word of God on the radio every day.
The one-time opium addict led his family and local villagers to the Lord.
They then turned the surrounding opium fields into beautifully manicured rice terraces and plots for growing vegetables and orchids.
Their village of Sin Suoi Ho near the Chinese border is now a top tourist spot in Southeast Asia.
Its pastor Hang A Xa told CBN News that a decade ago, almost the village’s entire Hmong population were drug addicts.
“Everyone was addicted so no one worked in the fields. We did not have food, just leaves from the jungle. People were fighting. It was a very messy time,” Pastor Xa said.
His father Hang A Lung was still elected as village chairman despite being an opium addict and because of his status, the government provided him with a radio to keep informed about its policies.
But Mr. Lung did not understand Vietnamese and the only radio program he could find in the Hmong language came from a Christian broadcast ministry, so he listened to the Word of God each day.
Pastor Xa explained to CBN News: “My father heard the Gospel and became the first believer. He wanted our whole family to receive Jesus. He summoned my brother who was studying in another town to come home right away. He said: You need to receive Jesus. If He comes, we all go to heaven and you go to hell.”
Mr. Lung obtained a Bible that had been passed from one household to another and after reading the Scriptures, he and the other villagers felt convicted to quit drugs and live a life pleasing to God.
CBN News reports that instead of opium, they planted orchids which became a source of income. Though most could not read or write, God gave the villagers wisdom to begin running various businesses.
Ten years later, Sin Suoi Ho village is now recognised by Vietnam’s government and Southeast Asian organisations as a top tourist attraction in the region.
Pastor Xa is supported in carrying on the legacy of being a God-centred village by CBN Vietnam which is helping disciple the children at the School of Life after-school where they learn to speak English, play different musical instruments and hear Bible stories through the CBN-produced Superbook series.
CBN Vietnam’s National Director Phuc Truong shared: “Sin Suoi Ho is a case study for the different villages in Vietnam. God transformed a community through a church. From the pastor and congregation, they obey the Lord. And God transformed everything. They did not start with the idea of making this village famous. They started with the idea that they love the Lord, and they want to glorify Him.”
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