Much has happened since our last newsletter, but perhaps the most important event is another baptism. On December 8, Dieu Huyn was baptized into Christ. She is shown here being baptized by Hai Huynh, preacher for the church of Christ in Can Tho. She has been worshiping with the  church since 2009 and has been a faithful member of the ladies' Bible class. She spent the night at the church building the previous Friday evening and she and Ngan (who directs our English school program there) had some quiet moments together to talk. Dieu told Ngan that her husband wanted her to be baptized.
Ngan asked her the more important question: "Do YOU want to be baptized. Dieu replied that she had wanted to be baptized for a very long time, but her husband would not allow it. Recently, however, he had spoken to her and told her that he had changed his mind; that he wanted her to become a Christian. Dieu's two daughters were baptized by Tom Tune in 2009. As is the custom of the church, there was a nice meal after the baptism to welcome Dieu into the family of God.

The church continues to grow. A recent high attendance was 72. Half of the members live on the river and in surrounding villages. It takes them at least an hour to get to assembly and they either walk or ride bicycles.

The English school is likewise continuing to grow with, at last report, 176 students. The school exists to serve the community and help young people who are encouraged to learn English in school -- but who have difficulty doing so and need further help. The students are very eager to learn. Vy Truong (pictured here)  is 14 and one of the students. She comes to class 30 minutes early and studies before class starts. Vy lives with her grandmother who makes a living for them both by washing dishes at a restaurant. The restaurant also provides a bed for them to sleep at night. Her mother lives in Cambodia and her father has disappeared. Her life is such an incredible example of so many children who are virtually having to make their own way. The Church has an important role to fill in guiding these young people, showing that Christians care, and helping to provide a moral and ethical direction for their lives. Fifteen separate English classes are held each week and at least one class meets every day of the week. Each time, students make their way to the church property which exposes them to the fact that these buildings are special and provided by Christians. The classes last 90 minutes and have between 15 and 25 students per class.
Among the students is Vinh Ho, pictured here (to the right) with Ngan Huyn. He is 10 years old. His mother stays at home and takes care of the children. His father is a bricklayer. During the regular weekly visitation, Vinh's mother said that Vinh loves to come to English school. Often, the area where their house is situated floods and when it does, it is difficult to get out. In fact, on that day, water was making its way into their house. Vinh had cried because it meant he could not walk to school and he had asked his father if he would carry him on his shoulders. Since Vinh lives near the church building, he is able to come to church every Sunday.

Like any project, it is important to measure results where you can. All of our English school students were given exams in October to test their improvement. Not one student failed. These exams were given before their regular school examinations so we could compare their scores. The result of the comparison was that 75% of our students made higher grades in public school than normal. It is without a doubt being effective in helping the children. Another way we can tell it is helping is that our student base is growing all the time.