Vietnam Summary Page

The LCMS began work in Vietnam in 1995, through a partnership between LCMS World Mission and LCMS World Relief and Human Care, serving through projects that provide humanitarian assistance and educational services. The Vietnamese Government recognizes LCMS World Mission as a Non-Government Organization (NGO). Specifically, the LCMS works closely with leadership and other personnel from the Vietnamese government’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

LCMS World Mission personnel teach English to medical professionals and gifted students in Hanoi and surrounding provinces. Together, LCMS World Mission and LCMS World Relief and Human Care sponsor multiple projects to address the problem of malnutrition in many rural villages. Examples include working with health stations to hold training events to address a wide variety of nutrition topics, and also working with day cares and elementary schools to improve nutrition and education among children.

LCMS World Mission also works in close partnership with Vietnamese professionals in the design and implementation of projects to improve the standard of living for Vietnamese communities in and near Hanoi. Examples include microcredit loans, biogas, and training in farming, aquaculture, and animal husbandry techniques. In emergency situations, the LCMS also has provided relief for families devastated by flooding or other disasters.

Currently, a team of LCMS career and GEO personnel reside in Hanoi and nearby Phu Tho Province. GEO personnel serve as English teachers at various Vietnamese universities, which allows them to build many relationships and share a valuable resource with their students—the opportunity to learn from and practice with a native English speaker.

Following several years of planning, Concordia International School Hanoi is scheduled to open in the fall of 2011. It will provide a Western-style education for students of Hanoi’s international community in a Christian environment.

• Nicole Barthel
• J.P. and Aimee Cima
• Ted and Jacqueline Engelbrecht
• Mary Ettner
• Sarah Schaff

LCMS World Mission shares God’s love with the people of Vietnam through humanitarian and educational assistance. Your gift to will Vietnam support our work in these areas, as well as providing general administrative support to continue the ongoing needs of everyday ministry.

Much of the human care assistance in Vietnam is done through a rural school nutrition project. The activities of this project not only helps the children themselves, but subsequently helps the families as well. The current nutrition and health care of school-aged children is inadequate. This project will improve knowledge and nutritional practice for teachers at teaching centers through training focused on nutrition education and prevention of infectious diseases.

The LCMS also provides for visiting teachers who come to Vietnam to increase the capacity of students, especially in the area of English communication skills. These volunteers assist the language teachers and departments in providing resources and information pertaining to English language education. Additionally, they develop relationships between Vietnamese teachers and students to allow for more language practice and greater understanding of both cultures and backgrounds.